A first for SDBs: The SDB General Conference has been selected to receive a Reflective Leadership Grant from Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School. These grants support an opportunity for structured reflection for leaders of Christian organizations that are advancing their mission in the midst of today’s rapidly changing context. Fifty Christian leaders from a variety of faith-based organizations are funded in this third year of the Reflective Leadership Grant program.
When announcing the recipients, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity stated: “Leadership Education aims to create lasting change in U.S. congregations by supporting Christian leaders and the institutions they serve. Leadership Education designs educational services, develops intellectual resources and facilitates networks of institutions that cultivate a coherent vision of Christian institutional leadership and form Christian leaders. Leadership Education is a non-degree-granting initiative of Duke Divinity School funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and based in Durham, NC.”
Specifically, the grant to SDBs will facilitate our focus on the core mission of our Conference of Churches. We will undertake work with J.R. Briggs of Kairos Partnerships to better define, communicate, and organize around the key mission that God is calling us to in this season of ministry. You can expect to continue to receive updates about this ongoing work across the months ahead.
Carl Greene, Executive Director of the SDB General Conference of USA and Canada, notes that receiving the grant award is a great encouragement. “Selection of the SDB General Conference to receive this competitive grant reflects the potential and hope that others see in the missional work that we are undertaking. Thanks to the efforts of the SDB Team of Directors and Staff alongside the visioneering work of the SDB General Council, we are ready to take next steps toward missional clarity and focus.”
Balcony Time
“The Reflective Leadership Grant at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity recognizes and supports the faithful and innovative work of lay and ordained Christian leaders who find themselves at a pivotal moment in their ministry,” says Mycal Brickhouse, a director of program and grants at Leadership Education. “Using Harvard professor Ron Heifetz’s language, we want to help leaders experience “balcony time,” which allows them to move from the dance floor to the balcony to gain a broader picture of the work, organization, community and trends. We want to encourage grantees to continue to develop their leadership capacities in ways specific to their work and context. For some, this might look like attending interdisciplinary conferences, and for others it might look like observing similar work in different settings. We are excited about the interest in this grant program from both traditional and non-traditional Christian leaders and we look forward to learning alongside them and their communities.”
