b'Day weekend to convene members to discuss andThe associations stance also got some pushback. vote on the business of the associationwithMissions who felt the approach was too liberal-accompanying education sessions. minded stepped away, but most later rejoined. Weve changed it to being a conference whereIn 2018, John led the organization through we come to confer and to build one another upanother challenge: a rebranding effort to shift and encourage each other and talk about bestfrom AGRM to Citygate Network.practices, John said. The board now handles theThe rebranding of AGRM to Citygate business of the association. Networkwas executed better than any rebrand-Among all the positive advances were profounding effort Ive seen, Justin said. Bobby Watts, challenges. Some of the most significant, Johnpresident of National Health Care for the Home-said, were related to sexual orientation and genderless Council, said Citygate Networks rebranding identity, which became a very hot topic startingshould be written up as a case study for Harvard in 2014. Rescue mission and association leadersBusiness Review, it was that good. struggled with how to embrace biblical hospitalityDuring this time, a few members suspected and sexuality in the midst of changing culture. that the association was trying to distance itself It wasnt easy to get hundreds of member ministries on board with renaming and reshaping a 100yearold association. John deftly navigated these knotty issues, reinforced our commitment to the gospel, and actually grew membership Justin Boles John has an incredible ability to anticipate cul- from its faith foundation or philosophical roots tural changes and get ahead of them, said Justinbecause words like gospel and rescue and mission Boles, former Citygate Network vice president whowere removed from the name, Justin said.served with John 15 years in total, both at CitygateIt wasnt easy to get hundreds of member Network and at CCCA. He has predicted the needministries on board with renaming and reshaping for new ministry modalities and understood thea 100-year-old association, Justin said. John various ways that members would need to preparedeftly navigated these knotty issues, reinforced for ministry to people struggling with their sexual- our commitment to the gospel, and actually grew ity and identityand the impact of relatedmembership after initially losing just a couple of government regulations and advocacy activity.members over the rebranding. John said he devoted probably a fourth ofAnd then there was the pandemic. Thanks to his working time to help members wrestle withall the relationships that were built with govern-these issues from 2014 through 2016. Duringment agencies over the previous 10 years, Citygate this process, the association produced relevantNetwork was able to work at the highest level of materials that other associations also used. government to help secure Paycheck Protection \x02 JULY/AUGUST 2023 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG 13'