David Myers last visited 黑料正能量 in 2014 for a that included a seminary chapel presentation 鈥� 鈥渘ot a sermon,鈥� he said at the time, 鈥渂ut a report of the ongoing conversation inside my head and my heart鈥� 鈥� with reflections on his position as director of the in Washington D.C.
That 鈥渃onversation inside my head and my heart鈥� continued this fall semester when Myers became 黑料正能量鈥檚 first practitioner-in-residence for six weeks. He brought good humor, a willingness to subject himself to endless questions and cups of coffee, and a wealth of life experience from which to share.
During days filled with classroom observations, talks and more formal lectures, strategic plannings, and informal interactions with faculty, staff and students, not to mention still keeping in touch with his D.C. staff 鈥� Myers was a man on the move.
The result was a kind of Mennonite-inspired Chatauqua 鈥� a time both personally restorative and intellectually challenging, 鈥渁s I鈥檇 hoped it would be,鈥� Myers said. 鈥満诹险芰库�檚 academic programs at the , the and the offered a kind of intersection with my professional life that I thought would be an interesting mix of learning, conversation and feedback 鈥� this has really been one of the wonderful experiences of my life.鈥�
Service and leadership
The Practitioner-In-Residence program was developed by the Provost鈥檚 Office.
鈥淲e want to provide space and time for experienced practitioners and recognized leaders to reflect on their own work and learn new skills by interacting with our own skilled academics and professionals, but we also want our campus community to engage and benefit from the opportunity to learn from a variety of people in diverse settings,鈥� said Provost Fred Kniss.
Myers was a natural selection for the pilot program: his professional life has been spent at the confluence of faith, service and leadership in a variety of positions, including church ministry and nonprofit leadership. He pastored four Mennonite congregations, worked as a conference youth minister, and served two years in Mennonite voluntary service. He also was a founding board member of a state-wide fatherhood initiative, co-founder of an HIV/AIDS social service organization, and director of three homeless organizations.
Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009, Myers heads one of 13 centers that liaison between the faith-based and neighborhood organizations and their particular 鈥渉ome鈥� agency: other similar centers reside, for example, with the departments of health and human services, education, labor and justice, among others.
Myers says much of his work is with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where he and his staff work to improve partnerships between the Department of Homeland Security and faith-based and voluntary organizations, which are often the 鈥渇irst responders鈥� in emergencies.
In a series of exploratory meetings with programs at 黑料正能量, Myers was especially interested in the work of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, with a special focus on the (STAR) program.
Because his appointment will end with the conclusion of the Obama Administration, Myers says that some of the ideas he came away with may never come to fruition.
鈥淏ut I am strongly committed to the idea of trauma-informed congregations,鈥� says this former pastor, 鈥渨hether that takes the shape of a webinar or a training鈥� created and implemented by his office.
Prompted to reflection and discovery
Myers鈥� interactions on campus ranged from classroom observation (he particularly enjoyed Professor 鈥檚 鈥淏iblical Theology of Peace and Justice鈥� class and wanted to stay longer in Professor 鈥� course on war-to-peace transitions) to a day-long visit to Eastern Mennonite School.
Opportunities for what he calls 鈥渕utual exchange鈥� often nudged him towards personal reflection and insight.
To Professor 鈥檚 鈥淟eadership for the Common Good鈥� graduate course, Myers brought moral dilemnas from his own career. With undergraduates in a social work practice, he talked about the role of the executive director and board relations, which turned into a conversation on strategic planning and goal setting.
鈥淧eople are really curious about the government, so I always try to explain a little bit so that it is not quite so much of a mystery and a little less intimidating,鈥� he told the audience during one of two formal lectures. (The titles of these lectures give a glimpse of his sense of humor and the kind of cultural challenges he has encountered in the past several years: 鈥淎s Out of Place as a Mennonite (Ordained, No Less) in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security鈥� and 鈥淏lowing Down Fences, Making Good Neighbors: Interfaith and Intercultural Collaboration in Disasters.”)
By the end of the six weeks, Myers shared his gratitude for the experience and for the opportunity to share and reflect upon not only his profession, but the Mennonite values that have helped to guide him through the challenges of trying to do good work in a political world. “I鈥檝e learned that I will always have a Mennonite way of being in the world, and I鈥檒l take that assuredly and self-consciously into whatever I do next.鈥�