Since the early 2000s, POAMN has partnered with the Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) at Columbia Theological Seminary to help faith leaders develop skills in older adult ministry. Nearly 200 people have started the journey toward earning the Older Adult Ministry Certificate and 57 have completed the four courses required. In this webinar, two current students and one certificate graduate share how the certificate’s courses support ministry today.
Panel Guests
Rev. Sharan Knoell
Valley United Presbyterian Church, Waverly, NY
Current certificate student
Bio
The Rev. Sharan Knoell has been the pastor of Valley United Presbyterian Church since they merged three PC(USA) churches across state and denominational lines in 2014. She is Tioga County, NY’s representative for the New York State Office of Faith and Nonprofit Development Services and has also been active in establishing a Food Council in her county. She holds a Bachelor’s from St. Joseph’s University, an MS from Eastern University, and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary. Sharan serves on the board of POAMN as their Connectivity co-lead and is pursuing a certificate in Older Adult Ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary.
Rev. Dr. Lorraine Leist
Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver, CO
Current certificate student
Bio
The Rev. Dr. Lorraine Leist is the associate pastor for Congregational Care and Older Adults at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver, CO. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, she holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College, a Master of Divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry from the Iliff School of Theology. Rev. Dr. Leist brings extensive experience in congregational care, palliative care chaplaincy, and older adult ministry. She worked with colleagues to establish a “Ministry of Last Things” program in a local church, helping individuals and families prepare for aging and end-of-life decisions. Rev. Dr. Leist is inspired by God’s invitation to offer compassion, healing, and hope to those she serves.
Rev. Burnetta Armour
First Presbyterian Church of Cleveland, GA
Earned Level 1 and Level 2 Older Adult Ministry Certificates
Bio
The Rev. Burnetta Armour has been in ordained ministry for 15 years and has served churches in Ohio and Georgia. Currently, she serves as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Cleveland, GA, a vibrant, “small, but mighty” older adult congregation in the mountains of northeast Georgia. She is a 2009 graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Seminary and completed the Level 1 and 2 certificates in Older Adult Ministries through Columbia Theological Seminary in 2022 and 2024. Pastor B, as she is known to her congregation, discovered her love for working with older adults in seminary while serving as a student intern at Presbyterian Homes and Services of Louisville and has carried that love into congregational ministry.
Rev. Dr. Sarah Erickson
Retired
Former director of Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary
Bio
The Rev. Dr. Sarah F. Erickson is a retired clergy member of the Presbytery of S. Alabama and former director of Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. In her freedom of choice time, she continues to support leadership development among clergy and other church leaders as a coach and member of the leadership teams for the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network (POAMN) and the Association of Leaders of Lifelong Learning for Ministry (ALLLM).