Nurturing leaders’ hearts and minds Andrew Dutney

In a few weeks I’ll be teaching an intensive course on ‘The Heritage, Theology and Polity of the Uniting Church’. Sounds dull? Maybe, but it’s not. It’s actually pretty exciting. It’s one element in a suite of courses developed to shape and empower Christian leaders.

In this course I tell the Uniting Church’s backstories, the things that explain why we are the kind of organisation we are, and where the untapped potential still lies. We delve deeply into the Basis of Union and explore the vision that inspired an earlier generation to risk everything to unite. The people who take the course are almost all Uniting Church folk – mostly Pastors, ordination candidates, Ministers or other leaders. They take the course because they want to thrive – themselves, as well as their congregations and networks. They realise that to do that, they need to really understand this church, our church! Where it came from, what drives it, how it’s organised, how decisions get made, how change happens and how to be involved.

Coming to understand all that, empowers people for leadership in the Uniting Church. To that extent this is a leadership course. It’s certainly a key element in the curriculum of Uniting College for Leadership & Theology. So I’m excited that this year people will be able to follow up my intensive, if they choose, with Lead 2020, a refreshed version of ‘Introduction to Christian Leadership’ taught by Craig Bailey.

They realise that to (thrive), they need to really understand this church, our church! Where it came from, what drives it, how it’s organised, how decisions get made, how change happens and how to be involved.

The course covers most of the key aspects of Christian leadership, from theology to the different models of leadership and types of leader. It gives focussed attention to emotional intelligence, and nurturing the qualities of Christian leaders. It’s not just about leadership in the church either. It is equally concerned with the way Christians can offer leadership in their daily lives and occupations, in ways which reflect the faith that upholds and forms them. There are multiple ways of participating in Craig’s course, too. There’s the standard 12 week option, either as an enrolled student or, at a much reduced cost, as an audit participant. There is also a three-week audit option for people who are primarily interested in one part of the course. Or there’s a one-lecture option for people who’d like to hear about a specific topic.

Craig’s theology of leadership is deeply Trinitarian, as we saw for ourselves in his Bible studies at the last Synod. And so a perfect companion to Lead 2020 next semester is ‘God the Trinity’ taught by Sean Gilbert.

Christian leadership is empowered by knowing how the Uniting Church operates and why, and by understanding the dynamics, tools and models of leadership. It is empowered especially by hearts that have been captured and held by the mystery of the triune God – the beauty of a God who isn’t distant but is with us and among all things, inviting us to know we are loved and to share that love with others.

Caption: Rev Prof Andrew Dutney is the Principal of Uniting College for Leadership and Theology. Photo: Petronella Lowies