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The Quaker Leadership Center (QLC) was launched in 2022 by Earlham School of Religion (ESR) in Richmond, IN. Established in 1960 as a graduate theological division of Earlham College, ESR is the pre-eminent Quaker seminary in the United States.
The Center is being funded with a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, which is designed to help theological schools in the U.S. and Canada prioritize and respond to the most pressing challenges they face as they prepare pastoral leaders now and into the future.
We are a ministry of ESR but seek to serve and connect a wide variety of Quaker leaders.
In a time of rapid cultural and congregational change,
We equip Quaker leaders to faithfully adapt by:
Join us on Friday, October 18th for a day of reflecting on the role of silence in pastoral ministry. Whether programmed or unprogrammed, Quakers have always valued silence as an important means of accessing divine grace and listening to God. Some talk about “centering down”…
Connect with our work and network by subscribing to our email list where you can get resources, reflections, and communications about upcoming events.
Friendly Reminder: Re-Tell the Whole Story A biweekly reflection from the Quaker Leadership Center By Andy Stanton-Henry I’ve been talking a lot about stories lately. It was the theme of our last Quaker Leadership Conference and this will be the third Friendly Reminder about the topic. In my meeting, we’ve been journeying…
Friendly Reminder: Tell a Story By Andy Stanton-Henry We recently gathered for our second annual QLC Quaker Leadership Conference. In case you missed out, our theme this year was “Stories for the Future.” Together, we explored how we tell the story of the Quaker movement that evokes possibility for the future. Storytelling…
Friendly Reminder: Tell the Whole Story By Andy Stanton-Henry In the last Friendly Reminder, I invited you to “tell a story” — to incorporate more narrative into your life, love, and leadership. Today, I would like to be a bit more specific in my invitation: “tell the whole story.” By “whole story,”…
Stop Firing Your Friends By Andy Stanton-Henry I recently read an article in The Atlantic about a trend that has taken hold within interpersonal relationships. When a friend lets us down, displays a disappointing character trait, or holds an opinion that is opposed to ours, we “fire” them. Maybe we simply ghost…
Attempt Repair By Andy Stanton-Henry In the last Friendly Reminder, I invited Friends to “accept influence,” drawing on the wisdom of the Gottman Love Labs. This time, I find myself drawn to another concept from Gottman’s system for long-term relationships: “the repair attempt.” The Gottmans define a repair attempt as “any statement…
By Andy Stanton-Henry One of the common definitions of leadership is the ability to influence others. John Maxwell famously says: “Leadership is influence — nothing more, nothing less.” It’s not a bad definition. We see the world as it is, envision the world as it could be, and seek to reduce that…
Let us know if you have questions, concerns, visitation inquiry, or request for resources
Director
Della is excited to see where God is leading the Center, ESR and the whole of the Religious Society of Friends. She is a Recorded Minister in Western Yearly Meeting and a trained spiritual director.
She recently completed a three-year interim as the leader of the Interim Co-Superintendent Team for Western Yearly Meeting of Friends, (33 Quaker Meetings in western IN and eastern IL). She also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the MBAOnline@UDayton program teaching “The Principled
Organization: Integrating Faith, Ethics and Work.”
Associate director
Andy is a writer, Quaker minister, chicken-keeper, and distraught Reds fan. He holds degrees from Barclay College and Earlham School of Religion, and is a doctoral student studying Open and Relational Theology. He carries a special concern for rural leaders, leading to his recently published book Recovering Abundance: Twelve Practices for Small-Town Leaders. Andy has also trained in spiritual direction, labyrinth facilitation, conflict transformation, and entrepreneurial ministry. A native Buckeye, Andy now lives in East Tennessee with his spouse, Ashlyn, their blue heeler Cassie, and their laying hens.
Administrative Assistant
Katrina McConaughey is a lifelong Quaker originally from the Pacific Northwest. She recently relocated to central Indiana with her husband Shawn, after serving a four-year term with Friends United Meeting in Kenya. She is most proud of having raised two awesome adult children, but also loves gardening and is almost as proud to have grown a six pound sweet potato this year!