God be praised for the vision of President David R. Peoples to establish a Pastors Mentoring Initiative (PMI) for the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. (PNBC). Dr. Warren H. Stewart, Sr., Senior Pastor of the First Institutional Baptist Church, Phoenix, Arizona, and Dr. Jacqueline A. Thompson, Senior Pastor of the Allen Temple Baptist Church, Oakland, California, and Second Vice President of PNBC, were appointed by President Peoples to develop the PNBCPM, serving as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively.
The purpose of the PMI is to create a network of support, mentoring and group/resource center for new pastors. For PMI's purpose, new pastors are defined as pastors serving less than seven (7) years. The late Dr. Henry H. Mitchell, lauded and legendary pastor, theologian, and historian of the Black Church in the United States of America, taught it takes a clergy person, although he or she has the title of pastor, up to seven (7) years to really become the pastor in the eyes of the majority of his or her congregation.
The Scriptural Foundation for the PMI is built upon the following passages of Scripture: Jeremiah 3:15; Mark 3:13-14; Acts 16:11-15, 40; Romans 16:15; 1 and I Timothy; and Titus.
