HEALTH, HOLINESS, AND WHOLENESS FOR MINISTRY LEADERS EB

John R. Matthews has served in many capacities over the years: pastor, minister of education, chaplain resident, instructor of philosophy and logic, and adjunct faculty for a field practicum program. However, J. Matthews, as he has been known professionally, made his principal career at Midwest Career Development Service, which eventually became Midwest Ministry Development Service. Beginning as a counselor in 1970, he later became the Associate Director of the Columbus office and worked in that capacity until his retirement in October 2008. Since 2009, he has continued to work with Midwest in various adjunct roles. He has received several professional certifications: Ordained Elder in the West Ohio Conference the United Methodist Church, Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Ohio, and professional membership in the American Counseling Association and the Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling. As evidence of his noteworthy professional reputation, in 1984 he was appointed by the Governor of Ohio to serve on the state's first Counselor and Social Worker Licensing Board.

Dr. Kristina Ricketts Gutierrez brings a rich array of ministry, counseling, and teaching experiences which have contributed significantly to the development of Leadership in the Church. She has ministered in churches, led ministry organizations, taught in seminaries and other professional settings in the mainland U.S., Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Chile, and Nicaragua, and served as a counselor to individuals and families. Bilingual and bicultural, her 15 years of service in Puerto Rico and Nicaragua have given her a high awareness and understanding of cultural complexities in ministry. Since 2007, she has been a pastoral counselor at the Columbus office of Midwest Ministry Development Service and has counseled and taught hundreds of pastors and others in ministry since that time. Her professional memberships and certifications include ordination by the American Baptist Churches, U.S.A., endorsement as a pastoral counselor and chaplain by the American Baptist Churches, U.S.A., professional affiliate with the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and membership in the Chaplains' Association of Ohio. During her years of service at Midwest Ministry Development, Dr. Gutierrez worked closely with J. Matthews as he sought to crystallize the broad range of insights and observations he had come to regarding pastoral ministry. Her pedagogical and organizational skills, critical thinking, attention to detail, and her own deep understanding of the key principles outlined in Leadership in the Church all contributed greatly to the eventual shaping of this book.

Dr. Ross Peterson served as the Executive Director of Midwest Ministry Development Service and Southwest Ministry Development Service for 12 years, before retiring in 2017. Since that time, he has continued to work for Midwest in an adjunct capacity, as well as providing counseling and coaching services independently. During his tenure at Midwest, he provided counseling to hundreds of clergy and consulted with various denominational officials regarding how to best support pastors in the midst of the challenges of ministry. In addition to his service at Midwest, he worked as a pastoral counselor for 23 years in several church-related settings and has taught in Chicago-area seminaries. His professional certifications include ordination in the Evangelical Covenant Church and licensure as a clinical professional counselor. His input to this book includes the chapter on social media and financial management for pastors.