Roy M. Oswald

Roy M. Oswald has provided leadership for hundreds of conferences and training events in the U.S. and Canada. A variety of denominations have called on him to focus on the pastoral role and the dynamics of parish leadership. He also frequently consults with local congregations and judicatories where his planning model utilizes norms, myths and meaning statements from a church's past. Roy Oswald is identified with research into the transitions clergy make when they enter parishes for the first time and for clergy in longer pastorates. More recently he has headed studies of the candidacy process, leadership needs of small congregations, and new methodology for assessing ministries using clergy/lay teams.

Expertise:

• Survival Skills-Clergy Stress and Burnout
• Spiritual Development
• Power-Analysis of a Congregation
• Multiple-Staff Needs
• Assimilation & Incorporation of New Members
• Clergy Transition Skills
• Clergy Family Needs
• Survival Skills for Church Executives
• Start-Up Training for New Pastors
• Clergy and Ministry Assessment
• Termination and Exit Training
• Polarity Management
• Redevelopment of Congregations
• Redevelopment of Middle Judicatories
• Emotional Intelligence
• Staff Teambuilding

Education:

• B.A. University of Alberta, Edmonton
• M. Div. Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
• Certification studies with National Training Laboratory

Professional Experience:

• 1962-66 Pastor, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Kingston, Ontario
• 1966-70 Director of Youth Ministry, Central Pennsylvania Synod, Lutheran Church in America
• 1970-73 Assistant to the President, Central Pennsylvania Synod
• 1973-78 Director of Clergy & Congregational Development, Metropolitan Ecumenical Training Center, Washington, DC
• 1978-86 Director of Training & Field Studies, Alban Institute
• 1986- Senior Consultant, Alban Institute

Affiliations:

• Association for Creative Change
• Association for Psychological Type

Consulting and Training Clients:

• Local congregations, national church bodies, middle judicatories, regional ministries and clergy associations, seminaries, clergy support groups, pastoral care teams, chaplains, hospices and health professionals.

Publications:

• Finding Leaders for Tomorrow's Churches: The Growing Crisis in Clergy Recruitment, 1993, Alban Institute
• How to Build a Support System for Your Ministry, 1991, Alban Institute
• Clergy Stress and Bumout Workbook, 1983, Ministers Life Resources
• The Inviting Church
• Making you Church more Inviting
• Personality Type and Religious Leadership
• Clergy Self Care
• Transformational Rituals-daily practices that change lives
• On Becoming a Transformational Regional Body
• Clergy Start-Up Workbook
• Running Through the Thistles---terminating a pastoral relationship.
• Beginning Ministry Together
• Thriving Congregations Manage These Eight Polarities Well.
• The Pastor as Newcomer
• Discerning Your Congregation's Future
• Audio Series: Chants for the Road, Body Stretches for Health and Vitality, Fasting/Conscious Eating/Meditation/Centering Prayer/Centering Your Day