PURPOSE: The Leadership Development Ministry Team will serve the Waco Regional Baptist Association by training, equipping, developing and motivating church leaders.
COMPOSITION: The Leadership Development Ministry Team will be composed of sufficient members to oversee the work. The Director and the Officers of the Waco Regional Baptist Association will serve as ex-officio members of the Team.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Support and provide leadership for the Baptist University of the Americas extension classes.
Explore opportunities for orientation and mentorship for new WRBA ministers.
Make conflict resolution and mediation services available to WRBA churches.
Assist churches in training lay leaders.
Organize conferences, retreats, or other meetings that will provide encouragement and leadership development for pastors and church staff.
Inform church leaders about leadership resources and events sponsored by other entities that might be beneficial and appropriate.
Discover new means by which the WRBA can encourage and develop church leaders.
ACCOUNTABILITY: The Leadership Development Ministry Team works in cooperation with the Director and is accountable to the Executive Board of the Waco Regional Baptist Association.
COACHES: Coaching is an emerging profession among church leaders that facilitates both professional and personal growth through a one-on-one relationship that lasts from several months to years. Professionally trained coaches are able to bring out the best in people. In order to enter a coaching relationship, an agreement is established between the leader and the coach. Regular meetings are held (often by telephone) during which the coach creates an environment where it is safe to explore new insights, appear vulnerable, make observations, dream of new futures, and learn to change. The coach guides the leader in:
- Determining a plan of action and implementing it
- Setting and reaching personal and professional goals
- Maintaining a healthy balance between personal and professional life
- Becoming confident and proactive in dealing with others
- Creating new opportunities
- Focusing on needs, values and vision
The Leadership Development Team of the Waco Regional Baptist Association is committed to develop more effective church leaders through the coaching experience.
COVENANT GROUPS: A covenant group is a small group of church leaders who have bound themselves to one another in an intentional relationship to pray for and to encourage one another. The WRBA Leadership Development Team is working ot facilitate the formation of covenant groups among the ministerial leadership of a local churches. These groups learn to depend upon and trust one another as they seek to suppport and encourage one another through regular fellowship and prayer.
Pastors and other church leaders need close relationships with peers in order to share burdens, gain from collective wisdom and better understand their community. Sharing life with others, and will cultivating meaningful, lasting, friendships in a covenant group is a means of meeting these needs.
Through the formation of these covenant groups, the Leadership Development Team hopes to strengthen the pastors and the churches in the Waco region.
BAPTIST UNIVERSITY OF THE AMERICAS’ EXTENSION CLASSES
James Bartley serves as the director of this ministry that equips Spanish speaking church leaders in theology and ministry. The class currently meets on Monday evenings on the Baylor campus. Students come from a radius of 60 miles from Waco and are serving in a variety of capacities in their churches. The Hispanic population has surpassed the 60,000 mark in McLennan County and the need for training like this is ever increasing.
| Leadership Development Team |
| Ron Cook |
| Joe Loughlin |
| Michael Godfrey |
| Jeter Basden |
| Bob Parker |
| Willie Clark |
| John Crower |
| CJ Oliver |
| David Britt |
| Robert Creech |
| Eric Howell |
