Kingswood University is pleased to announce a centre to inspire and equip leaders in the local church – the Buckingham Leadership Institute. Named in honour of its co-founders, Dr. Laurel D. and Mrs. Lois Buckingham, the Institute will encourage leadership by offering programs for maximizing the potential of pastors and the organizations they lead.
Buckingham, a 1961 Kingswood University graduate, served as lead pastor of Moncton Wesleyan Church in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, from 1969 to 2013. During that time the church grew from an average worship attendance of less than 150 to nearly 2,000. He led the congregation through relocation and the eventual construction of the largest auditorium in Atlantic Canada. His success as an effective leader in ministry is known across The Wesleyan Church and beyond. He is a passionate preacher of the gospel with a burning zeal to see lives changed by the power of God.
“Of great concern to us is the decline of so many churches,” said Dr. Buckingham, who knows that far too many churches failed to baptize even one new believer last year. “Pastors need to understand leadership principles to help their church go on to new levels of growth and impact.”
Kingswood University is committed to being part of the solution. In addition to preparing effective graduates to lead churches and ministries, Kingswood is uniquely blessed with key faculty and staff members who are ready and able to serve as consultants and coaches for local congregations that are longing for renewal and growth. Dr. and Mrs. Buckingham, who have shared over 50 years of effective ministry experience, join Kingswood University to merge the vision and passion of both university and pastor.
“Pastors have the leadership role but do not always understand what leadership is,” said Buckingham. “It is my conviction that with an understanding of leadership and its implications, the status of decline can be turned around.”
With Dr. Buckingham serving as CEO, the Buckingham Leadership Institute will host training events and provide coaching to local church leaders. Churches will also have access to organizational consultations to help them identify specific ways to grow and impact their community. Through every program and activity, the Buckingham Leadership Institute will encourage leaders, grounding them in vision, passion, tenacity, generosity, and humility.
“The church ought to be the most alive, innovative, creative, and growing organization in a community,” said Buckingham. “However, that requires vision and passion. It is our goal to see that leadership will have vision and passion instilled.”
“Leadership liberates so that our greatest potential can be realized,” concluded Buckingham.
Laurel and Lois Buckingham
