About Us

OUR STORY

Beginning in 2013, Martin and Valori participated in the Diocesan Dreaming team in the Diocese of Western NC, commissioned by the Rt. Rev. G. Porter Taylor to “dream of new ways of being church.” The first fruits of this prayerful effort have been harvested and are part of what we offer.

Our partnership represents decades of experience and the powerful dynamic of rector and CEO, ordained and lay, female and male.

We are facilitators, not consultants, therefore, we do not bring predetermined answers. Instead, honoring and valuing the diversity in God’s church and in the world, we bring ideas, tools, experience, and the ability to facilitate in such a way that the answers already present in your congregation, diocese, staff, group, or committee are given the space and a means to be revealed.

OUR TEAM

Martin Darby

ABOUT MARTIN

Martin retired in 2006 as CEO of the US operation of Coates Inks, a global printing ink manufacturer, to become President and Executive Director of the Institute for Servant Leadership, a non-profit founded by Bennett Sims, retired Episcopal Bishop of Atlanta. After merging the Institute with the Servant Leadership School in Greensboro, NC in late 2010, he founded MRD Group, a leadership consultancy which works with church groups on leadership development; stewardship as ministry; and on re-imagining church. In addition, he is a facilitator for The Gathering of Leaders, a periodic conference for clergy committed to “the renewal of the dioceses and congregations of the Episcopal Church through transformational leaders dedicated to the missionary call of Christ and growing the Church in spiritual depth and in numbers as it effectively serves all sorts and conditions of people through the transforming power of Jesus Christ.”

As CEO of Coates, he was dedicated to the introduction, implementation and practice of servant leadership in the workplace and has studied how that practice manifests itself in terms of the cultural transformation within the organization, at the customer interface and how the practice positively impacts traditional business metrics.

After joining the Institute, he focused on transforming the vision into a program-oriented organization and supported the development of a number of initiatives to serve the church.

He was born, raised and educated in England. After graduating from the University of Aston (Birmingham), he joined the Coates group in the UK and moved to the US in 1980. Martin lives in Greer, SC

The Rev. Dr. Valori Mulvey Sherer

ABOUT VALORI

Valori is an Episcopal priest canonically resident in the Diocese of Missouri. With 17 years in parish ministry, Valori is currently serving as Priest-In-Charge at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Webster Groves, St. Louis, MO. Valori serves the Diocese of Missouri as the Hispanic-Latinx Missioner for the diocese. She is on the diocesan Pastoral Response Team, and on the Diocesan Companion Committee with the Diocese of Puerto Rico.

Certified in interim ministry through the Clergy Leadership Institute and as a trauma responder through the Trauma Resource Institute, Valori is also a trained clergy coach.

Valori is a founding co-director, then board member, for Play if Forward Scholarship, a non-profit music education agency born in Atlanta, GA, now a program of Integral Steps in CO.

Prior to her tenure as a parish priest, Valori enjoyed a successful career in the nonprofit world as Executive Director of several victim advocacy agencies, specializing in nonprofit start-up, troubleshooting, board development, and training. Prior to that, she worked in marketing and public relations in the medical/mental health industry while maintaining a freelance general marketing business.

Valori is a graduate of Rutgers University and attended The School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN where she received her Masters of Divinity in 2005 and her Doctor of Ministry in 2010. Valori married Steve Sherer in 1988. They have three grown children and currently reside in Columbia, MO.

Dr. Jessica Sherer

ABOUT JESSICA

Jessica is a career musician with a heart for nonprofit work. She holds a Doctor of Music from Florida State University, a Master of Music from the Longy School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music from Boston University.

Jessica has served on the faculties of Valdosta State University, Emory University, and Agnes Scott College, and is the co-founder and co-director of the Atlanta Chamber Music Festival (est. 2012), a 7-day residential music festival for middle and high school musicians, in residence at Emory University.

A long-time advocate of social justice, Jessica founded the Play It Forward Scholarship Program, Inc., a nonprofit which provides private lesson scholarships in exchange for hour-for-hour volunteer work, for which she won the 2016 National Flute Association Arts Venture competition. She served as the Flute Teaching Artist for the Atlanta Music Project, an El Sistema organization providing intensive music training for children in underserved communities, from its inception in 2010 until 2015, and she represented AMP as a speaker at the 2012 TEDx Centennial Park Women conference.

Jessica now joins Partnership for Renewal team as the Projects Manager, where she will be responsible for PfR’s social media, website development in consultation with churches served, management of Renewal Team facilitators-in-training, and grants research and writing.

Jessica lives with her wife Katherine, their sons Emerson and Spencer, and their dog Willoughby. She enjoys cooking, traveling, exploring nature, and making music with her family.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FRANK LOCKWOOD

Asheville, NC. Full Professor, of entrepreneurship at Western Carolina University who for 35 years has started and operated new ventures. He brings experience in management, finance, curriculum development and delivery of online educational courses. Frank is a member of St. David's Episcopal Church in Cullowhee, NC and has served on two WNC Diocesan boards.

LEE PLUMBLEE

Greenville, SC. Partner, Eppes & Plumblee Law Firm. Lee brings expertise in legal matters as well as matters related to the Episcopal Church. A member of St. James Episcopal Church in Greenville, SC, Lee is presently discerning a call to the Diaconate.

KAYE SMITH

Valdosta, GA. The Humane Society. Kaye has served on The Haven (shelter for domestic violence and rape crisis) board over 25 years. She has volunteered for Meals on Wheels 15 yrs. worked for 2 non-profits: Habitat for Humanity and The Humane Society. A member of First Baptist Church for 43 yrs., Kaye brings expertise in office management, bookkeeping, and non-profit board development.

JIMMY HARTLEY

Columbia, SC. The Rev. Jimmy Hartley currently serves as Canon Pastor at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Columbia SC. Jimmy grew up as an Episcopalian in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina and was involved as a camper and staff member at Camp Gravatt, diocesan youth ministries, and campus/young adult ministries as a young person. He spent his childhood in Fort Mill where his parents and brother and attended Christ Episcopal Church, Lancaster. Before ordination, Jimmy served at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, North Augusta and later at Grace Episcopal Church, Charleston as their youth minister. His ministry among the people of Trinity is to help the Cathedral in their the common call of discipleship through developing relationships and care with one another and the wider community. Before his call to Trinity, Jimmy served as Canon for Christian Formation Congregational Vitality, and Missional Communities for the Diocese of Upper South Carolina. Jimmy also serves on the Board of Trustee for Heathwood Hall as well as Partnership for Renewal.

TESTIMONIALS

"No matter the issues a church is experiencing, this process would be beneficial."

"I really appreciated framing our work around servant-leadership."

"Having participated in other presentations, I tend to be skeptical at the beginning. By the end of the day I was amazed at how much had been covered and how fast the time seem to have passed."

"The process helps us to allow the Spirit to guide us on a path that will grow His church. And it is a process we can review and reuse."

"Valori and Martin were excellent in their presentation. They worked back and forth and it eliminated any chance of boredom. I felt we got off the planned track the last hour and they simply redirected their path to align with what seemed important to us. Excellent job! Well done."

"Participants come away with a usable, workable tool not only for church but life in general."

"Liked that we received input/suggestions and then reached our own conclusion."

"Good to have male and female and two different backgrounds because then each participant could feel connected to at least one, if not both, presenters."

"Job well done. I believe that we benefitted (sic) tremendously as a group. I also feel that we can implement what we have experienced independent of the trainers, which is the idea!"

"By following the plan devised and mentored by the PfR leadership team, I feel that our vestry learned not only a new definition of Stewardship, but more importantly how to implement this definition in our church life -- It was an ah ha moment to see how to see how to widen our community involvement by giving instead of receiving."

"I was able to connect with the vestry members and staff in a way that I don't think could have been accomplished in another setting."

[The presenters were] "absolutely the best!"