38: Finding Unity in Restructuring // Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, The Wesleyan Church

When Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church, was tasked with leading the charge on her denomination's restructuring, she knew she needed to start with listening to her staff at a grassroots level. She then used that feedback to reshape the culture and bring about unity during a time of extreme change. As we'll see in today's interview, that unity and clarity around vision, mission and goals can lead to some truly divine outcomes. In the 8 years since The Wesleyan Church distilled their efforts into three clear goals (to increase attendance, conversions and baptisms), the number of worship attendees, new followers of Christ and baptisms has increased 30 percent in North America. Prior to being elected as the General Superintendent in 2008, Jo Anne founded World Hope International, an organization to alleviate suffering and injustice through education, enterprise and community health. As she travels the world, Jo Anne serves her denomination and several boards. Plus, she is sought-after as an advisor to world leaders including visits to the White House. Tune into today's episode to hear Jo Anne's strategy for successfully navigating a restructuring. Find the full show notes at http://blog.bcwinstitute.org/38-dr-jo-anne-lyon-wesleyan-church/.