Nollau Institute’s Second Retreat Gives Participants Fresh Eyes to Realize Their Leadership Potential

The second retreat of the Nollau Leadership Institute class of 2026 took place Oct. 6-10, 2025, at Bellwether Farm in Wakeman, Ohio. The retreat built on the first retreat’s emphasis on the personal aspects of leadership to explore organizational life, coaching strategies, restorative and social justice in the workplace, and other leadership skills. 

The second retreat often is when Nollau classmates recognize the meshing of their leadership skills and personal growth, and this year was another awakening for participants.

“While each retreat had a different focus, the learnings to me, professionally and personally, have been significant,” said the Rev. Dr. Bentley deBardelaben-Phillips, transitional executive of the UCC’s Love of Church unit.  “My leadership skills and tools have been strengthened and sharpened to meet the needs of those with whom I minister and guide from a deeply grounded, heart-centered, and more vulnerable space.”

“Vulnerable leadership,” deBarelaben-Phillips added, “is courageous and sound leadership.”

Maria Seidel, associate of programs with The Pensions Boards—United Church of Christ, remarked how the first retreat laid a strong foundation for the second retreat. “While the Nollau Leadership Institute is technically a professional leadership formation program, it is effectively a deep practice of guided self-reflection, contemplation, and personal overhaul that naturally supports a revolution in leadership style and approach,” she said. “Nollau’s brilliance lies in that foundation-building of the first retreat that lays the groundwork for truly constructive leadership development.” 

The retreat included a visit to the UCC’s national offices in Cleveland, where UCC staff led a panel and discussion with the Nollau class members. Panelists included Charles Jerfferson Jr., the UCC’s director of marketing and communications, and Rev. Rachel McDonald, the UCC’s generosity officer for Our Church’s Wider Mission and special mission offerings.

“The key takeaways I have from the second retreat come from our time at the UCC national office,” said CHHSM Rev. Jerry Paul Scholar Breona Hawkins. “As we discussed the importance of finding funding and ways to fund raise for the church’s sustainability, our panelists said something profound: their faith was in Jesus’ legacy and the legacy of local churches that have sustained with little-to-no money, and not in the physical building of the church. That stood out to me because we often lose sight of where our faith and hope should be when we are too focused on the results—the physical manifestation of what we deem success. Results are important, yes. However, when we become too concerned with one way of existing or knowing, we miss out on all the other amazing ways that God’s spirit is moving throughout our world and within our communities. Yes, money is important, but the legacy of who we are as a people of faith speaks louder.”

The October gathering included large presentations on the major topics; but it also included small group discussion circles, along with creative and artistic rituals and healing circles to re-energize participants. These smaller sessions had a huge impact on classmates and facilitators alike. 

“Something I’ve discovered is that when you give people beautiful materials, they make beautiful things,” said the Rev. Dr. Elyse Berry, CHHSM’s associate for advocacy and leadership development. 

Some of those beautiful things were created in a wooden frame project. The exercise was intended to have participants contemplate what would happen if leaders included more craft in their work. The instructions asked, “What might you notice if you lingered on the product of your artistry, the gifts within yourself and others you may have forgotten?” Each classmate was asked to spend time with their piece of wood, and to color, draw, and/or write on it whatever came up for them. 

“This year’s cohort truly made stunning pieces and continued to add, tweak, and craft on their wooden frame projects all week long,” Berry said. “They also helped each other, engaged with one another on their vision and what they made, and noticed the tiniest details about teach other’s work. In the didactic on Emergent Strategy, we talk about how “where attention goes, energy glows,” and as I watched them interact with each other during the week on their art pieces, it was powerful to see their own art of noticing, of paying attention to how a small detail is related to the whole, the story the piece told without words.”

This is a part of leadership that is not talked about enough,” added Berry. “What do you notice in your leadership? What don’t you tend to notice? Where does your energy go? All of this is rich solid for leadership formation work.”

Hawkins said one thing she enjoyed about the retreat was, “of course, reuniting with my small group cohort,” she said. “It was great seeing everyone and catching up.”

She also found the closing ritual meaningful, where each person took a rock with a positive affirmation word on it out of a bowl. “My rock said, ‘connect,’” Hawkins said, “which was a great reminder to connect with God, myself, and others, even when I am busy and feeling overwhelmed.”

Seidel agreed. “While I deeply value the varied offerings that Nollau provides in lecture, discussion, and hands-on formats, the most impactful aspect of this program for me continues to be the connections formed in the small groups,” she said. The leadership concepts introduced get “put into action and practice through the surprisingly and refreshingly honest and open conversations among the small group cohorts. … I couldn’t be more grateful for these frank, compassionate and intelligent discussions with remarkable and accomplished peers across and beyond the UCC affiliated organizations.”

One of those conversations was on Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead. “One of my favorite sections was the facilitation of Brené Brown’s book and the robust conversations that ensued,” said deBardelaben-Phillips.

Seidel found that the book and subsequent discussions actively changed her leadership style the next week. She found one quote key:

Leaders must either invest a reasonable amount of time attending to fears and feelings, or squander an unreasonable amount of time trying to manage ineffective and unproductive behavior.
— Brené Brown, Dare to Lead

“Nollau exemplifies this by spending that reasonable amount of time on creating space to find that inner clarity, allowing us to be fully open to learning skills for daring leadership,” Seidel said. “The proof was in the pudding when I found myself utilizing new language and concepts around emergent strategy gained through the second retreat in a meeting that same week.”

The retreat was led by the Berry; the Rev. Dr. Zaria Davis, CHHSM’s associate for member engagement; CHHSM President and CEO Jamar Doyle;  the Rev. Wendy Schindler-Chasney, 2023 Nollau graduate and pastor of St. John’s UCC in Milan, Ohio; and theologian and pastor Mona West.

For Breona Hawkins, the retreat helped her in her own discernment process. “This retreat really helped me think more about how I work and interact with the people in my organization,” she said. “The retreat itself helped me think about my plans within my organization. I allowed myself to question whether my current vocation is where I want to be long-term. And if so, in what creative ways can I implement the tools I learned at the retreat into my role at work —or if I should start my own organization.”

Hawkins added, “I am grateful for how, through everything I learned at the retreat, I felt affirmed that I have the necessary leadership skills to use wherever I go.”

All photos by Elyse Berry, except where noted.