I cannot stand this word and what it represents. I hear it far too often. It represents an attitude that should be banned from local church … [Read more...] about The J Word
About Bill Wilson*
Dr. William “Bill” Wilson founded The Center for Healthy Churches in January of 2014. This followed his service as President of the Center for Congregational Health at Wake Forest Baptist Health since 2009. Previously he was Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dalton, Georgia, where he served since 2003. He brings over 33 years of local church ministry experience to the Center, having served as pastor in two churches in Virginia (Farmville BC and FBC Waynesboro) and on a church staff in South Carolina. Bill has led each of the churches he has served into a time of significant growth and expansion of ministry. He is a certified coach and facilitator and has experience as a consultant in numerous settings and with a wide range of organizations, faith communities, and churches.
Dr. Wilson grew up in Greensboro NC and Brentwood TN, where his father pastored local congregations. He graduated from Murray State University, and went on to receive his Master of Divinity at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Ministry at the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Indiana.
Bill is a popular speaker and writer, and he brings to his role as the leader of the work of the Center a deep passion for the local church, as well as a commitment to the health and success of both clergy and congregations. He and Dr. Bob Dale have written a book together: Weaving Strong Leaders: How Leaders Grow Down, Grow Up and Grow Together. (2016)
He is married to Kathy and they have three children and ten grandchildren.
The Center for Healthy Churches is a nationwide network of 27 consultants and leaders who value and believe in the local church and are committed to it’s future. Deliberately trans-denominational, team members come from a wide range of denominational, geographic, theological and vocational backgrounds. The Center has worked with churches from approximately twenty different denominational groups that span the geographic and theological spectrum.
Endorsements:
“The help that Bill Wilson and his team have given here at First Baptist Church of Decatur (GA) in our recent, challenging season of transition has been an absolute game-changer. The new Center for Healthy Churches is a fresh expression of a proven approach to congregational wellness. This is great news for churches of all kinds, and for the kingdom of God.”
Dr. Julie Pennington-Russell
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Decatur GA
“I have known Bill Wilson as a confidant, encourager, and consultant. Most recently I have seen the results of his work at First Baptist Greensboro, where he and his team served as primary consultants through the church’s 19-month Transition and Pastor Search. Bill provided outstanding consultation that prepared both congregation and pastor for what has been a magnificent start. If my church or I were seeking consultation, facing challenges, or planning for the future, Bill Wilson would be my first phone call.”
Rev. Alan Sherouse
Pastor, First Baptist Church Greensboro NC
“In 2011, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the second largest church in the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, embarked on a long-range visioning process to help chart St. Paul’s future. After conducting a thorough request for proposal process for assistance from a consulting firm to help guide St. Paul’s’ process, St. Paul’s selected Bill Wilson and his team at the Center for Congregational Health. Bill and his team did an outstanding job throughout our engagement, which lasted about a year. They provided critical information about the various global dynamics and changes affecting churches, they appropriately guided us in our process without taking it over, and they were masterful in allowing us as a congregation to develop our own thoughts and ideas while effectively challenging us to consider newer, different and bigger, “provocative proposals”. Bill Wilson and his team were available, present, responsive, insightful and a pleasure to work with. I am certain that St. Paul’s Long Range Vision process and outcome would not have been as successful as it was were it not for Bill Wilson and his team. I look forward to an opportunity to work with him again in the future.”
David P. Broughton
Chair, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Long Range Vision Committee
Articles by Bill Wilson*
When you pastor the Titanic
What if you knew that your congregation was on a collision course with its demise? What would you do? Who would you tell? How would it change the way … [Read more...] about When you pastor the Titanic
Are you Ill?
My grandmother often used a word to describe herself or other people. It was the word “ill”. She did not use it to describe someone who was sick with … [Read more...] about Are you Ill?
Recalculating
It comes in a variety of accents. It can be a man’s voice or a woman’s (my favorite is the female Australian). It can break your heart or serve as a … [Read more...] about Recalculating
Intervention
Intervention is an award-winning reality show about addiction and the extraordinary lengths it can take to face one’s unhealthy compulsions. Each … [Read more...] about Intervention
High Anxiety
Anyone feeling anxious? A better question: anyone NOT feeling anxious? God’s people in the 21st century suffer a serious malady. We mouth the words … [Read more...] about High Anxiety
Your Church Can Make You Healthier
Our 10-month-old grandson recently went through a medical emergency. His immune system was compromised and his body was under assault from an … [Read more...] about Your Church Can Make You Healthier
The two most dangerous words
Yes, but… Two of the most dangerous words in a minister’s vocabulary. Two of the most destructive words a congregation will ever utter. Yes, … [Read more...] about The two most dangerous words
A new ministerial role
For centuries the church has taken Ephesians 4 to heart and suggested that there are five primary roles for a minister to fulfill. Modern ministers … [Read more...] about A new ministerial role
