Willow Creek Association

The Willow Creek Association (WCA), a 501(c)3 not-for-profit ministry, is an international Christian association of more than 7,000+ member churches from 90+ denominations and 90 countries.^[1]

About the WCA

In 1992, the Willow Creek Association was created as a way to link together churches for the purpose of “Reaching increasing numbers of lost people." The WCA develops training and leadership conferences and resources for its member churches. The Willow Creek Association is often confused with Willow Creek Community Church, or mistaken for a denomination. However, it is a distinctly separate organization which has close affiliations with Willow Creek Community Church. There are more than 13,000 member churches, which come from 90 denominations, and 45 different countries. There is an annual membership fee of $249 which gives the member church access to discounts on Willow Creek Resources and conferences, as well as a magazine, an audio journal, several web-based ministry tools, and a variety of Select Service Providers. Select Service Providers are ministries and organizations that provide products and services to member churches for a discounted price. ^[2]

To be a member of WCA it is a requirement that the member church, ministry, or leader hold to an “historic, orthodox understanding of biblical Christianity.”

The Global Leadership Summit

The Global Leadership Summit (GLS) is a two-day leadership broadcast event experienced by more than 170,000 leaders around the world, representing more than 14,000 churches. It is telecast Live from WCA's campus (near Chicago) every August. Throughout the fall, Summit events take place in 300 cities in 92 countries, and they are translated into 42 languages.

Bill Hybels started TGLS in 1995 as an annual training event for church, ministry and other leaders to sharpen their skills. The Global Leadership Summit exists to transform Christian leaders around the world with an injection of vision, skill development, and inspiration for the sake of the local church. The Summit telecasts live from the campus of Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago, reaching more than 185 premier host sites across the United States. In the months following, the Summit moves into more than 200 cities in 70+ countries across the globe via videocast. Summit 2010 attracted 122,000 leaders. That year, Fast Company featured an article on Willow Creek and The Global Leadership Summit.^[3]

The Global Leadership Summit 2011 videocast events took place from late September through January 2012 and were planned to reach 268 cities within 75 countries. The Summit is translated into 34 languages. Over 165,000 leaders from over 20,000 churches worldwide experienced the 2011 Summit.

Each year, this event features experts in the arena of leadership in lecture and interview formats. Worship music and dramas are also incorporated into the event. Past speakers have included Bono (former Time Magazine Co-Man of the Year and U2 lead singer), Ken Blanchard ("The One Minute Manager"), Marcus Buckingham ("StrengthFinders"), Jim Collins ("Good to Great" and "Built to Last"), and Mike Singletary (NFL Hall of Fame linebacker for the Chicago Bears). The 2007 event featured live and taped sessions with Colin Powell, Carly Fiorina, Floyd Flake, Marcus Buckingham, John Ortberg, Michael E. Porter (Harvard), Richard Curtis (film producer) and Former president Jimmy Carter.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz canceled a scheduled appearance at the 2011 event following calls to denounce Willow Creek’s position on homosexuality. In response, Hybels clarified that the church adhered to "the sexual ethics taught in Scriptures, which encourage sexual expression between a man and a woman in the context of marriage."^[4]

Global Leadership Summit statistics—2012

• Summit Leaders Registered: 170,000
• Churches Represented at the Summit: 14,000
• Countries: 90
• Languages: 42
• U.S. Host Sites: 230
• International Host Sites: 300
• WCA Member Churches Worldwide: 7,000+
• Denominations represented: 90+

Summit Speaker Roster

*Scheduled to appear

See also

• Willow Creek Community Church
• Bill Hybels
• Santiago Mellado

References

External links

• WCA Home Page