Notes from the Annual Leadership Institute

This week I have the privilege and honor of attending the annual Leadership Institute at the Church of the Resurrection (COR) in Kansas City. This beautiful campus houses the largest United Methodist Church in the United States, and one of the many ways they give back and pay it forward is by hosting the Leadership Institute every year.

Recognizing the challenges of burnout, isolation, and declining engagement in mainline churches, the congregation began sharing its growth strategies and practical ministry models through various clergy and laity focused conferences thirty years ago. In 1999, this mentoring and training focus brought about the annual Leadership Institute, where thousands of clergy and church leaders come together every year to learn and grow.

You may be familiar with the lead/founding pastor of COR. His name is Rev. Adam Hamilton. We have done a few of his studies based on books that he has written over the years. He co-founded this United Methodist congregation alongside his wife, LaVon, in 1990. Under his leadership, COR has grown from its original four members into the largest United Methodist congregation in the United States, spanning multiple campuses across the Kansas City area. This all happened during a time when church attendance in general has been in a steep decline and the United Methodist Church has experienced a 50% decline in membership.

You also may recognize Adam's name because he has recently taken a leave from his duties as lead pastor and is the Democratic nominee for a senate seat in Kansas and is in a tight race with the Republican incumbent. A Democrat has not held a senate seat in Kansas for ninety-four years! Rev. Hamilton has been on the news quite a lot lately!

Rev. Adam Hamilton is the keynote speaker at tonight's opening session and worship (I am writing this on Wednesday during a break in our pre-conference workshops) and the closing session on Friday morning. There are so many things I want to ask him!!! Everything from,"How did your congregation grow from 4 people to 24,000 on multiple campuses over 36 years?" to "How did you find the courage to step away from the church and follow your call to enter this senate race?" and "How do you deal with the constant barrage of negative attacks against you?" My guess is that tonight he will stick to church leadership themes, and I probably will not have the opportunity
to ask these questions. He is very careful about separating the senate campaign from his
church affiliation. 

Mostly this week I am grateful for the opportunity to be fed both Spiritually and as a leader. My soul has felt a bit weary lately, and I am in great need of nourishment! A man like Adam Hamilton, as well as the amazing team he has around him, have a lot to teach all of us about what is possible when we follow God's call and keep our lives balanced with the things that are truly important - like prayer, standing up for what is right, advocating for those who are struggling, keeping our own lives focused on self-care as well as compassion for others, and always believing that anything is possible when we surrender it all to God. 

I'm looking forward to sharing my learning with you when I return home! 

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) 

Grace and Peace 

-Pastor Madeline