Welcome Dave Dummitt to the LeadingSmart Team
Dave Dummitt
Executive Coach & Senior Consultant
A couple of weeks ago I was driving home from a game of pickleball when it hit me—it was exactly five years to the day (March 30) since Dave Dummitt said yes to becoming the Senior Pastor at Willow Creek. I remember that season vividly. The world was shutting down. COVID had just taken hold. Dave was in Michigan, I was in Houston, and the Willow elders were scattered across Chicagoland—yet there we all were, huddled around our screens on a Zoom call, watching Dave and his family gather at their kitchen table to say yes to a calling none of us fully understood yet.
That moment marked the beginning of a courageous journey for Dave—a journey that required resilience, deep faith, and an unwavering belief that the best was yet to come.
I recently sat down with Dave over Zoom to look back at those early days when he and I stepped into a situation filled with uncertainty, staff turmoil, and a global pandemic that shut down church buildings around the world. Yet, with relentless positivity and a deeply rooted sense of purpose, Dave led Willow through a season of rebuilding.
What stood out then—and still does now—is how he chose to show up every day. Dave took advice from Pastor Ray Johnston and determined to be “the most encouraged person in the room,” offering a steady, hopeful voice to a hurting staff and congregation. I had a front row seat to see this posture slowly but surely begin to yield fruit.
As trust grew, so did momentum. Volunteers reengaged. Giving stabilized. New ministries launched. Young families returned. Diversity grew. And in 2024—after seven years of financial decline—Willow finished the year with a surplus. By every meaningful measure, the church had turned a corner.
And that’s when Dave made a bold decision: to step aside.
Not because he was tired or burned out—but because he wanted Willow to experience something it hadn’t had in a long time—a healthy, momentum-building succession. He believed it was time to pass the baton to Shawn Williams, and he did it in one of the most thoughtful, well-led transitions I’ve ever seen in any church.
Now, I’m thrilled to share part of what’s next for Dave.
Dave will be spending part of his time as a LeadingSmart Senior Consultant & Coach. He’ll come alongside senior pastors and executive teams to help leaders navigate the very same kinds of complex transitions he’s lived through. As someone who’s sat in the senior pastor seat amidst hardship and transition, he brings wisdom, empathy, and strategic insight that can only be learned in the trenches.
And if you know Dave, you know he’s still dreaming big. He’s exploring new ways to help churches rethink their facilities through real estate development, and he’s passionate about equipping pastors to better engage business leaders in their congregations for greater Kingdom impact.
I’ve known Dave for more than a decade—we’ve played countless hours of pickleball, led side-by-side through storms, and swapped more leadership stories than I can count. I’ve seen his heart, his faith, and his tenacity up close. I couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the LeadingSmart team.
The best is still ahead.
As a part of the LeadingSmart team, Dave will provide executive coaching, board/staff retreats, and succession planning services. For more information about working with Dave and LeadingSmart, book a free 20-minute consultation call here.