Keith Clark-Hoyos

The fellowship hall had been arranged for listening. Round tables replaced the usual rows. Sheets of paper covered the walls, each headed with a question about the congregation’s future. Where is life growing? What is becoming difficult to sustain? What might God be asking of us now? People spoke with more honesty than the planning

The board member had become difficult. That was the phrase leaders had begun using. They asked for the treasurer’s report before a major vote. They wanted to know why a staffing proposal had been discussed by a small group and then brought to the board as though the direction had already been settled. When a

The pastor received the call late in the afternoon. A concern had been raised. A formal review would begin. The people responsible for the process would be in touch soon. The pastor asked what the concern involved, who would oversee the review, how long it might take, and what the congregation would be told. The

A church board was discussing whether to continue a ministry that had been part of the congregation for many years. The program still appeared in the budget. Volunteers were still recruited. Announcements were still made. Yet participation had declined, the same few people carried most of the work, and no one could say with confidence

Several years ago, while serving as Executive Associate Conference Minister, I met with a church leadership team that was trying to imagine whether the congregation could continue. The church had once been large. By the time we gathered, worship attendance had settled around fifty or sixty people. The leaders were new in their roles, and

I was recently working with a church leadership group when a familiar concern surfaced: they were having trouble getting people to participate. People were reluctant to join committees. Some who agreed to serve did not show up consistently. Some came to meetings but did not say much. Others seemed unsure what the group actually needed

A new moderator opens the folder left by the previous moderator. It may be a binder pulled from a cabinet in the church office, with meeting minutes clipped in order and a few sticky notes curling at the edges. It may be a shared drive with file names that made sense to someone two years

A church speaks theology in many visible ways. It sings, prays, preaches, gathers at the table, welcomes children, blesses the grieving, receives offerings, confesses faith, and sends people back into the world with words of peace. In those moments, the church says something about God, grace, justice, mercy, belonging, and the life it believes it

A church learns certain words for itself. Welcoming. Inclusive. “Open and Affirming.” Mission-minded. Justice-seeking. Community-centered. Connectional. A place where “all are welcome.” A congregation committed to “Beloved Community.” A “Matthew 25” church. A church trying to live with dignity, reconciliation, compassion, and peace. Some of these words are earned over years of prayer, courage, conflict,

A church can be very good at getting things done. The newsletter goes out. The bills are paid. The calendar is maintained. Worship volunteers receive their reminders. The building is unlocked, cleaned, repaired, and used. The same dependable people keep showing up, carrying what needs to be carried, answering the questions that need answers, filling