Life on the Campaign Trail: Running for Office in Anxious Times

Presenter: John Bell, MDiv

In 2021 John Bell ran for City Council. This presentation will explore the influence of the emotional process on the decision to run for office and the design and implementation of the campaign. Using Bowen theory as a lens, it will explore the interplay between differentiation of self, societal emotional process and community development approaches. It will answer the question, How might elected officials shift the way they relate and function with their constituents that leads to better problem solving?

About the Presenter:

John Bell, M.Div. is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church where he has served for 28 years and is a faculty member for the Center for Family Consultation in Evanston, IL. He has been teaching and applying the principles of Bowen Family System Theory for over 20 years. John finished a three-year post-graduate program in Bowen Family Systems Theory and Its Applications at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family at the Georgetown Family Center in Washington, DC. In addition to his work in his local church, John’s effort to understand BFST continues through research, writing, blogging, teaching, and coaching individuals, families, clergy and congregations. John is married with three children and is currently serving Wesley United Methodist Church in Aurora, IL.