Michael Binder, Ph.D.
2656 Garfield Street NE • Minneapolis, MN 55118 Email: [email protected] • Phone: 612.702.1593
EDUCATION
LUTHER SEMINARY, St. Paul, Minnesota 09/10 – 06/17 Ph.D., Congregational Mission and Leadership Dissertation: “Discovering God in the Local: An Action Research Intervention within a Denominational Regional Church System.”
BETHEL SEMINARY, St. Paul, Minnesota 03/04 – 06/08 Master of Divinity, emphasis in Christian Thought
PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, Princeton, New Jersey 07/02 – 06/03 Studies applied towards Masters of Divinity degree at Bethel Seminary
CARLETON COLLEGE, Northfield, Minnesota 09/96 – 6/00 Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Magna Cum Laude
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
LUTHER SEMINARY, St. Paul, Minnesota Course Instructor: SGO405 Leading Christian Communities in Mission 2019 CL0535 God’s Mission: Biblical and Theological Explorations 2018 SG0405 Leading Christian Communities in Mission 2018 CL7511 Integration of Theology and Ministry (D.Min.) 2017 CL7511 Integration of Theology and Ministry (D.Min.) 2016 CL7511 Integration of Theology and Ministry (D.Min.) 2015 CL7511 Integration of Theology and Ministry (D.Min.) 2014
BETHEL SEMINARY, St. Paul, Minnesota Course Instructor: CP501 Introduction to Preaching 2013 CP720 Finding Your Voice in Preaching 2012 CP763 Preaching.tv: Integrating Arts and Media in Preaching 2012 CP551 Preaching Practicum 2012 CP551 Preaching Practicum 2011 CP763 Preaching.tv: Integrating Arts and Media in Preaching 2010 CP720 Finding Your Voice in Preaching 2010 CP551 Preaching Practicum 2010 CP551 Preaching Practicum 2009
CHURCH LEADERSHIP ROLES
MILL CITY CHURCH (Northeast Minneapolis) Founding Pastor/Co-Lead Pastor 9/08 - Present
WOODRIDGE CHURCH (Medina, Minnesota) Young Adult Pastor 05/03 – 09/08
PROFESSIONAL ROLES
Founder, Consultant, Front Porch Consulting 2018 – Present Launched a consulting company focused on helping judicatories and local congregations engage change through missional theology, innovation and design thinking.
Consultant, The Missional Network 2013 – 2018 Served as a consultant for TMN for five years working with on a team to serve many mainline judicatories in the United States and Canada.
Director of Preaching, Bethel Seminary 2006 – 2013 Led a team of preaching professors charged with redesigning the preaching curriculum at Bethel. Scheduled all preaching course offerings for Bethel Seminary and worked with adjunct professors to create a cohesive curriculum. Responsible for the development and teaching of several courses.
CONSULTING EXPERIENCE
Luther Seminary Consulted on design for Thriving in Ministry Lilly Grant of $1M focused on Leadership for Faithful Innovation. Helping to design and implement four-year training process related to accepted proposal focused on addressing the “effectiveness crisis,” experienced by pastors and congregations. Regularly engaged with leaders from six different ELCA synods.
Luther Seminary Helped design and launch a new learning community for judicatories focused on Faithful Innovation. Co- designed and co-led two training experiences for teams of leaders from nine different judicatories.
Episcopal Diocese of Central New York 2017 – Present Co-designed and facilitated the launch of a learning community initiative for 32 parishes in the diocese. Provided quarterly onsite training for teams of lay people and clergy.
Presbytery of Cincinnati 2014 – 2017 Co-designed and co-led a three-year culture change process engaging the leadership of the Presbytery, local pastors, and lay persons from 20 different congregations. This included monthly travel to provide trainings on listening, adaptive leadership, and missional change. Did Ph.D research on this change process.
Presbytery of Inland Northwest 2014 – Present Launched and facilitated a missional change process for leadership of the Presbytery, pastors, and lay leaders. Provided trainings quarterly for lay leaders and pastors interested in joining God’s work in their local context. Continue to provide coaching and guidance for ongoing learning community efforts.
Easter Lutheran Church (ELCA) 2018 – Present Designed and co-led a process of listening for the Vision Board to help discern next steps.
Crosspoint Community Church (Christian Missionary Alliance) 2013 – Present Provided on-site trainings and monthly coaching for pastors, staff, and lay person on topics of missional theology, discipleship, organizational development, leadership, and community development.
Presbytery of Detroit 2016 – 2017 Coached the Innovative Communities Ministry Team in their efforts to figure out a strategy for church planting in the Presbytery.
Calvary Christian Reformed Church 2015 – 2016 Designed and led a ministry renewal process called Ministry & Mission Renewal (MMR). Process helped the church identity some ways for the laity to engage the neighborhood.
Trinity Church – Indianapolis 2015 - 2016 On-site visit with staff and elders and year-long coaching engagement focused on clarifying mission, vision and practices with an emphasis on missional theology.
Minneapolis Learning Community 2014 – 2015 Designed, recruited participants, and led a learning community of four congregations focused on joining God’s work in the neighborhood.
Reformed Church of America 2013 – 2014 Assistant to Dr. Craig Van Gelder on judicatory level project focused on culture change.
Moravian Church of North America Assistant to Dr. Craig Van Gelder on Adaptive Leadership consulting project. 2012 – 2013
SPEAKING/FACILITATING
Facilitator, Mission, Vision & Values Clarity, Greater Milwaukee Synod, Nov 2018
Speaker/Facilitator, “Riding Backwards Bicycles,” Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, Sept 2018
Keynote, “Riding Backwards Bicycles,” Synod of British Columbia, ELCIC, May 2018
Speaker/Facilitator, Growing Iowa Leaders Gathering, Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, Apr 2018
Coach, Church Planting and Revitalization Certificate Program, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, 2017 –
Facilitator, “Leading Missional Change,” EIRO – Collection of Churches in Atlanta, Mar 2015
Facilitator, “Leading Adaptively in Local Contexts,” EIRO – Collection of Churches in Atlanta, Sept 2015
Co-Facilitator, “Moving Back into the Neighborhood,” Presbytery of Chicago, Nov 2014
Speaker/Facilitator, “Moving Back into the Neighborhood,” Tenth Church, Vancouver BC, Oct 2014
Panel Speaker, Faith and Work Conversation, Christianity Today, Saint Paul, Oct 2014
Co-Facilitator, “Moving Back into the Neighborhood,” Pentecostal Church in Calgary, Jun 2014
PUBLICATIONS
“The Block Party Church,” Christianity Today, August 2014 (web)
“Failing Them Softly: Disappointing People’s Expectations Is Inevitable. Just Do It at a Rate They Can Tolerate,” Leadership 35, no. 2 (Spr 2014): 29–31.
"Are we losing our boldness in evangelism?" Converge Point Magazine, Winter 2010
ADVISING
DMin Thesis Supervisor, Northern Seminary, Drew Johnson, 2018
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Academy of Religious Leadership Editorial Board Member 2018 – Present Member 2013 – Present
ECCLESIASTICAL STATUS
Licensed Pastor, Mill City Church Mill City Church is part of Converge Worldwide—Baptist General Conference (converge.org)
LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES
Founding Board Member, Impact Lives (impactlives.org) 2010 – 2013
Founding and Current Board Member, The Sheridan Story 2013 – Present