Scrolling through my Facebook feed (looking at cat videos!) I came across this jewel of a post from Rev. Ben Maddison:  

This is the very essence of Gathering of Leaders! The Great Commission is our founding principle and the reason for coming together for peer learning and support. To encourage and raise up creative, Christ-centered ministers that share the transformative love of Jesus Christ.

I just wrapped up participating in a hybrid Congregational Leadership Initiative for Historically and Predominently Black Churches as part of my work at the Episcopal Church Foundation. After four consecutive days of learning from some of the top minds in the church, and connecting with some amazing clergy and lay leaders in the Black church, I am once again profoundly reminded that the church has never been, nor will it ever be, about a building. People are the Church.

Participant clergy in GOL are hope-filled, creative, entrepreneurial leaders who are dedicated to growth in both numerical impact and spiritual depth of the Episcopal Church. Do we have the right metrics for success? No. Do we know all the 'right' ways of doing this work? No. Do we have deep and profound love for Jesus and our neighbors and seek community through Him? YES!

To that end I hope to remind you all of two things:

• Clergy in GOL are eligible to apply for Seminary Reduction Grants through ECF in hopes of relieving some financial burden and to inspire ministry.
• Nominations are open for our new GOL Laity network. Current participants can use this nomination form, and others may email me directly.

As always, I am deeply grateful for the ministries of GOL participants and it is a blessing to be able to support your work. Thanks for all you do and God bless!

Blessings,

Haley Bankey
Executive Director, Gathering of Leaders
haley@thegatheringofleaders.org

Formation for the Missionary Church in a Changing World

Recent events have reminded us that as we proclaim the gospel, we continually encounter the unexpected and are called into places of vulnerability. At our best, we meet these challenges with fortitude, steadfastness, and resilience. What practical strategies can we share to form communities in those virtues? How do we teach and shape Christians to proclaim Christ’s good news amid the challenges of the unexpected and the pain of the world's brokenness? As we engage the present and look to the future, how do we form communities of courage and hope?

The Missionary Church After Christendom

(Gatherings: Alabama, Virtual February, Oregon)

The era when “everyone” knew the Christian story, the church held a position of public respect, and Sunday mornings were reserved for worship is ending. The church is losing influence, power, and the social expectations that maintained our institutions and budgets. How will we, as leaders, respond to this transition out of hope and courage rather than fear? What can we learn for this new reality from voices in the church who have modeled perseverance, maturity, faithfulness, and innovation from a place of cultural marginalization? What do we need to retain at our core; what do we need to cast off; and what do we need to adapt in order to proclaim the gospel and form disciples in this new reality?

Racial Reconcilation and Discipleship in the Missionary Church

(Gatherings: Philadelphia, Virtual September)

Our Presiding Bishop has called us into a deeper understanding of the relationship between evangelism and racial reconciliation. It has been said that Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America, because our worshipping communities often reflect the dividing lines of race rather than the unity of Christ’s Body or the glorious diversity of God’s creation. We wish to explore the connection between discipleship, mission, and racial reconciliation. Continuing events in our nation make this work all the more urgent. We understand ourselves, as Christians, to be called to reconciliation. How does making disciples facilitate and celebrate racial reconciliation in our particular contexts? How are the church’s legacies of racial division and racial healing affecting your work of evangelism and mission? What signs of hope do you see? Within the context of the Great Commission, what roles do confession, repentance, forgiveness and reparation play in the work of racial reconciliation within ourselves, our congregations and the Episcopal Church?

PARTICIPANT DIRECTORY: Those who have attended at least one Gathering have access to search our directory for other Participants by name, church affiliation, city, or state. Travelling somewhere and want to meet up with some GOLers? Give it a search! Try out the Directory here.

PARTICIPANT ONLY FACEBOOK GROUP: One of the main ways our participants connect and collaborate with one another is through our private Facebook group. If you have attended at least one Gathering, and are not yet part of the group, please email haley@thegatheringofleaders.org to get setup.

SUGGESTED READING LISTS: At each Gathering we collected suggested readings from our participants that deal directly with our annual theme. Click the themes for access to the most current suggested reading list: Racial Reconciliation and for Unity & Division. 

SHARED RESOURCES: During each Gathering we record the peer-learning presentation (with permission) and upload them to our participant portal.  For all presentations from our Racial Reconciliation year and Unity & Division, log into our website and search.

SEMINARY DEBT REDUCTION GRANTS: Through GOL's partnership with the Episcopal Church Foundation, grant funds have been made available to participants in the Gathering of Leaders network to reduce individual seminary debt. The grants must be used to make loan payments above and beyond the normal repayment/amortization schedule (i.e., principal) and will be awarded on the basis of financial need and the demonstrated capacity to manage debt, handle day-to-day finances, and plan for the future. Grants will range from $3,000-$5,000 and will be paid in one lump sum. Learn more and apply.