Ryan Long Email & Phone Number

“If a better society is to be built...then the most open course is to raise both the capacity to serve and the very performance as servant”- Robert Greenleaf in “Servant Leadership”I believe this “open course” to be true, descriptive of my leadership experience, and a critical goal to be relentlessly pursued. Our team of pastors engender servant leadership with a goal to make a large church feel smaller. We support the church’s vision by creating ministry opportunities for new and seasoned participants to feel included and progress on a pathway of spiritual growth, marked by volunteering, small groups, baptism, and bible training.The “capacity to serve” has deepened into a key component of my leadership style, with instincts designed for order, coherence, shared ownership, and efficiency. The impulse to intentionally build and sharpen service capacity is inspired by other leaders who affirm the quantity and quality of work possible, being described as “the most conscientious.”An ability to deepen capacity has been demonstrated by (1) designing a new tracking and communication process for church membership, improving the response time from an average 2-4 weeks with 8-10 hrs of work, to 24 hrs with a few minutes of output (2) recruiting and deploying a team of 89 volunteers who serve regularly and directed by two volunteer leaders (3) leading a small team of pastors to operationalize a new ministry in 104 days and enrolling 264 people. My goal is to be proficient and deepen capacity by engaging substantive and meaningful work, modeled in Cal Newport’s book “Deep Work,” supported by a distinct path of intentionality and focus. “Performance as servant” has been shaped by overseeing an assimilation process with hundreds of hours listening to personal life-stories, intending to direct their spiritual formation and ministry engagement. I want to understand before being understood, learning the real, felt need below the surface, and consistently serving other people’s interests. I instinctually detect the unique texture of a conversation in context, sensing the undercurrents that drive communication and decision making, aiming to actively listen to offer an effective solution, encouragement, or challenge. Other leaders have affirmed my emotional intelligence, describing me as having “the best customer service skills.”Beyond ministry I am proudly married to my best friend and love being the father to our four young children. I enjoy soaking up a thought provoking biography, documentary, or podcast while sipping cheap coffee or cycling.