The Center for Congregational Health is in its 25th year! The Center has been working with congregations, clergy and lay leaders since November of 1992. As we move through the remainder of this year, we celebrate 25 years of partnering with congregations and leaders to help your churches make a difference in your communities. Thank you for 25 years of serving together, we look forward to the many ways we may continue to work together.
For 21 of those 25 years, the Rev. Dr. B. Leslie Robinson, Jr. has worked full-time with the Center as Manager of Interim Ministry Resources, with a period of time as acting director. During that time, Les has worked with several hundred congregations, training more than 2500 interim ministers representing 27 denominations, traveling to 33 states and 2 foreign countries. We are grateful for Les’ leadership and ministry and the amazing work that he has done throughout the years.
We all knew the day would come when Les would want a bit more freedom from the 40+ hour work week and that day has come! There is good news to go along with it—Les may be scaling back and thinking about his time a bit differently, however he will continue to work with the Center for Congregational Health providing oversight and curriculum development for the Intentional Interim Ministry Training program and for the Association of Intentional Interim Ministers. We are delighted and honored that Les is choosing to continue the very important work for which he is very well known, and that he will continue to journey with us.
In honor of Les and the work he has done with the Center for Congregational Health, we have worked with the NC Baptist Foundation who manages the Poe Fund, to establish a line item of financial donation where the funds will be used to assist congregations who desire to use the services of the Center for Congregational Health and do not have the funds to do so, we invite and encourage you to offer a financial gift to the Poe Fund in honor of Dr. B. Leslie Robinson, Jr and the work he has accomplished in living out his calling. When sending a donation, please designate for the “Les Robinson Fund”. Donations may be mailed to: the Center for Congregational Health, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27157.
Les:
I wish to tell you how much pleasure you made possible for Lucretia and me. We worked with four churches. in each church two things occurred. the most bewildering is that we went there to help those people. But we left each church much better off than when we arrived! That sentence does not make much sense. It is supposed to tell you that we are much better off; not the church. The second amazing thing is that we talk about our ventures in those churches everyday! The journey was wonderful! We miss the work so much!
We still get phone calls and notes from people in each community of faith!
I think about you and your people often! and the thoughts always travels the same avenue! One of these days Les is going to retire! And when he does: the new people coming on board will miss so much!
Thank you so much for your caring attitude and your teaching heart.
Richard & Lucretia Hanks
Whatever successes I have had in Interim Ministry I owe to Les Robinson and the Center
for the great training I received.
Les, it has been a long time since I did my training…I believe 1994. I got to know you in later years and became most appreciative of the leadership role you have played in the success of the Center for Congregational Health. It was a joy to know you were there during the time I served as an Interim at four churches after my retirement from New Hope Baptist Church in Raleigh. I continue to believe the work there is among the most valuable resources for the health of churches in transition.
Thanks for your valuable contributions through the course of many years.
Enjoyed Les’ teaching immensely. Best wishes!
The fulfillment I have experienced in the six congregations I have served as an interim is due to the kit of tools and insights shared by Les and the Center for Congregational Health. Healthier churches will be his legacy.