A Big Announcement for The Steward’s Journey: Introducing the Center for Steward Leader Studies

May 9, 2023

I am writing this blog with great excitement to announce a change in the future of The Steward’s Journey. You will notice that this blog post comes to you under two names: The Steward’s Journey and the Center for Steward Leader Studies.

We have believed for years that the best future for The Steward’s Journey is to collaborate with other, larger organizations that can provide stability and opportunities for growth. Over the past two years, we have been in discussion with Dr. Brian Simmons, Associate Provost for CIU Global and Professor of Leadership Studies at Columbia International University. As a result of those talks, the board of The Steward’s Journey recently voted to create the Center for Steward Leader Studies (CSLS) whose mission is to advance the awareness, understanding, and practice of the steward leader, inspiring and equipping leaders globally to advance the kingdom of God. In addition, the vision of the CSLS is to become the premier thought-leader in the field of steward theology in the world.

The new Center for Steward Leader Studies launches in a strategic alliance with Columbia International University (CIU) our first Partnering Institution. The CSLS will provide CIU with the opportunity to enhance its degree programs, add new continuing education products, expand its church partnership through pastor and lay training, incubate new research and writing, provide a proven international leadership program, serve as an enrollment feeder through the High School Steward Leader curriculum, and provide an income stream through consulting work generated through the CSLS serving businesses, nonprofits, and churches. Our goal is to add many more Partnering Institutions once our work with CIU is established.

As the Center for Steward Leader Studies, we will continue and expand the programs created through The Steward’s Journey:

• THE KOR-B FREEDOM PROFILE© which measures the extent a person is leading as a steward leader with diagnostic metrics and provides a tailored plan for growth steps. This assessment provides partnering institutions with a powerful research tool. It will challenge and bless thousands of global Christian leaders who complete their profiles and follow the discipleship plan for their journey. It will encourage and support a growing wave of master’s and doctoral theses that will significantly expand the research and writing on steward leadership and help prepare the next generation of thought leaders in steward theology.
• Two online courses, Becoming a Steward Leader Experience, targeting nonprofit leaders, and Becoming a Steward Leader in the Marketplace for business leaders, will expand the offerings of business schools and ministry preparation programs at our Partnering Institutions. Becoming a Steward Leader Experience has 50 nonprofit leader graduates, and Becoming a Steward Leader in the Marketplace has 20 Christian leader graduates.
• The Africa Steward Leader Initiative will be expanded to significantly enhance the leadership programs taught internationally through our Partnering Institutions. The Africa Steward Leader Initiative includes translating all our training materials and videos into French and Portuguese, training trainers to take this message broadly across Africa, and participating in training events in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Egypt.
• The High School Steward Leader Curriculum for 9th-12th grad students in our Partnering Institutions will prepare the next generation of Christian leaders for our church and country.
• The Steward Declaration and its companion book, A Call to Action, will continue to be promoted.
• Finally, this weekly blog will continue now under the CSLS. So please watch for it every week!

My prayer is that you will catch a glimpse of the potential in this vision and join our excitement at how this new configuration will allow the vision for The Steward’s Journey to go from strength to strength, opening new opportunities we never thought possible just a few years ago.

And do please keep this whole process in prayer. Together we can see this work continue to significantly impact the advancement of the Kingdom of God and lean wholly into this exciting opportunity for such a time as this.

Blessings and Deep Peace.