The John Myles Internship
January-December 2012
The First Baptist Church in Swansea
21 Baptist St., Swansea, Massachusetts 02777
www.firstbaptistinswansea.org ~ 508.379.9728
History
John Myles was the founding pastor of our congregation in 1663. He was joined by James Brown, assistant governor of the Plimoth colony, six others who had been a part of the Puritan Congregational church in Rehoboth. Aided by Capt. Thomas Willet, also an officer in the colonial government, Myles organized the fifth congregation later to be recognized as following in the Baptist tradition. It remains the third oldest surviving Baptist congregation in North America. The congregation has been key in the development of such Baptist organizations as the Warren Association and Brown University.
Myles became the first Baptist elder to lead congregations on both sides of the Atlantic. He founded the first Baptist church in Swansea, Wales at Ilston in 1649. His record book is now being transcribed for publication by the Mercer University Press in 2013. The church maintains continuous records from its founding.
The congregation is now a small member church of committed people who are proud of the heritage which they maintain and are open to finding news ways of being the church in the 21st century. The congregation celebrates its heritage by being tolerant and open to a wide variety of theological positions while maintaining a holy affection for each other. Having explored for the past 10 years various configurations and approaches to ministry, the congregation now wishes to reclaim a part of its earliest history by becoming a place of professional formation and mentoring for those who seek the noble calling of pastor/teacher. This internship is intended to both recognize and honor our rich history as well as to explore our future.
The Candidate
The successful candidate for this internship would be a maturing Christian anticipating professional ministry in a congregational context. He or she would be a seminary or graduate student with a high level of academic success who possesses good written, oral and electronic communication skills. He/she should have a “pastor's heart” and interpersonal confidence to care for the members of the congregation and an openness to work with a variety of ages and opinions. The candidate should have a keen interest in exploring the history of our congregation with a willingness to share our heritage with other persons and institutions. The candidate must make a time commitment to the congregation that allows him/her to fully engage our ministry.
Experience in music performance, web site design and maintenance, community organization, chaplaincy and teaching would all be desirable additions to the qualifications of the candidate.
Duties
The intern will be charged with the following responsibilities:
Sunday worship and fellowship (includes preparation of bulletin/order of worship, preaching, musical selections, children's moment and shared worship leadership)
Administrative cooperation with the several boards and committees of the congregation especially the Deacons. (most boards/committees meet on Sundays after worship)
Supporting the teaching ministry of the church (special times and regularly within worship)
Visitation in hospitals, nursing facilities and homes (within the parameters of scheduled time frame)
Critical presence: funerals, weddings, personal or congregational crises (as much as possible)
working with the mentor/supervisor on a regular basis
Anticipated time involvement
The internship would involve between 15 and 20 hours per week for the calendar year 2012. Responsibilities for Sunday would probably utilize 8-10 hours per week in terms of preparation and presence. The mentoring/supervision would be one hour per week in addition to meeting with the Deacons once a month. Allowance for travel time would be considered in the total hours. The intern would be present in Swansea on at least two days per week, one of which would be Sunday.
Supervision
The supervisor/mentor would be the Rev. Dr. Charles K. Hartman, the (semi-retired) 46th settled pastor of the congregation. A designated time would be set for conversation and reflection on the learning taking place by the intern. A verbatim or weekly reflection would be utilized to aid this process. Conversations with the Deacons would also be a part of the mentoring process. A learning contract would be developed by the intern and the supervisor to be approved by the Deacons on behalf of the congregation.
Compensation
The intern would receive a stipend of $1000 per month and an allowance for mileage which would be determined (at the time of selection) in consideration of the logistical needs of the intern. Housing for possible overnight stays would be arranged by the congregation and might be either at a local motel or shared by church members in a home setting.
The supervisor would receive a stipend of $200 per month.
Outcomes
The intern, upon completion of the time with the church, would be given an evaluation by which any learnings might be identified and by which recommendations of the intern might be made for subsequent employment.
The successful intern will be considered for the position of settled pastor of the congregation.
Application
Application forms are available by contacting the Rev. Dr. Charles Hartman at 508.336.0799 (home) or 508. 379.9728 (office) or writing to him at 21 Baptist St. Swansea, MA 02777 or by email revdochart@gmail.com Interviews will be arranged and 3 references will be contacted before the selection is made.
