Hurley Coleman Jr. & Hurley Coleman III: Providence, Progression, and Leadership in Saginaw

In the podcast’s first father-son episode, Phil interviews Bishop Hurley Coleman Jr. and Hurley Coleman III about their life paths, careers, and leadership in Saginaw. Hurley Coleman Jr. shares his upbringing and education, how he discovered parks and recreation as a career at Eastern Michigan University, and his work with Washtenaw County Parks, Saginaw County Parks, the City of Saginaw (including opening Andersen Water Park), and as Wayne County Parks and Recreation Director for 14 years. He explains how his father’s death led him back to Saginaw, where he eventually became pastor of the church his father started in 1957, and reflects on marriage to Sandra Coleman and raising three children.

Hurley Coleman III, Executive Director/CEO of Saginaw County Community Action, explains CAC’s work in housing, food insecurity, senior outreach, emergency services, advocacy, and partnerships with faith-based communities. Together they discuss “progressive revelation” as providence, how diverse experiences prepare leaders for new contexts, and lessons from failure, planning, and strategy—especially entering CAC during COVID-era uncertainty.

They explore leadership as cutting a path and building followership, the importance of culture and trust, consistency, and authenticity. Bishop Coleman connects parks-and-rec lessons about seasons and change to ministry, shares insights on hiring for creativity, and recounts how he assumed spiritual leadership after his father’s sudden death. Hurley Coleman III describes how leadership has changed him through the weight and responsibility of being ‘number one,’ and Bishop Coleman encourages him with Romans 8:28. The episode ends with mutual admiration, gratitude, and reflections on fatherhood, mentoring, and their shared commitment to serving the community.

00:00 Father–Son Podcast Kickoff & Introductions
00:37 Hurley Coleman Jr.’s Origin Story: Family, College & Finding Parks & Rec
02:58 Career Turns: From Recreation Director to Pastor in Saginaw
04:47 Hurley Coleman III: Leading Community Action & What CAC Does
06:22 Before CAC: Sales, Church Operations, and the Road Back Home
08:47 Providence & Progression: How Callings Reveal Themselves Over Time
13:19 Lessons from the Field: Building Parks, Serving People, Finding Fulfillment
17:51 Failure, Planning, and the ‘Marathon’ Pep Talk
22:02 Seasons, Purpose, and Hiring for Creativity (Leadership Lessons)
27:24 What Makes a Good Leader? Cutting the Path vs. Leading the People
28:47 Leadership Is a Choice: Boss vs. True Culture-Building
29:40 What Makes a Great Leader? Intangibles, Vision, and Pathways
31:40 Culture, Trust, and Why Vision Fails Without It
35:43 How to Build Trust in a Divided Community (Warmth + Competence)
39:50 Consistency & Authenticity: The Real Enemy of Trust
41:31 Called Into Ministry: Taking Over After His Father’s Passing
44:24 25 Years Later: Destiny, Purpose, and Walking by Faith
46:07 Leading CAC: The Weight of Being #1 and Growing Into Responsibility
49:23 Carrying the Burden: Romans 8, Gethsemane, and the Thorn
51:53 A Father’s Pride, a Son’s Gratitude, and Final Reflections