• About
    • Mission & Values
    • Leadership
    • Is GOL Right for Me?
    • Hear from Participants
    • Gatherings Photo Gallery
    • Board Chair Inquiry Form
  • Gatherings
  • Member Login
  • Donate
    • Annual Report 2020
    • Annual Report 2021
    • Annual Report 2022
  • Contact
  • Register
Gathering of LeadersGathering of Leaders
Gathering of LeadersGathering of Leaders
  • About
    • Mission & Values
    • Leadership
    • Is GOL Right for Me?
    • Hear from Participants
    • Gatherings Photo Gallery
    • Board Chair Inquiry Form
  • Gatherings
  • Member Login
  • Donate
    • Annual Report 2020
    • Annual Report 2021
    • Annual Report 2022
  • Contact
  • Register

Reflection on Mississippi – The Rev. Matthew Hanisian

Reflection on Mississippi – The Rev. Matthew Hanisian

May 15, 2019 Gathering Reflection, Mississippi 2019

Like several of the other first-time attendees I was not entirely sure what to expect from my first Gathering. Would I find it worth the time? This was my biggest unanswered question. I knew from the attendee roster that there would be people I’d gone to seminary with and people whose names I’d read or heard about in the wider church. I was intrigued by the topic of unity and division, there certainly could be lots to talk about and discuss…but would it be worth the time, worth the expense?

Yes and yes.

When you ask parishioners why they love their church you almost always hear, “because the people are what make this place special” (or words to that extent). Gathering of Leaders is very much the same. I came away from my time in Jackson with a new group of colleagues from all over the country. I learned about how my colleagues handle dis-unity and how we rejoice in the ways the church can unify people as only the church can. I learned about how my colleagues are uniting people amidst the hardest times and in the face of the greatest challenges in their ministry. Hearing their stories was inspiring and helpful—I am not struggling with certain issues alone and I now have an additional community from which I can draw upon their experiences, both their successes and failures.

The peer-led learning sessions also were top notch. Not only were they informative, but were all things that got my mind wondering, “Could WE do that? Wait…HOW can we do that? Man, how can we NOT do that?!” I’ve come home with three new and actionable ideas that have potential to be deeply beneficial for our congregation’s growth and development.

Finally, I would say that there was a very good balance between time in sessions working, learning, digesting new information, and time to rest, socialize, and reflect. Other conferences I’ve attended over the years have been too much of one or the other. Gathering of Leaders has hit the sweet spot, providing exactly what I needed.

The Rev. Matthew Hanisian

Severna Park, MD

Rector, St. Martin’s-in-the-Field

Share

You also might be interested in

Making her breathe – October 2022 Enews

Oct 24, 2022

Making Her Breathe Even though I trained in a local[...]

Reflection on North Carolina – The Rev. Candice Frazer

Dec 6, 2017

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Montgomery, AL Rest, reflection, and renewal[...]

Reflection on San Francisco – The Rev. Devin Rodgers

May 14, 2018

I am a little over a month away from my[...]

Leave a Reply

Your email is safe with us.
Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Have a Question?

Send us an email and we'll be in touch shortly.

Send Message

About us

Gathering of Leaders is committed to connecting hopeful, innovative and creative leaders in The Episcopal Church. Through our focus on peer learning we are dedicated to church growth in both numbers and spirituality. Our participants are both local and national leaders who connect and collaborate through our Gatherings and tools.

Contact Us

Haley Bankey, Executive Director

(210) 570-7439

haley@thegatheringofleaders.org

Mailing Address

The Gathering of Leaders

25911 Hootananny

San Antonio, TX 78260

© 2023 · The Gathering of Leaders

  • About
    • Mission & Values
    • Leadership
    • Is GOL Right for Me?
    • Hear from Participants
    • Gatherings Photo Gallery
    • Board Chair Inquiry Form
  • Gatherings
  • Member Login
  • Donate
    • Annual Report 2020
    • Annual Report 2021
    • Annual Report 2022
  • Contact
  • Register
Prev Next