Welcome to Rocky

I’ve attended a lot of leadership conferences in my time, and many of them focus on the importance of delegation and legacy. It’s important, we learn, to choose people to follow you, to come after you, who will carry forward the vision or the organization or the staff, with the same kind of fervour and zeal that made it work in the first place. Legacy, I hear, depends on the wisdom of choosing the exact right people with the exact right gifts and talents so that the exact right message gets communicated and the strength of the organization will live on.

And it’s not terrible advice. It’s a good idea to hire people who understand the mission and vision to carry forward the values of the organization. It’s vital to ensure they have the right skills and background.

And then there’s Jesus.

People at these conferences hold up Jesus as the perfect ideal of leadership, the inspirational wise man who did things exactly right. And while I believe that Jesus was great (he is at the centre of everything we do at RMC, after all), he certainly didn’t follow the great leadership advice I hear from conference speakers. Jesus picked people that no CEO in his or her right mind would ever choose to take over. Not just under-qualified people; totally unqualified people: fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, prostitutes, and more. If you were trying to build a who’s-who roster of people NOT to pick to lead the fledgling church into the future, this would be a pretty good first attempt.

Sometimes we try to find the loophole for Jesus, by saying things like “well, he knew their potential” or “Jesus could see what we can’t.” And while that may be true, the people Jesus chose ended up being hot-heads, abandoners of their master, and one was a straight-up traitor. It seems like Jesus just picked anybody. 

And what a great encouragement and comfort that should be.

Jesus picked anyone who would follow him. There was no entrance requirement, no pre-entrance exam, no MBTI or DISC or Strength-Finder assessments. Jesus called people, regular and ordinary people, to follow him, and since then, he has continued to call regular and ordinary people to follow him. Without qualification, and without excess scrutiny, Jesus says the same words to us that he said to his fist disciples long ago: Follow me. 

And if they could follow him, then why not anyone?

All the best,

President Rev. Dr. Mike Swalm

I have had the privilege to get to know many of you over the years whether it was teaching in-person at the Brisebois location or in Barrie or over the last number of years online.  Many of you would have seen a younger version of me on some of the videos that you have watched in your modules on leadership. 

Over the years, I have had the privilege to serve in a variety of ministry roles including youth pastor, lead pastor, and camp manager. I serve as the Associate Regional Minister for the Alberta Baptist Association which is a collection of almost 60 churches.  I am also currently the Lead Pastor of a network of churches – Renfrew Baptist Church in Calgary and Daybreak Community Church in Airdrie, as well as leading Baseline Ministries, a ministry consulting company.

My company’s specialty is in ministry audits, developing refocused ministry philosophies, and navigating multi-staff team dynamics.  I love the opportunity to look at leadership principles and translate them into practical contexts for church and para-church opportunities. 

I am the author of Cultivate: A Youthworker’s Guide to Establishing Healthy Relationships, my first published book. I have been married to Michelle for 31 years.  My older daughter Maris is married to Stephen and my younger daughter Macauleigh is married to Tye.

I have loved the opportunity to teach at Rocky Mountain College over the last 15 years and I so look forward to getting to know even more of you as the Leadership Development Coordinator.  As Rocky proclaims and I love the opportunity to contribute to each and every day - "Anyone. Anywhere. Anytime."

What a gift and opportunity to walk alongside a group of students (whether young or a bit older) who will embody Jesus, and the hope found in Jesus to a world that is desperately looking for leaders who do this.  Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions that you might have about Rocky Mountain College or ministry in general.

Take a look at the Leadership Development programs we offer at RMC! With a choice of certificate, diploma, or bachelor programs, we have something for everyone!

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