Dear Colleagues:
Your East Central District Leadership Team met on retreat to assess where we are and “Vision Cast” for the future. During our time together, we focused on three areas of need in our District: Clergy, Congregations and Communities. Prior to the retreat, our Clergy Care Team under the leadership of Ann Hutchens and Tom Samuels began meeting to plan and implement strategies for clergy self-care and wholeness. Our Congregational Transformation Team, under the leadership of Kim Shockley has been implementing “Refocus Network” and “Natural Church Development”, two processes oriented toward objective evaluation, congregational health, and the renewal of vision to help pastors and congregations assess where they are and how to realize a preferred future. Our Church and Community Connection (CCC) under the leadership of Marilyn Beecher have been working on ways to partner our larger churches with smaller congregations for vital ministry in strategic missional settings.
While understanding the Mission of the Church to be Making Disciples for the Transformation of the World (Matthew 28), our sharing and discussion for Vision focused on the areas that needed to be addressed in order to carry out our Mission. In the context of our shared ministries in the East Central District, the genesis of a new Vision began to emerge; one that addressed the health and wholeness of our pastors, churches, and neighborhoods. As I have gotten to know the East Central District over the past year, the words unity and wholeness continue to work their way toward the forefront. After a great deal of prayer, time and listening, I began to understand our needs in terms of “Wholeness and Holiness.” As I shared this perception with others, this is the Vision that has emerged - “Wholeness for our Clergy, our Congregations, and our Communities.” We are still in the midst of developing strategies and outcomes for this new vision, but these will be shared with you as soon as the entire Leadership Team has had time to process and adopt them.
I know that you will be in prayer for the District Leadership Team as they seek to guide all of our congregations, ministries, missions, and ministers in their growth toward wholeness.
I Love Being Your District Superintendent,
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”
I came across an article the other day written by Dr. William Lindsay, PhD and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bethune-Cookman College. The title of the paper was “Exercising Leadership in Academic Life,” but it has a wonderful application in the Church as well. Here are the bullet points:
- Leaders display integrity.
- Leaders value collegiality.
- Leaders are marked by a strong commitment to mission.
- Leaders display transparency and accountability.
- Leaders are marked by intelligence and critical thinking
He went on to say that Leaders do not “keep up mess.” As I reflect on your leadership in our East Central District, I want you to know how grateful I am that you are tirelessly building the Kingdom and teaching others to do the same.
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