Hope for the City: Transforming Urban Leaders

2023: Hope for the City: Transforming Urban Leaders (TUL) is a project based in Baltimore, MD that addresses the need and opportunity to provide transformational leadership development training for persons (laity and clergy) serving in urban ministry contexts. The project is rooted in the premise that highly developed and skilled transformational leaders (clergy and lay) are key determinants in church and community vitality and that leadership development processes that are specifically tailored to the particular needs of persons serving in urban contexts are needed. This planning grant provided space for training design and piloting coursework.

The specific context of TUL is Baltimore, Maryland, and is based at Epworth Chapel United Methodist Church in Baltimore, with ongoing partnerships with St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, Morgan State University, and Johns Hopkins University, also in Baltimore. Specifically, TUL is focused on providing contextualized leadership development for lay and clergy leaders serving in churches and nonprofit settings in Baltimore. Along with general leadership topics, the TUL training model is designed to address several issues that are germane to ministry in urban settings (e.g., trauma in urban communities).

2023-24: This implementation grant builds on the work done in the planning phase. See above for further details.

2024-25: The Affinity Working Group led by Pastor Hunt will convene around the concept of “Beloved Community,” acknowledging the inherent value of every individual as created in the image of God. This intentional community aims to facilitate collaboration among four to eight pastors in Baltimore, fostering relationships across racial, socioeconomic, and geographic divides. The group’s objectives include regular meetings to explore commonalities and differences in ministry contexts; address intersectional concerns related to race, class, and geography in Baltimore; and consider how cultivating relationships and a sense of Beloved Community can enhance their ministries. Additionally, participants will explore opportunities for ongoing collaboration and partnership among themselves and their churches.