EfM: A Switch You Can’t Turn Off
BILLY BAXTER, PARISHIONER & EfM MENTOR
Simply put, EfM (Education for Ministry) continues to feed my intellectual curiosity and quench my spiritual thirst. It is a remarkable curriculum lovingly constructed by the Sewanee School of Theology to discern a participant’s vocational ministries—whatever they might be.
If my life were a chair, EfM is one of the four legs or lifelines that keeps me upright along with friends/family, work, and trivia. Take EfM away and I’d still be able to function, but my life would be a lot more wobbly. Almost to a person, everyone I know who has taken EfM in whole or in part has cherished the small group discussions, the weekly theological reflections, the carefully selected readings, and the deepening of faith through fellowship. I am no exception.
I am forever grateful that Hilary Streever put me in touch with Jane Dowrick (then-mentor for the St. James’s cohort)—and that Jane so graciously answered the phone when I called to learn more. And the phone is an apt metaphor regarding my EfM experience. I am conscious of four callings in my life:
Two are related to EfM: enroll in the traditional four-year course in 2020, and become the mentor for this cohort upon Jane’s retirement after many years of thoughtful and selfless service.
The other two strictly are not: marry Brooke, and become an Episcopalian.
But all four are integral parts of who I am.
EfM is transformative in the sense that it flips a switch within your faith—one that you just can’t turn off once it’s activated. But for EfM, I would never have read the Bible twice (so far). I would have never been exposed to such authors as Rowan Williams, Steven Charleston, or Henri Nouwen. And I wouldn’t have such dear friends as Betsy Blair, Mary Ritchie McGuire, Jane, Bill Gray (who is a member of St. Stephen’s), Melinda Parker, and many others who continue to prod me along in my own journey. Pre-EfM, when I wanted to read a book for pleasure, I would never have checked out a two-volume work on prophets by Abraham Heschel (a leading Jewish scholar) as I did earlier this month. My former self would probably have laughed at the prospect.
Importantly, EfM is open to everyone—including all of you! In past years, our cohort has been populated by St. James’ers. More recently (and this year), we have opened up to other parishes and congregations—which adds to the rich diversity of our shared experience. This coming year, we will even have someone joining us by Zoom from Maine!
Here is how the program works and what to expect this year:
The Schedule: We meet on Tuesday nights by Zoom from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. We aim to start the year on September 15.
This Year's Theme: “Following Jesus”
Two Ways to Participate:
Traditional EfM: A four-year course of study and discourse. Year 1 tackles the Old Testament; Year 2 the New Testament; Year 3 the history of the Church; and Year 4 Christian spirituality and ethics.
EfM Wide-Angle: A program new this past year—a one-year focus intended for those who have graduated from EfM and want to come back, or those who broadly just want to see what EfM is all about! Note: All years and participants meet together as a single group.
The Workload: On average, expect 3–4 hours of work each week. Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on your pace. You can do all of it one week, or just some of it another. The curriculum is designed to be flexible.
The Modern Format: EfM is now online through Pathwright, allowing you to point and click on your computer to engage with carefully chosen digital resources. For example, in Week 22 (out of 36 weeks), Year 1 participants previously read the last 16 chapters of Isaiah. You can still do that, but the assignments now suggest reading 3 chapters (and parts of 3 others), reading an Isaiah chapter in the companion textbook, and listening to a 25-minute podcast—flexibility the previous format never allowed.
As with anything, you’ll get out of EfM what you put into it. While mentors can check individual progress, that’s not my style. No slapping of hands with a proverbial ruler!
An EfM cohort typically has 6–12 participants. I am aiming to have 8–9 for this coming year, and there are several spots available, whether you choose Traditional or Wide-Angle. Registration opens in mid-July. Please contact me to learn more. EfM is the best conscious investment I have ever made in myself. I want to help you be able to look back someday and say the same for yourself.