Willow Creek Association
| Abbreviation | WCA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1992 |
| Headquarters | South Barrington, Illinois |
Membership | 7,000+ |
President | Gary Schwammlein |
| Website |
The Willow Creek Association (WCA), a 501(c)3 not-for-profit ministry, is an international Christian association of more than 7,000+ member churches from 90+ denominations and 90 countries.[1]
About the WCA
In 1992, the Willow Creek Association was created as a way to link together churches for the purpose of “Reaching increasing numbers of lost people." The WCA develops training and leadership conferences and resources for its member churches. The Willow Creek Association is often confused with Willow Creek Community Church, or mistaken for a denomination. However, it is a distinctly separate organization which has close affiliations with Willow Creek Community Church. There are more than 13,000 member churches, which come from 90 denominations, and 45 different countries. There is an annual membership fee of $249 which gives the member church access to discounts on Willow Creek Resources and conferences, as well as a magazine, an audio journal, several web-based ministry tools, and a variety of Select Service Providers. Select Service Providers are ministries and organizations that provide products and services to member churches for a discounted price. [2]
To be a member of WCA it is a requirement that the member church, ministry, or leader hold to an “historic, orthodox understanding of biblical Christianity.”
The Global Leadership Summit
The Global Leadership Summit (GLS) is a two-day leadership broadcast event with remote attendance of approximately 170,000 worldwide, telecast annually in August from WCA's campus in metro Chicago. Summit-related events are held late in the year in approximately ninety countries.
Bill Hybels started TGLS in 1995 as an annual training event for church, ministry and other leaders to sharpen their skills. 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. The Summit telecasts live from the campus of Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago, reaching more than 185 premier host sites across the United States. In the months following, the Summit moves into more than 200 cities in 70+ countries across the globe via videocast. Summit 2010 attracted 122,000 leaders. That year, Fast Company featured an article on Willow Creek and The Global Leadership Summit.[3]
The Global Leadership Summit 2011 videocast events took place from late September through January 2012 and were planned to reach 268 cities within 75 countries. The Summit is translated into 34 languages. Over 165,000 leaders from over 20,000 churches worldwide experienced the 2011 Summit.
Each year, this event features experts in the arena of leadership in lecture and interview formats. Worship music and dramas are also incorporated into the event. Past speakers have included Bono (former Time Magazine Co-Man of the Year and U2 lead singer), Ken Blanchard ("The One Minute Manager"), Marcus Buckingham ("StrengthFinders"), Jim Collins ("Good to Great" and "Built to Last"), and Mike Singletary (NFL Hall of Fame linebacker for the Chicago Bears). The 2007 event featured live and taped sessions with Colin Powell, Carly Fiorina, Floyd Flake, Marcus Buckingham, John Ortberg, Michael E. Porter (Harvard), Richard Curtis (film producer) and Former president Jimmy Carter.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz canceled a scheduled appearance at the 2011 event following calls to denounce Willow Creek’s position on homosexuality. In response, Hybels clarified that the church adhered to "the sexual ethics taught in Scriptures, which encourage sexual expression between a man and a woman in the context of marriage."[4]
Global Leadership Summit statistics—2012
- Summit Leaders Registered: 170,000
- Churches Represented at the Summit: 14,000
- Countries: 90
- Languages: 42
- U.S. Host Sites: 230
- International Host Sites: 300
- WCA Member Churches Worldwide: 7,000+
- Denominations represented: 90+
Summit Speaker Roster
| Year | Name | Credentials | Speaking Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Bill Hybels | - | Passing the Leadership Test |
| 2003 | Bill Hybels | - | The Leader's Edge |
| 2003 | Andy Stanley | - | Making Vision Stick |
| 2003 | Erwin McManus | - | The Barbarian Way Out Of Civilization |
| 2003 | Patrick Lencioni | - | The Five Dysfunctions of a Team |
| 2003 | Erwin McManus | - | The Character Matrix |
| 2003 | Bill Hybels | - | Creating a Leadership Revolution |
| 2004 | Bill Hybels | - | The Leader's Finest Hour |
| 2004 | Bill Hybels | - | The Leaders' Edge |
| 2004 | T.D. Jakes | - | Exceptional Leadership at Every Level |
| 2004 | Steven Sample | - | The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership |
| 2004 | Tim Sanders | - | The Lovecat Way |
| 2004 | Marcus Buckingham | - | One Thing You Need to Know |
| 2004 | A.R. Bernard | - | Leading Between Two Kingdoms |
| 2004 | Bill Hybels | - | When the Laws of Leadership and Discipleship Collide |
| 2005 | Bill Hybels | - | The Leader's State of Mind |
| 2005 | Rick Warren | - | Leadership is Stewardship |
| 2005 | Mosa Sono | - | Seeing the Unseen |
| 2005 | Eleanor Josaitis | - | and Curtis Sliwa Putting Yourself at Risk: The Price of Leadership |
| 2005 | John Maxwell | - | The Story of Two Leaders: When Your Calling Changes |
| 2005 | Ken Blanchard | - | The Story of Two Leaders: When Your Calling Changes |
| 2005 | Colleen Barrett | - | Making a Great Idea Fly: An Interview with Southwest Airlines’ President |
| 2005 | Jack Groppel | - | The Mental Toughness of a Leader |
| 2005 | Henry Cloud | - | Action Steps for Monday |
| 2005 | Kenneth Ulmer | - | A Leader’s Unshakeable Resolve |
| 2005 | Bill Hybels | - | These Things We Must Do |
| 2006 | Bill Hybels | - | Life Cycle of a Leader & The Power of Inspiration |
| 2006 | James Meeks | - | Enemies of a Growing Church |
| 2006 | Andy Stanley | - | Focused on Leadership |
| 2006 | Peg Neuhauser | - | Tribal Warfare |
| 2006 | Jim Collins | - | When Business Thinking Fails the Church |
| 2006 | Bono | - | Interview with Bill Hybels |
| 2006 | Patrick Lencioni | - | Silos, Politics and Turf Wars |
| 2006 | Wayne Cordeiro | - | Dead Leader Running |
| 2007 | Bill Hybels | - | Vision to Die For |
| 2007 | Carly Fiorina | - | Tough Choices: An Interview |
| 2007 | Floyd H. Flake | - | The Heat of Responsibility |
| 2007 | Marcus Buckingham | - | Go Put Your Strengths to Work |
| 2007 | Michael E. Porter | - | Strategy and Leadership |
| 2007 | John Ortberg | - | A Leader's Greatest Fear |
| 2007 | Richard Curtis | - | Living for the Greater Good: An Interview |
| 2007 | Jimmy Carter | - | Building Humanity: An Interview |
| 2007 | Bill Hybels | - | Whatever You Do, Inspire Me! |
| 2008 | Bill Hybels | Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church | The High Drama of Decision Making |
| 2008 | Bill George | Professor, Harvard Business School, Former CEO, Medtronics | Finding Your True North |
| 2008 | Wendy Kopp | CEO and Founder, Teach for America | Stand Up and Lead |
| 2008 | Gary Haugen | CEO and Founder, International Justice Mission | Just Courage: Charging the Darkness |
| 2008 | John Burke | Lead Pastor, Gateway Community Church | Leading in New Cultural Realities |
| 2008 | Efrem Smith | Senior Pastor, The Sanctuary Covenant Church | Leading in New Cultural Realities |
| 2008 | Craig Groeschel | Senior Pastor, LifeChurch.tv | IT: How Leaders Can Get IT and Keep IT |
| 2008 | Chuck Colson | Chairman and Founder, Prison Fellowship Ministries | Defending the Faith |
| 2008 | Brad Anderson | Vice Chairman and CEO, Best Buy, Inc. | An Uncompromising Focus on People |
| 2008 | Bill Hybels | Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church | Relentless |
| 2009 | Bill Hybels | Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church | Leading in a New Reality |
| 2009 | Gary Hamel | - | Manage Differently NOW |
| 2009 | Tim Keller | - | Leading People to the Prodigal God |
| 2009 | Jessica Jackley | - | A Leadership Case Study: Jessica Jackley and the KIVA Story |
| 2009 | Harvey Carey | - | Against All Odds |
| 2009 | Dave Gibbons | - | Third Culture Leadership |
| 2009 | Andrew Rugasira | - | Aid vs. Trade |
| 2009 | Wess Stafford | - | Levering Your Past |
| 2009 | David Gergen | - | Eyewitness to Power |
| 2009 | Chip Heath and Dan Heath | - | Switch |
| 2009 | Tony Blair | - | An Interview with Tony Blair |
| 2010 | Bill Hybels | Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church | From Here to There |
| 2010 | Jim Collins | - | Never, Ever, Give Up |
| 2010 | Christine Caine | - | Leading on the Edge of Hope |
| 2010 | Tony Dungy | - | The Mentor Leader |
| 2010 | Craig Groeschel | - | The Mentor Leader |
| 2010 | Adam Hamilton | - | When Leaders Fall |
| 2010 | Dr. Zhao | - | Beyond Economy: China's Transformation with the Cross |
| 2010 | Jeff Manion | - | The Land Between |
| 2010 | Terri Kelly | - | When Leaders Emerge: The Story of W.L. Gore & Associates |
| 2010 | Jim Mellado | - | When Leaders Emerge: The Story of W.L. Gore & Associates |
| 2010 | Daniel H. Pink | - | What Motivates Us: Not What You Think |
| 2010 | Blake Mycoskie | - | Making Conscious Capitalism Work: The TOMS Shoes Story |
| 2010 | Darren Whitehead | - | Making Conscious Capitalism Work: The TOMS Shoes Story |
| 2010 | Jack Welch | - | Leader to Leader |
| 2010 | T. D. Jakes | - | Combustible Passion |
| 2010 | Bill Hybels | Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church | Closing Remarks |
| 2011 | Erwin McManus | Activist; Filmmaker; Cultural Architect of Mosiac | |
| 2011 | Michelle Rhee | Founder and CEO of StudentsFirst.org | |
| 2011 | Dr. Henry Cloud | Clinical Psychologist; Bestselling Author | |
| 2011 | Seth Godin | Bestselling Author; Squidoo Founder; Marketing Blogger | |
| 2011 | Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil | Speaker; Thought Leader; Founder & President of Salter McNeil & Assoc. | |
| 2011 | Len Schlesinger | President of Babson College | |
| 2011 | Steven Furtick | Lead Pastor of Elevation Church | |
| 2011 | John Dickson Sr. | Minister, St. Andrews Anglican Church in Sydney, Australia | |
| 2011 | Cory Booker | Mayor of Newark, NJ | |
| 2011 | Mama Maggie Gobran | Founder & CEO, Stephen's Children Ministry; Nobel Peace Prize Nominee | |
| 2012 | Condoleezza Rice | Former U.S. Secretary of State | |
| 2012 | Jim Collins | Nationally Acclaimed Business Thinker and Author | |
| 2012 | Geoffrey Canada | President & CEO, Harlem Children's Zone | |
| 2012 | Sheryl WuDunn | Best-Selling Author; Pulitzer Prize Winner; Business Executive | |
| 2012 | Craig Groeschel | Founder and Senior Pastor, LifeChurch.tv | |
| 2012 | John Ortberg | Senior Pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and Author | |
| 2012 | Mario Vega | Senior Pastor, Mision Christiana Elim, El Salvador | |
| 2012 | Marc Kielburger | Co-Founder, Free The Children; Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Me to We, Toronto, Ontario | |
| 2012 | Pranitha Timothy | Director of Aftercare, International Justice Mission, Chennai, India | |
| 2012 | William L. Ury | Co-Founder and Senior Fellow, Harvard University's Program on Negotiation | |
| 2012 | Patrick Lencioni | Founder and President, The Table Group; Best-Selling Author | |
| 2013 | Gen. Colin Powell | Former U.S. Secretary of State | |
| 2013 | Dr. Brene Brown | Research Professor University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work | |
| 2013 | Mark Burnett | Executive Producer Four-time Emmy Award Winner; Executive Producer, Survivor, The Voice, and The Bible | |
| 2013 | Patrick Lencioni | Founder and President, The Table Group; Best-selling Author | |
| 2013 | Vijay Govindarajan | Top 50 Management Thinker; Professor, Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business | |
| 2013 | Liz Wiseman | Executive Strategy & Leadership Consultant; Best-selling Author | |
| 2013 | Oscar Muriu | Senior Pastor, Nairobi Chapel, Kenya | |
| 2013 | Chris Brown | Co-Senior Pastor and Teaching Pastor, North Coast Church | |
| 2013 | Dr. Henry Cloud | Clinical Psychologist; Leadership Consultant; Best-selling Author | |
| 2013 | Joseph Grenny | Co-Founder, VitalSmarts; Best-selling Business Author | |
| 2013 | Bob Goff | Founder and CEO, Restore International; Attorney | |
| 2013 | Andy Stanley | Founder and Senior Pastor, North Point Ministries | |
| 2014 | Tyler Perry | Filmmaker, Actor and Philanthropist | |
| 2014 | Jeffrey R. Immelt | President and CEO, General Electric | |
| 2014 | Susan Cain | Best-selling Author; Viral TED Speaker on The Power of Introverts | |
| 2014 | Wilfredo De Jesus | Senior Pastor, New Life Covenant Church | |
| 2014 | Patrick Lencioni | Best-selling Business Author; Founder and President, The Table Group | |
| 2014 | Carly Fiorina | Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard; Opportunity Intl. Global Board Chair | |
| 2014 | Ivan Satyavrata | Senior Pastor, Assembly of God Church, Kolkata, India | |
| 2014 | Bryan Loritts | Founder and Lead Pastor, Fellowship Memphis | |
| 2014 | Joseph Greeny | Co-Founder, VitalSmarts; Social Scientist for Business Performance | |
| 2014 | Allen Catherine Kagina | Commissioner General, Uganda Revenue Authority | |
| 2014 | Louie Giglio | Pastor, Passion City Church; Founder of the Passion Movement | |
| 2014 | Erica Ariel Fox | New York Times Best-selling Author; President of Mobius Executive Leadership | |
| 2014 | Don Flow | Chairman and CEO, Flow Companies Inc. | |
| 2015 | Liz Wiseman | - | |
| 2015 | Craig Groeschel | - | |
| 2015 | Brian Houston | - | |
| 2015 | Jim Collins | - | |
| 2015 | Sheila Heen | - | |
| 2015 | Adam Grant | - | |
| 2015 | Sallie Krawcheck | - | |
| 2015 | Sam Adeyemi | - | |
| 2015 | Ed Catmull | - | |
| 2015 | Dr. Brene Brown | - | |
| 2015 | Albert Tate | - | |
| 2015 | Horst Schulze | - | |
*Scheduled to appear
See also
References
- ↑ Willow Creek Association - about us
- ↑
- ↑ Chu, Jeff How Willow Creek Is Leading Evangelicals by Learning from the Business World Fast Company December 6, 2010
- ↑ Brachear, Manya A. Willow Creek pastor clarifies stance on gays Chicago Tribune August 11, 2011