My first experience at the Gathering of Leaders conference has been gratifying. I’ll admit, when I was first invited to attend the conference, I had many questions and of course one of them was, “What is The Gathering of Leaders?” At first, I thought the Gathering of Leaders was a secret group that invited certain clergy to discuss […]

I have participated in five Gatherings beginning in 2010. Presentations and conversations on past themes like being an entrepreneurial leader or what it means to be a missionary church have been instructive and edifying to me. The vision and ministry of my colleagues in ministry have been inspiring. This year’s theme of Racial Reconciliation was […]

It is hard to overstate the value of time spent in prayerful reflection. My time at the New England Gathering underscored this reality for me. The theme, Bible studies, and personal reflections for the Gathering were weighty, and I was impressed not only with the candor and charity in which those who gathered worked but […]

My first invitation to participate in Gathering of Leaders was for the San Francisco Gathering this past April. It would have taken me about 30 minutes to drive there, so it was very convenient, but it would have meant spending my birthday with people I probably didn’t know and talking about a topic that is […]

When I read that the 2018 Gathering of Leaders Theme was “Racial Reconciliation and Discipleship in the Missionary Church,” I immediately checked my calendar to see what Gathering worked with my calendar (and I could drive to!). My congregation is dedicated in our work of anti-racism; it is part of what called me to this […]

I was excited and slightly concerned when I received my invite to the Gathering of Leaders meeting in San Francisco. Excited to be included in my first GoL event, and very excited to be connected with this group, which I heard of and followed from afar. I also was very interested to hear their response […]

First impressions tell you a lot… but they don’t tell you everything. My Gathering of Leaders experience began with a great meal. Before we even made it into the restaurant there were warm reunions by previous participants and there was a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere around the table. I was told that this was a place […]

I am a little over a month away from my priestly ordination. Throughout my formation, I have sought out hope-filled opportunities and ministries that would shape the future of the Church. In a post-Christendom culture, and a shrinking number of people in the pews each Sunday, it is tempting to be disheartened about the direction […]

St. John the Evangelist, Hingham, MA Often the prevailing narrative of the Episcopal Church (both from within and without) is one of a leaking ship, slowly (or not so slowly) taking on water before it runs aground on the shoals of secularism. As one still relatively new to the priesthood, this does not serve to […]

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Montgomery, AL Rest, reflection, and renewal are the three words I would use to describe my time at the Gathering of Leaders meeting in Kanuga, NC. I was drawn to the meeting by the opportunity to spend time with my BFF from seminary, a person I rarely get to be with […]