As part of the budget for 2020, the 2019 Annual Conference supported the creation of a new position to help the Board of Ordained Ministry (BOM) implement and carry out a new clergy assessment program. 
 
This Eight-Year Assessment (EYA) was sanctioned by the 2016 General Conference and is described in paragraph 349 of The Book of Discipline. It is to be implemented by annual conferences by 2020. 

The EYA requires clergy to engage in a six-month series of personal and professional assessment and development trainings every eight years. The actual process, design and implementation that each Annual Conference will follow is determined by the Cabinet and BOM, in consultation with the Chairs of the Orders of Deacons and Elders and Fellowship of Local Pastors.

The NEAC EYA program will be titled Manna and will be led by the EYA Administrator or Manna Steward.

The $25,000 approved for this assessment in New England appears on line 104 of the 2020 NEAC budget. Most of those funds - $20,000 - will be used as a stipend for the EYA Administrator (see job description). 
 
Members of the BOM hiring team charged with filling the EYA Administrator position have been meeting over this summer, and have begun seeking candidates for the position, which is set to begin in January 2020. The deadline for applications is Oct. 18, 2019; find more details in the job description above.
 
Team members are Rev. Matt Wissell, who heads BOM’s Pastoral Nurture and Continuing Education Committee; Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Rev. Charlotte Pridgen-Randolph, BOM co-chair, and Mid-Maine District Superintendent Karen Munson.