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2005

David A. Stenner

Spiritual Development of Leaders: A Key to Congregational Development

Over the course of my ordained ministry I have been privileged to serve in two congregations who have made successful size transitions. St. Francis’ Episcopal Church, Fortuna, California grew from a typical family sized congregation (less than 50 active members) to a stable pastoral sized congregation (active membership of 50-150). All Saint’s Episcopal Church, Reisterstown, Maryland has transitioned from a pastoral sized congregation to a program sized congregation (150-350 active members) over the past six years. Though these congregations differed in size, demographics, and culture the common thread has been the spiritual development of the leadership, more specifically the vestry. This paper explores the steps in spiritual development of St. Francis’ and All Saints’, hears from other professional voices in the field of leadership, congregational development, and spiritual practice, and includes examples of how five congregations practice spiritual discipline in vestry settings.