Baylor to Serve as Satellite Host for 2013 Willow Creek Leadership Summit
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Media contact: Lori Fogleman, (254) 710-6275
WACO, Texas (August 7, 2013)--Where could you see 13 of the world's top church leaders, philanthropists, researchers, politicians and business men and women gather to exchange ideas? Right on campus.
For the ninth consecutive year, Baylor University's Waco Hall will serve as one of more than 230 satellite locations for the Illinois-based Willow Creek Leadership Summit Aug. 8-9.
The Global Leadership Summit exists to transform Christian leaders around the world with an injection of vision, skill development and inspiration for the sake of the local church, according to the organization's website. When the Summit first began in 1995, its attendees were almost exclusively church leaders. As it grew, companies saw the applicability of the learned skills to the business world and began sending teams to the Summit as an annual leadership training event.
"Each year there are just incredible speakers," said Chris Krause, associate vice president for strategic initiatives at Baylor. "For church leaders and Christian business leaders, the Summit provides an excellent opportunity to hear from some of the foremost leaders from the United States and around the globe." He is most excited to hear Gen. Colin Powell, because "his leadership principles are just outstanding."
Speakers from various disciplines are chosen to lead the Summit based on their ability to deliver practical skills and help church leaders grow in their leadership abilities. This year's speakers include:
Bill Hybels, Summit founder and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church for 35 years, has authored more than two dozen books and is dedicated to fostering leadership among Christians worldwide.
Colin Powell, adviser to four U.S. presidents and a four-star general, is the founder of the nonprofit organization America's Promise Alliance and the Colin L. Powell Center for Leadership and Service at the City College of New York.
Andy Stanley, founder and senior pastor at North Point Ministries, one of the largest churches in the United States with a global network of more than 30 churches, has been named one of the most influential pastors in America.
Mark Burnett is a four-time Emmy Award winner and the executive producer of Survivor, The Voice and The Bible. Time Magazine named him one of The World's Most Influential People and TV Guide called him Most Valuable Player.
Oscar Muriu is the senior pastor of Nairobi Chapel in Kenya, where he grew a 40-person church to a network of 30 churches with more than 14,000 regular attendants.
Patrick Lencioni is founder and President of The Table Group and author of the best-selling book "The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything in Business." Fortune Magazine named him one of the Gurus You Should Know and The Wall Street Journal named him one of America's Most Sought-After Business Speakers.
Henry Cloud, Ph.D., is a best-selling author who has written more than 20 books and works to improve the leadership of CEOs and their executive teams.
Brené Brown, Ph.D., a research professor in the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work and a New York Times best-selling author, has accomplished groundbreaking research on shame, worthiness and courage.
Vijay Govindarajan, professor in Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, has also held faculty positions at Harvard University, INSEA and Indian Institute of Management. He was named one of the Top Ten Business School Professors in the World by Business Week, one of the Top Five Most Respected Executive Coaches on Strategy by Forbes and one of the Rising Super Stars by The Economist.
Joseph Grenny is a cofounder of VitalSmarts, one of the fastest-growing companies in America, through which he has taught 300 of the Fortune 500 companies. He is the author of four best-selling books, including "Crucial Conversations and Influencer: The Power to Change Anything."
Bob Goff, founder and CEO of Restore International, founding partner in the law firm Goff & DeWalt and honorary consul for the Republic of Uganda to the United States, has worked with the Ugandan judiciary to bring more than 200 child cases to trial.
Chris Brown is one of four senior pastors at North Coast Church, the Evangelical Free denomination's largest church. His narrative teaching style and passion for developing communication skills in young leaders has pushed North Coast to grow larger and younger.
Liz Wiseman, president of The Wiseman Group, a Silicon Valley leadership development firm, is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and author of the best-selling book "Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter."
"We have more registered this year than we've had registered for the Summit in the last five years," Krause said. "We have folks coming in from San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington, all over. You'll see a lot of faculty and staff, church leaders and volunteers in those churches."
Registration is available online until Aug. 7 at 8 a.m. Anyone may register for this event, but seating is limited. Cost of registration is $109.
The summit will run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, with check-in beginning at 8 a.m. and doors opening at 8:30 a.m.
For directions to Waco Hall, located at 624 Speight Ave., visit: https://www.baylor.edu/map/index.php?id=11624.
by Rachel Miller, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.