Coordination Program
L e a d e r s h i p
The coordination program is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and administered by the Center for Congregations.
Bonnie Marden
Coordination Program Director
Improving clergy financial well-being and expanding the ways we talk about money are my energizing passions. My background in economics, program administration, stewardship and finances offers gifts and tools for visionary leadership, team building, stewardship of all God’s resources and organizational development processes. Specializing in financial stewardship, conflict/mediation and change management, I embrace opportunities to work in diverse contexts and ministries to strengthen personal and congregational stewardship, including communications, donor cultivation and audit/review processes so that financial integrity and accountability inspire generosity.
Center for Congregations
Elise Erikson Barrett, Ph.D., President
Elise Erikson Barrett serves the Center for Congregations as President, prior to which she worked as a philanthropic and nonprofit consultant focusing on serving leaders and communities who have an interest in congregations. She directed the coordination program for Lilly Endowment Inc.’s National Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders, a multi-cohort initiative hosted by the Center for Congregations, and she additionally served as a consultant to Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School, supporting their learning based on the work of over 300 Lilly Endowment grantees in several initiatives.
Elise holds degrees from Duke University (MDiv) and Hanover College (BA, Economics), and is a former United Methodist pastor and writer. She earned a Ph.D. in American Studies with a minor in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University Indianapolis, focusing on issues of congregational economics and financial literacy practices. Elise and her family (totaling seven people, two dogs, and two cats) make their home in central Indiana.
Center for Congregations
Susan Weber,
Director of the Evaluation & Communications Project
Susan directs the Evaluation Project for the Religion Division of Lilly Endowment Inc. In that capacity she works directly with grantees in helping them create evaluation plans and processes for the purpose of improving and sustaining their grant programs. She spent several years as the Center's director of evaluation and congregational learning, as well as a resource consultant to congregations. Prior to her work at the Center, she served the Archdiocese of Indianapolis as coordinator of boards of education, Office of Catholic Education. She has served as an independent consultant and group facilitator for dioceses, churches, religious communities, and schools nationwide. Sue has degrees from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College (B.S., Humanities) and Indiana University, Bloomington (M.S., Adult Education) and is professionally certified as a group facilitator through Indiana University. She is certified through Case Western University in the use of Appreciative Inquiry both in evaluation and in strategic planning.
