Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and with the resurgence of clergy engagement in social justice movements, it's a natural moment to assess the legacy of King's leadership, said Leah Gunning Francis.
Part of that is drawing an accurate picture of King, and not placing him on such a pedestal that today's leaders feel intimidated.
"None of us will ever measure up [to a superhuman image], so let's not even set that model as a goal," Francis said. "Instead, let's take seriously the phrase 'power to the people' and embody the spirit that calls us to look for the leader within, that calls us to reach out to others to join together, to form coalitions, to make change right where we are. That's where I think this movement is calling us."
Francis is vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. Before that, she served as assistant professor of Christian education and associate dean for contextual education at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.
She is the author of the book "Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community."
Francis spoke with our colleagues at Faith & Leadership in 2018 about King's legacy, and about a two-part course she and CTS professor Robert Saler taught that paired travel and study related to the 500th anniversary of Luther's promulgation of the 95 Theses in Wittenberg and the 50th anniversary of King's murder.
Read the interview with Leah Gunning Francis » |
| | IDEAS THAT IMPACT: THE LIFE & MINISTRY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. |
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Know Your Story and Lead with It: The Power of Narrative in Clergy Leadership by Richard Hester and Kelli Walker-Jones
Knowing your story is an essential component of effective leadership, but finding your story among the myriad narratives that fill your life isn't a simple task. Richard Hester and Kelli Walker-Jones have offered a path to finding your own story amid the powerful family and cultural narratives that may be obscuring your vision. The aim of this book is to show leaders how to explore their story of reality, tell it to other group members, and consider how it can be used as a resource for leadership. This narrative perspective holds that because there's always more than one story about a situation, we have choices about which story we will embrace. After more than six years working with groups of clergy, the authors have woven these stories together to create the fabric that is the backdrop of narrative clergy leadership. The book is an account of their pilgrimage. As you read you will have a sense that this is your pilgrimage, and it will encourage you into narrative ventures of your own.
Learn more and order the book » |
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