2014 Alumnus of the Year

SHARON YANCEY CHOSEN ASBURY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR

Asbury Theological Seminary is pleased to announce that Sharon Yancey will receive the Distinguished Alumni of the Year award for 2014.

Yancey is a 1979 graduate of the Seminary. Four years ago she began a program model that has become known as, “The Matthew Initiative,” based upon the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” Believing that the children’s ministry is the most strategic ministry of the church today, Yancey’s team provides services for new churches and churches that need to re-start their programs for children. This Matthew Initiative empowers under-resourced churches to become places of joy, hospitality, and hope for the children of their communities. Members of the Matthew Initiative team work with churches over a period of time to coach, mentor, resource, and eventually launch a dynamic children’s ministries program. They serve as staff coaches until the church can itself sustain the children’s ministries program begun in collaboration with The Matthew Initiative. The Initiative does not charge for its services or resources, which include curriculum materials, resources, and supplies, staffing expertise, on-site staff mentoring, development of the volunteer staff, and strategic planning and evaluation of programs for children.

Working mostly with United Methodist churches in Georgia, The Matthew Initiative will move into west Florida in 2015 in collaboration with the Pensacola District and Niceville United Methodist Church. Conversations have also begun with agencies in the North Texas Conference in churches that serve children in at-risk communities. Several other churches are on the waiting list for mentoring in 2015.

Dr. Cathy Stonehouse, who was professor of Christian Education at Asbury Theological Seminary for Yancey’s daughter, Jordan Yancey Black, remarked, “After several years of serving faithfully and creatively as a children’s pastor in large churches, Sharon Yancey sensed a new passion growing in her heart. She was concerned about the many small and dying churches that had no ministry with children and church plants struggling to minister with children. She believed God was calling her to begin the Matthew Initiative to come alongside these small churches, coaching and supporting them as they would begin to reach out and minister with children. The Matthew Initiative has seen God revitalize churches and the lives of volunteers who have joined in outreach to children who are so dear to the heart of God (by rhonda ). I have visited some of those churches and seen the exciting work God is doing through Sharon Yancey’s leadership of the Matthew Initiative.”

Yancey said, “I am very humbled by my election to Alumni of the Year and hope that God will use this to help us to get out the story about The Matthew Initiative. The renewal of our church is coming in through the small under-resourced churches that God has not forgotten, and it is really good news!”