Adam Hamilton

Hamilton has received numerous awards, including two honorary doctorates, the B'nai B'rith award in Social Ethics, the Denman Award in Evangelism, and the Circuit Rider Award for excellence in church leadership. He was named one of the "Ten People to Watch in America's Spiritual Landscape" by Religion & Ethics Newsweekly and Distinguished Evangelist of the United Methodist Church by the Foundation for Evangelism. He is a trustee at Saint Paul School of Theology and as a member of the Kansas East Board of Professional Ministry. He lectures on leadership, evangelism, and preaching across the country. Hamilton spoke at the 2010 Willow Creek Leadership Summit on the topic of leaders and the power of temptation. Following the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, Hamilton delivered the sermon at the inaugural prayer service held at the Washington National Cathedral on January 22, 2013.

Young Pastor: The young clergy need the wisdom of those who have come before them and the older clergy need the insight, vision and energy of a group of people who might better understand the needs of this generation. So, in short – I would like to see more REAL partnerships taking place between younger clergy and more experienced clergy – to really begin dreaming and thinking about how the church needs to change in the future.... and then the money to back up their visions!

In addition, recruiting, training, and supporting young United Methodist clergy is a major piece of Hamilton's renewal strategy. He founded the Young Pastors Network with his close friend Michael Slaughter of Ginghamsburg Church to help support and train young pastors. In an April 2009 post on the United Methodist Young Clergy website, Hamilton is quoted as stating:

Hamilton is committed to the renewal of the mainline church, especially the United Methodist Church. According to the church website, Church of the Resurrection was listed as the most influential mainline church in America in a 2005 survey of American pastors. The Church of the Resurrection has a threefold focus: 1. Reaching non-religious and nominally religious people and helping them become committed followers of Jesus Christ; 2. Equipping and inspiring members to live their faith in mission to the community and world; and 3. Acting as a catalyst for renewing the mainline church. This mission is spelled out with large signage on the walls of the church narthex. Annually, the church hosts Leadership Institute, a conference aimed at mostly mainline church leaders, at which they can learn about the latest outreach methods employed by Church of the Resurrection.

In 1990, following a stint as an associate pastor in a United Methodist congregation, Hamilton was appointed to plant a new church in south Johnson County, Kansas, after requesting permission from the local bishop to do so. The bishop told Hamilton that, given 10 years, the church might even grow to 500 members. At the time, all of the schools and community buildings in the area were being leased on Sunday mornings by other church plants who had similar aspirations. Willing to Hamilton decided to ask the owner of the newly built McGilley State Line Chapel funeral home if the new church could meet there for Sunday morning worship services. Before Hamilton got the chance to ask, however, the owner contacted Hamilton and asked him if the new church would consider meeting there. Hamilton casually agreed. The name Church of the Resurrection seemed to be a good fit for a congregation that met in a funeral home.

In the early 1990s, most church plants in the area were following the new trend of contemporary worship pioneered by Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. Hamilton realized that many baby boomers in his community had grown up in United Methodist congregations but had left the church in early adulthood. He thought that many of these nominally Christian boomers would return to a church that resembled the church of their childhood but was more relevant to their daily lives.

Still affiliated with the Pentecostal church after graduating, Hamilton attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in pastoral ministry (1985). During his time at Oral Roberts University, Hamilton began questioning the theology he had received during his teenage years. During this period of searching, he came across a copy of the United Methodist Book of Discipline and decided the United Methodist Church seemed to be a better fit for him theologically. After completing his undergraduate education, he enrolled in Perkins School of Theology, a United Methodist seminary.

Adam Hamilton (born July 12, 1964) is an American minister. He is the senior pastor of the 22,000-member United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, the largest United Methodist congregation in the world, measured by both weekend attendance and membership.

Hamilton was born on July 12, 1964. He grew up in the Kansas City area, being born to teenage parents who divorced when he was 12, and graduated from Blue Valley High School. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Oral Roberts University and graduate school at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.

I have a heart for wanting to see the United Methodist Church renewed. God isn't finished with it yet. We have an approach for the gospel that is exactly what's needed for the 21st century. Our theology was postmodern and emergent before it was cool.