GSSW Dean serves as keynote for CBF ChurchWorks

ChurchWorks, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s (CBF) annual discipleship/spiritual formation conference, recently brought ministers from all across the nation to Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas. The focus was on “Congregational Wellbeing,” led by Dr. Jon Singletary, dean of the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University.

According to the CBF, ChurchWorks is a three-day event for practitioners of education and spiritual formation in the congregational setting. This year, participants considered how their personalities, as well as the personality characteristics of their churches, shape how they relate to others and minister in Jesus’ name.

CBF noted that this year’s ChurchWorks piloted a track for senior pastors, representing congregations from the Fellowship Southwest network, particularly Texas. The conversations revolved around the Enneagram, using Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile's book, The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery.

“Attendees were able to connect a deeper understanding of their personality with adaptive leadership principles for improved ministry effectiveness,” Dean Singletary said.

The Enneagram is a tool that helps individuals identify which personality type they belong to (there are nine) and helps explain the motivations behind the things they do. It helps individuals to understand that everyone sees the world differently and everyone responds to the world differently. Dean Singletary is a trained facilitator through the Enneagram apprentice program led by Stabile.

“Joining church leaders as keynote speaker for the annual Church Works conference is in keeping with our long partnership with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,” Dean Singletary added. “As a CBF ministry partner, we have worked together to strengthen the communities they serve, support ministries for children and families, and educate leaders all across the Fellowship. It was an honor to be able to join in this role focused on congregational wellbeing.”

Founding Baylor Dean Diana Garland was scheduled to speak at church works in 2015, when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Singletary commented that it was a privilege to step in to fill that same role a few years later in support of these churches.