Our History
L555 Founder and President, Mark Orr will often share the story of a 10-ton truck stuck deep in the mud. Like many of the problems we attempt to address as leaders, one or two people try to push and shove the truck out of the hole for a long time, without so much as a wiggle. They soon give up and walk away, “let somebody else give it a go, I’ve done my part,” they say. Individuals and organizations run out of funding or time and walk away, leaving big systemic problems largely unsolved after many years. No one seems to have any idea what the end-game is, or where we are at in the process. What does it take to get the truck out of the hole? What does it take to see breakthrough? L555 believes it takes three things:
- A type of leader we call a catalyst, one who sees the big picture and can understand the level of collaboration and commitment needed to actually achieve breakthrough, not just dabble at the problem.
- Sufficient resources. We believe there is an abundance of resources in every corner of the global Christian community. Yet those resources are trapped – and only tapped by larger professionalized organizations. A new approach and set of tools are needed to get these resources into the hands of emerging leaders – the ones we believe have the best ideas for breakthrough.
- A collaborative platform. One that brings together emerging leaders together with diverse resources to coordinate the level of sustained effort needed to achieve breakthrough. We truly believe the future will revolve around bottom up infrastructure systems that will slowly replace traditional top down superstructures.
These three convictions give shape to our three-pronged L555 approach.
- Our flagship program for leg one is LeadingNEXT, centered around 5 mind-shifts we believe leaders of the future need to adopt.
- Leg two centers around the development of a cutting edge platform called Assembli which is being designed as an operational ecosystem for global engagement.
- Leg three, currently in design phase, is code-named GivingINTEL, aimed at catalysing a global resourcing movement.
Where did we start?
Our Faith
Our common faith brings us together, as we celebrate diversity among all who authentically follow Jesus our Lord.
- One God. We affirm our belief in the one eternal God, Creator and Lord of the world, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who governs all things according to the purpose of his will.
- The Bible is God’s Word. We affirm the divine inspiration, truthfulness, and authority of both Old and New Testament scriptures in their entirety as the word of God.
- Jesus saves. We affirm that there is only one Savior and only one gospel, although there is a wide diversity of evangelistic approaches.
- The global church. We affirm that Christ sends his redeemed people into the world as the Father sent him, and that this calls for a similar deep and purposeful presence of the Church in the world.
- Called to serve. We share God’s concern for justice and reconciliation throughout human society and for the liberation of men and women from every kind of oppression.
Adapted without significant alteration from the Lausanne Covenant.
Our Values
Call – To know that your work is a response to His call.
Character – To pursue servant leadership and live by a higher set of standards.
Compassion – To serve and lead for the sake of others.
Competence – To pursue excellence as a learning leader.
Courage – To keep going in the face of opposition.
Collaboration – To work together for the greater good.
Capacity – To build endurance and sustainability through ownership and collaboration.
OUr Team
We value diversity. Our leaders come from a diverse selection of occupational backgrounds, countries, and ages. We all are committed to following Jesus and mirroring His light in the world.
Founder & President
Mark was raised as a missionary kid in Brazil. He has committed his life to helping emerging leaders be more effective, and ultimately the Church more able to carry out her Mission in the world. He has previously served in global refugee mission work. Mark and his family are Canadians, but have lived in the UK, Greece, and Uganda over the last 10 years.
Creative Director
Anna currently works in North Carolina and around the world. Her areas of focus include graphic design and videography. She specializes in working with small businesses, non-profits, and churches. She enjoys being creative in every aspect of her life and is a lover of learning.
Director of Pastoral Care
David Stoesz has had a diverse career as a chaplain, missionary, counselor and manager of a drug and alcohol rehab. Recently, he was certified as a spiritual Director, and takes these skills to the leaders of leadership 555. David oversees the spiritual life of these leaders and strongly believes in the inherent potential of each leader. He seeks to encourage, equip and empower every leader to their God-given potential.
Director of GreenHouse
Carl has lived and worked in various rural and urban locations across Central and Southeast Asia. What was meant to be a one-year stint with Operation Mobilization became thirty. Out of this lived experience comes his passion for the world and his inexhaustible commitment to invest in emerging young leaders and catalysts who will lead change, leverage influence, and be part of what God is doing.