Church as Common Property: A Leaderless Leadership

Fri Noon | Convo Hall 2
Sat 10 AM | Convo Hall 2

Victor Udoewa

Many of our churches have been influenced more by the structure of capitalistic corporations than the breath and wind of the Spirit. Are there actual alternatives to a hierarchical model in our faith communities? How can a faith group move forward without a leader to direct it?Welcome to Borough Commons (BC) – a faith community that started as an evening service at a church and eventually became independent. BC was founded on three principles – church as common property, growing together spiritually, and doing good in the world. The hardest principle to digest is “church as common property.” It is possible to have a faith community without a leader, but that doesn’t mean it has no leadership. Instead, BC practiced a leaderless leadership. Come find out what a 5-year experiment in a leaderless faith community looked like for us. We’ll converse about its birth, rise, and current trajectory. We’ll also honestly talk about its difficulties and hardships as it continues to adapt to the needs of its people.

Victor Udoewa

Victor Udoewa is a design engineer who co-creates solutions for social problems in community and international development. After designing at USAID and Google, he’s brought that creative spirit to found or lead alternative faith communities, and experiences. Recently, he designed the Lenten experience “Faithing Your Practices” in DC, founded Sparks-DC where people are challenged each week to take one positive risk, and co-led Borough Commons in the UK. He also co-leads the Emergent Conversation and Iona DC communities. He has served as music minister, youth pastor, and college worker in churches around the world. As a former teacher, he teaches teachers as an educational specialist and adjunct professor of education focusing on science and math education. He still conducts medical and engineering research and is a certified counselor focusing in HIV/AIDS, crisis pregnancy, post-abortion, and miscarriage counseling. He enjoys his a cappella group, teaching salsa classes, and his beautiful, growing family.
https://18f.gsa.gov/

Sessions:
235 Sparks
236 Borough Commons: Church as Common Property

Session #236