In a sign of the continued growth of the Fresh Expressions movement, we are pleased to announce the addition of The Rev. Shannon Kiser to our team as Director of Training.
Kiser comes to the US Fresh Expressions Team from the 1001 New Worshipping Communities Initiative of the Presbyterian Mission Agency where she has spent the last 5 years working with Presbyterians to inspire and release new worshiping communities. In that role, she has developed and led training events, started an internship track for pioneer leaders and directed a peer coaching network for emerging ministries. She regularly coaches planters and teams who are considering new projects, or who are on the ground doing the work of forming new faith communities.
“Shannon’s experience and passion for the mission of Jesus comes at the perfect time for our growth and development as a national movement. Her dual concern for faithfulness to the historic gospel and a timely approach to our cultural context is critical in this role.” US National Director Chris Backert, said. “We’re grateful to have Shannon on board.”
Kiser assumes the role of coordinating and leading our team of mission strategists and trainers in the further development and implementation of the Mission-Shaped Ministry course through Pioneer Learning Communities. This role was held by The Rev. Dr. Travis Collins who next month will become Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Huntsville, Alabama. Collins will remain part of the Fresh Expressions Team as Director of Mission Advancement and Southeast Regional Coordinator. Kiser will also further develop and coordinate Vision Days, assuming this role from The Rev. Kris Beckert who has been appointed a church planter with the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Beckert will serve as Coordinator of Operations until July 1. After that point, she will continue serving on the team as Mission Strategist and Trainer.
Shannon is contributing author to the resource: “Starting New Worshiping Communities: A Discernment Process” and has blogged and led conferences on developing innovative new ministry. Prior to her work with the 1001 New Worshiping Communities initiative, Shannon was involved in transformational parish ministry for 18 years serving churches in Arlington, Texas and Springfield, Virginia. She is currently Parish Associate at Riverside Presbyterian Church in Sterling Virginia, a young church which encourages experimentation in fresh expressions and missional ministry.
Shannon is married to Patrick Kiser, a video producer with the federal government, and is the proud mother of teenage daughters, Catherine and Suzanne. Shannon grew up in Louisiana and loves a good crawfish boil. She is a graduate of Texas Christian University “in the days when the athletic department begged students to come to the football games” and loves rooting for her Horned Frogs. She holds the M.Div. from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Of her new role, Kiser said, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue equipping and encouraging pioneer leaders to step into creative new ministry, only now I will be doing this work across many denominations. The Spirit is raising up leaders and inspiring new expressions of Church in our midst. This is an exciting time to be engaged in ministry.”
Fresh Expressions is an international movement of missionary disciples cultivating new kinds of church alongside existing congregations to more effectively engage our growing post-Christian society. The movement started in 2004 as an initiative of the Church of England and the British Methodist Church, and has resulted in the birth of thousands of new communities bringing renewal to established churches. Fresh Expressions has spread to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Germany. In 2010, the movement began taking shape in the US through the vision and generosity of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and a growing number of partners committed to a new era of missional ecumenism.
