Beth Seversen, director of evangelism with Make and Deepen Disciples for the ECC, has accepted the faculty position of associate professor of youth and Christian ministries and director of the Center for Youth and Christian Ministries at North Park University.
“We are truly delighted to welcome Dr. Seversen as we know she will help continue building a strong bridge between the ECC and North Park University,” said Michael Emerson, the university’s provost and chief academic officer.
“Over the past three and a half years, Beth has done an outstanding job of raising local Covenant congregations’ passion for evangelism,” said Michelle Sanchez, executive minister of Make and Deepen Disciples. “She will be most remembered for conceiving the BLESS intentional evangelism initiative and the Go Collective evangelism leadership cohorts.”
Under Seversen’s tenure, more than half the churches in the ECC have participated in BLESS, and 10 percent of ECC pastors have joined evangelism leadership cohorts.
Garth McGrath, superintendent of the Great Lakes Conference, said, “Beth’s cohort strategy for equipping pastors and laity for the church-wide work of evangelism has been fruitful, and pastors have said it has enabled them to more effectively reach their community with the gospel.”
“I deeply appreciate the opportunities I have been given as evangelism team leader and director,” Seversen said. “I look forward to the opportunities that fresh leadership will bring for Covenant churches as they continue to grow in the missional practices of prayer and evangelism and introducing people to Jesus.”
Seversen said she looks forward to developing richer partnerships between North Park and local churches. “I believe an academic-ecclesial centered ministry formation program will best serve Jesus’s church.”
Seversen will continue in her current position through June 30.
