From Good to Great: The Jesus Challenge

The leaders of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and other social organizations need to restructure their organzations to meet 21st Century challenges. Leadership strategies which will hande the disparate, disinherited, and disenfranchised congregants will need to include the social, economic, political, and educational realities.

A detailed analysis of our present systems must be conducted in such a way that our restructure will be both relevant and familiar to our membership. I hope to balance the analysis in the areas of past and present norms, which will provide a workable construct for the restructure proposed.

Professionally, I intend to teach, lecture, and work with various churches, nonprofits and educational organizations to develop leadership models capable of meeting the challenges of ministry in a 21^st century culture. With the increase in crime and violence, churches and other nonprofits will have to deal with issues of justice in new and creative ways. I hope to be able to research and collaborate with my colleagues in developing ways that leadership can reintegrate and reacclimatize persons returning to society from incarceration into its ranks with dignity and caution.

I believe that theological scholar-practitioners can shape and inform the mindset of 21^st century leaders. Any ideas and theories that will help in this effort is what this blog is all about. I shall research and post certain information that will assist the clergy and laity in this effort as well as publish my musing as I continue to study the nature of leadership. In this way, the CME Church will be able to live up to its theme "From Good to Great: The Jesus Challenge."

My Life and Times

Biographical Sketch

Reverend Earl J. Griffin, Sr.

Reverend Earl J. Griffin, Sr. was born September 24, 1955, in Greenville, North Carolina. He is the eighth child of thirteen born to William Earl and Nettie Mae Griffin of Grifton, North Carolina.

Upon graduation from Ayden-Grifton High School, June 7, 1973, Reverend Griffin began a twenty-year military career with the United States Army. He retired on October 1, 1993 as a First Sergeant.

Reverend Griffin began preaching in 1979, in a small European town called Mons, Belgium. He was one of several ministers that fellowshipped with the United Gospel Fellowship organized under the Chaplaincy of the Army at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. He became a Preacher in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in 1984 while assigned to the United States Army Infantry Center, Fort Benning, Columbus, Georgia, as a member of the Ebenezer CME Church. He has served as a Pastor in the CME Church since 1992: Rock of Ages CME Church, Augusta; Woodlawn and Jones Chapel CME Churches, Harlem; Trinity CME Church, Toccoa; Holsey Memorial CME Church, Sparta; St Paul CME Church, Shiloh, Georgia; and Mt. Olive CME Church, Ft. Valley, GA.

Reverend Griffin graduated with a Master, Divinity Degree from Erskine Theological Seminary, Due West, South Carolina. He also received an Associates and Bachelors Degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland while still serving in the United States Army. Reverend Griffin graduated from the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy in June 1991.

Pastor Griffin is noted for his work in Local Church Leadership Development as a Workshop Presenter, Lecturer, Writer, and Facilitator. He also travels about the denomination conducting Evangelism, Vision, and Church Growth Conferences. He is currenlty pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership and Organizational Change at Walden University.

Reverend Griffin is married to Marilyn McDowell Griffin, an educator of 28 years. Together they enjoy seven children: Diane, a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta; Winston, a graduate of Richmond University; Tamika, a graduate of the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, VA; Kwasi, a member of the United States Army; Chacorra, a Junior at Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia; Din, a Sophomore at Georgia State University; and Earl Jr. a Sophomore at Manchester High School, Manchester, Georgia. Reverend Griffin also has three grandchildren: Jalen Burns, Diego Olivares and Christian Alexander; one son, Naeem, has preceded him in death.