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On July 31, 2026, twelve church leaders were awarded a Certificate of Congregational Renewal, and earned the credential of Certified Renewalist through Creating a Culture of Renewal®. One of this year’s recipients is from the Presbytery of Wabash Valley of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., The Rev. Jennifer Burns Lewis. This is the sixth year this credential has been awarded, bringing the total to eighty-four.
Certified Renewalists have successfully completed a rigorous three-year leadership empowerment and spiritual formation process that accelerates vitality and interrupts church decline, while empowering congregations to shift their culture from one of relauctance and resistance to one of renewal.
To receive the Certificate of Congregational Renewal and be designated a Certified Renewalist, a church leader must demonstrate their mastery of three content areas: Congregational Intelligence, Leadership Smarts, and Culture Shifting. The program requires participation in annual opening and closing retreats, monthly webinars, monthly mentoring sessions, mentoring other church leaders as well as leading their congregations in a visioning process that results in the church successfully meeting a deep need in their community. Those receiving the credential have also presented a Portfolio showing their personal and congregational growth.
“Receiving the Certificate of Congregational Renewal and being credentialed as a Certified Renewalist is no small feat,” said Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter, founder of Creating a Culture of Renewal and Elder from Mountain Sky Conference of the UMC in Extention Ministry. “These Certified Renewalists are courageous and pro-active. They’ve proven their ability to shift the culture of their ministry settings, improve the spiritual, missional, and financial well-being of their congregations, and create and execute a vision, inspired by God, that impacts their communities in profound ways.”
The twelve include: Pastrix Carmen Daugherty (The United Methodist Church), The Rev. Darcy A. Tillman (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), The Rev. Darlene Hyatt (Church of the Nazarene), Pastor Erika Braun (The United Methodist Church), The Rev. Jennifer Burns Lewis (Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.), The Rev. JoAnne Holder (African Methodist Episcopal Church), The Rev. Monica Jefferson (The United Methodist Church), Patty Seery (laity, Community of Christ), The Rev. Suzanne Calhoun (The United Methodist Church), Pastor Therese Lehman (The United Methodist Church), Reverend Towanda NT Connelly (The United Methodist Church), and The Rev. Tracy Hoskins (The United Methodist Church).
The Certificate of Congregational Renewal is gaining visibility as Certified Renewalists are increasingly sought by Bishops’ cabinets and other appointment-making bodies.
For those interested in receiving their Certificate of Congregational Renewal and being credentialed as a Certified Renewalist, information can be found at www.cultureofrenewal.com.
Creating a Culture of Renewal, founded by the Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter in 2011, is an award-winning program with a proven track record. She and her team have worked with thousands of pastors, laity and denominational executives from a variety of denominations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
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