Gail Reese: Cleveland’s Go-To Collaborator

By Kimberlee Mitchell, Staff  

In 1987, Gail Reese (Cleveland 2007) initiated the Ministry of Reconciliation (MOR) with the mission of uniting churches, businesses, organizations, and individuals in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio to address the spiritual, physical, financial, and social/emotional needs of the community. MOR’s largest initiative is the Adopt-A-School Network, a program connecting 43 church and para-church ministries that have adopted 27 schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, among other districts. In all, some 470 volunteers reach various school districts throughout Northeast Ohio.

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In Cleveland, the name Gail Reese is synonymous with collaboration. She is respected as the “go-to” ally for church and city-wide Christ-centered events. A self-admitted perfectionist, she once did much of this ministry work alone. Gail made significant changes after a DVULI training experience, which she attributes to sustaining her 30-plus years serving urban youth.  

Her ethos is rooted in her desire to “embody the love of Jesus and reach people with the gospel.” To achieve this, she now never works alone.  

Gail Shares Her Five Keys for Healthy Collaboration:   

I. Wield the Power of Prayer  

Intercessory prayer is the cornerstone of Gail’s collaborative leadership. She believes “prayer is essential before, during, and after any collaborative effort.”   

“Prayer became my primary means of seeking God’s guidance and support in all endeavors,” explains Gail, who has collaborated with national and local ministerial alliances. “Through prayer, God reveals how we are to connect and serve together.”  

Realizing that reaching the world for Christ requires working in unity, Gail further adds, “By humbling ourselves and seeking God’s direction first, we can truly empower each other and foster spiritual growth and maturity.”   

 

II. Be Watchful for Passion  

When entering a potential collaboration, Gail is “watchful” and looks to work with those who are genuinely called to the mission. She’s open to working with others, even non-Christians, “as long as they are passionate about the cause of uniting resources to help meet the needs of the people and understand we will share God’s love through Jesus Christ to help meet that need.” 

For Gail, a collaborator’s motives must align with the goals of the ministry. “I want to see their true intentions, ensuring they aren’t just trying to connect with me for financial gain or other agendas,” she explains. “The focus is on impacting and, in some cases, saving young lives.”  

  

III. Serving Versus Using  

Gail is committed to serving those who serve with her; she hopes their involvement is not just about fulfilling a role but about mutual growth and support. “Jesus was about the person, and I work to embody that,” she shares.  

Gail tells how one of her multitalented team members was passionate about starting a home daycare. “When I learned that was her desire, we prayed, and God opened the door!” recalls Gail. “She recently bought her own home and is pursuing a home daycare license.”  

Gail’s encouragement and investment in her team members’ personal goals exemplify her commitment to encouraging others’ aspirations—even outside of their ministry work.  

“If I don’t [encourage them], I’d feel like I’m just using people, and I don’t ever want that,” she offers. “I believe we are called to be a kingdom, to serve together, and love one another.”   

 

IV. Interdependence & Empowerment  

Gail understands no one person has all the gifts or knowledge. So, to thrive in ministry, it takes “a team of people and organizations working together.”  Gail demonstrates this interdependence by partnering with others who can fill gaps where expertise is lacking. For instance, she knew she didn’t have the knowledge to help suicidal youth. So, she collaborated with Life Act, an organization that teaches the warning signs of suicide and how to address them. Through this partnership, they offered workshops that reach hundreds of youths with lifesaving information.  

“If I see that someone is more equipped and developed than I am, I encourage them and provide an opportunity to step up,” she explains. Gail empowers others by supporting and helping them to find their strengths. This ensures that everyone can grow and contribute effectively – fostering collaborative and empowered organizations. 

 

V. Be a Bridge  

“Sometimes it takes stepping outside of your comfort zone to build [collaborative] capacity,” explains Gail. Early in ministry, she connected with Youth for Christ (YFC), Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Young Life to observe how they worked. She saw the potential for these well-resourced ministries to benefit the entire city and felt called to bridge that gap.   

“I knocked on the YFC door and said, ‘Hey, you guys have a rich ministry. Have you ever thought about sharing resources with the east side of Cleveland?’” YFC bought into Gail’s vision and eventually hired her. For nine years, Gail was a part-time YFC staff member. She faced the challenge of being the first black woman to work on the Greater Cleveland YFC team. However, she persevered building relationships and bridging resources from affluent communities to those less fortunate.  

During this time, Gail helped to birth the Greater Cleveland Youth Leaders Network, which became the Northeast Ohio United Networks of Youth Ministries. This network connected and equipped youth workers and student leaders through specialized trainings and monthly network meetings.  

Another key bridge-building initiative was March for Jesus, which united churches across denominations and races in Cleveland. This ministry gathered believers of like passion to exalt Jesus together in prayer and praise!  

Gail remains busy in a way that truly enriches life. She strives to stay balanced through what she learned in the DVULI training, as she cares for her elderly mother alongside her sisters, as well as being a wife, mother, and grandmother.  What has made Gail hard to replace as a “go-to” leader is she forges unbreakable bonds, transforming colleagues into family.