By Amber Van Schooneveld
Palm Beach County, Florida, has sometimes been known more for corruption than for its palm-lined beaches. In 2009, five county commissioners were convicted of corruption in just two years.
But Pastor Bill Mitchell of Boca Raton, a major business hub located in Palm Beach County, had a different vision for his community. He believed the church could play a key role in raising the bar of ethics and character in this city.
That’s why Boca Raton Community Church, long-term friends of the Global Leadership Network, began CityLead in 2014. They envisioned a regular experience in which the church could speak into the business community. They opened their doors to host businesspeople from every sector for a leadership talk each month. Attendees would share a meal, network and hear Pastor Mitchell speak about a leadership principle having to do with ethics or character.
People said it would never work—they assumed businesspeople would never want to attend leadership talks hosted by a church. But it took off.
Bringing together diverse communities
Now, 10 years later, CityLead has hosted more than 8,000 business leaders at more than 100 events. The events of 350 to 380 people regularly sell out and bring together people from all sectors, including business, government and nonprofit. Their regular attendees include county commissioners, city council members and even the mayor.
Former Palm Beach County Commissioner Robert Weinroth shares how the events have impacted him: “You come out of CityLead not so much worried about profit but worried about what you are doing to improve your community.”
CityLead isn’t only bringing together diverse sectors, it’s also bringing together diverse religious communities. Members of a local mosque and the employees of one of the largest Jewish law firms in the city are regular attenders.
The monthly community also demolishes the hierarchical structures that sometimes pervade business settings. Often, the more influential you are, the greater honor you receive in a business environment. But that goes against the ethos of CityLead:
“Whether you’re a plumber or you’re wearing a thousand-dollar suit, you’re equal here,” says Mitchell.
A focus on the common good
Mitchell believes one reason the organization is so successful is because it focuses on the common good.
“The church is known around the country for what we’re against. We want the church to be known for what we’re for,” he says. “By and large, businesspeople agree on about 90% of things. We all want better schools, better roads and safer streets. This is an event that brings people together for the common good of the city.”
The church has grown trust within the city by not using “bait and switch” methods of getting people into the church building in order to convert them. Instead, they’ve consistently shown that they are committed to long-term relationships and the flourishing of the city.
They have been inspired by the words of Jeremiah 29:7: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city… Because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Working for the common good in Michigan, Ghana and beyond
The organization has now spread to three additional cities, including Kalamazoo, Michigan, and even Accra, the capital city of Ghana. CityLead helps the churches identify a problem in their region that they can help address through leadership development.
In Kalamazoo, CityLead has brought together two groups that rarely rubbed shoulders previously: the black community and the white community. Before, these two groups usually only came together when something bad happened in the city—an act of violence or a tragedy.
But Mt. Zion Baptist Church, a primarily black church, and Centerpoint Church, a primarily white church, came together to start CityLead with a goal of working toward racial reconciliation and unity in their community. Now these two churches, on literal different sides of the track, regularly bring together diverse business leaders with the goal of making Kalamazoo “the best place to work, live and play.”
In each city, people are coming to see churches as a positive force doing something good for the community. They are shaping the long-term character of the community, while supporting healthy relationships between leaders across all sectors and faiths.
Mitchell believes CityLead is not an anomaly—people are hungry for leadership development.
“Around the world, you can throw a soccer ball into a community and kids will come running. It’s the same with leadership development. If you throw leadership development out, businesspeople will come,” says Mitchell.
He closes with these inspiring words: “A small group of people can change their city.”
Learn more about CityLead. Do you have a story of impact? We’d love to hear! Email us at Story@GlobalLeadership.org.
Amber Van Schooneveld
Senior Copywriter | Global Leadership NetworkHow One Church Is Reshaping the Story of Its Town
TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE
CollaborationComplex ThinkingCultureEmotional IntelligenceFamilyInfluenceLeading YourselfLearning AgilityRelationship with GodReplenishmentResilienceTeam BuildingBy Amber Van Schooneveld
Palm Beach County, Florida, has sometimes been known more for corruption than for its palm-lined beaches. In 2009, five county commissioners were convicted of corruption in just two years.
But Pastor Bill Mitchell of Boca Raton, a major business hub located in Palm Beach County, had a different vision for his community. He believed the church could play a key role in raising the bar of ethics and character in this city.
That’s why Boca Raton Community Church, long-term friends of the Global Leadership Network, began CityLead in 2014. They envisioned a regular experience in which the church could speak into the business community. They opened their doors to host businesspeople from every sector for a leadership talk each month. Attendees would share a meal, network and hear Pastor Mitchell speak about a leadership principle having to do with ethics or character.
People said it would never work—they assumed businesspeople would never want to attend leadership talks hosted by a church. But it took off.
Bringing together diverse communities
Now, 10 years later, CityLead has hosted more than 8,000 business leaders at more than 100 events. The events of 350 to 380 people regularly sell out and bring together people from all sectors, including business, government and nonprofit. Their regular attendees include county commissioners, city council members and even the mayor.
Former Palm Beach County Commissioner Robert Weinroth shares how the events have impacted him: “You come out of CityLead not so much worried about profit but worried about what you are doing to improve your community.”
CityLead isn’t only bringing together diverse sectors, it’s also bringing together diverse religious communities. Members of a local mosque and the employees of one of the largest Jewish law firms in the city are regular attenders.
The monthly community also demolishes the hierarchical structures that sometimes pervade business settings. Often, the more influential you are, the greater honor you receive in a business environment. But that goes against the ethos of CityLead:
“Whether you’re a plumber or you’re wearing a thousand-dollar suit, you’re equal here,” says Mitchell.
A focus on the common good
Mitchell believes one reason the organization is so successful is because it focuses on the common good.
“The church is known around the country for what we’re against. We want the church to be known for what we’re for,” he says. “By and large, businesspeople agree on about 90% of things. We all want better schools, better roads and safer streets. This is an event that brings people together for the common good of the city.”
The church has grown trust within the city by not using “bait and switch” methods of getting people into the church building in order to convert them. Instead, they’ve consistently shown that they are committed to long-term relationships and the flourishing of the city.
They have been inspired by the words of Jeremiah 29:7: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city… Because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Working for the common good in Michigan, Ghana and beyond
The organization has now spread to three additional cities, including Kalamazoo, Michigan, and even Accra, the capital city of Ghana. CityLead helps the churches identify a problem in their region that they can help address through leadership development.
In Kalamazoo, CityLead has brought together two groups that rarely rubbed shoulders previously: the black community and the white community. Before, these two groups usually only came together when something bad happened in the city—an act of violence or a tragedy.
But Mt. Zion Baptist Church, a primarily black church, and Centerpoint Church, a primarily white church, came together to start CityLead with a goal of working toward racial reconciliation and unity in their community. Now these two churches, on literal different sides of the track, regularly bring together diverse business leaders with the goal of making Kalamazoo “the best place to work, live and play.”
In each city, people are coming to see churches as a positive force doing something good for the community. They are shaping the long-term character of the community, while supporting healthy relationships between leaders across all sectors and faiths.
Mitchell believes CityLead is not an anomaly—people are hungry for leadership development.
“Around the world, you can throw a soccer ball into a community and kids will come running. It’s the same with leadership development. If you throw leadership development out, businesspeople will come,” says Mitchell.
He closes with these inspiring words: “A small group of people can change their city.”
Learn more about CityLead. Do you have a story of impact? We’d love to hear! Email us at Story@GlobalLeadership.org.
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About the Author
Amber Van Schooneveld
Senior CopywriterGlobal Leadership Network
Amber Van Schooneveld is the Senior Copywriter for Global Leadership Network. She loves using words to inspire, challenge and equip people to find the unique ways they are designed to transform the world around them. She is the author of five books, including Hope Lives: A Journey of Restoration.