Four Questions Every Leader Should Ask

Presenter: Rev. Dr. Gilberto Collazo, President Hope Partnership

Churches that are making a difference in their context have a clear sense of their mission and purpose. These are discoveries that happen when we engage in transformational work. What are the questions we need to wrestle with to go from being a church for “us” to a church living God’s mission into the world—questions that change the focus of how we use our resources? Come and learn from stories of congregations who have named a future story that reflects God’s mission in their communities.

Hope Partnership has worked with over 1,300 congregations within many different denominational contexts to help them engage in this important transformational work.

Rev. Dr. Gilberto Collazo

President, Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation

Co-executive, Church Extension Financial and Missional Resources

In 2001, Rev. Dr. Gilberto Collazo came to Church Extension following 17 years of pastoral ministry in Puerto Rico. As part of the New Church Ministry team, he served the wider church vision of planting 1,000 new churches by the year 2020. Prior to being called as President of Hope Partnership in 2012, he was Vice-President for Congregational Services. Rev. Dr. Collazo provided oversight to consulting teams and areas, who serve congregations by providing high quality building and capital planning services that help them effectively house their ministries. He also served as the ministry’s anti-racism officer.

Rev. Dr. Collazo brings his experience and expertise in serving new and renewing congregations and his deep understanding of the needs of churches in the context of their cultural and ethnic realities to the work of Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation, a network of ministries, regions, organizations, congregations, educational institutions, and clergy who provide for the stewardship of resources to call, form and support courageous leaders to implement congregational mission. Hope Partnership services include skill development events for new, transforming and emergent congregational leaders; leader coaching; demographic services for congregations; ministry planning; and Congregational Assessment Service. In the past years, Hope Partnership has grown its service across ecumenical lines, currently serving the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Presbyterian Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and the Episcopal Church.

Rev. Dr. Collazo earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Business Administration Studies from the University of Florida, a Master of Divinity from the Evangelical Seminary in Puerto Rico and his Doctorate of Ministry at Lexington Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Dagmar, have four children and attend Casa Del Alfarero Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis, Indiana.