PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
W
hen Glenn Burris Jr. became
interim president in 2009 and was
elected a year later, The Foursquare
Church was primed for a change. Many pastors
wondered why they even needed to be part of a
church network, and some in Foursquare began
raising those concerns directly to Glenn. Though
he had many obstacles to navigate, Glenn's
willingness to listen and take action continued
to build trust within our movement.
Out of those realities, Reimagine Foursquare
was born, and the then 86-year-old denomination
started to make noticeable changes. Because
of Glenn’s accessibility, including his prolific
Facebook presence, we experienced a leader
who went far beyond the courtesies of typical
executive leadership. When faced with tension,
he took our calls, responded to our emails
and flew out to our churches. “He broke the
power-distance divide that haunts many
organizations,” notes Ted Vail, vice president
of global operations and director of Foursquare
Missions International.
In 2013 Glenn, along with then General
Supervisor Tammy Dunahoo, visited each district
in a series of Town Hall Meetings to learn what our
pastors and leaders wanted Foursquare to become.
Foursquare chaplains, missionaries and affinity
groups were also integral to the conversations.
“Having the ability to spend several hours with
our ministers in locations all across the country
to listen deeply to their perspectives was worth
every minute,” recalls Tammy, now V.P. of U.S.
operations. “It gave our eyes and hearts new
clarity for prayer for them as well as better
understanding of the needs we could meet
and ideas for change we could enact. Glenn’s
shepherd heart set the tone for each gathering.
and we left feeling better connected and loving
this Foursquare family all the more.”
“Glenn is someone who
champions diversity and
equality. Over the last 11 years
during Glenn's leadership,
I have personally seen more
change in Foursquare than
what anyone could have
ever anticipated.”
—Huey Hudson, chair of the board of directors
Reimagine Foursquare refocused our church to
be about our Father’s business—growing healthy
churches in innovative ways. More money was
sent to churches for missional work in their
communities. More churches were welcomed
into the family thanks to property bylaw
changes. And more churches were planted.
WELCOME TO THE TABLE
Change wasn’t just about policies and
bylaws. Glenn made specific effort to welcome
new voices to the table. Glenn’s first major
appointment was the first-ever female general
supervisor. This appointment wasn’t just a
high-profile anomaly—the Foursquare board
of directors, Foursquare cabinet and central
office staff are filled with men and women,
young and senior leaders, as well as those of
diverse cultural backgrounds.
continued on page 8
FALL 2020
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