Our History
In January 2005, Stockton community, business and religious leaders formed a Task Force to consider creating a faith-based non profit in Stockton to serve as an umbrella for church and community leaders to work together on issues in our city. This Task Force was a workgroup who shared a passion for Stockton, a vision for the betterment of the City, and a common desire to focus leadership and direct resources toward the needs of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized.
The fruit of this Founding Task Force was the launching of Stockton Leadership Foundation (SLF), a 501 (c) (3) non-profit public benefit, faith-based, organization. A Board of Directors was formed and began regular monthly meetings in January of 2006. We introduced ourselves to the City of Stockton at a Luncheon meeting on March 14, 2007. Our Non-Profit Status requirements were completed in November of 2007.
Stockton Leadership Foundation (SLF) began an affiliation with Leadership Foundations of America (LFA), an international network of local faith-based organizations that mobilize leaders from all walks of life to tackle a city’s biggest problems, and is active in over 30 cities across the United States with an additional 40 more cities in the membership process. Through this affiliation, tools such as the Wheel of Change, Wheel of Innovation and the 3R’s are shared with members. Additionally, a mentoring relationship was developed with One By One Leadership of Fresno.
After nearly a year of work the task force invited a larger body of people together for feedback on this document. A positive response motivated the task force to pursue the next step of drafting by-laws to establish a Nonprofit Charitable Corporation and began building a Board of Directors which began meeting in January 2006. Our Non-Profit Status requirements were completed in November of 2007.
The founding Board of Directors consisted of Bill Ross, Bill Stoermer, Dick Wolf, Bill Brown, Dan Martins, Sue Grupe DePolo, Carrie Sass, John McBride, Dan Thompson, Rev. Ernie Jordan, Rev. Jim Reid and Rev. Wayne Bibelheimer.
In March 2007 Stockton Leadership Foundation hosted a luncheon at the Scottish Rite facility to introduce this new non-profit to the City of Stockton. Over 150 Leaders attended representing churches, nonprofits, business people and civic leaders. Speakers were Gordon Donoho, and H. Spees, from Fresno.
In 2009, the Stockton Leadership Foundation took over the responsibility of the Citywide Easter Sunrise Service
The years of working with the Mayor’s Office and various city departments helped paved the way for the Multi-Faith Gatherings and another development in 2010, namely S.O.S. (Serve Our Stockton) which was designated as a one-day-year event to mobilize volunteers from all across the Stockton Faith Community to do hands-on improvement projects at City facilities and parks. After several years this concept became “Love Stockton”, tying in with a regional network, “Love Your Cities” up and down California's Central Valley.
In 2010, the Grant Hawes family proposed an idea of a Spirit Festival on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend at Weber Point Events Center, featuring bands and musicians from various congregations as well as booths for many Faith-based ministries offering encouragement and services to many needs in our community. Over 5,000 people came and they were all fed miraculously without charge. In 2012, there were discussions of bringing the Luis Palau festival to Stockton with no further actions taken.
Collaborative Partnerships developed to strengthen specific efforts:
Gospel Center Rescue Mission – Initial fundraiser for the William R. “Bill” Brown Transitional Women & Children’s Shelter Building
Restore Stockton – Fiduciary oversight of Department of Justice Mentoring Program grant
San Joaquin A+ - Evoking participation of churches in the annual Read-In and also developing the Fletcher’s Place Reading Program in Day Camps, Migrant Camps and Community Centers.
Stockton Police Chaplaincy - Founding supporter
In 2015, the Stockton Leadership Foundation incorporated a model of key relationship models and program platforms.
Founding Executive Director Wayne Bibelheimer retired from the role which advanced it to Bud Locke in 2014. Bud advised the board through an update of the CEO position job description and organization by-laws before resigning in 2021 to accept an Executive Pastor position in another city. The Interim CEO is Benjamin Saffold.
Our Values
■ We value the City of Stockton. We are committed to both people and place and we seek physical, social, and spiritual renewal. Stockton’s communities should be places of relationship, opportunity, and grace for all.
■ We value the vulnerable. We see God's unrelenting concern for the poor, widowed, migrant, sick, imprisoned, homeless, and oppressed. We wish to work in partnerships across our community to build opportunities and a better life for those who live at the margins.
■ We value leadership. Stockton’s diverse leadership needs to be engaged. We value a biblical view of leadership that seeks the welfare of others, heals divisions, creates unity, uses everyone’s giftedness, and accomplishes tasks.
■ We value empowerment. Our work should not patronize, but free and empower people down to the grass-roots level.
■ We value reconciliation. The power of the Gospel is in joining hands rather than building walls or pointing fingers. This work requires listening, respect and united efforts for the welfare of the city.
■ We value risk. Creativity, innovation, and courage will be required.
■ We value the faith community and the tremendous resources and enriching contributions available from the congregations of our city. We seek to network these resources with others such as the business sector, civic agencies, and educational institutions to renew the Stockton community.
Our Purpose, Process and Focus
The Stockton Leadership Foundation exists to be a Christ-centered civic intermediary for the social and spiritual well-being of the city of Stockton. The Stockton Leadership Foundation represents a unified presence of congregations in the Christian-tradition amidst the leaders (civic, community, business, religious, etc.) and residents of Stockton; ...partners with others (people and organizations) of goodwill to achieve social and spiritual renewal; and ...provides a presence and voice for the most vulnerable residents of Stockton before the Church of Stockton.