2024 Leaders of Christian Organisations (Experienced) Network
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The Leaders of Christian Organizations Network: Experienced Leaders Track seeks to equip experienced leaders to direct the continent’s Christian churches and organizations in a way that ensures the greatest impact for God’s Kingdom. This Network seeks to provide practical wisdom, useful leadership insights, and biblically-based solutions to key problem areas, as well as to encourage leaders facing key organisational challenges. This Network also addresses significant issues that experienced leaders may encounter, from how to deal with their own assumptions of personal integrity and virtue, to topics like strategic planning, vision-casting, time management, and delegation, prioritising organisational objectives, and assessing finances and resource development.
Each day will incorporate mixed modes of learning, combining expert input, working on live leadership issues, working through tools and frameworks that you can take away and apply back home, time for peer learning exchange, and the opportunity to pray together as fellow leaders. We hope this will enable each participant to contribute from the richness of their own experience in leadership, as well as providing space and support to apply learning to the specific leadership challenges and opportunities you face.
The theme for 2024 will be “Leadership Authority.” We recognise that any discussion of authority needs to explore the question of power; we also recognise that different national cultures will have very different attitudes to and experiences of authority being exercised.
Prior preparation will be set for all applicants.
What Network Participants Are Saying
- "As the leader of an organisation, I had the ability to be inspired, encouraged, and empowered to do more effective ministry through the Forum’s Leaders of Christian Organisations Network. Through the Forum I see the huge potential to develop skills and ministry connections through the Forum’s Networks. These are potential peers and partners for future ministry. I have learned much and developed skills and character for my work."
- Samuel Cekov, Executive Director of Ambassadors for Christ, Slovakia - "I participated in ELF this year for the first time, after 28 years of full time ministry. The leadership training has been fantastic and the worship God-focused. I have connected with many like-minded brothers and sisters. I plan to come back next year, hopefully with my entire leadership team."
- Laszlo Kazar, Director of Word of Life, Hungary
Applicants should be leading or helping to lead Christian organisations or churches. They should be seeking practical tools and biblically-based solutions in key problem areas of the leader's role.
Network Leadership
Network Speakers
Ross Hendry serves as CEO of CARE since his appointment in November 2021. Prior to joining CARE, he was the CEO of Spurgeons', one of the UK’s largest children’s charities. He has also served as Deputy CEO at the office for the Children’s Commissioner in England and as Head of Public Policy… Read more
Peter Saunders was born in New Zealand and originally trained as a General Surgeon, before serving with the Africa Inland Mission in Kenya and completing two years mission training at All Nations Christian College in the UK. Since 1992 he has worked in full-time Christian ministry first with… Read more
John Stevens is the National Director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, a family of over 500 Bible-centred churches in the UK, a position that he has held since 2010. Prior to this he was one of the founding pastors of City Evangelical Church Birmingham, which was planted in… Read more
Peter J. Williams is the Principal and CEO of Tyndale House, Cambridge. He was educated at the University of Cambridge, where he received his MA, MPhil, and PhD in the study of ancient languages related to the Bible. After his PhD, he was on staff in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of… Read more
Network Programme
Sunday, 26 May
What does the Bible say about what authority is and where it comes from? How does that compare with the assumptions of the cultures we inhabit? In this session, we will explore how authority is gained, earned, conferred, and lost. We will examine the limits of authority and its relationship with power.
This session will give time for small groups to work through a case study related to having authority, with time for discussion and questions.
Monday, 27 May
Why do leaders exercise authority? What enables or works against the healthy use of authority in Christian leadership? This session will examine how a biblical worldview shapes the way we make decisions and how we can lead well when we lack formal authority.
This session will give time for small groups to work through a case study related to exercising authority, with time for discussion and questions.
Tuesday, 28 May
An integral part of being human and made in God’s image is to be stewards over creation. The idea of God creating us to be stewards reminds us that the Father is happy to delegate to us – indeed He rejoices in seeing us partner Him and take on the task of being fruitful in our work. The implication is that as image bearers we too should be willing to delegate; not just willing, but delight in seeing others flourish with the responsibility and objectives we give them. Delegation is also part of sustainable stewardship – it is not just that we should not, but we cannot do everything ourselves. In this session we will look at the application of biblical teaching on responsibility, accountability, subsidiarity, generosity, and sovereignty as the basis of delegating power to empower you as a leader and others in their God given roles.
This session will give time for small groups to work through a case study related to delegating authority, with time for discussion and questions.
Wednesday, 29 May
What does Scripture teach about how we steward authority and respond to accountability? This session will consider the healthy exercise of accountability and why leaders should embrace it.
This session will give time for small groups to work through a case study related to stewarding authority, with time for discussion and questions.