education for ministry (efm)
A Journey of Exploration, Reflection & Community
Every baptized person is called to ministry, and no doubt you already are using your gifts to “do ministry.” EfM–Education for Ministry–is a program of study, prayer and reflection designed to equip lay persons for serving in the world with a deeper understanding of how the intersection of our tradition, our culture and our life experiences shape us as God’s people.
EfM is a program created and directed by the School of Theology at the University of the South-Sewanee. It has been in existence for 50 years, and there are thousands of participants and graduates around the world. The program consists of study of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament; church history; and ethics, spirituality and theology. Much more than a Bible study, however, EfM students learn how to reflect theologically on their lives in the world as people of faith.
The EfM program uses a newly revised curriculum that gives learners access to up-to-date materials and resources, including online options. Participants can register for in-depth study beginning with Year 1, or they can choose to start with a newly available survey course called “Wide Angle.”
EfM seminar groups are led by trained facilitators called mentors, and they may meet in person or virtually, usually on Zoom. Click the button below to find existing seminar groups welcoming new students; there are many online groups with openings for interested individuals, which will begin their program year in the fall.
Current students who are interested in becoming mentors and starting new in-person groups are invited to attend certification training.
Want to learn more? Contact Marcia Moore, EfM coordinator for the Diocese of North Carolina, at 336-202-6516.
The journey you’ll be undertaking will enrich your life, clarify your faith, increase your knowledge, and open the door to deep and meaningful relationships.
“And now Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.” (BCP)
CONTACT
The Rev. Kelly Ryan
Canon Missioner for Discipleship
The Rev. Kelly Ryan
Missioner for Discipleship
984-263-5423
EMAIL
Kelly serves diocesan congregations as the missioner for discipleship. The position was created as part of, and is made possible by, the $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. the diocese received in October 2024 to reconceive the way it supports congregations as they seek to form disciples of all ages. Instead of traditional programming, the project is designed to spark congregational imagination around intergenerational worship and its connection to holistic Christian formation, to support connections among congregations, and to equip and empower congregational leaders to design and lead inclusive, sensory-rich worship rooted in The Episcopal Church’s liturgical traditions.
Kelly previously served at Duke Divinity School as director of the Thriving Congregations Coordination Program and as senior director of Communications and executive editor for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity, as well as a communications coach for Lilly Endowment grantees. For more than two decades, she has served children and their families as a catechist, tutor, mentor and hospital volunteer.
Kelly was ordained a vocational deacon in 2024. For two years, she served as deacon and children’s minister at St. Joseph’s, Durham. In early 2026, she began serving as chaplain to Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson. She holds a Master of Divinity, a certificate in Christian Education, and an MA in Christian Practice from Duke Divinity School, as well as a BA in journalism and political science from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
RESOURCES
RELATED ARTICLES
Two Dozen Churches to Participate in Let the Children Come
Two dozen congregations have been selected to participate in the diocese’s Let the Children Come discernment and grant process, which offers an in-depth opportunity to explore and experiment with...
Collaborative Youth Gathering in Rocky Mount Focused on Baptism
By Lisa Aycock Several weeks ago, four churches in the Rocky Mount Convocation—Calvary, Tarboro; St. Timothy’s, Wilson; and Good Shepherd and St. Andrew’s, Rocky Mount—gathered for a youth retreat...
Supporting Full Inclusion in Youth and Children’s Ministry
Dear colleagues in ministry, I am the mother of two incredible young adults, ages 33 and 29, with autism and fragile X syndrome. They are truly AWESOME, and over the years they have taught me so...
