Mike was the co-founder of Mars Hill Church, alongside Mark Driscoll and Lief Moi – you can read about him in Driscoll’s Confessions. He is still in the Seattle area but now leads Harambee Church (harambee means “together, pushing forward” in Swahili) which he planted as part of the Acts29 network. Mike is also International Director of Acts29. I got to meet Mike in Seattle last month when he dropped me off at the airport at the end of the conference. He was heading off to India to do so some stuff with Acts29 there, and we had an hour or so to chat in the car. On the way we stopped off at Mike’s house and he helped out a neighbor who’s cat had been run over – truly a man for every situation…!
Who is your leadership hero? Why?
I have different leaders that I have looked up to for different reasons. There are sports heroes who I have thought were great leaders. Men like Mike Singletary and Ray Lewis (Football) were warriors who led by strong example, Steve Jobs (Apple) is creative and innovative, Martin Luther King (American Civil Rights Movement) was courageous and inspirational, men like Desmond Tutu (S. African Bishop) and Nelson Mandela (1st Black President in S. Africa; Post Apartheid) have shown resolve, courage and grace in the face of persecution, Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church), John Piper (Bethlehem Baptist Church), Tim Keller (Redeemer Presbyterian), not to mention men like Calvin, Spurgeon, Martin Luther, etc. who simply preached the gospel with conviction, clarity and passion; Nehemiah, David and Moses (Jewish Statesmen) for their integrity and conviction to carry out God’s will in the face of massive opposition and obstacles, lastly, for the many godly men and women that I see live out the gospel in obscurity, conviction and integrity throughout time; they are inspiring.
How long have you been in leadership?
For the better part of the last 30 years!
What was your first leadership role?
Outside of sports, it was when I was asked to lead a youth group when I was 22 years old, with no experience, and a believer for only 1 1/2 years. It was scary!
How long have you been in your current role?
As Lead pastor of Harambee it has been 6+ years, and as the International Director of A29, it has been 2 1/2 years.
How long has your church been established? Did you start it?
6+ Years and yes I planted Harambee. I also began the international wing of Acts 29.
What has been the growth curve of your church?
I’m not sure you would call it a curve. More like a squiggly line. We grew fairly quickly, then plateaued, then went backwards, then re-tooled, and have grown well for the past 2 years.
What has been your biggest leadership challenge?
Realizing that leadership can be lonely if you don’t reproduce yourself. It is also hard to move people toward vision that appears counter-intuitive.
What has been your greatest leadership success?
Definitely spending time discipling young men to lead, and diversifying the leadership in every way!!
How are you developing new leaders?
Mainly by discipleship, and seeing training as non-abstract. Training and discipling men toward mission (Church Planting), and not to run a program. We use our Missional Communities and DNA Groups (Discipling Triads) to help create more leadership.
How are you continuing to develop your own leadership gifts?
Books help me a lot, but being involved in a network as talented as Acts 29 has been invaluable to me, and my continued growth. We simply keep pushing one another. There are a lot of good men that love God and desire to do His kingdom work. I find that to be the most effective way of staying fresh and on target.
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