"George Bullard Talks Transforming Congregations"
About George Bullard

George Bullard serves as President and Strategic Coordinator with The Columbia Partnership [TCP]. TCP is a community of Christian leaders seeking to transform the capacity of the North American Church to pursue and sustain vital Christ-centered ministry. Additionally, George serves as General Secretary [executive director] of the North American Baptist Fellowship of the Baptist World Alliance. In this role he relates to several dozen Baptist conventions, unions, and other organizations throughout North America.

George’s vision is to use his spiritual and strategic giftedness to empower congregations and congregational champions to fulfill their vision for Kingdom growth.

In Baptist denominational service George was one of the organizational architects during the 1970’s of the North American emphasis on congregational redevelopment known as PACT, was the primary organizational architect during the early 1980’s of the Mega Focus Cities effort that addressed the Great Commission and Great Commandment challenges in the 50 largest megalopolitan areas of the United States, was the primary organizational architect during the early 1990’s of the first round of the Empowering Kingdom Growth emphasis of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, was the primary architect of the Pursuing Vital Ministry emphasis of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina in 2001, and has served various roles with the Baptist World Alliance.

George has consulted with hundreds congregations and with local, regional and national/international denominational organizations among various Baptist groups. Since 1996 George’s ministry has been expanded to include work with denominational families throughout North America. Among them are Anglican, Assemblies of God, Baptist, Brethren, Christian (Disciples of Christ), Christian and Missionary Alliance, Christian Reformed, Church of God, Episcopal, Evangelical Covenant, Evangelical Free, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal Holiness, Presbyterian, Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ, Wesleyan, and others.

George is widely recognized as an advisor to pastors and denominational leaders, a futurist, a strategic planning expert, a group process facilitator, a church growth strategist, an authority in conflict management, and a writer. He has extensively developed a life cycle model for congregations, which helps congregational leaders know what types of assistance they may need to best facilitate growth.

Strategic planning, church growth, and conflict mediation consultations and training have been a major part of George’s ministry during the past 35 years. He has provided in-depth consultation services to more than 700 congregations and denominational organizations. He has led or assisted in training more than 1500 denominational workers in strategic planning, church growth, and conflict management consultation skills.

In 2001 George moved from his current home in Columbia, SC to Hickory, NC to help NC Baptists begin a new leadership center called Hollifield Leadership Center. His goal was to establish a 21 st century approach to leadership development, and to move Hollifield to be self-supporting from the end of 2006. Both of these goals have been accomplished. Two significant achievements were the acquiring of a Lilly Endowment grant for Sustaining Pastoral Excellence, and the beginning of what has become an excellent certification process in Christian leadership coaching that is now expanding to be nationwide. George returned to Columbia during 2006 to continue developing the work and ministry of The Columbia Partnership which had been established in 2005. Today 12 Ministry Colleagues are connected with TCP.

Present Ministry

President and Strategic Coordinator, The Columbia Partnership, 2006-present [Partnership of 12 Christian organization consultants/coaches.] www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org

General Secretary [executive director], North American Baptist Fellowship, Baptist World Alliance, 2009-present

Senior Editor, TCP Leadership Series, a book publishing venture with Chalice Press of St. Louis, 2004-present, www.ChalicePress.com

Primary Ministry Experience

Project Director of a Lilly Endowment project on Sustaining Pastoral Excellence hosted at Hollifield Leadership Center near Hickory, NC, 2003-March 2008

Associate Executive Director-Treasurer, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, 2003-2006

Executive Coach for Lake Hickory Learning Communities for BSCNC, 2001-2006

Director, Hollifield Leadership Center for BSCNC, 2001-2003

New Reformation Solutions, Columbia, SC, 1999-2001: Executive Director and Head Coach

South Carolina Baptist Convention, Columbia, SC, 1985-1999: Missions Director, Strategic Development,

Home Mission Board, SBC, Atlanta, GA, Metropolitan Missions Department, 1981-85

Lake Norman Baptist Church, Huntersville, NC: Church Planter, 1980-81

Candlewyck Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC: Church Planter, 1979

Home Mission Board, SBC, Home Missionary, 1977-81: 1997-98 Baltimore, MD, 1999-2001 Charlotte, NC

West Side Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky: 1972-76: 1974-76 Pastor, 1972-74 Community Minister

Delran Baptist Church, Delran, New Jersey: Church Planter, 1970

Teaching Experience

Adjunct Professor of Christian Ministry, Northern Seminary, Lombard, IL, 2011-present

Visiting Professor, Logsdon Seminary, Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, TX, 2011-present

Doctor of Ministry Candidate Coach, McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University, 2009-present

Distinguished Professor of Leadership, Anderson University, Anderson, SC, 2009-present

Visiting Professor, North American Baptist Seminary, Sioux Falls, SD, 2005

Visiting Professor, Acadia Divinity College, Wolfville Nova Scotia 2001 [Simpson Lectures] and 2002 [D.Min class]

Visiting Professor of Ministry, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, Mill Valley, California, 1988, 1992, 1999

Visiting Professor of Church and Community, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, 1987

Doctor of Ministry field supervisor for Southern and Golden Gate Baptist seminaries at various times 1985-1999

Denominational, Parachurch, and Community Positions

Master Design Associates, Columbia, SC, [consultants] President, 1990-1994; Treasurer, 1994-1998

President, Southern Baptist New Work Fellowship, 1990-1993

Urban Training Cooperative (UTC) Steering Committee, Home Mission Board, SBC, 1985-89

Writings and Publications

Author of book entitled: FaithSoaring Churches. Lucas Park Books, 2012.

Author of book entitled: Every Congregation Needs a Little Conflict. Chalice Press, 2008.

Author of book entitled: Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation. Chalice Press, 2006.

Author of Spiritual Strategic Journey: Tutorial for Congregational Redevelopment, in the Congregational Resource Guide for The Alban Institute and the Indiana Center for Congregations.

Doctor of Ministry Project: "The Development, Use and Evaluation of Processes for Consultation with Churches in Transition in Metropolitan Settings", 1980

Master of Theology Thesis: "An Analysis of Change Among Selected Southern Baptist Churches in Metropolitan Transitional Areas, 1965-1975", 1976

Co-authored with Jere Allen a book entitled, Shaping A Future for the Church in the Changing Community, 1981

Education

Abington High School, Abington, PA, 1967

Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, North Carolina, 1967-71, B. A. in History

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky:

• 1971-74 Master of Divinity Degree
• 1974-76 Master of Theology Degree (Church and Community)
• 1974-75 University of Louisville, Kentucky (Institute of Community Development)
• 1976-80 Doctor of Ministry Degree (Denominational Staff Ministry)

Personal Background

Birth: Raleigh, North Carolina, July 22, 1950

Family: Married to Betty Boyd of Simpsonville, South Carolina (Betty has 20 years experience as a church weekday early education director. She also serves as a deacon for Spring Valley Baptist Church, Columbia, SC.)

Two adult children: Jonathan, Allison

Three grandchildren: Nolan, Elizabeth James, and Brendan