LEAD PASTOR LEARNING COMMUNITY
Launching February 2026
〰️
Launching February 2026 〰️
Vitality Rising
Since the end of the pandemic, we are seeing growing vitality in an increasing number of churches in our circles and networks and beyond. The lead pastors in many of these churches are increasingly vitalized as well; quite a contrast to what many experienced during the pandemic. Given this movement, we at Pinnacle are extremely curious about these churches and their pastors, sensing a call to explore what’s happening.
Given this calling, we have designed a learning community for lead pastors. Though we have led and facilitated clergy cohorts for over 20 years, this is something different. Our aspiration is to establish an ongoing community of lead pastors who collaboratively learn and explore, growing vitality in their churches and in their vocational and personal lives.
Driving Questions
Paying attention to this energy and curiosity has led to the following three questions. These questions are energizing; sparking other questions for this learning community to pursue.
What contributes to vitality in moderate and progressive churches?
What’s the role of lead pastors toward cultivating vitality?
What contributes to vitality in lead pastors of moderate to progressive churches?
What is The Lead Pastor Learning Community?
A gathered online community who collectively learns, shares, and participates in activities designed for answering the three driving questions, followed by implementing what’s learned, cultivating vitality in churches and lead pastors.
What Does Participation Look Like?
Currently, we are visualizing an ongoing learning community with activities all year (except July). Participants join the Community for one year at a time, with an annual participation fee. There will be two opportunities to join each year, February and August.
Highlights of the Learning Community
-
Everything in the community is focused on a particular topic each month. The goal is to learn as much as possible on that topic that month. This gives direction to everything we do. Examples may be: Equipping the staff team, Navigating conflict with lay leaders, Addressing human sexuality without blowing up, etc. Part of the work of the Faculty and Convener Council is to identify these monthly topics.
-
This is a learning lab gathering, including presentations, interviews of practitioners, dialogue, videos, and whatever else contributes to and facilitates learning around the monthly topic. Our three faculty facilitate the Community Gathering, with contributions from the Convener Council and other practitioners.
-
This is an opportunity to harvest the learning from the Community Gathering, considering how to integrate this learning into one’s leadership and ministry. These are facilitated groups with structure, where conveners guide the discussion. These groups may include specific questions for consideration, case studies, and other directed engagement.
-
This email is a brief (2-4 paragraphs) message to all participants. In alignment with the monthly theme, these messages are written by the Faculty and Convener Council, designed to provide encouragement, fresh ideas, stories, resources, and spiritual insights. Our aspiration is for participants to find these lifting their spirits at times (devotionally-oriented), while also providing practical leadership tips and useful resources.
-
All participants have access to this platform for the purpose of dialoguing between gatherings, resource sharing, Pinnacle announcements and communication, relationship building.
-
It is easy to imagine participants wanting to gather in-person with the entire learning community, and especially with their integration group. So, we may plan an annual retreat at a pleasant location for the purpose of connecting, worshiping, learning, and renewing. The cost for this is not included in the annual tuition.
Leadership for the Lead Pastor Learning Community
This is less of an expert presenter type experience than many; with the guiding mindset that we are all learners, helping each other live into our best leadership selves. The expertise is found in the learning community itself, along with lead pastor practitioners. To that end, we have gathered experienced and gifted faculty, plus a cadre of lead pastors to advise and conspire on the topics and activities called the Convener Council.
Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth
Rev. Dr. Rhonda Abbott Blevins
Rev. Dr. George Ashford
“Lead Pastors, Adaptive Leadership, Vitality in Congregations, Following the Spirit, Understanding Church Dynamics and Systems . . . these are long-term themes of my ministry over the last 25 years. Now, this Lead Pastor Learning Community brings together these interconnected strands into one leadership growth community. I don’t know how long I have left to serve, yet it seems this LPLC may be the best expression of my vocational self so far. I’m making a long-term commitment to pursuing this ministry, focusing my efforts here as a part of God’s movement in this world.”
Faculty
The Convener Council
These are effective Lead Pastors whom we know, recognizing their ongoing contributions to Moderate to Progressive church leadership from the Lead Pastor role. They gather six times each year to explore, dream, evaluate, and plan.
What Do We Mean By . . .
Describing and refining these terms will be part of the ongoing work of this learning community. Here’s where we are starting from.
-
This is hard to define, though easier to describe. When it’s there, we know it. When it’s low or absent, we sense this too. Currently, our understanding of vitality in congregations includes
Higher mood and morale
Movement toward missional aspirations
The sense of being on mission with God
Transformation is happening in individuals, groups, the church itself, and the church’s community
Organizational metrics are often stable, robust, and often growing
Often newer persons want to be part of what’s happening (but not always)
-
There are those who believe Moderate to Progressive Churches cannot be vitalized, or at least cannot numerically grow. On the contrary, we are finding more and more who are moving forward toward their missional aspirations with good flow. Again, part of the activity of this learning community includes growing more clear on the meaning of these terms. Currently our understanding includes:
Moderate Churches – Affirm women in leadership roles, include people with a variety of perspectives on various theological issues, use phrases like “Big Tent Church” to describe their welcome to people of various perspectives, often include people with varying perspectives on human sexuality, are able to discuss the social and religious issues of the day with respect for all persons involved, often refer to themselves as purple churches – including people from various political perspectives.
Progressive Churches – All of what is included in the Moderate Church description, yet extended further. These churches have made the decision to welcome and affirm persons from the LGBTQi community, while also intentionally engaging restorative justice ministries. They affirmed and implemented women in leadership roles quite some time ago.
-
Different denominations use different titles: Lead Pastors, Senior Pastors, Head of Staff, Pastor, Rector . . . regardless of wording, these pastors
Have responsibility for overseeing the overall ministry of their churches
Often lead and supervise staff persons or a staff team
Are highly engaged with the lay leadership team
Are clearly involved in articulating and describing the mission and vision, followed by day to day leadership toward implementation
Typically are the primary proclaimer and worship leader, or leader of the proclaiming team
-
Pastors who are leading Moderate to Progressive Churches described above. Those pastors who are called to lead these churches must make vocational choices with ramifications. This learning community will be pursuing what contributes to lives well-lived for these pastors.
Gains from Learning Community Participation
Forming community and a network with lead pastors in similar ministry contexts
Insight into effective leadership
Discovering key leadership moves for lead pastors
Greater awareness around the unique opportunities and challenges for moderate to progressive churches in our current context
Developing one’s strategy for cultivating vitality in one’s congregation
Contributing to a body of practical knowledge for moderate to progressive church leadership
