In September 2025, the Moench Center for Church Leadership hosted the Health and Vitality of the Church Summit in partnership with Center for Healthy Churches and the Moench Center’s Engaging Healthy Congregations initiative. Eleven pastors from seven denominations and seven states gathered at Belmont University for three days to discuss healthy church leadership.
On the surface, a gathering of this nature seems risky. What if they don’t get along? Will their theological differences get in the way? How will a pastor from rural Tennessee relate to a pastor in Manhattan?
Despite the risks, the exact opposite happened. This group of eleven pastors gelled and grew together in friendship and conversation. They shared insights, struggles, and laughter. By the end of the Summit, many of these pastors formed what keynote speaker and President of Belmont University Greg Jones called, “holy and unlikely friendships.”
So what was the secret to connection? I observed three areas that created common ground:
- An unwavering commitment to the gospel work of Jesus
- A passion for intentional discipleship opportunities
- A hunger to think in new ways about their challenges
I originally wanted to call this piece “Eleven Pastors Walk into a Room… What Happens Next Will Shock You!” but refrained (for obvious reasons). However, this clickbait-heavy title is more aligned with my experience than the original title. Division abounds in the Church, especially in 2025. But when we center on Jesus, we find much more in common with our brothers and sisters than we had originally anticipated. And when the Church works together, pastors and church leaders can unite their efforts to bring hope to an anxious and fractured world.
The Moench Center’s Engaging Healthy Congregations initiative is made possible with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc.
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