BANGOR – For almost 200 years, Bangor Theological Seminary has trained pastors to minister in the churches large and small that dot New England’s countryside.

Essential to that process since the school’s founding in 1814 has been the practice of sending students into the pulpits of those churches to learn ministry firsthand from a seasoned pastor who acts as a mentor.

Now the seminary has hired a veteran minister who will make sure students begin their ministry with strong professional advice and support, not just classroom experience.

The Rev. Ron Baard, 48, was appointed to oversee the seminary’s mentored practice program this summer. It is a position that has been vacant for three years.

Baard introduced himself to the seminary community at the traditional opening convocation last week.

In a sermon titled “The Courage to Love Kindness,” Baard turned to a Hebrew word to encourage students, faculty, staff and members of the community to embrace God’s mercy.

“Packed within that one word, mercy, are the resonances of the beautiful Hebrew word ‘hesed,’ used to speak of ‘the loving kindness in the heart of God,'” he told the convocation.

“But, dear friends, even if we have the teaching of Scripture, even if we have the encouragement of a faith community, and mentors from the past and mentors in the present – even if we have all these things, we still need God’s spirit to stir within us the raw courage to grasp and take hold of the ‘hesed,’ this loving-kindness in the heart of God.”

Baard grew up in Madison, Wis., and began his career as a high school math teacher. Originally a Methodist, he earned his master of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary along with his wife, Mary Baard, a former teacher who was born in Waldoboro.

They were ordained in the United Church of Christ in the early 1980s because they perceived at the time that it was more open to clergy couples, Ron Baard said. They served a Congregational church on Verona Island for four years before moving to Phoenix in the mid-1980s to serve a large, diverse congregation.

He earned his doctorate from Claremont School of Theology in 1995, then worked as a chaplain at a retirement home and as pastoral counselor at an interfaith counseling service.

It is that gamut of ministerial experience Baard believes will allow him to help seminary students get the most out of their mentored practice.

“I want students coming through BTS to have as rich an experience as possible at their mentored practice site,” said Baard in an interview. “Learning happens experientially and that mentoring process is so important. It includes modeling, encouragement and teaching in a side-by-side apprenticeship. At the heart of it, really, is helping students find a solid placement with an experienced minister.”

Networking with ministers throughout the state will be an essential part of his job, and it’s going to take him awhile to become familiar with potential mentors, Baard said. But the seminary has a large number of graduates working around the state and that makes the job a bit easier.

Three years ago, the seminary cut the money to pay for the job Baard has now, said William Imes, the seminary’s president. To pay Baard’s salary and benefits, other staff positions were eliminated and employees were laid off in the past year. Baard will live in Portland, where the seminary has a presence and offers courses.

“We limped along without someone in this position and then we took a leap,” Imes said last week.

During the search process, each finalist for the job was asked to teach a class. More than other candidates, Baard connected with seminary students, Imes said.

“He was so comfortable and we felt he had so much to offer this community and his commitment to network with clergy was so deep,” Imes said. “That’s what we need.”

Judith Sims, 54, of Bangor is a part-time student in the master of divinity program. She said after last week’s service that she’s looking forward to working with Baard and believes the position is important for seminary students who intend to go into ministry.

“This is a leadership position that needed to be filled,” she said. “Students will be able to work with [Baard] and build relationships with [him] so we can grow in spirit while at the same time get some experience to go with the talent we’ll be taking into the church community and the world at large.”

What’s a mentor?

The word mentor has recently become an educational focal point in the professional world of ministry, according to the Rev. Ron Baard. A mentor is a wise and trusted counselor. At its roots, the word means “to think,” he says.

Baard defines a mentor as a person who demonstrates the wisdom and confidence to offer hospitality to students for the purpose of teaching and guiding in the ways of ministry.

Three specific goals that shape the mentoring program at Bangor Theological Seminary are:

. To help students integrate their classroom and book knowledge through theological reflection within the experience of their religious communities.

. To help students develop their own ministerial identity and vocational goals.

. To help students learn particular ministry skills.

Through theological reflection on the actions of ministry, students can learn to make use of the wisdom of a practical theologian in a variety of ministry settings.