The Center for Ministry Development provides training, resources and consultation for pastoral ministry and catechesis with youth, young adults, families and the intergenerational community. Since 1978, Catholic parishes and dioceses have trusted CMD to provide a vision and practice for ministry that is rooted in Church documents, Scripture and best practices research. Through our partnership with ministry leaders, CMD strives for excellence and innovation by providing practical, field-tested ministry solutions and resources.

The Center for Ministry Development is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization and is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut.

The core purpose of the Center for Ministry Development is "to bring the Good News in new ways to the people of God." The Center's mission is to empower Catholic faith communities and their leaders for effective ministry with adolescents, young adults, and families through ministry education for leaders, ministry development training and resources, programs, and publications.

The Center for Ministry Development was founded in 1978 as the Northeast Center for Youth Ministry. The vision of a regional center for youth ministry training and programming grew out of national discussions about implementing A Vision of Youth Ministry (USCC 1976). In consultation with diocesan youth directors from dioceses in the northeast United States, the plan for the Center was developed. These diocesan directors served as an Advisory Board throughout the first ten years of the Center's life. With an invitation from Bishop Frank Rodimer of the Diocese of Paterson, the Center was launched in July 1978. Bishop Rodimer served as honorary Chairman of the Board through 1985. In 1985 the Center staff moved the Center to Connecticut, their original home.

The Center originally focused on ministry with adolescents, providing the Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies program, adult training workshops, youth leadership and peer ministry training. This mission has evolved to embrace ministry with families (1987), ministry with young adults (1994), and lifelong, intergenerational faith formation (1997).

The Center's programs and services are designed to assist Church leaders to understand and implement the teachings and pastoral plans of the Catholic Church. Renewing the Vision—A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry (USCCB 1997) provides the guiding vision for youth ministry services, and Sons and Daughters of the Light (USCCB 1996) provides the guiding vision for young adult ministry services. Family and intergenerational faith formation services (Generations of Faith Project) are helping parishes develop lifelong faith formation according to the catechetical vision of the General Directory for Catechesis (1997). Catholic social teaching provides the central catechetical content in the Young Neighbors in Action service-learning program for adolescents.

The Center has built a reputation of excellence through its work with over 150 Catholic dioceses and organizations in the United States, Canada, Ireland, and Australia. The Center provides its programs, services, and resources to parishes, dioceses, Catholic schools and universities, and national organizations. The Center has worked for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on youth ministry, young adult ministry, family ministry, and Catholic social teaching projects.

The Center is funded through a combination of fees for services, publication sales, and foundation grants. The Center regularly receives grants for its work with the Catholic Church across the United States and Canada. An anonymous family foundation funded the five-year Catholic Families Project (1987-1992). Center staff served as the project staff for the national Young Adult Ministry Initiative (1994-2000), which was funded by the Raskob Foundation with supporting grants from the Koch Foundation, an anonymous family foundation and Louisville Institute. The Effective Practices for Dynamic Youth Ministry Project (2001-2004) was funded by the Louisville Institute, an anonymous family foundation, the Catholic Youth Foundation, USA, and the Raskob Foundation. The Center recently completed a six-year grant (2001-2006) from the Lilly Endowment for the Generations of Faith Project.