Participants in the Understanding Men’s Ministry training experience take a break during their two-day training session.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–– Some 100 men attended a March 5-8 meeting of conference presidents and prayer advocates.

The days were filled with reports, information sessions, a technology seminar, planning meetings, and hands-on-mission projects.

But even after these event-packed days, 31 men stayed in Music City on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning for a 10-hour course on “Understanding Men’s Ministry.”

Jim Boesch and Mark Dehority, deployed staff members of the General Commission on UM Men, led a course based on No Man Left Behind: How to Build and Sustain a Thriving Men's Ministry in Your Church, a book by Patrick Morley, David Delk, and Brett Clemmer, staff executives of Orlando-Fla.-based Man in the Mirror ministries.

“These guys were from every jurisdiction and the interaction was positive and intense,” said Gil Hanke, top staff executive of the commission.

The course is designed to enable participants to help local churches reach all the men wherever they are on their walk with Christ, and move them toward becoming a disciple.

Completion of the course is required in order to be accredited as a men’s ministry specialist.

“Since the course is only the first equipping step, the men will be surveyed 60 days after the event to determine the degree to which they feel they have effectively completed the initial implementation of their discipling plan,” said Boesch.

Deployed staffers will provide coaching and mentoring for these leaders as they deepen their relationships with Jesus Christ and as they help neighboring churches expand their ministries to men.

At present 37 men have been certified as men’s ministry specialists and 40 are in the certification process.