15 Years as an Accredited Mentor

In 2011, I was first accredited as an Education for Ministry mentor with the University of the South – School of Theology. I am celebrating my 15th year as an EfM Mentor! This week, I update my accreditation in an inspiring online class with eight other mentors. About EfM,

“Education for Ministry (EfM) lives at the School of Theology of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is a unique four-year, small-group formation program based on study and practice in theological reflection. Since its founding in 1975, this international program has helped more than 120,000 participants discover and nurture their call to Christian service where they live, work, and play. EfM helps the faithful discover the Christian tradition, bringing it into conversation with their experiences of the world. EfM seminar groups develop theologically informed, reflective, and articulate seekers of God.”

In addition to renewing my accreditation, I am also getting ready for the first session of the weekly EfM seminar I manage. My Co-Mentor of the Rev. Joel Martinez, who was graduated as an EfM student, then went to the Virginia Theological Seminary to become a priest at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church (Saratoga, California). We have seven student registered and hope for two more before class starts at the end of this month. I also lead two weekly in-jail seminars based on EfM with my husband John Plocher as my Co-Mentor. That program was the subject of my 2025 Graduate Theological Union doctoral dissertation, “Transforming Literature of the Bible in Jail.”

If there was a single object that represents EfM to me, it is my recently-retired canvas bag. I took this EfM bag into jail so often to bring books, scriptures, journals, pencils and other stuff to inmates, that it wore out. It sat beside me for years in jail dorms, interview rooms, book closets, and in a variety of carts. Good job, old friend.

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