Photo: Gil Hanke, top staff executive of the General Commission on United Methodist Men (center), joins Joseph Silvas, Hurst, Texas, (left) and Mark Lubbock following their commissioning as men’s ministry specialists during the March 3-6 meeting of the National Association of Conference Presidents of UM Men.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. –– Mark Lubbock, a United Methodist local pastor from Baton Rouge, La., was certified as a men’s ministry specialists during the March 3-6 meeting of the National Association of Conference Presidents of United Methodist Men.

Lubbock previously agreed to serve as a deployed staff member of the Nashville-based General Commission on United Methodist Men, and he is available to help local churches and conferences in the South Central Jurisdiction expand their ministries to men.

He is scheduled to be one of the principal leaders at a July 29-31 South Central Jurisdiction Conference at First United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kans. (On line registration and brochure available at www.tcumm.org. Click on SCJ Gathering),

Men are certified as specialists after engaging in classroom training, interactive web-based education and after making a commitment to ongoing spiritual growth. These men may then offer training, resources and programs to enable congregations to reach men outside their faith communities and help men within their churches to grow spiritually.

These specialists do not replace district or conference leaders; they are resource partners with and for them.

Lubbock joins Joe Kelley, Saint Francisville; Don Shelmire, Baton Rouge; and Ron Sarver, Lafayette, previously certified and commissioned men’s ministry specialists in Louisiana. A total of 22 men have been certified.