The Ockenga Blog series is designed to highlight each of Gordon-Conwell’s centers. This week’s post spotlights the Shoemaker Center for Church Renewal.


The mission of the Shoemaker Center is to engage ministry leaders for lifelong personal and corporate renewal through rest, growth, and community.

The Shoemaker seeks to accomplish this mission through various programs including:

  • Pastor’s Forums – Occurring throughout the Spring and Fall semesters, the Pastor’s Forums provide an engaging opportunity for leaders (and anyone interested) to be enriched and encouraged on a variety of ministry topics.
  • Pastor’s Retreat – The Pastor’s Retreat allows pastors to bring their own projects to Gordon-Conwell for five days on campus in which they can access the library, join in worship, and engage with each other through roundtable discussions.
  • D. Min. Thesis Writing Workshop – Held twice per year for current Gordon-Conwell D. Min. students, the Thesis Writing Program allows students to have access to professional editor Linda Cook to receive guidance and assistance with their D. Min. Thesis Project.
  • Ockenga Fellows Program – The Ockenga Fellows Program identifies and nurtures high-potential, early-career pastoral leaders during a critical time of ministry development. The program is intended to help them better engage with the culture of their churches and to address the social and ethical changes in the society surrounding around them. The program seeks to be diverse racially, geographically (within the greater New England area), theologically, and in size and type of church that the participants represent.

The Shoemaker Center is currently operated by Dr. Eun Ah Cho and Alex Ahn. Learn more about Dr. Cho and Alex on the Ockenga team page.