I was first invited to attend the Gathering of Leaders about 5 years ago, early in my ordained ministry. At the time, I was unable to attend for various reasons: time, money, family commitments. This time around, when I saw that GOL was taking place much closer to home, and now that my kids were…
This January, our Malibu Gathering focused on unity in light of the unhappy divisions that characterize our lives. We are members of the one Body of Christ, yet this Body bears bruises and scars reflecting our internal discord. Moreover, we swim in a deeply polarized cultural milieu which seems to believe the lie of being…
Our opening Bible study at the Malibu Gathering focused on how God often disrupts our lives—like God did with Saul on the road to Damascus—and that such disruptions lead us to depend on others. Saul needed Annanias to bring healing, and then others to help him escape. Holy disruptions lead us to unity as we…
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…
The Gathering in New England brought together the most regionally, ethnically, and racially diverse group of gifted, hope-filled clergy that we have ever had, and in this year where are theme brings us together to discuss and share mission and evangelism in the church through Racial Reconciliation and Discipleship, we could not be more humbled. The…
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…