There comes a point at which leaderhsip can break down precisely because of our success as leaders. When confidence turns to pride and arrogance, we lose sight of the people that we have been called to serve and become consumed with following our own vision. Graham Standish offers a way forward that moves us through this paradox by seeking to humbly follow God's plans rather than our own. Humble leadership, grounded in the teachings of Jesus, means recognizing that what we have and who we are is a gift from God, and our lives should reflect our gratitude for this gift. It requires us to be radically and creatively open to God's guidance, grace, and presence in everything. When we lead out of such openness, God's power and grace flow through us. The path Standish proposes is not easy. Humble leadership can be personally dangerous, exposing our weakness, powerlessness, fear, and anxiety. Our cultural need for strength infects Christian leaders with a pride that causes them to ignore biblical teachings on humility. But a humble leader says to God, "I'm yours, no matter where you call me to go, what you call me to do, and how you call me to be. I will seek your will and way as I lead others to do the same."
Most of my life has been devoted to helping people become healthier in mind, body, and spirit. As a result, I have been a teacher, retreat leader, spiritual director, as well as an individual, marital, and family therapist. My Ph.D. is in spiritual formation from Duquesne University, a degree that balances theory and praxis to help people grow not only spiritually, but in life. My Master of Social Work is from the University of Pittsburgh, and my Master of Divinity is from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
I have been pastor of Calvin Presbyterian Church in Zelienople, Pennsylvania since January of 1996, and a pastor since 1988. Calvin Church is living out a vision to be a church rooted in prayer and a passionate desire to seek and do God's will in everything. Over the past 14 years, Calvin Church has more than doubled in size, and has garnered national attention in several studies, including one by Diana Butler-Bass, who included Calvin Church in her groundbreaking book, Christianity for the Rest of Us, which researched churches across the country that are leading Christians to renewal through an emphasis on spirituality and spiritual practices (www.dianabutlerbass.com). Our approach to church is an alternative to the traditional or evangelical approaches dominating the Christian church realm.
I am the author of six books: In God's Presence: Encountering, Experiencing, and Embracing the Holy in Worship (2010), Humble Leadership (2007), Becoming the Blessed Church (2005), Discovering the Narrow Path (2002), Paradoxes for Living (2001), and Forming Faith in a Hurricane (1998). I have contributed to five others: Living Our Story: Narrative Leadership and Congregational Culture (2010), From Nomads to Pilgrims (2006), Let Us Pray: Reformed Prayers for Christian Worship (2003) and The Dictionary of Christian Spiritual Formation (2003). I have also written numerous articles in spirituality, spiritual direction, and spirituality in congregations.
I am an adjunct professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Doctor of Ministry program and Certificate in Spiritual Formation Program, focusing in the areas of spirituality and congregational leadership. I have served on the boards of the Samaritan Counseling Center and editorial board of Presence, the journal of Spiritual Directors International.
