Grace and peace to you, my brothers and sisters in Christ! It is with excitement and anticipation that I pick up where Gerald Richardson has left off, with deep thanks to him for his work here. For just at a month now, I have been in this position of Director of Conference Spiritual Leadership Development for the General Board of Discipleship.

But Leading from the Center is not new to me. As Council Director of the South Indiana Conference, I had received it and appreciated its contents. I look forward to my work as editor for it and will be grateful for your comments and suggestions.

I, too, am convinced of the importance of spiritual leaders for the church and for the world. To be who we are called to be as the church, we must have people of spiritual depth leading from their own spiritual centers and through the unique gifts that each has been given. And we need to produce spiritual leaders to serve in the world. This, too, is our responsibility as Christ's church. Please join me in praying that this and each issue of Leading from the Center will lead you more deeply into Christ and into Christ's work in the church and world.

Blessings and peace,
Susan Ruach