Igniting Imagination

Rev. Liliana Padilla is the Senior Pastor of Westlawn United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas. She has overcome many obstacles in ministry. When she was ordained in Mexico, she was prevented from pastoring a church because she was a married woman. When she came to the United States, she had to go through the ordination process again. When she went through divorce, she had to overcome the stigma of divorce in her community.   Liliana has never let obstacles prevent her from pursuing God’s call on her life. When COVID-19 hit, it greatly affected her congregation. Some lost their jobs. Some were not able to work because they had to stay home with their children. Families with limited access to the internet and fewer devices than children struggled to keep their kids from falling behind in class. Liliana shares how she drew on her own story of resilience to find the strength to lead her congregation to discern God’s purpose in this time of pandemic.   QUOTES “Something that I like to do is try to see things as good as they can be.” -Rev. Liliana Padilla [10:59] “For me, the pandemic meant an opportunity to show love to people.” -Rev. Liliana Padilla [17:26]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [01:42] Rev. Liliana’s story [04:42] Starting all over again [09:15] One step forward, two steps back [10:40] A huge storm with no solution [15:11] God opened the windows and doors   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.

How we tell the stories of our lives and the life of our church or organization makes all the difference. Bishop Robert Schnase, Bishop of the Rio Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, details for us how narrative connects to resilience by sharing personal stories from his time as pastor and his observations as Bishop. He shares how the stories we tell ourselves shape our capacity to move through difficult circumstances. This episode will encourage and inspire you to consider the narratives in your life and leadership are shaping your way of seeing and being.    QUOTES “Sometimes you think of resilience, you get knocked down, you jump back up. Resilience often takes a long time. It puts you on a path that lasts for a long time.” -Bishop Robert Schnase [15:22] “And that again, a descending narrative, it’s not that it’s not the truth. It’s just that it’s not the whole truth.” -Bishop Robert Schnase [20:12]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [00:22] Bishop Huie reads from Reservoirs of Resilience [04:01] An excerpt of Bishop Huie’s writing on the narratives of resilience [07:03] Meet Bishop Robert Schnase [08:20] A story of resilience from Bishop Schnase [16:36] The definition of narrative and the role of resilience through narrative [21:31] Two purposes to music in worship [23:15] Narratives in the church and among leaders that need to change [24:21] How leaders can help shift the descending narrative [30:58] What resilience looks like at an annual conference level [35:13] How narrative can be helpful in the church today and post-pandemic [38:58] Rapid fire round with three sentences [45:53] Bishop Huie’s reflections and takeaways [50:45] Outro   RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes? For information about Bishop Schnase and links to all his books, visit http://robertschnase.com The episode references Life is in the Transitions by Bruce Feiler who points to the work of Marshall Duke at Emory University to describe three categories of family narratives:  ascending, descending and oscillating. 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 is it like to live through storm after storm...after storm? Rev. Romonica Malone-Wardley is District Superintendent of the Southeast District of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. She has met people and congregations who have lived through one devastating storm after another. Living through a storm though doesn’t mean just surviving. Romonica shares how instead of throwing up their hands in despair, congregations in hurricane-hit areas roll up their sleeves to help neighbors and offer hope to their communities. This episode is a powerful account about how we can lean on each other and into our purposes to weather life’s storms and find the stamina to keep moving forward.   QUOTES “They understand that God gives them the strength to rally and come together to support one another and their neighbors again and again and again.” -Romonica Malone-Wardley [03:01] “As much as they would love for there to be no storms or no need, they’ve experienced enough to look towards the future and know that it’s a reality and they want to prepare themselves to be able to help.” -Romonica Malone-Wardley [05:25]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [01:29] Time here is marked by storms [03:18] Hearing these stories firsthand [06:48] Connexionalism at its best   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 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.