Specialists

Rev. Mike Bonem 

Mike Bonem is a Christ-follower, consultant, coach, author, husband, and father. He loves to help churches and ministries, and their leaders, reach their God-given potential. Mike is the author of four books on ministry leadership including Leading from the Second Chair and Leading Congregational Change. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a breadth of experience in ministry and business, including 11 years as an executive pastor, consulting with Fortune 100 companies, and leading a start-up business. Mike and his wife, Bonnie, have been married for over 35 years and have four adult children.

As the author of Leading from the Second Chair and Thriving in the Second Chair, Mike has become a trusted advisor for executive pastors, executive directors, and other “second chair” leaders. He served for over a decade as an executive pastor, facilitates peer learning communities for second chair leaders through Texas Methodist Foundation, and coaches others in these roles. Mike has also worked jointly with senior pastors and their second chair(s) so that they can establish strong, healthy partnerships.

Rev. George Brookover

I have fifty-five years of pastoral experience. As an ordained Lutheran (ELCA), I served Holy Comforter Lutheran/Kingwood, Texas for three decades. This encompassed be church planter to leading a staff of nine ordained and lay leaders. From 1996-2014 I served my ELCA jurisdiction as an Intentional Interim Pastor. In 1997 Brookover Leadership was established for training and leading clergy and laity in several denominations.

The task of stewardship development is to create a mindset in congregations that being a disciple is to be the primary designation for constituents. And that being a disciple of Jesus and not just a member transforms both service and financial support. Contributions become an expression of gratitude for God’s grace and not just an amount to keep the budget out of the red.

Rev. Enid Henderson

Enid S. Henderson currently serves as Pastor of Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas.  Previously, she served as Executive Pastor of Jones Memorial United Methodist Church, giving leadership to all areas of ministry, leadership development, communication, branding, and provided administrative oversight. Prior to serving in fulltime ministry, Enid was founding owner and Chief Executive Officer of ESH Public Relations & Advertising firm specializing in strategic planning, strategic marketing and communications, graphic and web design, and advertising and public relations. Enid has more than 20 years of experience and expertise in these areas with a client portfolio that included small to large businesses, professional athletes, political figures, authors and speakers, universities, and churches. Enid earned a Master of Divinity degree at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Journalism with an emphasis of Public Relations from Texas Southern University.

Having served as Executive Pastor, I provided direct leadership and oversight to the church in the areas of ministry, business management, budget and finance, human resources and staff management, branding and communications, strategic community partnerships & engagement, staff and lay leadership development, and technology improvements for multi- campuses. I understand both the complexities and balancing act of working in tandem with the senior pastor to ensure the mission and vision move forward in excellence while leading from second chair. There are tools, resources, best practices, and techniques I’ve learned through experience, and through completed course work for dual certification as a Church Business Administrator from the Church Network and the General Council on Finance Administration (UMC).

Rev. Bob Johnson

Bob Johnson is a UM elder who retired in 2019 after 32 years of active service. Being retired gives him more time to partner with other church leaders and pastors to leverage that experience. He and his wife, Susan, now attend the west campus of St. Peter’s UMC in Katy.

After working for a Fortune 500 Company as an engineer for twelve years, Bob served churches in East Texas and Houston as solo/senior pastor, then as executive pastor for 15 years at Chapelwood UMC. At Chapelwood, Bob helped lead the church through two changes in senior pastors, both with 20+ year tenures. His ministry involved visioning and strategic planning, staff supervision and accountability, and he helped implement ministries to deepen discipleship and improve mission alignment, all in addition to normal pastoral functions of teaching, preaching, and pastoral care. Leveraging his longtime experience as executive pastor, Bob has consulted with several other churches both inside and outside the Texas Annual Conference on the executive pastor role.

Bob was a member of two different District Boards of Ordained Ministry and for 12 years he served on the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, including a term as the Conference Psychological Officer. His BOM service gave him the opportunity to serve as a clergy mentor to several cohorts of elder and deacon residents, two of whom eventually became a District Superintendent. (He thus thinks of himself as a “grand-pastor!”)

A devoted Bible student, Bob has led many in-person Bible studies and pioneered the use of online Bible studies at St. Peters, which attracted over 700 members in 7 countries and 26 states. He has authored nine books, including “The Genesis Project: The WHY of Discipleship.”

Bob initiated the role of executive pastor at Chapelwood UMC in Houston and then served for 15 years in that role under two different senior pastors. His ministry involved visioning and strategic planning, staff supervision and accountability, and he helped implement ministries to deepen discipleship and improve mission alignment. All this in addition to normal pastoral functions of teaching, preaching, and pastoral care. Bob was a member for over ten years of an executive pastor cohort sponsored by the Texas Methodist Foundation. He has coached several church leaders, senior pastors, and executive pastors, both inside and outside the Texas Annual Conference, on the role of the executive pastor and the all-critical senior pastor/executive pastor relationship. Bob was interviewed by Mike Bonem in his ground-breaking book, “Leading from the Second Chair.”

Rev. Eric Pugh

Eric is a native Ohioan, who grew up in Central Ohio, attended The Ohio State University earning a BS in Biological Sciences. Eric served 8 years in Parks and Recreation Management in Ohio and Texas, prior to answering his call to ministry. Eric has been in full-time ministry with the United Methodist Church since 2005, serving in Youth, Young Adult, Family, Missions. Currently he serves as the Executive Pastor for John Wesley UMC in Houston, Tx. Eric is an ordained Deacon in the UMC, with an MTS from SMU - Perkins School of Theology. He is currently working toward a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching, from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, in Chicago. Eric has been married for 21 years and has 3 teenage daughters. Eric is an outdoor and travel enthusiast. He is passionate about helping others discover their God given gifts, answer their unique call to ministry and achieve their goals.  Eric is an excellent communicator, with great interpersonal skills which allow him to lead in small and large group settings.

Eric currently serves as the Executive Pastor for John Wesley UMC. Second Chair leadership has been part of Eric’s responsibilities as a Parks and Recreation Manager, Youth Worker and as a clergy member. Eric believes second chair leadership involves understanding the big picture and being able to communicate and translate the vision of the Senior Leadership to all team members.

Dr. Jeff Springer

An educator for 34 years, a former Texas High School Head Football Coach and eleven-year veteran of the public-school classroom. Jeff is formerly the Principal at The Magnolia High School (2002-2016). In 2013 he was selected as the State of Texas TASSP State Principal of the year. Besides founding Spring Strategies LLC, that provides educational executive coaching, Jeff also served as the Minister of Men at Wildwood UMC, is a University Student Teacher Supervisor, and is also the founder of Suit Up Ministries, a nonprofit men’s ministry.

Jeff attended Abilene Christian University where he played on the 1977 National Championship Football team, received his Bachelor of Arts in Teaching from Sam Houston State University, and obtained his Masters of Sports Administration from the United States Sports Academy. In the spring of 2020, Jeff completed his Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in Transformational Leadership from Concordia University.

Dr. Jeff Springer is passionate about raising DADs and helping them see their value. Jeff loves being a husband, DAD, and a grandfather. He is always seeking ways to acknowledge men, striving to be the Daily Active Devoted DADs God calls them to be. Jeff who resides in Montgomery, Texas, has been married for 40 years and has two children, and three grandchildren.

With years of experience, and a combined higher-level education, Dr. Springer has the capabilities and expertise to help expand your leadership to the next level. At Spring Strategies LLC, we combine our insights and diagnostic tools to transform your entrepreneurial position. We want to capitalize on essential moments in the development for executive pastors.

Rev. B. T. Williamson

Rev. B. T. Williamson retired from active ministry in July of 2020 after 53 years of service in Executive Pastor roles, Senior Pastor leadership, Superintendent of the Houston South District, Director of Ministerial Services, Director of the Center for Clergy Excellence, and Assistant to the Bishop. A native Texan, who grew up in a parsonage family and lived across the breadth of the Texas Annual Conference, he holds degrees from the University of Texas and Southern Methodist University and pursued additional studies in Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin.

For the last twenty-two years Rev. Williamson’s career focused on strategic planning, leadership formation, supervision, and administration. His service in the Center for Clergy Excellence helped establish standards for the professional development of clergy, interim ministry services, and one of the strongest benefit programs in the denomination. While in the position of Assistant to the Bishop, Rev. Williamson directed the Annual Conference gathering, coordinated the work of the Cabinet, facilitated the operations of the Core Leadership Team, and supported the bishops’ objectives related to boards, legal, personnel, fiscal, and strategic concerns.

Rev. Williamson was the co-founder of Benevolent Missions International, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing needed ophthalmic care to the underserved in Belize and Fiji. Current avocational interests include serving on the boards of Benevolent Missions International, Methodist Retirement Communities, Wiley College, the Transitional Intentional Interim Ministry Specialists Association, and he continues his membership on the Texas Annual Conference Investment Committee.

An Executive Pastor serves in the capacity of a specialist, who brings expertise, wisdom, and experience to bear in essential ministries of the congregation. Having served for fourteen years as an Executive Pastor my roles included directing the program and administrative life of churches; worship design; mission and outreach at both national and international settings; and overseeing ministries related to faith formation. Eventually I became a leader from the Second Chair, serving for twenty-two years with four different bishops. Those roles included being a District Superintendent, Director of Ministerial Services for the annual conference, Director of the Center for Clergy Excellence, and finally as Assistant to the Bishop. All these distinct roles presuppose an ability to work with a First Chair Leader, an understanding of the dynamics of position and authority, skills in representing personal positions with honesty and integrity, and the art of tactfully negotiating collaborative efforts to achieve the best outcomes. Having been a close associate of Mike Bonem, author of Leading from the Second Chair, in both personal and annual conference experiences, I strive to reman informed and exercise best practices for this vital role in ministry.