About the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry
Through a creative alliance between Syracuse University and Le Moyne College, the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry offers a dynamic and distinctive setting to form leaders that are empowered to thrive within challenging times.
Those who participate in the Fellowship focus on various aspects of leadership development, with the goal of thriving vocationally and enhancing the vitality of the communities they serve.
Drawing deeply on the latest research in leadership, the primary goals of the program are as follows:
- Provide knowledge and skills for increased impact in leadership, team-building and community-building
- Nurture self-awareness and ongoing personal spiritual development
- Increase effectiveness and a sense of accomplishment
- Share educational and other relevant resources
- Raise the level of vocational fulfillment.
The Ideal Candidate for this Program
The ideal candidates for the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry include faith-based leaders in central New York. Typically, participants will have more than three (3) years of experience.
This program is suitable for leaders of Christian churches (parishes, congregations) of any size – not only senior pastors (ministers) in large, flourishing, established churches but also pastoral leaders of small, newly established churches (congregations, parishes).
This is a selective program with a competitive application process. Those interested in participation will be required to submit an application and request a sponsoring statement from a supervisor, board member within the organization, or a community leader who is thoroughly familiar with you and can provide a detailed, firsthand appraisal.
Applicants should be prepared for, and comfortable with, engaging in an in-depth spiritual renewal and leadership discernment process in a supportive environment.
Program Costs
Thanks to generous funding from the Lilly Endowment and support provided by Syracuse University and Le Moyne College, this program is offered at no cost to participants. Tuition, accommodations and most meals will be covered by the Thriving in Ministry Grant. Please note that travel to and from the residencies and program materials will be at the candidate’s expense.
FELM Leadership Team
The Rev. Dr. Brian Konkol serves as Dean of Hendricks Chapel and Professor of Practice at Syracuse University.
An ordained Lutheran minister, Konkol is responsible for guiding, nurturing, and enhancing religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical life at the University and across its extended community. As a member of Chancellor Kent Syverud’s Executive Team, Chancellor’s Council, and University Leadership Team, Konkol provides support and input for university-wide strategic initiatives and overall operations.
Since arriving to Syracuse University in 2017, Konkol has collaborated alongside students, chaplains, faculty, staff, board members, and alumni to steward Hendricks Chapel through a period of transformational change and expanded impact. A strategic plan initiated by Konkol has reaffirmed Hendricks Chapel as a central component of campus life, focused on increasing student involvement by understanding and addressing student aspirations, clarifying the chapel mission, pursuing organizational innovation and excellence, inspiring philanthropic support, and cultivating a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Established in 1930 as a home for all faiths and place for all people, Hendricks Chapel hosts 13 chaplains, 25 student-led religious and spiritual groups, and sponsors over 1,000 programs for more than 500,000 annual attendees. Bolstered by Chancellor Syverud’s focus on redefining and enhancing every aspect of the student experience and empowering faculty and research excellence, and fueled by recent and significant increases in philanthropic contributions, Hendricks Chapel employs student workers, supports musical ensembles, offers support through the Student Opportunity Fund, Food Pantry, and campus garden, hosts signature events and convenes critical conversations, and partners throughout the campus community to advance academic excellence at a university welcoming to all.
As Professor of Practice in the Department of Religion in the College of Arts and Sciences, Konkol teaches courses on global Christian practices, and is also a Senior Research Associate in the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, and co-founder of the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry through a partnership with Le Moyne College. Konkol is a published author and sought-after international speaker on the intersections of leadership, learning, belief, character, discovery, and fulfillment.
Konkol has a diverse and global background of leadership and learning. He began ordained ministry service through parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana, where he also lectured at the Lutheran Lay Academy and co-hosted the nationally televised broadcast “Word for the World.” He served on various community organizing committees throughout Guyana, many of which focused on ecumenical and interfaith cooperation, poverty, children and youth development, and ecological sustainability.
Konkol then served in South Africa as country coordinator of the Young Adults in Global Mission program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). While in South Africa, Konkol also assisted in parish ministry alongside isiZulu-speaking congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, lectured at the Lutheran Theological Institute and participated with the World Council of Churches and Lutheran World Federation in the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
After nearly a decade overseas with the ELCA Global Mission, Konkol then served as co-pastor of Lake Edge Lutheran Church (Madison, WI), with responsibilities for multicultural engagement and public advocacy. Immediately prior to his appointment at Syracuse University, Konkol was chaplain of the college at Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN), where he was also co-founder and program chair for the Gustavus Academy of Faith, Science, and Ethics, faculty member in the Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies Program, helped to construct the college’s first multifaith center, and was faculty liaison to the men’s basketball team.
Originally from Amherst Junction, Wisconsin, Konkol competed on the men’s basketball team while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Viterbo University (La Crosse, WI). He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary (St. Paul, MN), and Master of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the School of Religion, Philosophy, and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa). Konkol is married to Kristen Konkol, Associate Teaching Professor of Exercise Science at the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics of Syracuse University. They are parents of two children, Khaya and Tobi.
Dr. Karin Botto serves as Senior HR Business Partner at Syracuse University. In this role, she partners with senior leaders to shape, develop, and deliver HR plans and strategy in line with the needs and priorities of the organization including: organizational development, performance management, recruitment, retention, professional development, workforce planning, employee relations, benefits and compensation.
Prior to this role, she was the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources & Organizational Development at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, and Executive Director of Organizational Development & Ignatian Leadership at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
Karin co-developed a model of Ignatian Leadership published in the Journal of Jesuit Business Education in 2015. She also co-authored a chapter of Success After Tenure (2018) with Stylus Publishing, and wrote a chapter of Women Courageous: Leading through the Labrynith (2021) with Emerald Publishing. Karin has served as a faculty member for AJCU’s Ignatian Colleagues Program capstone experience and AJCU’s Leadership Institute since 2014.
In April 2019, she was one of five individuals and only woman invited to represent the United States and Canadian Conference at the Jesuit Curia in Rome for a global meeting on Ignatian Leadership. Best practices were shared with the goal of creating a more comprehensive model of developing leaders of Jesuit organizations.
Karin holds a doctoral degree in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University, and Masters of Science in Training & Organizational Development from Saint Joseph’s University. Her areas of focus include leadership development, group dynamics, coaching and mentoring, sustainability leadership, management training, and Ignatian Spirituality. She is certified to use the Emotional & Social Competency Inventory through The Hay Group and Benchmark’s 360 Assessment Suite through The Center for Creative Leadership.
Clarissa Flores is the Assistant Director of Field Education at Harvard Divinity School. In this position, Clarissa helps graduate students discern their ministry internship placements as a component of their Master of Divinity degree program. In 2018, she joined the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry leadership team as the Program Manager.
Clarissa holds a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Business Administration from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. She also studied education at Santa Clara University and participated in the Excellence in Catholic Education and Leadership program in the Diocese of San Jose. Clarissa has taught and tutored K-12 students and directed the Campus Ministry program at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas. Clarissa loves spending time with her family and is a proud Tia to her nieces and nephews. She is often traveling to visit loved ones in Texas, attending her brothers’ football games, and virtually training with family and friends for half marathons across the country.
Marie Paul is currently a Senior Integrated Planning Lead at Lockheed Martin. In this position, she is a trusted advisor to the Program Manager and responsible for tracking cost and schedule on a large-scale program. Prior to her career in the defense industry, Marie served as Assistant to the Dean of Hendricks Chapel where she implemented business rhythms to ensure timely outcomes, and emphasis on high priority items. Marie joined the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry team in 2019, to assist in the areas of logistics and technical support. Ms. Paul is a proud Syracuse, NY native. After completing a Lasallian education at Christian Brothers Academy (Dewitt, NY), she pursued a Bachelor of Science from Lemoyne College (Syracuse, NY), with a degree in Industrial Relations. Since graduation, her professional development has been focused on Human Resources and Project Management. Ms. Paul takes an active role in community leadership. She has served the Camp Kesem Chapter at Syracuse University, Girl Scouts of America, and spent 10 years on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Consortium, culminating in her service as President of the Board. Ms. Paul currently resides in Syracuse, NY with her family.
Contact Information
For more information about the program, please contact the admissions committee at clflores@syr.edu.