Rev. Arlene Ackerman

Arlene Ackerman became a member of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches in 1974 and was credentialed as clergy in 1977.  Since that time she has pastored small, medium and large churches in Bakersfield, California; Portland, Oregon; and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Arlene was elected District Coordinator of the Mid-Atlantic District in 1991 where she served for just over 10 years. Prior to that Arlene and her family were in Minneapolis, where she served as pastor and then as a Church Growth Consultant.

Church growth and development (including denominational growth) are of primary interest to Rev. Ackerman. She has a wealth of knowledge and insight around these issues. She served on the UFMCC Strategic Growth Initiative, taught Church Administration for Samaritan Theological Institute, and chaired the Church Planting Initiative for MCC. She also helped to develop the MCC Youth Ministry Project which has so far taken MCC youth on two ministry trips to the Dominican Republic. Arlene has been a frequent speaker at conferences and continues to do consulting with local churches.

Rev. Ackerman currently serves as MCC Resource Specialist for Church Development. She has updated the Board of Director Training material for MCC and is now working on a new manual for the Pastoral Search Process for local churches among other things. This followed serving as Regional Elder for Region 3 for eight years.

Arlene resides in Pennsylvania with her spouse of 30 years, Jacquie Ackerman and their daughters Amanda and Chantel.  Arlene died on March 11, 2018.

(This biographical statement provided by Arlene Ackerman; death notice added by Mark Bowman.) 

Biography Date: April, 2010

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