Stronger Churches Conference Held at Hood

On August 24th, I attended the Stronger Churches Conference held at Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, NC. I participated in the conference for two reasons to cover it. For the Star of Zion (secure the bag), And because it was within walking distance (If you know, you know). Like many of you who are Hood alums, I have seen emails informing us of the great work of the Faith Learn Thrive Initiative spearheaded by Doctor Rona Williams.

The weather was perfect, and attendees arrived early enough to have breakfast and get comfortable with each other. Doctor Rona Williams and President Lattimore formally greeted and welcomed us as we enjoyed a delicious breakfast.

The Conference was kicked off with a Church Talk panel on strategic ministry. The panelists were also the presenters for the breakout sessions.  Reverend Elizabeth Howze, Ormond Academy, spoke from the perspective of Innovating for Impact. On strategies for impact, she says that “it involves cultivating faith-inspired imagination that leads to impactful ministry. Cultivate curiosity: ask the right questions to become a part of an ecosystem that will eliminate the need”.

“Churches have processed themselves to be needed and to be served. Instead of being servants,” says Pastor and author Dartanyan Jamerson. Pastor Jamerson presented during the breakout sessions on multigenerational ministry.

This conference culminated the work going on all year. The Faith Learn, Thrive Initiative is holding the Stronger Churches Conference and partnering with churches in cohorts and individually to help them become stronger churches.  The Faith Learned Thrive Initiative is not just telling churches where the resources are; it is helping church churches access the resources and learn how to become the resources themselves.

During the breakout sessions, I intended to pop in and out of each one to gain insight into the article. I started with Innovating for Impact with Reverend Elizabeth Howze. I knew Reverend Howze because we are both members of the Durham District of the Central North Carolina Conference. I ended up stinging. In her session for the entire time, because it was so interesting, she gave us little pieces of black fabric and crayons on the fabric. We were to draw a thriving community. Then, we exchanged the fabric with another participant. And they would add what they thought the community needed to thrive. At the end of the class, we gave them back and discussed them. For me, this highlighted that everyone doesn't see everything needed in this work. You cannot do it alone. I also attended the conflict resolution session. I mean, have you seen this country lately?

Attorney Shannon Felder led this session. Attorney Felder kept it a book. She talked to us about trauma and triggers. Many of us don't realize that people are causing external conflict because they want to avoid dealing with their inner conflict. Conversely, people are dealing with inner conflict because they choose to avoid external conflict. Attorney Felder let us know that trauma produces triggers that activate our autonomic nervous system, producing a traumatic response that is designed to save our lives. Your automatic nervous system reacts to the fear from the previous trauma.  Knowing your triggers helps reduce the negative impact that the trigger-induced fear causes. She reminded us that when you are triggered, your behavior can have an impact that wasn't intended. Attorney Felder reminded us to take accountability instead of looking for reasons to blame. Accept feedback without regard for the outcome.  She emphasized the importance of building a culture of accountability. Into an organization so that when people are called to the carpet, it will not produce anxiety. The conference culminated with a powerful word from Bishop Randy Borders of Faith Harvest Church. He talked about moving in purpose. Purpose is not picked, it is discovered. It is always the answer to a problem. Bishop Borders revealed that you can know the art of pastoring but not have a heart for ministry. When moving in purpose, it is necessary to see the vision clearly. It is only revealed in full to the visionary. To see the vision clearly, you must stay close to the visionary.

Dr. Rona Williams is certainly a visionary.  I had the opportunity to ask her about her inspiration for this vision.

SOZ: What inspired you to work on equipping churches so that they are in a position to thrive?

 My own journey as a second chair leader in ministry inspired me. After avidly attending conferences, I desired to go back to my local church and implement the strategies introduced. I quickly realized that conferences inspire but don't equip leaders with the step-by-step action needed to make progress at their local churches. I began adapting strategies, right-sizing them to my church & demographic to help manifest the vision of our church. As a growing leader, I leaned more into finding strategies, experimenting, and tweaking the approach until we found strategies that worked well for us.

SOZ; What would you say to struggling churches about the resources available to them through the Faith, Learn, Thrive Initiative?

RW: You don't have to do ministry alone. FaithLearnThrive provides access to amazing resources, and we are also part of a nationwide network of resourceful organizations with programs/initiatives to help your church.  Make an investment in your church and watch God create the increase needed to take your church from struggling to thriving.

SOZ: What would you like to see regarding the Initiative in the next 3 to 5 years?

RW: I'm looking forward to church leaders advocating for training and equipping lay leaders and becoming invested in sharing the resources and promoting participation among the congregations they serve. We love conducting workshops, seminars, and keynote speaking to help connect with the message of thriving and identify ways to help their churches.

The Stronger Churches Conference feels like the beginning of something, like the movement of tectonic plates. This faith learned Thrive, with its desire for stronger churches, feels like a shift in our culture. I came to this conference not necessarily fully invested in the vision. I see it now, though, and I pray that all of Zion will catch the vision and become active participants in making all of our churches stronger.