The Leadership Blog Interview: Bil Cornelius

Bil Cornelius

Bio: Bil is the founding pastor of Bay Area Fellowship, a church reaching the next generation, growing from five people to over 4,000 in seven years. Bay Area Fellowship has been listed in Outreach Magazine's 100 Fastest Growing Churches in America.

Church: Bay Area Fellowship

The Leadership Blog Interview
1. What gives you the greatest joy in being a leader?
Bil: "Seeing lives changed is by far the greatest joy of leading."

2. What is your biggest pet peeve as a leader?
Bil: "When people who claim to be mature in their faith are the most selfish of all the people we lead."

3. Who made the biggest influence in your life as a leader?
Bil: "Jesus. Then my father, a laymen, but a wise, godly, leader. Then Rick Warren's teaching, and the personal mentoring of Ed Young. "

4. What books have changed your life?
Bil: "In this order...the Bible (New Living only, just kidding), The Purpose-Driven Church, by Rick Warren, Planting Churches at the end of the 21st Century, by Aubrey Malphurs. An Enemy Called Average by John Mason (and everything else from John Mason)."

5. What's your biggest challenge as a leader?
Bil: "Time. The more God blesses your ministry, the more you have to say no to. If you say "no" only if people understand, then you won't say no enough."

6. What goals do you have as a leader?
Bil: "When I die, my tombstone, I hope, will say the following: He relentlessly pursued God. He was still crazy about his wife after all these years, and he raised three incredible kids. Then, he started a church that changed the world, by starting one hundred more churches to reach the next generations for Christ. And he liked to surf too."

7. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Bil: "I see myself mentoring church leaders all over the world, from the 100 churches we will have started. Actually, we should have started about 80 of them in 10 years, with 20 left to go. Believe it or not, I have a timeline for all of this. Also, I see myself with less hair...truth is truth, whether I like it or not. God bless."

Bil, Thanks for taking time for the interview. You're a great leader. I'd love to see you get a blog like Perry.