Developing Developers: Equipping the Equippers of the Next UMC

In a season of deep transition and emerging opportunity within The United Methodist Church, much has been written about the need for new churches, fresh expressions, and revitalized congregations. Yet behind many of those efforts stands a church developer, a leader called not just to plant or renew churches, but to equip and guide others who do.

As the UMC rebuilds its connective tissue following a wave of disaffiliations and ongoing retirements, many Annual Conferences are discovering that their appointed developers are wearing multiple hats: District Superintendents, Directors of Connectional Ministries, Path 1 collaborators, and even active pastors in several conferences who are contributing to this work.

That’s why Path 1 of Discipleship Ministries has launched the Developing Developers Cohort. This yearlong learning journey offers these key leaders a space to connect, reflect, and grow. With monthly sessions, individualized coaching, and practical tools grounded in Wesleyan theology alongside institutional systems that each have their own unique structure, the cohort provides not just a network but a formation experience. Sessions explore everything from stakeholder engagement and financial evaluation systems to spiritual discernment and discipleship frameworks.

The cohort model was designed to be lightweight but high-impact: 10 sessions over 12 months, plus individual coaching calls and peer check-ins throughout the year. Peer learning communities are a proven and effective strategy to grow, implement, and cultivate professional skills.

Each session explores a distinct facet of the church developer’s role. Early sessions center around tools for financial stewardship, evaluation frameworks, and strategic stakeholder communication. As the cohort progresses, the focus shifts to spiritual leadership, adaptive change, and building a culture of innovation within Annual Conference systems. Developers are encouraged to reflect on how their own leadership is shaped by a theology of discipleship, and how their role enables others to imagine new forms of church.

Importantly, the cohort is not limited to abstract content. Participants receive templates, sample budgets, evaluation rhythms, and diagnostic tools that are ready to be contextualized. Time is intentionally built in for dialogue and shared reflection, allowing developers to learn from one another’s challenges and successes across varied contexts. This emphasis on practical application is coupled with a commitment to spiritual discernment, ensuring that the tools serve not only systems, but the Spirit’s leading.

The cohort is facilitated by experienced church development practitioners. Rev. Dr. Rob Hutchinson serves as the primary convener, bringing his experience from serving as the Director of Church Development in the Western North Carolina Conference. His coaching and consultative work through The Futuring Church, along with his doctoral research in Spirit-led strategic visioning, have informed the coaching rhythms and collaborative learning style of this cohort.

This initiative, however, is not about any one facilitator. Its purpose is to cultivate a community of developers across the connection who can resource, challenge, and support each other in guiding the next expression of the UMC into being.

The 2025-2026 cohort is being offered as a pilot, with hopes of informing future opportunities for developer formation and support. As awareness of the initiative grows, so too does interest from those who recognize the need for a more intentional and sustainable approach to leadership development in our denomination.