Ministry asks more of today’s leaders than theological knowledge alone. It also requires the ability to navigate change, guide organizations, manage competing priorities, cultivate healthy teams, and turn vision into action.
McCormick Leadsis a new professional-development series created for church leaders, community leaders, changemakers, and other professionals who want to strengthen the practical skills their work demands.
Through seminars, training sessions, and collaborative learning experiences led by McCormick faculty, alumni, and friends of the Seminary, participants will gain actionable tools, trusted insight, and fresh perspectives they can carry directly into their organizations and communities.
Because faithful leadership is not only about answering the call, it’s also about being equipped for everything the call requires.
PRACTICAL LEARNING FOR THE WORK YOU’RE ALREADY DOING
Leadership rarely unfolds exactly as a textbook describes. It happens in board meetings and budget conversations, during seasons of transition, amid community needs, and in moments when difficult decisions cannot be postponed.
McCormick Leads brings experienced practitioners into conversation with leaders facing those realities every day. Each session will connect practical expertise with McCormick’s commitment to forming thoughtful, courageous, and responsive leaders for the Church and the world.
Participants can expect:
Practical tools that can be applied immediately
Guidance from experienced leaders and practitioners
Candid conversations about real leadership challenges
Opportunities to learn alongside peers
Resources for strengthening ministries, organizations, and communities
Strategic plans can easily become documents we complete, approve, and place on a shelf. But strategy should be more than a process—it should clarify where a ministry is going and guide the decisions that move it forward.
In this inaugural McCormick Leads session, participants will learn how to create a living strategy that aligns people, focuses priorities, directs resources, and helps organizations respond faithfully to change.
WHAT YOU’LL EXPLORE
Turning mission and vision into actionable priorities
Building alignment among staff, boards, congregations, and stakeholders
Using strategy to guide decisions and limited resources
Staying focused while adapting to change
Keeping a strategic plan active after approval
Join us for this inaugural session during McCormick Days 2026. Register to attend in person. A recording will be posted following the event.
MEET THE PRESENTERS
Rev. Dr. Craig Howard has served as Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Chicago since 2021. His previous leadership roles include Presbytery Leader of the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy in St. Louis, Ministry Relations Officer with the Presbyterian Foundation, and Presbytery Executive for the Presbytery of Milwaukee.
Before entering ministry, Dr. Howard worked as an insurance executive. Following his ordination to specialized ministry, he served McCormick Theological Seminary as Director of Recruitment and Admissions and later as Chief Development Officer. His ministry experience spans Latinx, African American, Korean, and Euro American congregations, as well as a new church development within the Pentecostal tradition.
A native of Chicago’s south suburbs, Dr. Howard earned his bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and both his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from McCormick Theological Seminary.
Rev. Jesse Knox III serves as Senior Minister of the Church of the Good Shepherd and Executive Director of the Good Shepherd Community Services Organization in Chicago’s Washington Park neighborhood.
A Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, Rev. Knox has served on the boards of the Washington Park Consortium, Community Renewal Society, Consecra Housing Network, and The Christian Century. He also contributes denominational leadership through the United Church of Christ’s Chicago Metropolitan Association Congregational Life Committee and the Illinois Conference’s Personnel and Property Management Committees.
Rev. Knox earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago Divinity School. He also holds a certificate in Church-Based Community and Economic Development from Harvard University.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
McCormick Leads is designed for people serving in and beyond traditional ministry settings, including:
Pastors and congregational leaders
Nonprofit and community leaders
Chaplains and public theologians
Denominational and judicatory leaders
Ministry staff and board members
Social entrepreneurs and changemakers
Alumni seeking continued professional development
Anyone responsible for helping an organization move from vision to action
You do not need to be a McCormick graduate to participate.