Founding president Tom Nelson becomes executive chairman
The Made to Flourish board of directors today announced the appointment of Matt Rusten as the organization’s second president. Rusten has been executive director of Made to Flourish since its founding in 2015. He began his duties on October 2.
Made to Flourish is a nonprofit organization that works with pastors and church leaders to help them equip Christians to integrate their faith with their work and wisdom-based economic practices in order to contribute to the flourishing of their communities. Rusten replaces Tom Nelson, who served as founding president and who will move into the role of executive chairman.
Among the projects and initiatives of Made to Flourish are a skill-mapping program for churches, intensive pastor training, and the publishing of the award-winning Common Good magazine.
“We as a board are excited to have Matt Rusten moving into the role of president,” Made to Flourish board chair Rod Brenneman said in a statement. “He has clearly become one of the leading voices in the faith and work movement, and this is an opportune time for this transition in the organization.”
As president, Rusten will lead the vision and strategy of Made to Flourish, while playing a central role in the organization’s fundraising and awareness efforts. In his previous role as executive director, Rusten led Made to Flourish through the execution of multiple strategic plans and the engagement of thousands of pastors and churches around the United States.
“I am deeply honored to step into the role of president at Made to Flourish,” Rusten said of his appointment. “Our organization’s mission to help churches equip their congregations to integrate faith with the workplace and economy is a deep passion of mine. In a day when so many people struggle to find purpose and long for coherence, the church, gathered and scattered, remains central to God’s work in the world, and the daily work of God’s people can be a demonstration of his kingdom breaking into our hurting world. I’m eager to continue working with our remarkable team to help churches across the country lift up the calling of every person, paid or unpaid, to embrace their work as a place of ministry, worship, formation, and contribution to the common good.”
Prior to his service as Made to Flourish as executive director, Rusten pastored churches in North Dakota; Madison, Wisconsin; and Chicagoland. Rusten earned a bachelor’s degree at North Dakota State University, a master’s degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Appended to this release are endorsements of Rusten’s work.
Nelson, who is the founding president of Made to Flourish, becomes executive chairman, a position from which he will work closely with the board of trustees and contribute with thought leadership and external relationship development in this new season for the organization.
“Tom Nelson has been instrumental in not only starting Made to Flourish, but in guiding it since its inception,” Brenneman said. “In this new role, he will continue to provide thought leadership, writing and be a true champion for the organization.
In a statement, Nelson expressed his enthusiasm for the leadership changes and the future of Made to Flourish: “This leadership transition signifies a turning point for Made to Flourish, highlighting our commitment to harnessing the skills and talents of our team members as we embark on our next phase of growth and impact. We’re confident these changes will play a significant role in our ongoing growth and pursuit of our mission, and we eagerly look forward to the positive impact they will have on our organization.”
Nelson is also the senior pastor of Christ Community Church in Kansas City, Kansas. He is the author, most recently, of the Christianity Today Book of the Year award-winning The Flourishing Pastor: Recovering the Lost Art of Shepherd Leadership.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact Made to Flourish Vice President of Marketing Eric Rivier Jimenez at [email protected].
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Endorsements
“Matt brings energy, passion, and an incisive mind to the work of MTF. I’ve long enjoyed having him as a dialog partner. Matt’s insights into both scripture and our contemporary culture have provided me and other leaders in the church with illumination leading to innovation. I look forward to continued labor with him in the years ahead.”
Amy L. Sherman, senior fellow at the Sagamore Institute and author, most recently, of Agents of Flourishing
“Matt Rusten is one of the leading voices in the faith and work movement. He’s kind, thoughtful, responsive to the Spirit, and a leader who can confidently lead Made to Flourish into its next season of impact. I’m excited to see MTF’s role, in influencing pastors to embrace a holistic gospel, grow and deepen for years to come.”
Jeff Haanen, author of Working from the Inside Out
“I’m beyond grateful for Matt Rusten’s enduring leadership in the faith and work space and most of all for his care for pastors. Matt will be an excellent leader for Made to Flourish as they seek to bridge the American gap between Sunday worship and Monday work.”
Matthew Kaemingk, Richard John Mouw Assistant Professor of Faith and Public Life at Fuller Theological Seminary, director of the Richard John Mouw Institute of Faith and Public Life at Fuller and coauthor of Work and Worship
“Made to Flourish sits at the leading edge of churches that are seeking to minister relevantly in our culture today, and I’m thrilled to see Matt Rusten assuming leadership of this vital initiative. He is supremely gifted to the task, and in selecting Matt as their next President, Tom Nelson and the Board have once again displayed the wisdom and insight that have built MTF into a powerhouse for the kingdom of our Lord. I’m excited to see what God is going to do through Matt and the team in the days ahead!”
Bill Hendricks, executive director for Christian Leadership at The Hendricks Center / Dallas Theological Seminary and president of the Giftedness Center
“Matt Rusten is one of the most entrepreneurial, steady, ever-learning leaders I know. He’s always reading something new, and bringing others into that joy of new discovery! Matt brings humility, a love of Christ and neighbor, and curiosity to daily work — not only executing the task at hand but improving the lives of those around him through shared discovery. Made to Flourish just picked up a leader and lifelong learner who will bring energy and joy to the task of lifting MTF to new heights.”
Josh Good, director of the Faith Angle Forum of the Ethics and Public Policy Center
“Matt Rusten has invested considerable time and energy in the development of pastors and churches through Made to Flourish. His commitment to supporting Christian churches and pastors in their efforts to help congregants view their work as a holy calling is a testament to his character and values. I look forward to watching how Made to Flourish evolves under his leadership and the impact he will have on the organization’s future direction.”
Denise Daniels, Hudson T. Harrison Professor of Entrepreneurship at Wheaton College and author of Working in the Presence of God
“Matt’s entrepreneurial energy and genuine enthusiasm for how congregations understand and deploy the gifts of their people to join in God’s work in the world is truly encouraging. So, I am hopeful that as he transitions into this role of president he will listen well to the needs of those entrusted to his care as he works to chart a faithful and fruitful course forward with his team at Made to Flourish!
Michaela O’Donnell, Mary and Dale Andringa Executive Director Chair at the Max De Pree Center for Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary
“Want to know what a leader is truly like? Ask the colleagues who worked with them in the past. I’ve known Matt for nearly 10 years through the larger work and faith movement, and each time our paths have crossed I’ve been deeply impressed. Matt is smart, kind, articulate, and zealous in all the right ways. But I also know Matt through the community in which he and his family formerly lived, including the church he served. Years later, these former teammates go out of their way to speak glowingly about him. A good leader leaves a gentle and benevolent wake, and that’s exactly what Matt has done. Made to Flourish is in adept hands for its next season of growth and impact.”
John Terrill, executive director of the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation, which includes Upper House, a Christian study center located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
“Filling the shoes of Tom Nelson is no easy task. That’s why I am thrilled to hear that Matt Rusten will be doing just that. Not only do I deeply admire the work of Made to Flourish, but also the leadership of both these men. Dallas Willard said that our work is our ‘primary place of discipleship’ and we need this work to go on, to deepen and to transform us all.”
Nancy Ortberg, CEO of Transforming the Bay with Christ
“For years, Matt Rusten has been thinking more deeply than most about how the gospel shapes our work — and how pastors can empower the “mere Christians” in their pews to live out the gospel day to day. I could not be more excited to hear that he is stepping into this expanded role. The Church will be better for it!”
Jordan Raynor, bestselling author of The Creator in You, Redeeming Your Time, Master of One, among others
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Contact:
Eric Rivier Jimenez
Made to Flourish
800-583-5240 ext 116
[email protected]
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Service or Religion News Foundation.
