Churches Connecting with Churches
We received a message from our friend and Ministry Forum Community member - possibly from the furthest away - Rev. Eugênio Anunciação who is a Presbyterian pastor, serving as Director of Communication of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil. He recently completed studies at the Vancouver School of Theology to become eligible for reception as a minister in The Presbyterian Church in Canada. He was sharing about some new online training opportunity that he was participating in and wanted the Ministry Forum Community to know about it too.
It is called the City Leaders Collective (and there is a Canadian ‘chapter’). You can learn much about them at their website but I love their Defining Idea - The City Church
Within a deeply divided church, we envision Christ-centered, unified, movemental expressions of the “City Church” in cities around the globe. The city church is the most common expression of the church in the New Testament, composed of all believers and local church expressions. Because we value The City Church, everything we do is to help establish healthy, scalable and sustainable city networks that help the church of the city operate in the unity that our Lord Jesus both prayed for (John 17) and commanded (John 13).
Fascinatingly, coincidentally, Spirit ‘movingly’ (not a word)… we at Ministry Forum had already worked in partnership with members from two of these networks - and you know, there was something about the people we worked with that was different. Their openness and willingness to share freely and collaborate fully - I’m sad to say - surprised us. We don’t often come in contact to those kinds of kindred spirits in our work and ministry. It was wonderfully refreshing! And I do wonder if it is so a part of their DNA (as the City Leaders Collective articulates it) that it comes naturally to them.
We tip our hats to Tim Dickau and Amanda Mina from City Gate Vancouver and his team of collaborators who hosted the reimagine - church | land | community conference back in May. And kudos to our friends connected with “True City - Hamilton” (St. Cuthbert’s and Randall Neudorf) who made our Creative Ways 2025 conference in June such a beautiful occasion of sharing and learning.
Together for the good of the city | Short Film by John Butler
More about City Leaders Collective
Mission: We connect and equip City Network Leaders for the flourishing of their cities.
Vision: We envision thriving city networks, connecting and catalyzing the city church, for the flourishing of every city in the world.
Goal: To help catalyze and equip Transformational City Networks in every city in North and Latin America while being responsive to invitations from other cities around the world
Theological Distinctives
We embrace the Nicene Creed as our statement of faith. Our theological distinctive act as an anchor to clarify who we are and drive the efforts of City Leaders Collective.
The Centrality of Christ: A radical and unwavering commitment to Jesus, in whom we have been united to God, and is at the center of our identity and mission.
The Unity of His Church: A commitment to the reality that the church is already one in Christ, and that when lived out is the most powerful expression of Jesus’ gospel to the world.
The Flourishing of Cities: A commitment to seeking the shalom of cities, which are the epicenters of both culture and Christ’s mission in the world.
The Story of City Leaders Collective Canada
The story of City Leaders Collective (CLC) Canada is shaped by countless moments and inspiring individuals. Pioneers like Glenn Smith, Richard Long, and Dave Witt have dedicated over 30 years to advancing urban mission and inspiring city leaders across Canada. Initiatives like WayBase and City Movement Canada paved the way by mapping and connecting the Christian sector, fostering collaboration through monthly calls, and inspiring many through the catalytic 2022 City Impact Tour, which united churches across 15 cities to envision greater collaboration.
Daria, former Director of City and Community Engagement at WayBase, co-founded CLC in 2023 alongside Rob Kelly and Eric Swanson. Drawing on her leadership in the West Island Network (Montreal), leading national calls with WayBase and City Movement Canada, and doctoral studies in transformational leadership, she brought together insights and relationships to help advance collaboration in cities across Canada.
Though WayBase and City Movement Canada have concluded, their legacy lives on in the work of CLC Canada. Today, Daria collaborates with a passionate team of Canadian advisors and city network leaders, equipping cities with tools, coaching, and resources to catalyze holistic transformation across Canada.