Leadership Institute
About the Leadership Institute
Organizational Leadership
The Church & Society
Educational Leadership: The Bishop as Teacher
Spirituality & Personal Growth
Organizational Leadership
The College for Bishops Leadership Institute was established to provide educational resources for new bishops as well as trending information resources for all bishops. Organizational Leadership focuses on specific resources related to essential leadership skills:
New items of interest are added on a monthly basis. To comment or offer suggestions for additional content, please use the feedback form at the bottom of this page.
Managing Change & Crisis
letting go of this pastor and preparing for the next
Church consultant Susan Beaumont shares four leadership practices that can help a congregation prepare when their pastor is getting ready to leave. Approaching the situation honestly and communicating openly can help a church understand that times of loss, experienced openly and fully, lead into times of promise.
good transitions
The transitions that occur when parish clergy leave can be stressful for everyone. Both the congregation losing its priest and the priest who is moving on are often fearful of letting go. ECFVP offers suggestions for the times when clergy leadership changes in this article from a Vestry Practices issue on Clergy and Lay Transitions.
resources for clergy transitions
The materials originally designed by Fresh Start are available to download on the ECFVP website. These documents cover the entire span of a congregation’s transition – from the announcement that the current clergyperson is leaving through the call of his/her replacement. One particularly useful section is this detailed Exit Checklist for Clergy.
the jubilee years
Clergy retirement can be a time of abundant life and generative service. The right blend of intentionality and flexibility, service and serendipity, and solitude and relationships can make retirement a Jubilee, a season of delight and transformation, in which we claim our vocation as good ancestors for the generations to come.
Are Barna Forums the Wave of the Future?
Over 2,300 pastors, nonprofit leaders, and civic officials have joined a year-long initiative to learn about and discuss community perceptions of the church in four major United States areas: South Florida, Kansas City, Columbus, and Dallas-Fort Worth. In each forum, attendees reviewed brand new data on how people in their communities feel about the church, ranging from their perceptions to their expectations and desires. However, the data itself is not the goal, but rather, the data serves as a way to plan for the road ahead.
Imagining a Hybrid Future
How can a church develop hybrid ministry that connects both with those in the room and those who will never enter your church building? Ann Michel from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership interviews Rosario Picardo, one of the authors of a new book on ministry in the digital age. They discuss how churches can continue to develop online ministry while resuming in-person ministries in the post-pandemic age. For more on this topic, see Tim Schenck’s Hybrid Churches: A Way Forward.
minstry after covid: what have we learned? What comes next?
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, churches and faith communities have had to move many of their ministries online, including worship and faith formation. As we look forward with hope, how can congregations carry what they have learned from this time, from new technologies to new skills, and ways of connecting with local and distributed communities the future? Lifelong Learning at VTS recently offered this eFormation webinar, exploring this question and more.
6 strategies for financial planning in the unknown
Budgeting, scenario planning, providing guidance--even in steady times, these responsibilities dominate the thinking of CFO’s. During the global pandemic, it became even harder to navigate such decisions amid uncertainty. A recent panel of finance executives shared these tips for survival planning for the year ahead.
8 Trends Impacting Church Leadership for 2021
Doug Powe and Ann Michel of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership identify eight notable trends in 2020’s swirl of change. Some trends have been underway for some time, but accelerated significantly during the past pandemic year. But in other areas, the events of 2020 have led to renewed emphasis on the basics — prayer, fellowship, faith formation, and the call to racial justice.
When the world’s in crisis, we need ‘grief leaders.’ Here’s how to be one.
The current triple threat of the pandemic, economic downturn, and civil unrest has created a unique widespread sense of grief. Grief leadership helps ease pain by communicating effectively, acknowledging grief has occurred, recognizing and honoring losses, and eventually, supporting those affected in finding meaning and beginning to move forward.
Being A Dispersed Church, an Episcopal Perspective
During COVID-19, some may be let back into church buildings gradually. What does this mean for the community that gathers? How can we still be one body when we are in many dispersed parts? The Rev. Sean Steele knows a little about being a united, although dispersed, community. Hear about what he has learned from launching 12 different missional communities in this webinar from TryTank.
Expanded Table: Ideas for Hybrid Worship
As churches begin to meet again in person, many parishioners may be unable to come in person and choose to continue to worship online. How do we “expand the table” to those worshiping remotely? Bruce Reyes-Chow presented this webinar at this year’s e-Formation conference.
Resuming Care-Filled Worship and Sacramental Life During a Pandemic
As states “re-open,” how will we resume worship gatherings in person while the pandemic is still with us? A care-filled response to that challenge is much more than just unlocking the doors and inviting all to come in as before. This set of protocols was prepared by an ecumenical group of theologians, scientists, physicians, pastors, bishops, and practitioners.
Effective Pastoral Transitions in the Time of COVID-19
How can a pastor moving from one congregation to the next make a successful transition given the unusual circumstances of the COVID-19 crisis? Lovett H. Weems Jr.from Lewis Center for Church Leadership says the challenges of the day demand creativity and flexibility. But it is also more important than ever to follow normal best practices for making a right start.
The Right Start: Beginning Ministry in a New Setting (Covid-19 Supplement)
The arrival of a new pastor is a critical juncture in the life of a church. A pastor’s successful transition lays the groundwork for a fruitful tenure. In late April 2020, the Lewis Center surveyed a trusted group of pastoral leaders and judicatory leaders to gather their ideas and thoughts about making a successful transition in this challenging time. Their recommendations are summarized in this document.
Resources for Christian Leaders during the Coronavirus Pandemic
Faith & Leadership presents this list of information from government and media sources, updated at least three times a week, to offer guidance to pastors and other Christian leaders struggling to respond to the pandemic of COVID-19. Find updates and many more useful articles on their website.
Resources for Leading Amid Tragedy and Crisis
Every tragedy -- large or small, public or private -- is different, but they all pose challenges for leadership. Here is an extensive list of resources from the Faith & Leadership archives on leading in times of tragedy and crisis. Topics covered include: public tragedy, tragedy & grief within a congregation, leading amid difference, reconciliation & forgiveness, crisis communications, suffering & pastoral ministry, and more.