Leading Well: How the Leader’s Collaborative is Strengthening Churches
In a recent panel disucssion at UBA’s Annual Celebration, Pastor Bryant Lee (UBA Consultant, and Pastor of Higher Expectations Church) sat down with Pastor Eric Lacy ( True Love Church) and Dr. Clyde McCray (Gracious Hope International Church).
They discussed the Leader’s Collaborative and how it has impacted their lives and leadership. The goal of the Leader’s Collaborative is simple yet profound: to pull together various pathways into one collective effort to renew and reproduce healthy churches—specifically within the African-American context.
But as the conversation revealed, the impact of The Leader’s Collaborative goes far beyond organizations to impacts the lives of each leader and their community.
1. The Impact on the the Pastor
When asked about the impact of the collaborative, Pastor Eric Lacy started by talking about his own life. He noted that the accountability and relationships found within UBA have been "life-changing," helping him grow into a better brother, husband, father, and friend.
"It's one of those things that just changes you immensely as a leader," Lacy shared. "You bring that back to your local churches."
The Collaborative breaks the isolation of leadership, providing a space where pastors can find brothers who share the same passion for the gospel.
2. Experiencing "Real Deal" Missions Together
The conversation took a global turn as the group discussed their travels to Puerto Rico and Kampala, Uganda. Pastor Lacy recalled sleeping on cots and walking across swampland to bless a home in Kampala.
Pastor Bryant Lee pointed out a strategic truth behind these trips: "It is going to be hard for us to convince African-American churches that we need to send missionaries if none of us have been on mission."
Because these pastors have seen the foundation of a church changed in Puerto Rico and heard the testimony of those in Kampala who kept notes on their sermons, they are now returning to Houston with a deep passion for raising up the next generation of missionaries.
3. From "Ought-To" to "How-To"
One of the most significant hurdles for any church is the gap between knowing they should reach their community and knowing how. Dr. Clyde McCray highlighted that UBA provided the missing link for Gracious Hope.
"We've been told that we need to do it," McCray said, "but the presenters at Union Baptist... have told us how to do it."
By providing practical tools, UBA helped his congregation drop their "fear level" and begin to engage through:
Prayer Walks: Literally walking the streets and praying for neighbors.
Campus Openings: Opening their doors for food distribution and direct prayer.
Strategic Partnerships: Collaborating with ministries like Wife Life to reach women.
4. A Strategy for Lasting Change: Bring the Team
As the discussion wrapped up, Pastor Bryant Lee issued a crucial piece of advice for the next cohort of the Leader’s Collaborative.
Too often, a pastor attends a training alone, gets inspired, and returns to a church that hasn't heard the vision, making change nearly impossible.
The new model for the Collaborative encourages pastors to show up with their leaders. When the team hears the training together, they can institute change together.
Better Together
Whether it’s sleeping on a cot in a mission field or walking a local neighborhood in Houston, the message from Pastor Lee, Pastor Lacy, and Dr. McCray remains the same: We are better together.
Watch the Full Conversation: African American Church Leaders Leading Well
To learn more about joining a cohort or connecting with our African American Ministry initiatives, visit UBA’s Collaborate page or contact us at info@ubahouston.org.
Bryant Lee sits down with Pastor Ralph Peters of Southside Fellowship to discuss church planting in an urban Houston context, healthy rhythms of life for a church planter, and everyday faithfulness.