2027 Annual Conference

Academy of Religious Leadership
Annual Conference, April 22-24, 2027
Wartburg Theological Seminary
Dubuque, IA

“Spirit-led Leadership, Spirit-led Communal Formation”

Language such as discernment, formation, and even spirituality has become commonplace in preparing ministry leaders for a variety of roles and tasks, most often interpreted as things we do or things we pay attention to in our own development. For example, we discern next steps, we say yes to a call, or we engage in spiritual practices to deepen our relationship with God.

How might we think differently about these and other common place words in leadership formation when interpreted through the lens of theology? As Spirit-led people, God forms us in Christ, by the power of the Spirit, to lead God’s people to discern the movement of the Spirit in our midst. This framing is a shift of agency and focus, redefining formation from something we do in our lives to what God is doing in and through us, not for our own sake, but for the sake of the world.

ARL 2027 is an invitation to look closely at leadership formation through the lens of pneumatology. Proposals for paper presentations, workshops, case studies, etc. (see below) may respond to (but are not limited to) the following prompts:

• What is the Spirit up to as the Spirit forms ministry leaders?
• How does theological education take seriously the role of the Spirit in a curriculum designed to form leaders for complex contexts?
• What is God up to, in and through the power of the Spirit, in the formation of Christian communities and leadership identity?
• What are the roles of practices and rituals in leadership development as the Spirit gives breath and life?
• What is the relationship between spiritual formation, discipleship, and leadership theory?

Wartburg Theological Seminary will serve as the host for ARL 2027. Presenters and participants are invited to join in-person or from a distance.

Call for Proposals

The 2027 Annual Conference of the Academy of Religious Leadership invites ministry leaders, educators, and scholars with experience or interest in this year’s theme to consider presenting. We welcome proposals for each of the following tracks:

1. Papers to be considered for the Fall 2027 issue of the Journal of Religious Leadership (JRL) to be presented at the conference, solo or multi-authored.
2. Proposals for workshops, case studies, and/or possible panel presentations that offer theological, practical, pedagogical, organizational, and/or theoretical perspectives on the theme.

Proposals should include the following:

• Working title
• Proposal type: Paper presenter (for possible JRL publication), workshop, case study, etc.
• Abstract that provides the thesis, context, and general overview of the proposal (500 word maximum)
• Any creative delivery styles, materials (audio, visual, etc.), or practices that will be included in the presentation
• Sample bibliography of primary resources or conversation partners
• Name and a brief bio of each presenter
• Indication of whether the presenter intends to attend in person or participate via zoom

Paper Presentations for Publication in the Journal of Religious Leadership

Authors whose paper proposals are accepted will present their work at the 2027 ARL Annual Conference and are expected to develop the paper for publication in the Fall 2027 issue of the Journal of Religious Leadership. A complete draft will be due by March 1, 2027, so that authors may receive feedback through the conference process. A revised manuscript will be due by May 15, 2027. Publication is anticipated for all accepted paper presentations, pending peer review and editorial approval of the completed manuscript.

Proposals/Paper/Presentation timeline

November 15: Proposals due
December 15: Decisions and JRL invitations issued
March 1: Complete conference papers due
April 22–24: Presentation and feedback at ARL
May 15: Revised manuscripts submitted to JRL
June 15: Reviews and editorial decisions returned
July 15: Final revisions due 

Proposals should be formatted as Word documents and emailed as an attachment to kstache@wartburgseminary.edu with the subject “ARL 2027 Proposal.”