Supporting the Movement: Judicatory Leadership in Fresh Expressions

In recent years, Fresh Expressions (FX) has emerged as a dynamic and innovative way of being church in the twenty-first century. This movement seeks to create new expressions of church in places and communities that inherited models of church have not reached.

In 2022, Path 1 at Discipleship Ministries developed a vision for Fresh Expressions UM (FXUM), a distinctly Wesleyan Spirit-led movement of new Christian communities that serve the present age. The movement supports those across the connection who are cultivating communities of love and grace for people neglected by the church.

At the genesis of the initiative, Bener Agtarap asked, “How can Fresh Expressions become a full expression?” We interpreted this to mean, “How can this movement become an integral part of the United Methodism ecosystem? How can our denomination, organizationally, become a blended ecology of church, in which inherited and emerging forms of church live together in symbiotic relationship?”

In 2024, we held the first Fresh Expressions UM National Gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2025, we gathered in Atlanta from February 29 to March 1. Hundreds of people attended the second annual gathering, as primarily two denominations, United Methodists and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, partnered for three days of Holy Spirit outpouring and holy mischief. Usually, large national conferences like this are dominated by clergy. In The United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, these conferences are also typically monocultural, consisting primarily of white attendees.

In this gathering, more than 120 laity were present (about 30 percent of the total attendees). The racial makeup was 60/40, with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) well-represented both in the room and on the stage. The presenters, panelists, and attendees were a fair representation of LGBTQIA people.

Three Essential Roles

In the movement, we teach the importance of three essential roles:

• Adventurers: The Church of England defines “pioneers” as people called by God who are the first to see and creatively respond to the Holy Spirit’s initiatives with those outside the church, gathering others around them as they seek to establish a new contextual Christian community. In Fresh Expressions UM, we call pioneers… adventurers (Sweet and Beck, 2022).
• Advocates: People who are passionate about supporting and releasing adventurers. These are people who see connection points and encourage those connections to form. The advocates are essential to growth as they listen to the context, keep the adventurers on track, and seek new ways of flourishing. Advocates ground the Fresh Expressions in deep, ongoing prayer.
• Authorizers: People who use their role to foster the release of adventurers and to influence the system to be more willing to experiment. Usually, authorizers hold some form of authority within the system. They may be clergy, developers, district superintendents, or bishops. These are the storytellers and the promoters who gather support, provide resources, and share the stories of the adventurers.

Each of these roles is essential for the flourishing of the movement.

Judicatory Leaders Connective

At this year’s national gathering, we offered “connectives” (shout out to Bishop Lanette Plambeck for this language) in place of traditional workshops. These were smaller group conversations focused on specific streams of Fresh Expressions. Groups gathered daily throughout the event to spend time together, build community, process what they were experiencing, and share learnings.

Bishop Ken Carter led a “connective” for judicatory leaders (authorizers and advocates) from various denominational backgrounds. These leaders, including denominational executives, conference leaders, superintendents, and bishops, gathered to explore the oversight, care, accountability, and support of leaders within the Fresh Expressions movement.

During the event, Bishop Carter emphasized that Fresh Expressions is still a relatively new movement. With this in mind, we sought to avoid dogmatic assumptions and instead focused on cultivating a posture of openness, allowing space for the movement of the Holy Spirit. The conversations were rich, grounded in curiosity, and rooted in a desire to understand how Fresh Expressions could grow and thrive in diverse contexts across the United States.

Seven Critical Questions

In our time together, we explored several critical questions and insights that can guide judicatory leaders as they support the work of Fresh Expressions in their communities and regions:

1. In our ecosystem, how could we start small and scale up? Several attendees came with deep curiosity but little exposure to Fresh Expressions. We discussed the relationship between vitality and sustainability and noted accessible models of ministry that require minimal investment yet hold growth potential. We recognized that vitality—the life of the Spirit within a community—is essential, but it must be coupled with sustainable practices that can endure the challenges of long-term ministry.
2. How can we identify significant “third places” in our ecosystem? We reflected on contextual settings where people gather and seek community. “Third places,” as defined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, are informal gathering spaces where people connect outside work and home. Our conversation included reflections on the intersections of Fresh Expressions and immigrant churches, particularly noting the vibrancy of Latin American base communities and the spiritual depth of Korean churches. We also discussed areas in our local contexts where people naturally gather and seek community, such as coffee shops, gyms, parks, and other social spaces. These “third places” offer unique opportunities for Fresh Expressions to take root and thrive.
3. How do we ensure that our Fresh Expressions are as diverse as the population in our ecosystem? A key idea here is being the church beyond the walls. Often, our churches do not reflect the communities where they are located. Since the workshop included diverse participants, we again spoke of immigrant and ethnic contexts—the strengths of Korean spirituality, the resilience of the Black Church, and the blended ecology of Haitian ministries (clinics, schools, churches). We honored the “both-and” nature of FX as a new movement and noted how God has used the church to create similar expressions of Christ’s body and how these can speak to each other.
4. How would we identify the leadership? Participants (leaders across the U.S. from the UMC and ELCA denominations) were asked to reflect on two or three pastors or laity who might have the passion and gifts for FX, who are immersed in their communities, and may be frustrated with structural constraints. Such leaders may feel limited by the institutional systems intended to support rather than hinder their work. Our conversation centered on identifying individuals willing to experiment, take risks, and step into the unknown while remaining rooted in their tradition.
5. What would resourcing these leaders look like? We explored what it would look like to resource leaders for Fresh Expressions. Our discussion highlighted several essential elements: mentoring, permission-giving, and providing a culture of support and encouragement. We spoke of the need for experimentation, the likelihood of failure, and the discipline of course correction and new learning. Some noted the important habits of humility and listening to develop as leaders. We also discussed the importance of reverse mentoring, where younger or less experienced leaders teach more seasoned leaders about emerging forms of church. We emphasized that investing in people rather than property is key. Fresh Expressions requires time, space, and experimentation, and leaders must be permitted to fail and learn in the process.
6. Who will provide supervision and coaching (accountability and support)? We affirmed the two national conferences as contexts for learning, mutual support, and exchange of ideas. We talked about the need for certification and credentialing alongside competence and experience. Both are needed. As we reflected on leadership development, the question of supervision and accountability arose. We must provide the necessary support and coaching for Fresh Expressions leaders to ensure they are adequately equipped and foster competence gained through experience. We also must reimagine new metrics for a blended ecology.
7. What is our narrative of “why?” (Translating FX for the inherited church) We spoke of the necessity of movements and institutions and how movements reform institutions. Movements, such as Fresh Expressions, can renew inherited traditions, while institutions can provide the structure and resources necessary to support new ideas and innovation. Several noted the missional power of the Holy Spirit that is within and beyond our structures. All this is related to the story of scripture and God’s creating, redeeming, and sanctifying power. Finally, we sought to overcome the “oppositional energy” (Richard Rohr) of pitting the institutional church against Fresh Expressions—each deeply needs the other and has much to give. How can we effectively translate the Fresh Expressions movement to the inherited church without it feeling devalued or threatened?

Conversation Starter

The Judicatory Leader Connective helped clarify the path forward for Fresh Expression. The movement is still young, and much work remains. Through thoughtful dialogue, a commitment to innovation, and deep reliance on the Holy Spirit, we can help lead the church into new and vibrant expressions of faith. By supporting and resourcing leaders, creating space for diverse expressions, and maintaining a posture of humility and openness, we can ensure that Fresh Expressions continues to grow and transform how we experience church in our world today.

We hope this article catalyzes conversations for you and your team. Perhaps reading it together as a group will spark dialogue as you flesh out responses to these preliminary questions among your congregations, districts, and conferences. For all of you seeking to cultivate new forms of church with new people, in new places, and in new ways—you are seen, valued, and vital to the present-future of Methodism.