Resilient: A City Movement of Pastors in Networks Throughout Houston and the Union Baptist Association

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
“Houston, we’ve had a problem!” During the past few years, church leaders have been hit by a pandemic tsunami of epic proportions, pushing their ministry stress levels to an all-time high. Current pastors had never faced or trained for the storm that hit the church in 2020 and 2021. Decision fatigue led to ministry fatigue, ultimately leading to burnout and in many cases leaving the ministry altogether. The “Great Pastor Resignation” represents an urgent need for the church, and if not addressed, the exit will prove unsustainable. Finding a way to keep more pastors in the game has become priority number one for the Union Baptist Association (UBA). The UBA needs pastors who are resilient, equipped with the tools and habits needed to finish ministry well. The UBA began to ask, “How do we foster leaders who remain resilient throughout life and ministry and finish strong?” The churches in Houston need pastors who are resilient. The purpose of this project is to field test a resourcing pathway that will build greater resiliency into the lives of UBA pastors. The Resilient Pathway will introduce church leaders to the “Five Habits of Resilience.” One of the five trailheads on this pathway is the Resilient Learning Cohort. Sixteen church leaders journeyed together for seven months, processing and experiencing elements of the “Five Habits of Resilience.” The cohort included a two-stage process. In stage one, the cohort met for six months in a collaborative learning environment around the “Five Habits of Resilience.” In stage two, the cohort participated in a three-day “Shepherd’s Retreat” modeling the habits of repeated renewal and relational security. Upon completion of the pilot project, I evaluated the two-stage cohort journey and the impact on the participants. Each participant completed a pre- and post-survey to evaluate the impact of the cohort toward resiliency for their life and ministry practice. To gauge the impact of the Resilient Cohort, and on long-term sustaina