Igniting Imagination

What is needed to enlarge the capacity of pastors, congregations, annual conferences and the denomination to become more resilient, i.e. to absorb change and retain its integrity and purpose? We pose that very deep and difficult question to Erin Hawkins, Executive Director of Connectional Ministries for the California Pacific Annual Conference and Bishop Cynthia Harvey, bishop of the United Methodist Church in Louisiana and President of the Council of Bishops. You’ll notice this is one of our longer episodes. The content was so rich with these two dynamic leaders, we didn’t want you to miss a minute of the conversation, so we didn’t cut much. They discuss the current state of the church, what resilience looks like for the church, and what changes they are hoping to see in the denomination. We suspect that like us, by the end of the episode your own reservoir of resilience will be a bit more full of grace.   QUOTES “We think systemically because we’re a large institution and our system’s thinking has us reduced and separate so that we can better analyze and organize and change the parts. And I’m increasingly convinced that what will help to transform us is becoming masters not of the parts, but of the relationship between the parts.” -Erin Hawkins [28:12] “Right now, I would love to see us do a total realignment of where we invest ourselves. How are we using our time and our money and our resources to do a good and joyful thing?” -Bishop Cynthia Harvey [49:53]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [00:23] Bishop Huie reads from Reservoirs of Resilience [04:17] An excerpt of Bishop Huie’s writing [07:18] Meet Erin and Bishop Harvey [09:01] The current reality: challenges the church is facing [16:50] Actions for leaders to help lead a resilient church [23:55] What does a resilient church look like [33:53] The changes Erin hopes to see in her anti-racism work [38:44] How Erin stay resilient [45:20] The changes Bishop Harvey hopes to see as President of the Council of Bishops [51:17] Rapid fire round with three sentences [52:15] Bishop Huie’s reflections and takeaways [56:34] Outro   RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes? Follow Bishop Harvey on Facebook -- Cynthia Fierro Harvey  Read the press release about Erin Hawkins new role as the Executive Director of Connectional Ministries with the California-Pacific Conference of the UMC here. Follow the General Commission on Religion and Race of the United Methodist Church @GCORR_UMC Reservoirs of Resilience is inspired by the monograph written by Bishop Janice Huie. Read the full publication here. "That's Something" music and lyrics by Billy Crockett, © 2016 Spare Room Music, BMI, from the album In Session (with Roscoe Beck), Blue Rock Artists, 2020 "Resilience" music by Billy Crockett, © 2021 Spare Room Music, BMI This podcast is brought to you by TMF’s Leadership Ministry. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support TMF’s Leadership Ministry, visit https://tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

Mike Smith is Executive Director of the Holding Institute in Laredo, Texas. He shares the story of a plant at his home that offers a poignant illustration of resilience. Mike is an excellent storyteller who talks about how watering what appeared to be dead is a lesson we can all apply in our own context. While this is our shortest story shared so far in our series, the powerful image of new life will stay with you for a long time.   QUOTES “When we’re talking about resilience, it’s not just us, but it’s those whom we serve.” -Mike Smith [05:45] “It’s more than tilling the soil. It’s putting something into there.” -Mike Smith [06:23]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [01:08] Sacrificing plant #3 [04:33] Watering the bucket of dirt   RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes? Reservoirs of Resilience is inspired by the monograph written by Bishop Janice Huie. Read the full publication here. This podcast is brought to you by TMF’s Leadership Ministry. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support TMF’s Leadership Ministry, visit https://tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

What better person to talk with about the reservoir of courage than Dr. Gil Rendle, whose book Quietly Courageous has profoundly impacted our work and the work of many leaders in ministry and beyond. He is a retired Senior Vice President and part-time consultant with The Texas Methodist Foundation in Austin, Texas and an independent consultant working with issues of change and leadership in denominations. Rendle has an extensive background in organizational development, group and systems theory, and leadership development. He has consulted with congregations on planning, staff and leadership development, and issues of change. He is well known for his work with middle judicatory and national denominational offices and staff as they wrestle with denominational and congregational change. There is no doubt that courage is required for leaders today, and Gil does an excellent job in the book and in our conversation with offering provocative takeaways for leaders on how to lead with courage in such a time like this. You may want to have your notepad ready for this conversation with Gil, this episode is packed with practical ideas for becoming a courageous leader in your context.   QUOTES “That is one of the things about temptations. They do feel very rich and rewarding, but actually you’re feeding off yourself.” -Dr. Gil Rendle [26:12] “If you’re a leader, you have to learn how to stand in the center and move at least one foot towards the edge.” -Dr. Gil Rendle [31:40]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [00:24] Bishop Huie reads from Reservoirs of Resilience [03:40] An excerpt of Bishop Huie’s writing on the reservoir of courage [06:32] Meet Gil Rendle [07:46] The connection between courage and resilience [09:34] What is quiet courage [13:57] Disturb the system and ask questions [19:41] Relationship between conversation, quiet courage and purpose [24:45] Temptations leaders face and how to recognize and not give into them [29:13] Quiet courage and focusing on the edge [33:58] Guidance for congregation leaders [36:22] Rapid fire round with three sentences [37:57] Bishop Huie’s reflections and takeaways [41:22] Outro   RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes? Today’s episode included conversation based on insights from Gil Rendle’s most recent book Quietly Courageous: Leading the Church in a Changing World. Gil can be reached at GRendle@tmf-fdn.org Reservoirs of Resilience is inspired by the monograph written by Bishop Janice Huie. Read the full publication here. "That's Something" music and lyrics by Billy Crockett, © 2016 Spare Room Music, BMI, from the album In Session (with Roscoe Beck), Blue Rock Artists, 2020 "Resilience" music by Billy Crockett, © 2021 Spare Room Music, BMI This podcast is brought to you by TMF’s Leadership Ministry. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support TMF’s Leadership Ministry, visit https://tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

When Bill Lamar was appointed Senior Pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C, which sits on the longest continuously held piece of property by persons of African descent in the District of Columbia, the Bishop asked him how he felt. Rev. Lamar said he felt like he had 200 years of history on his back. The Bishop agreed and said, “Now go do something with it.” Rev. Lamar, now in his seventh year as pastor of Metropolitan, draws resilience from ancestors of the past and visions of future generations who will continue the church’s ministry. This story is a powerful account of the church’s capacity to be more loyal to what God is doing in the world than to anything or anyone else. “The church has to be resilient enough to understand our power is not generated from the government of the United States but our power is generated from the one who defeated death.” Rev. Lamar’s story will inspire and challenge you to discover the depths of your resilience and lead with purpose.   QUOTES “You don’t know what you have until you get there, until you live among the people.” -Rev. Bill Lamar [03:03] “Being in the presence of God, living in the divine life frees us and that liberation is not just spiritual. That liberation is physical, emotional, economic, politically.” -Rev. Bill Lamar [12:24]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [02:08] An address change [05:21] Understanding what had come before him [08:53] His source of resilience [13:12] What it looks like today   RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes? Rev. Bill Lamar is the co-host of "Can These Bones," the Faith & Leadership podcast, and can be reached on Twitter @WilliamHLamarIV. Rev. Lamar mentions the book, Eyewitness: The Negro in American History (A Living Documentary of the Afro-American Contribution to U.S. History) by William Loren Katz Reservoirs of Resilience is inspired by the monograph written by Bishop Janice Huie. Read the full publication here. This podcast is brought to you by TMF’s Leadership Ministry. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support TMF’s Leadership Ministry, visit https://tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

Our guests Dori Baker and Stephen Lewis know all about drawing on the reservoir of purpose. They literally wrote one of the best books about purpose we have read! Together with co-author Matthew Wesley Williams, their book Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose, published in 2020, offers a new way of leadership for the 21st Century. Dr. Dori Baker is an ordained United Methodist elder in the Virginia Annual Conference. She’s an educator, activist, and scholar focused on feminist theologies, critical race theory, young adult culture, leadership development and spiritual practices that sustain activism. Stephen Lewis is the President of the Forum for Theological Exploration (also known as FTE), which is a national leadership incubator that cultivates wise, faithful and courageous leaders who make a difference in the world through the church and academy. He is an organizational change strategist and facilitator, and a leadership development specialist, focused on helping leaders to discover their purpose, passion and calling in life. Our conversation with Dori and Stephen is packed with fresh insights about seeing leadership as a communal practice, the role of deep listening, and the work of discerning purpose that requires both risk and courage. As their “Another Way Manifesto” puts it, “There is a future that mourns if you and I do not step into our purpose.” It is not too much to say that there is also a future that mourns if you do not listen to the inspiration and wisdom Dori and Stephen offer in this episode.   QUOTES “Resilience in some aspects for me is this idea that it’s our ability to bounce back, and we can only bounce back from these disappointments, from our rejection of people saying no when we recognize that we are not our actions.” -Stephen Lewis [12:04] “Reflecting theologically and critically together is communal. It’s critical, and it’s for the sake of action.” -Dr. Dori Baker [27:15]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [00:24] Bishop Huie reads from Reservoirs of Resilience [03:37] An excerpt of Bishop Huie’s writing on the reservoir of purpose [05:56] Meet Dr. Dori Baker and Stephen Lewis [08:11] The authors’ take on purpose and resilience [13:00] How our culture has limited the understanding of purpose [18:48] CARE - what does stand for and how it relates to purpose and resilience [33:19] How they help young leaders center themselves when they feel discouraged [40:10] How to use CARE practices to lead an organization through change [52:42] Rapid fire round with three sentences [54:13] Bishop Huie’s reflections and takeaways [56:16] Outro   RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes? Today’s episode focused on conversation from themes found in Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose by Dori Baker, Stephen Lewis, and Matthew Wesley Williams. Podcast and additional resources on Another Way can be found at https://fteleaders.org/anotherway For more information about Dori Baker and her work as a consultant, visit: www.doribaker.com Find out more about the work of the Forum for Theological Exploration at fteleaders.org.  Stephen Lewis founded DO GOOD X, a start-up accelerator for diverse, faith-rooted entrepreneurs creating social good ventures. For more information: dogoodx.org. "That's Something" music and lyrics by Billy Crockett, © 2016 Spare Room Music, BMI, from the album In Session (with Roscoe Beck), Blue Rock Artists, 2020 "Resilience" music by Billy Crockett, © 2021 Spare Room Music, BMI Reservoirs of Resilience is inspired by the monograph written by Bishop Janice Huie. Read the full publication here. This podcast is brought to you by TMF’s Leadership Ministry. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support TMF’s Leadership Ministry, visit https://tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

Ugonna Onuoha’s daughter Agnes was diagnosed with lupus in third grade and passed away in 2019 at age 23. Ugonna tells the story of Agnes’ illness and death to an audience for the first time in this episode. As a hospital chaplain at Children’s Medical Center, Ugonna has sat with countless families as they navigate illness and grieve loss. She reflects on how going through her own loss has affected her ministry. Ugonna’s deep faith and reliance on scripture is profound; she embodies resilience through her life and it comes through in this powerful recording.   QUOTES “Living with Agnes’ illness helped me to begin to talk about my faith in a way that was not outside, but something that was really personal in a way.” -Ugonna Onuoha [04:31] “I found God to be real and truthful and honest and a companion and a good God in the midst of that pain.” -Ugonna Onuoha [06:49]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [01:21] Raising a child with lupus [06:13] The image of the Good Shepherd [10:11] Receiving comfort and support [14:38] Taking care of herself [17:37] The great pain [20:00] Three things to surround yourself with   RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes? Reservoirs of Resilience is inspired by the monograph written by Bishop Janice Huie. Read the full publication here. This podcast is brought to you by TMF’s Leadership Ministry. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support TMF’s Leadership Ministry, visit https://tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

In this episode of Reservoirs of Resilience podcast, Lisa Greenwood, Vice President of Leadership Ministry at Texas Methodist Foundation (TMF), and Bishop Janice Huie, Leadership Formation at TMF, speak with Colette Pierce Burnette.   Dr. Burnette knows about drawing on the reservoir of hope to survive and thrive through difficult times. As President and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University, Dr. Burnette reflects on the hope she receives from her students, many of whom are first-generation, and how maintaining hope helps her to navigate the challenging landscape of higher education today. Her wisdom about how to live and lead out of hope, especially when facing one challenge after another, is not to be missed. The vulnerability and leadership Dr. Burnette demonstrates, even through this conversation, is remarkable.    QUOTES “I’m hopeful that in my children’s lifetime or their children’s lifetime, we as a nation will continue to get to this space of equity, every realm with every generation. Because if I think about the people that marched across the Selma bridge and people like my father, if they had just kind of given up and succumbed to the lifestyle that has been driven to them, I’d wouldn’t be here sitting here as the president of Huston-Tillotson University having this conversation with you right now.” -Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette [12:08] “She said to me that in a meeting that they were having, someone said ‘This community is so resilient.’ She said that there was a Black woman who stood up and said, ‘When does resilience become abuse?’” -Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette [29:17]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [00:24] Bishop Huie reads from Reservoirs of Resilience [03:45] A reflection from Bishop Huie’s writing on the reservoir of hope [06:36] Meet Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette [08:25] A personal story of how hope that helped her become resilient [14:51] Hope is a noun and a verb [19:08] What gives Dr. Burnette hope [23:19] What it means to her to be an agent of hope [28:05] Who are her agents of hope [30:47] Wisdom to help people reorient towards living a sense of hope [36:21] Dealing with fear of the unknown [38:11] Rapid fire round with three sentences [39:09] Bishop Huie’s reflections and takeaways [42:34] Outro   RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes?   Follow Colette Pierce Burnette on Twitter @HTPresCPB Facebook - Colette Pierce Burnett Instagram -  colettepb   Huston-Tillotson University (HT) nurtures a legacy of leadership and excellence in education, connecting knowledge, power, passion, and values. Find out more about HT and support their mission by visiting https://htu.edu   Learn more about Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who Dr. Burnette references in the podcast, at https://rabbisacks.org.   Reservoirs of Resilience is inspired by the monograph written by Bishop Janice Huie. Read the full publication here.   "That's Something" music and lyrics by Billy Crockett, © 2016 Spare Room Music, BMI, from the album In Session (with Roscoe Beck), Blue Rock Artists, 2020   "Resilience" music by Billy Crockett, © 2021 Spare Room Music, BMI This podcast is brought to you by TMF’s Leadership Ministry. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support TMF’s Leadership Ministry, visit https://tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

We asked six resilient leaders to share a story of resilience with us. We originally planned to include a “Story of Resilience” segment at the end of each episode. Not surprisingly, each story we recorded was incredible and inspiring! We wanted to make sure you didn’t miss these stories and feared you might if they were at the end of episodes. So, our six episode podcast now includes six additional bonus episodes! Each bonus episode features a leader’s answer to our invitation to “tell us a story of resilience.” Each leader shares a story that is powerful, poetic, and deeply personal. We are really grateful for their vulnerability and hope their stories will inspire you as they did us.    In our first Bonus Episode, Martha Valencia shares the story of her congregation’s partnership with a church in Honduras and her friendship with their pastor who has faced significant challenges, including helping his already poverty-stricken congregation navigate two hurricanes and a pandemic. His example of resilient leadership has inspired and sustained Martha as she grieves the loss of her mother to Covid-19 while continuing to lead her congregation through these difficult times.   Martha Valencia  Rev. Martha Valencia is the Senior Pastor of Elmwood-El Buen Samaritano UMC in Dallas, Texas. QUOTES “What he started to do was visit members one by one on his bicycle and go outside of their homes and simply share a word of encouragement and love from outside their homes, from outside their door, outside their window.” -Martha Valencia [05:39] “Every time we talk to him, it is “Blessed it be in the name of the Lord.’” -Martha Valencia [08:16] TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [02:07] Martha meets Pastor Lara [04:51] Pastor Lara’s shares the word of God [06:56] Hurricanes hit Honduras RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS Elmwood-El Buen Samaritano UMC in Dallas If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes? Reservoirs of Resilience is inspired by the monograph written by Bishop Janice Huie. Read the full publication here. This podcast is brought to you by TMF’s Leadership Ministry. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support TMF’s Leadership Ministry, visit https://tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

In this episode of Reservoirs of Resilience podcast, Lisa Greenwood, Vice President of Leadership Ministry at Texas Methodist Foundation (TMF), and Bishop Janice Huie, who works in Leadership Formation at TMF, speak with Dr. Tod Bolsinger, Senior Congressional Strategist and Associate Professor of Leadership Formation at Fuller Seminary. Dr. Bolsinger offers insight on what resilient leadership looks like today. He describes the character qualities required of a resilient leader, how stress makes a leader and why anyone facing constant resistance should keep leading.   QUOTES “The hardest thing about leading change is having to grapple with our own vulnerability.” -Dr. Tod Bolsinger [15:12] “Empathy is what we need for leadership. Because when you attuned to people and they feel cared for, they will trust you and go further into their own pain and further into their own discomfort if they don’t.” -Dr. Tod Bolsinger [20:21]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [00:26] Bishop Huie reads from Reservoirs of Resilience [03:01] An overview of the six episodes of this podcast [05:23] An excerpt of Bishop Huie’s writing about resilience [08:49] Meet Dr. Tod Bolsinger [09:50] How Dr. Bolsinger thinks about resilience [11:16] Crucible of change [13:52] Blacksmithing metaphor [18:27] Character qualities of a resilient leader [21:38] Why work so hard to face resistance and how stress can make a leader [29:30] What does tempered resilience mean for a pastor today [32:51] What Dr. Bolsinger means by Rule of Life and why it’s important [36:45] Rapid fire round with three sentences [38:36] Bishop Huie’s reflections and takeaways [41:44] Outro   RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back by Andrew Zolli and Ann Marie Healy Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth   If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes?   Follow Tod Bolsinger: @todbol   For more resources from Tod and his team, text change to 66866.   Find out more about the De Pree Center Church Leadership Initiative at depree.org/church.   Tod Bolsinger is the author of Canoeing the Mountains, It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian, and most recently, Tempered Resilience: How Leaders are Formed in the Crucible of Change.   Reservoirs of Resilience is inspired by the monograph written by Bishop Janice Huie. Read the full publication here.   "That's Something" music and lyrics by Billy Crockett, © 2016 Spare Room Music, BMI, from the album In Session (with Roscoe Beck), Blue Rock Artists, 2020   "Resilience" music by Billy Crockett, © 2021 Spare Room Music, BMI This podcast is brought to you by TMF’s Leadership Ministry. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support TMF’s Leadership Ministry, visit https://tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

What do leaders need in this moment of unprecedented challenge and change?  Resilience. This podcast from Texas Methodist Foundation’s Leadership Ministry is based on Bishop Janice Huie’s publication “Reservoirs of Resilience.” Each episode is packed with insights and inspiration from people who lead with hope, purpose, and courage. The stories and ideas they share will encourage and equip you to deepen your capacity for resilience so that you can not only survive in this challenging season, but thrive and even strive for the world God imagines.