Information about the Senior Leaders’ Discernment Cohort 2026-2027
What will you learn and reflect theologically upon?
The journey will focus on 5 main characteristics of leadership:
- Knowing God: spirituality and soul leadership
- Knowing oneself
- Knowing models of leadership
- Knowing others
- Knowing strategy for times of change
How will you learn?
There will be lots of different types of learning including:
- Six in-person days (two two-day residentials, and two-one day gatherings).
- ‘Together’ online sessions (early evening/ evening).
- ‘Individual’ online, bitesize, any-time learning.
- Learning from those in senior leadership in other sectors such as charities and education.
- Shared discussion, peer-learning, journalling.
- Mentoring and coaching.
- Leadership projects.
At the heart of all that we do on this journey, too, is theological reflection.
And there will be learning for the Church as well:
- Reverse mentoring: we need to learn from you.
- Leadership projects: we need to hear and learn from what you discover to help us to ‘do Church differently’.
There will be no formal written assessments, with the outcome a practical project with a focus on effecting change within the life of the church in your context or more widely.
Why might you join this journey?
- To learn new ways of leading with God.
- To develop new skills and hone characteristics for more effective senior leadership.
- To gain confidence and allow the Church to ‘hear’ your voice.
- To gain input from experts in leadership both from within and outside the Church and relate this expertise to your context.
- To be supported to discern whether senior leadership in the Church is your – and God’s – calling.
- To meet a cohort of new people, make new friendships and ‘colleagueships’ and embark on an exciting journey together.
Why does The Methodist Church need you?
- The Church needs to discern with, and equip the best, senior leaders as we face a rapidly changing context.
- As a Church, we need the wisdom and insights of those who have traditionally been under-represented in senior leadership within the life of the Church.
How do I express an interest?
The expression of interest form can be found here: https://forms.office.com/e/QmuQHrxLev
It will ask you to do the following:
Please offer your thoughts on each of the questions below. These could be written answers or a recorded presentation (e.g. video) but should be honest answers: we are not looking for something polished! This isn’t a job application, but the starting point of a process of shared discernment. Answers to each question should be no more than 100 words or 90 seconds.
If creating a video, please do this as one video and send to cdim@methodistchurch.org.uk
There will then be a review of expressions of interest and a discernment conversation where appropriate:
- Director of Inclusion
- Director of Ministry Development
- Officer for Leadership and Evangelism (Ministries Team)
Key dates
Before expressing an interest, please see the dates below and ensure that you are able to commit to them, especially the in-person days:
June - July 2026
Pre-discernment meetings where appropriate, and leadership audit
4 September 2026
Methodist Church House
Leadership characteristic 1: Knowing God | The spiritual life of The Christian leader
14 October 2026
6.00 - 7.00 pm
Senior leader interview 1
5-6 November 2026
12.30 pm (5 Nov) to 3.00 pm (6 Nov)
St Katharine’s Foundation, London
Leadership characteristic 2: Knowing oneself | The self-reflective Christian leader
13 January 2027
6.00 - 7.00 pm
Leadership characteristic 3: Knowing strategy | Leading change in complexity
11 February 2027
6.00 - 7.00 pm
Senior leader interview 2
7 April 2027
6.00 - 7.30 pm
Leadership characteristic 4: Knowing models | Models of Christian leadership?
5 May 2027
6.00 - 7.00 pm
Senior leader interview 3
9 June 2027
6.00 - 7.00 pm
Senior leader interview 4
12 and 13 July 2027
1.00 pm to 1.00 pm (Venue TBC)
Leadership characteristic 5: Knowing others | Leadership with others for transformation
14 July 2027
6.00 - 7.00 pm
Introduction to leadership project
July 2027 – November 2027
Leadership projects
November 2027
(Provisional date) 14 November
Day 6: Project presentations, celebrations, next steps
If you have any questions, please contact bishopd@methodistchurch.org.uk