Baylor Hosts Satellite Location For Willow Creek Leadership Summit

July 27, 2005
News Photo 3042

Business and church leaders to gather in the Waco area for The Leadership Summit, August 11-13

Media contact: Paul Braoudakis, (224) 512-1362 or media@willowcreek.org

More than 50,000 leaders and emerging leaders across North America are expected to attend The Leadership Summit 2005, an annual gathering of church and business leaders, Thursday, Aug. 11 - Saturday, Aug. 13. The Leadership Summit, now in its 10th year, will originate from Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., and will be beamed live via satellite to 110 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, including Waco Hall at Baylor University in the greater Central Texas Area.

Sir John Templeton, regarded by Wall Street as one of the world's wisest investors, concluded in his extensive research that "the common denominator connecting successful people and successful enterprises is a devotion to ethical and spiritual principles."

In the midst of today's climate of corporate mistrust and people's seeking authentic connection, The Leadership Summit is perfectly suited for leaders wanting to build a culture of integrity, character, and effectiveness.

When the Summit began 10 years ago, it was attended almost exclusively by church leaders. As its transferable principles spread outside the walls of the church, companies began sending teams to the Summit and many continue to use it as one of their core annual training events.

Speakers at The Leadership Summit 2005 will present motivation and innovative principles on topics that are applicable in both the boardroom and church and ministry settings, with topics including self-management, team building, and change management. Leadership experts will include:

  • Bill Hybels - International leadership expert, presidential counselor, founder and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., one of the largest churches in the U.S.; author of Courageous Leadership.
  • Rick Warren - Founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and author of The Purpose-Driven Life, recently designated as the best selling hardcover non-fiction book of all time.
  • John Maxwell - Dynamic speaker and best-selling author of more than 30 books, including The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. He also leads a variety of training events designed to develop leaders of excellence and integrity.
  • Ken Blanchard - Prominent speaker, consultant, and co-author of The One Minute Manager. He holds a PhD in Education Leadership from Cornell University.
  • Colleen Barrett - President of Southwest Airlines. Oversees the management and leadership of its 35,000 employees. She was named one of America's Top 50 Leaders by Fast Company Magazine.
  • Kenneth Ulmer - Pastor of Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood, California, a growing congregation of 13,000, which recently purchased the L.A. Forum.
  • Curtis Sliwa - Founder and president of The Guardian Angels, an all-volunteer organization of 5,000. Curtis' work with neighborhood watch, school safety, and crime prevention programs has been recognized nationally for the past 25 years.

The Willow Creek Association (WCA), host of the annual Leadership Summit, is a growing multi-denominational worldwide network of more than 11,000 churches from 90 denominations and 35 countries. The WCA equips churches and church leaders with strategic vision, training, and resources.