In addressing the questions, participants agreed upon the following:

• Given the current period of extreme change in the Church, congregations must shift from caring for themselves toward becoming “missional” churches.
• Transformational leaders open their congregations to the possible ways in which churches can make a difference in the lives of their neighbors.
• Transformational leaders are courageous and passionate, building trust and seeking buy-in to their vision without expecting all to be on board before moving ahead. Even still, these leaders are aware of the need to multiply their efforts through other people, rather than doing it all themselves.
• Effective leaders dedicate time and energy to training other leaders.
• Transformational leaders are themselves transformed, infused with a charisma and clarity of purpose that inspire others to live out their faith intentionally.
• While leadership training is important, an excellent transformational leader is more intuitive than “taught.” However, coaching and mentoring are critical to a leader’s ongoing success in helping his or her congregation become more mission-driven.

Encouraged by the summit, participants are now urgently working toward these objectives, among others:

• Development of a certification strategy for both new church planters and redevelopment pastors. This process would include extensive training, peer-group participation, coaching and regional accompaniment.
• Development of a coordinated leadership assessment process that would enable regional ministers to better match effective leaders to congregations that are open to transformation.
• Building deeper and diverse networks and partnerships of leaders committed to working with and learning from one another in pursuit of transformed congregations. Following the summit, in March 2010, two smaller groups of summit participants met in Westerville, Ohio, with United Church of Christ partners and in Indianapolis with Reformed Church in America representatives, respectively, to pursue dialogue around implementing some of the above strategies and processes ecumenically.

A full summit report is available by calling Brenda Rossy at Church Extension, 800.274.1883, en español: 866.534.1949 or by visiting www.churchextension.org/about/news.cfm.