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John R. Matthews (J. Matthews) served for many years as Associate Director of Midwest Ministry Development Service in Columbus, Ohio. He has been a pastor, minister of education, chaplain, and adjunct faculty for a field practicum program. He is an Ordained Elder in the West Ohio Conference the United Methodist Church, Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Ohio, and professional membership in the American Counseling Association and the Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling. He coauthored Health, Holiness, and Wholeness for Ministry Leaders, (Judson Press, 2020) available online at Cokesbury and Amazon.
Dr. Kristina Ricketts Gutierrez is ordained in the American Baptist Churches, U.S.A., affiliated with the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and a member of the Chaplains' Association of Ohio. She has ministered in churches, led ministry organizations, and taught in seminaries and other settings in the mainland U.S., Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Chile, and Nicaragua. Since 2007, she has been a pastoral counselor at the Columbus office of Midwest Ministry Development Service. She coauthored Health, Holiness, and Wholeness for Ministry Leaders, (Judson Press, 2020) available online at Cokesbury and Amazon.
Dr. Ross Peterson was Executive Director of Midwest Ministry Development Service and Southwest Ministry Development Service for 12 years before retiring in 2017. He was ordinated in the Evangelical Covenant Church and licensed as a clinical professional counselor. He has worked as coach and pastoral counselor for 23 years in church-related settings and taught in Chicago-area seminaries. He coauthored Health, Holiness, and Wholeness for Ministry Leaders, (Judson Press, 2020) available online at Cokesbury and Amazon.
A strong leader is often defined as one who uses authority to gain influence and advantage. John Matthews, Kristina Gutiérrez, and Ross Peterson point to…
This article is reprinted by permission from Leading Ideas, a free e-newsletter from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary available at churchleadership.com.