Adam Hamilton (pastor)
Encyclopedia
Rev. Adam Hamilton is the senior pastor of the 18,000 member United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
in Leawood, Kansas
. It is the largest United Methodist congregation in the United States
, measured by weekend attendance. The congregation has recently expanded to multiple sites in the Kansas City area, including an online congregation. Rev. Hamilton has received numerous awards including the B'nai B'rith
award in Social Ethics, the Denman Award in Evangelism, and the Circuit Rider
Award for excellence in church leadership. He was named one of the "Ten People to Watch in America's Spiritual Landscape" by Religion & Ethics Newsweekly
and named Distinguished Evangelist of the United Methodist Church
by the Foundation for Evangelism. He has been awarded two honorary doctorates. He currently serves as a Trustee at Saint Paul School of Theology
and as a member of the Kansas East Board of Professional Ministry. He lectures on leadership, evangelism and preaching across the country. Hamilton spoke at the 2010 Willow Creek Leadership Summit on the topic of leaders and the power of temptation.
area and graduated from Blue Valley High School
. He is a graduate of Oral Roberts University
and Perkins School of Theology
at Southern Methodist University
.
At the age of 14, Hamilton was at the house of a friend when a Pentecostal
layman and door-to-door evangelist knocked on the front door. The visitor evangelized in this way despite being able to speak only through an artificial voice box held up to his throat. The man invited the boys to church, and even though they joked with one another that he sounded like Darth Vader
, Hamilton went. Rev. Hamilton has stated that he did not know why he attended the church services but hinted at the answer by admitting, "I wasn't interested in God. I was interested in girls". Original motives notwithstanding, Hamilton continued participating in the church and increasingly felt drawn to God. Finally, after reading the Gospel of Luke
, Hamilton decided to become a Christian. His original goal did not go unmet, however. While attending services at the Pentecostal church, he met the girl who would later become his wife, LaVon Bandy. Together, they have two adult daughters.
Still affiliated with the Pentecostal church after graduating, he attended Oral Roberts University
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, earning a BA in Pastoral Ministry. During his time at Oral Roberts University, Hamilton began questioning the theology he had received during his teenage years. During this period of searching, he came across a copy of the United Methodist Book of Discipline
and decided that the United Methodist Church
seemed to be a better fit for him theologically. After completing his undergraduate education, he enrolled in Perkins School of Theology
, a United Methodist seminary.
after requesting permission from the local bishop to do so. The bishop excitedly cast a vision to Hamilton that, given 10 years, the church might even grow to 500 members. At the time, all of the schools and community buildings in the area were being leased on Sunday mornings by other church plants who had similar aspirations. Willing to think outside the box
, Hamilton decided to ask the owner of the newly built McGilley State Line Chapel funeral home
if the new church could meet there for Sunday morning worship services. Before Hamilton got the chance to ask, however, the owner contacted Hamilton and asked him if the new church would consider meeting there. Hamilton casually agreed. The name "Church of the Resurrection
" seemed to be a good fit for a congregation that met in a funeral home.
In the early 1990s, most church plants in the area were following the new trend of contemporary worship pioneered by Willow Creek Community Church
in South Barrington, Illinois
. Hamilton, again thinking innovatively, realized that many baby boomers in his community had grown up in United Methodist congregations but had left the church in early adulthood. He strategized that many of these nominally Christian boomers would return to a church that resembled the church of their childhood but was more relevant to their daily lives. Judging from the rapid growth of Church of the Resurrection, he was right.
Hamilton also surmised that the educated population of Leawood would be drawn by sermons that engaged not only the heart but also the head. Therefore, Hamilton's sermons are addressed to thoughtful Christians who have questioned their faith and are comfortable with nuance. His aim in preaching is to impart content to the conregation that would be the equivalent of a college course on the topic. As indicated by the title of one of his books and his blog, Hamilton is intellectually comfortable with seeing the gray in a world that often sees only black and white.
. According to the church website, Church of the Resurrection was listed as the most influential mainline church in America in a 2005 survey of American pastors. The Church of the Resurrection has a threefold focus: 1. Reaching non-religious and nominally religious people and helping them become committed followers of Jesus Christ; 2. Equipping and inspiring members to live their faith in mission to the community and world; and 3. Acting as a catalyst for renewing the mainline church. This mission is spelled out with large signage on the walls of the church narthex
. Annually, the church hosts Leadership Institute, a conference aimed at mostly mainline church leaders, at which they can learn about the latest outreach methods employed by Church of the Resurrection.
In addition, recruiting, training, and supporting young United Methodist clergy is a major piece of Rev. Hamilton's renewal strategy. In an April 2009 post on the United Methodist Young Clergy website, Rev. Hamilton is quoted as stating:
United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection is a congregation of the United Methodist Church. The main campus is located in Leawood, Kansas with satellite campuses in Olathe, Kansas, downtown Kansas City, Missouri & Blue Springs, Missouri....
in Leawood, Kansas
Leawood, Kansas
Leawood is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. The city is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri and is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 31,867.-History:...
. It is the largest United Methodist congregation in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, measured by weekend attendance. The congregation has recently expanded to multiple sites in the Kansas City area, including an online congregation. Rev. Hamilton has received numerous awards including the B'nai B'rith
B'nai B'rith
B'nai B'rith International |Covenant]]" is the oldest continually operating Jewish service organization in the world. It was initially founded as the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith in New York City, on , 1843, by Henry Jones and 11 others....
award in Social Ethics, the Denman Award in Evangelism, and the Circuit Rider
Circuit rider (Religious)
Circuit rider is a popular term referring to clergy in the earliest years of the United States who were assigned to travel around specific geographic territories to minister to settlers and organize congregations...
Award for excellence in church leadership. He was named one of the "Ten People to Watch in America's Spiritual Landscape" by Religion & Ethics Newsweekly
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly is an American weekly television news-magazine program which airs on PBS-History and content:Premièring in 1997, it is the only television program devoted entirely to the news of religion and spirituality, along with major ethical issues...
and named Distinguished Evangelist of the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
by the Foundation for Evangelism. He has been awarded two honorary doctorates. He currently serves as a Trustee at Saint Paul School of Theology
Saint Paul School of Theology
Saint Paul School of Theology is a school of higher learning in Kansas City, Missouri and is one of 13 seminaries of the United Methodist Church. In addition to the downtown Kansas City campus, Saint Paul School of Theology at Oklahoma City University began offering courses in September 2008...
and as a member of the Kansas East Board of Professional Ministry. He lectures on leadership, evangelism and preaching across the country. Hamilton spoke at the 2010 Willow Creek Leadership Summit on the topic of leaders and the power of temptation.
Education and calling
Hamilton grew up in the Kansas CityKansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri and is bisected by the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 2,035,334. The metropolitan area is the...
area and graduated from Blue Valley High School
Blue Valley High School
Blue Valley High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Stilwell, Kansas, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. The school currently operates in the Blue Valley Unified School District. The principal is Scott Bacon, the associate principal is Bob Whitehead, and the assistant...
. He is a graduate of Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
and Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology is one of Southern Methodist University's three original schools. The theology school was renamed in 1945 to honor benefactors Joe J...
at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
.
At the age of 14, Hamilton was at the house of a friend when a Pentecostal
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
layman and door-to-door evangelist knocked on the front door. The visitor evangelized in this way despite being able to speak only through an artificial voice box held up to his throat. The man invited the boys to church, and even though they joked with one another that he sounded like Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
, Hamilton went. Rev. Hamilton has stated that he did not know why he attended the church services but hinted at the answer by admitting, "I wasn't interested in God. I was interested in girls". Original motives notwithstanding, Hamilton continued participating in the church and increasingly felt drawn to God. Finally, after reading the Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
, Hamilton decided to become a Christian. His original goal did not go unmet, however. While attending services at the Pentecostal church, he met the girl who would later become his wife, LaVon Bandy. Together, they have two adult daughters.
Still affiliated with the Pentecostal church after graduating, he attended Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, earning a BA in Pastoral Ministry. During his time at Oral Roberts University, Hamilton began questioning the theology he had received during his teenage years. During this period of searching, he came across a copy of the United Methodist Book of Discipline
Book of Discipline (United Methodist)
The Book of Discipline constitutes the law and doctrine of the United Methodist Church. It follows similar works for its predecessor denominations....
and decided that the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
seemed to be a better fit for him theologically. After completing his undergraduate education, he enrolled in Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology is one of Southern Methodist University's three original schools. The theology school was renamed in 1945 to honor benefactors Joe J...
, a United Methodist seminary.
Church of the Resurrection
In 1990, following a stint as an associate pastor in a United Methodist congregation, Hamilton was appointed to plant a new church in south Johnson County, KansasJohnson County, Kansas
Johnson County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States. The county is largely suburban, being part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, and containing many of its affluent southwestern suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 544,179. Its county...
after requesting permission from the local bishop to do so. The bishop excitedly cast a vision to Hamilton that, given 10 years, the church might even grow to 500 members. At the time, all of the schools and community buildings in the area were being leased on Sunday mornings by other church plants who had similar aspirations. Willing to think outside the box
Thinking outside the box
Thinking outside the box is to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking....
, Hamilton decided to ask the owner of the newly built McGilley State Line Chapel funeral home
Funeral home
A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include aprepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
if the new church could meet there for Sunday morning worship services. Before Hamilton got the chance to ask, however, the owner contacted Hamilton and asked him if the new church would consider meeting there. Hamilton casually agreed. The name "Church of the Resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
" seemed to be a good fit for a congregation that met in a funeral home.
In the early 1990s, most church plants in the area were following the new trend of contemporary worship pioneered by Willow Creek Community Church
Willow Creek Community Church
Willow Creek Community Church is a non-denominational, multi-generational Evangelical Christian megachurch located in the Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Illinois. It was founded on October 12, 1975 by Bill Hybels, who is currently the senior pastor...
in South Barrington, Illinois
South Barrington, Illinois
South Barrington is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States south of Barrington, Illinois. The population was 3,760 at the 2000 census. South Barrington is a wealthy suburb of Chicago and home to the famous megachurch Willow Creek Community Church. The village is known throughout the area...
. Hamilton, again thinking innovatively, realized that many baby boomers in his community had grown up in United Methodist congregations but had left the church in early adulthood. He strategized that many of these nominally Christian boomers would return to a church that resembled the church of their childhood but was more relevant to their daily lives. Judging from the rapid growth of Church of the Resurrection, he was right.
Hamilton also surmised that the educated population of Leawood would be drawn by sermons that engaged not only the heart but also the head. Therefore, Hamilton's sermons are addressed to thoughtful Christians who have questioned their faith and are comfortable with nuance. His aim in preaching is to impart content to the conregation that would be the equivalent of a college course on the topic. As indicated by the title of one of his books and his blog, Hamilton is intellectually comfortable with seeing the gray in a world that often sees only black and white.
Mainline renewal
Hamilton is committed to the renewal of the mainline church, especially the United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
. According to the church website, Church of the Resurrection was listed as the most influential mainline church in America in a 2005 survey of American pastors. The Church of the Resurrection has a threefold focus: 1. Reaching non-religious and nominally religious people and helping them become committed followers of Jesus Christ; 2. Equipping and inspiring members to live their faith in mission to the community and world; and 3. Acting as a catalyst for renewing the mainline church. This mission is spelled out with large signage on the walls of the church narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
. Annually, the church hosts Leadership Institute, a conference aimed at mostly mainline church leaders, at which they can learn about the latest outreach methods employed by Church of the Resurrection.
In addition, recruiting, training, and supporting young United Methodist clergy is a major piece of Rev. Hamilton's renewal strategy. In an April 2009 post on the United Methodist Young Clergy website, Rev. Hamilton is quoted as stating:
I have a heart for wanting to see the United Methodist Church renewed. God isn’t finished with it yet. We have an approach for the gospel that is exactly what’s needed for the 21st century. Our theology was postmodern and emergent before it was cool.
Young Pastor: The young clergy need the wisdom of those who have come before them and the older clergy need the insight, vision and energy of a group of people who might better understand the needs of this generation. So, in short - I would like to see more REAL partnerships taking place between younger clergy and more experienced clergy - to really begin dreaming and thinking about how the church needs to change in the future.... and then the money to back up their visions!— Rev. Adam Hamilton