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 how we would take over the Episcopal Church. I am happy to say that it was nothing that I expected it would be.
The topic: “Racial Reconciliation and Discipleship in the Missionary Church,” caught my attention to attending the Texas Gathering. This topic peaked some interest for me because of my passion for addressing racial reconciliation in the church and my work with the Son’s of Confederate Veterans.
The peer leadership format allowed me to share my personal struggles around the conversations on racial reconciliation, as well as having the opportunity to listen to others. While engaging in those conversations, I learned that my colleagues had similar struggles or successful ministries with this topic in the Episcopal Church or other communities.
I was blessed to have the opportunity to preach as a first time attendee. I was also impressed on how the presenters covered a variety of ideas around the GOL topic. Jemonde Taylor’s presentation on “Hidden in Plain Sight,” was fascinating. The presentation opened my eyes to see darkness as it was intended to be: good, beautiful, and a place where we can live with God. Dr. Carter’s work on Dietrich Bonhoeffer was amazing as well. The way that Dr. Carter addressed Fascism and the doctrine of racial reconciliation inspired me to look deeper into Bonhoffer’s work. I purchased Dr. Carter’s book, “Race: A Theological Account.”
Everything I took away from the conference is incredibly valuable, however, I believe the friendships will stick with me the most. I look forward to attending future GOL conferences and participating in more peer leadership formats throughout my ministry.
The Rev. Randy Callender
Annapolis, MD
Rector, Saint Philip’s Church
![A Critical Point for a Changing Church We have all been called into ministry at this time, in this world, and to our specific roles for a reason. I am dwelling uncomfortably in this liminal space and churning over the most recent parochial report data for the Episcopal Church, the havoc the pandemic is wreaking on the world, and the turmoil in our society over racial injustice and political discord. I keep hearing the phrase “We as a church are at an inflection point,” and it is so easy for me to nod my head and agree, but what does this mean? What are people saying? In mathematics, an inflection point is the point where a curve’s concavity changes, but that doesn’t easily decode what is currently happening in the Episcopal Church. In the business world, a strategic inflection point is “a time in the life of a business when its fundamentals are about to change. That change can mean an opportunity to rise to new heights. But it may just as likely signal the beginning of the end.” (A. Grove, Only the Paranoid Survive) This definition gets me closer to understanding, but hasn’t the Episcopal church been here for a while? Our numbers have been declining for some years. Why are we now “at an inflection point?” With that in mind, we are NOT at an inflection point; we are at a critical point. By definition, a critical point is a mathematical concept that expresses the church’s reality so much better than ‘inflection point.’ In math, a critical point of a continuous function is a point at which the derivative is zero or undefined. The ‘ache’ we feel as a church is that we are undefined in this time. We are in limbo. We are in the liminal space. We are all seeking an ‘answer’ but, by definition, a critical point is yet undefined. (based on image from The Stern Opportunity.) To be clear, I am not saying that we do not know our traditions, our faith, or our call to follow Jesus. What I am saying is that we do not yet have a strategy or definition for who we need to be right now and into the future. When seeking relevance in a modern world, how do we, the Episcopal Church, be the thing that bends and yet does not break? Do we need to break in order to find our undiscovered future? I repeat: We have all been called into ministry at this time, in this world, and to our specific roles for a reason. It is here where the Gathering of Leaders (GOL) network is called to play a key role, as are so many leaders in our church, both ordained and lay. GOL and its participants have always had a hope-filled vision for the future – but we have never defined what that future looks like. Instead we are building that future as we go. WE are the boots on the ground. WE are defining the future. WE are leading that future right now. This critical point where we find ourselves does not have to be an inflection point. We do not have to die faster than our numbers show; instead, we are reimagining our ministry, re-envisioning our methods, and reclaiming the Great Commission in as yet undiscovered ways! The pandemic is forcing us to be the church in ways we never imagined. We are being forced to evolve while maintaining the core of who we are, and it was for this that we were called. Finally, and most importantly, you can share your thoughts, methods, and strategies for addressing this critical point in the history of the church with others. Through GOL’s partnership with the Episcopal Church Foundation, we have a broad audience with whom we can share the creative, life-giving, and Christ-centered ways that you are impacting people daily in the name of Christ, and through which you are discovering the future we are being called to define. From my own liminal space, Haley Bankey Executive Director, Gathering of Leaders haley@thegatheringofleaders.org Notes/Ideas: Critical Point: A critical point of a continuous function f is a point at which the derivative is zero or undefined. The ‘ache’ we feel as a church is that we are undefined. We are in limbo. We are all seeking the ‘answer’ but by definition of a critical point, that answer is undefined. Inflection point in business: [A] strategic inflection point is a time in the life of a business when its fundamentals are about to change. That change can mean an opportunity to rise to new heights. But it may just as likely signal the beginning of the end .” Andrew Grove, ex-CEO of Intel from Only the Paranoid Survive The pandemic is forcing us to be the church when we can’t come together for Eucharist the way we always want to. We are being forced to evolve. GOL is built on a hope-filled future – but we have never defined what that future looks like. Instead we’re building that future as we go. YOU are the boots on the ground. YOU are creating the future. Seeking relevance in a modern world! “How do we be the thing that bends??? “When seeking relevance in a modern world, how do we the church be the things that bends? “(from Lilly Conversation) Scripture: Attribution: https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2020/10/16/2019-parochial-reports-show-continued-decline-and-a-dire-future-for-the-episcopal-church/ Photo Credits: https://brilliant.org/wiki/critical-point/ https://brilliant.org/wiki/inflection-points/ http://sternoppy.com/2013/10/higher-education-at-a-strategic-inflection-point/ When approaching ministry in under resourced communities and seeking relevance in a modern world, how do we the church be the things that bends?](https://www.thegatheringofleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Critical-Point-for-a-Changing-Church-NEW-300x200.png)
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