A Conversation with former Leadership Fellow Rev. Caroline Hamilton-Arnold
Former HELM Leadership Fellow Caroline Hamilton-Arnold, who currently serves as the Associate Director for Week of Compassion, believes that being a good leader depends on the ability to build and nurture relationships: “The most valuable lesson in leadership I gained from the Fellows program is that leadership, like faith, is relational. If a life of faith is aboutright relationship with God, self, neighbor, and creation, then to be a faith leader is to foster those kinds of relationships.” Rev. Hamilton-Arnold, who holds a Master of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology and a BA from Texas Christian University, goes on to note that “Most obviously, this means seeking collaboration and cooperation in my ministry. It also informs the attitudes I carry into interactions, the ways I create and inhabit spaces, and the questions I ask of systems and structures—always centering the balance of those four relationships. Prioritizing relational leadership requires rearranging power to be mutual and non-coercive. In a moment when we are confronted, once again, by the rampant abuse of pastoral authority to objectify and exploit others, this lesson of relational power is paramount.”
Another lesson learned from her time as a Leadership Fellow is how to deal with failure: “I have always been the goal-setting, perfection-seeking type. As such, Itend to shy away from risk, because risk perchance means failure. One year of my fellowship, we had half-a-dozen or so fellows at TCU. At the time, part of the Fellows program was to create and implement a project that would benefit a congregation or community. We decided to try something new and generate a joint project. We assessed our skills and passions, identified a community partner with needs we could help fill, and designed the project. Then it failed. Abjectly. Through that experienceand the process of evaluating what had derailed our plans, I learned about the growth that comes from failure.”
When asked about memories from her participation in the Leadership Fellows Program, Rev. Hamilton-Arnold said, “The Leadership Fellows program introduced me to the broader world of the Disciples! During my high school years, I was very involved with our youth leadership team and camping program, but myconnections with the denomination stopped at the Regional level. During my first summer as a fellow (2007), HELM made it possible for me to attend my first General Assembly, and I haven’t missed one since.” Reflecting on her first experience at a General Assembly she recalled: “In an arena in Fort Worth, this church embodied on a grand scale what I deeply loved about my local Disciples of Christ congregation. This gathering of diverse people, after a day of admittedly contentious debate on various resolutions, heard the gospel preached by Rev. Sharon Watkins then gathered around the table to share the Lord’s Supper. General Assembly and the connections made during the annual retreat fostered in me a deep appreciation for the way our covenantal structure can, at its best, foster collaboration and shared ministry across the breadth of the church.”
In her role with as Associate Director of Week of Compassion—the relief, refugee, and development mission fund for the Disciples, her primary focus is on domestic (US and Canada) disaster response. She coordinates with local congregations and ecumenical partners after disasters, providing solidarity grants where Disciples households or churches sustained material damage or where Disciples are involved in offering early relief, connecting Disciples with resources and organizations to support long-term recovery, and (where appropriate) collaborating with Disciples Volunteering to engage volunteers for rebuilding. She also promotes disaster preparedness and educates for responsible disaster response among Disciples congregations and connects with Disciples congregations to share about the work of Week of Compassion and to celebrate the generosity of congregations.
The HELM Leadership Fellows Program is for undergraduate students who are part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Click here for more information.