Fourth Episcopal District A.M.E. Church (Fourth District) seeks a five-year grant for partial support for its Thriving in Ministry Initiative project, an effort to strengthen mentoring to aid current and future pastoral leaders in building relationships with seasoned clergy.  The project addresses two areas of professional transition for pastoral leadership.  First, the Fourth District’s senior leadership and Board of Ministerial Training faculty will receive mentoring training and then mentor new candidates for ordained ministry as they transition into their first pastorate.  Second, in partnership with Payne Theological Seminary, pastors who desire to shift their ministry from a more inward focused approach to a community engagement model of ministry will receive training to mentor other colleagues in the annual conference.  The Center for the Church in the Black Experience at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary will help identify existing resources and develop new ones, including online and virtual mentoring opportunities to enhance pastoral leaders’ skills in community engagement.  The Fourth District will incorporate project activities into its ongoing operations and operating budget.