The Gathering

How O.G. Anunoby and Jalen Brunson Modeled Non-Hierarchical Leadership and Ministry Partnership:

The church where I’m fortunate to serve as co-pastor with Rev. Kamilah Hall Sharp, Ph.D., The Gathering, A Womanist Church in Dallas, this church, was formed nine years ago using a non-hierarchical leadership and ministry partnership model.

This past week I saw a beautiful illustration of our model as I was captivated by the last 4 minutes of the NBA finals.
Wednesday night, June 19th while watching the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, I witnessed something in the final seconds of the game that stayed with me long after the buzzer sounded and pandemonium in MSG ensued.

What I saw was not simply a winning basketball play. I saw an illustration, an object lesson in ministry partnership and non-hierarchical leadership.

With only seconds remaining, O.G. Anunoby inbounded the ball to Jalen Brunson. At first glance, it looked like a routine play. The ball was in the hands of the team’s leader and star player. Brunson would take the shot. Everyone understood their role.
But O.G.’s work was not even close to being finished once he passed the ball.

Instead of standing back and admiring the play he had initiated, he stayed engaged. He watched the floor. He paid attention to the positioning of teammates and the opposing teams players. He anticipated what might happen next.
Brunson took a three-point shot. It was a shot he often makes.

But O.G. did not assume success.

He moved into the paint and positioned himself under the basket. He prepared for the possibility that the shot might miss. And when it did, he was exactly where he needed to be. Rising from beneath the rim, he tipped the ball in for what became the game-winning basket.

The Knicks won because O.G. understood that partnership requires more than doing your assigned task. Partnership requires paying attention to the whole picture.

As I watched that moment unfold, I could not help thinking about ministry, particularly our ministry with The Gathering, A Womanist Church.

Too often, leadership is imagined as a hierarchy where one person carries the vision, makes the decisions, and receives the credit. Yet I’ve discovered that the healthiest ministries operate differently.

Jalen Brunson is clearly the leader of the Knicks. But leadership does not mean doing everything yourself. Effective leaders create space for others to contribute their gifts. They trust the people around them. They understand that success is rarely the result of one person’s effort.

That is what I saw in those final seconds.

Brunson took the shot.

O.G. anticipated what might be needed next.

Neither role was more important than the other.
One created the opportunity. The other completed it.

That is what partnership looks like.

In ministry, partnership means that people do not wait to be told every step to take. They pay attention. They anticipate needs. They look for gaps. They step forward when their gifts are required.

The strongest ministry partners are not simply task completers. They are people who care enough about the mission to remain engaged after their immediate responsibility has been fulfilled.

They ask:
* What else is needed?
* Where is there a gap?
* How can I help the whole community succeed?

That kind of partnership creates communities where everyone can flourish.

Non-hierarchical leadership does not mean the absence of leadership. It means leadership is shared. It means everyone understands they have agency, responsibility, and something valuable to contribute.
The leader does their part.
The partners do theirs.

Together, they create something neither could accomplish alone.
Wednesday night, O.G. Anunoby reminded me that some of the most important work happens after the pass.

The question for those of us in ministry is simple:
Are we standing still after we’ve done our part, or are we staying engaged, paying attention, and positioning ourselves to help the community win?

Because sometimes the difference between success and failure is not the person taking the shot.

Sometimes it is the partner who is ready for the rebound.

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OG Anunoby's late tip-in sends MSG into a frenzy - ESPN Video