The History of Healthy Congregations, Inc.

Conversations about the development of resources to encourage and promote health in congregations began in October, 1993. Initial ideas centered on dealing with conflict, but then broadened to relate to emotional process and systems thinking that was developed by Peter Steinke in How Your Church Family Works (Alban, 1993.)

In 1994 and 1995, conversations continued between Lutheran Brotherhood and Dr. Steinke. An agreement was made where LB would subsidize the development of videos and training workshops that would allow Dr. Steinke to devote his time to the further expansion of the project. The material was initially in raw form and a number of groups and people were involved in initial pilots and strengthening of the material.

In December of 1996, an Advisory Board was developed that included eight leaders, four each from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The Advisory Board met twice yearly with Dr. Steinke to provide insight and feedback in the further development of the material.

In response to requests for continuing education for facilitators, an Annual Advanced Workshop was developed to be held yearly beginning in 1999.

The workshop design initially included eleven sessions for an 8 hour workshop, and encouraged facilitators to develop their own way of presenting the material. Following evaluation, the workshops were redesigned to be four in number focusing on Systems Thinking, Responding to Anxiety and Change, Leadership and Relationships. They were redesigned for a six hour block of time. In 2000, two additional workshops were added focusing on Stewardship and Spirituality.

Following a transition in organization and leadership, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans made a commitment to continue to subsidize the on-going work of Healthy Congregations, Inc. until December of 2005.

In 2003, Dr. Steinke announced his intention to retire from the project and his position as CEO at the end of 2005. The Advisory Board conducted a search and offered the position of Chief Executive Office and Executive Director to Dr. Emlyn Ott, who had served on the Advisory Board since the beginning of the project.

In January, 2006 Dr. Ott began her tenure as CEO of Healthy Congregations, Inc. The organization became incorporated in the state of Ohio as a not-for-profit, self-supporting ecumenical agency and moved its operation to the campus of Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, where Ott serves on the faculty. A Board of Directors was developed that reflected the focus on further expansion of the work of the organization within an ecumenical and interfaith context.

In August, 2006 the Healthy Congregations Board of Directors adopted the following mission statement:
The purpose of Healthy Congregations, Inc. is to providetraining, consultation, and education in emotional processas it relates to community and congregational systems.