#114 - A Leadership Model That Kills Ego: Derik Fuller & Kirk Giles on Pride, Co-Leadership, & Prioritizing Mission

What happens when two pastors share the “first chair”?

Derik Fuller and Kirk Giles are the Co‑Lead Pastors of Forward Church, a growing multi‑site church across Southwestern Ontario. Before stepping into co‑leadership, Kirk famously Googled whether the model works—and discovered the overwhelming verdict: don’t do it.

Five years later, they’re still leading together.

In this episode of The Sowers Podcast, Derik and Kirk pull back the curtain on:

+ Why co‑leadership almost didn’t happen

+ The seven objections they had to overcome

+ How ego, pride, and power can quietly sabotage leadership

+ The weekly rhythms that keep them unified

+ How co‑leadership strengthens elder teams and staff culture

+ Why the Canadian church must prioritize discipleship in unstable times

This is an honest, pastoral, and deeply hopeful conversation about leadership, trust, and planting seeds while trusting God for the growth.

About the Guests:

Derik Fuller is one of the Lead Pastors of Forward Church, a multi‑site church with locations in Cambridge, Kitchener, and Paris, Ontario. He’s a husband, a father, a sports nut, and an ordinary guy rescued by an extraordinary Saviour.

Kirk Giles is the Co‑Lead Pastor of Forward Church and former President of Promise Keepers Canada (now Impactus). He and his wife Shannon have been married for over 30 years, have four children, and are brand‑new grandparents. Kirk loves the Blue Jays, discipleship, and developing leaders.

To learn more about Derik, Kirk, and Forward Church, please visit: https://forwardchurch.ca/

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