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Editorial Director: Jonathan Leeman

Editor: Sam Emadi
Managing Editor: Alex Duke
Layout: Rubner Durais
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Paperback: 978-1-958168-47-9
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 Editor’s Note Why Clear Job
7 48
Descriptions and Staff
Is Administration for Structures Serve the
9
Pastors? The New Church
Testament’s First Ryan Townsend
Administrators
Brad Thayer Why Pastors Should
53
Submit to Each Other
Administrators: Playing Jeff Wiesner
15
with Calculators or
Building Up the Body of Buildings: Are Buildings
59
Christ? Essential to Healthy
Mike Carnicella Churches?
Adam Sinnett
Pastors, Don’t Forget to
20
Shepherd Your Deacons The Benefits of Having a
64
Gus Pritchard Building
Benjamin Woodward
From the Archives: Why
25
an Administrative Pastor What to Do When Your
69
Ryan Townsend Building Is Full
Mike Carnicella and Greg
Staffing: Hiring and Firing Gilbert
31
Brad Wheeler
A Theological Framework
75
What Job Titles Should for Buildings and
35
Churches Use — Two Renovations
Simple Rules John Henderson
Jonathan Leeman
Budgeting: How to Talk
83
Evaluating How an Elder with Your Church about
45
Is Ruling Money
Bob Johnson Jamie Dunlop
 Handling Your Why a Church
88 127
Church’s Finances Constitution Is More Than
with Transparency and a Necessary Evil
Integrity Greg Gilbert
Jenny Terry

How a Lack of Trellis

134
Who Should Know How Undermines Ministry
94
Much Everyone Makes? Jonathan Rourke
Jason Read

How to Have a Well-Run

Preparing Pastors for 138
99 Elders’ Meeting
Retirement
Aaron Menikoff
Brad Thayer

How To Use a Care List

How Much Should We Pay 143
105 in Elders’ and Members’
Our Staff
Meetings
Jamie Dunlop
Alex Bloomfield

Addressing Staff Salary

112
LGBTQ+ Policies: What
Discrepancies 147
Do We Do about Youth
Dennis Blythe
Group?

Advocating for Your Own Zach Carter

118
Pay
Jamie Dunlop Sabbaticals for the
154
Shepherds

Policies: Principles for a Garrett Kell

122
Benevolence Policy That
Is Both Merciful and Wise Sample Constitution and
159
Philip Duncanson Elder Meeting Bylaws
Editor’s Note:
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION

Jonathan Leeman

C
hurch administration is not my favorite church topic. Probably
not top twenty, in fact. Yet when you need it, you need it.
Who should you hire? When should you fire? How much
should you pay? What job titles should you use? What about pastoral
sabbaticals and retirement contributions? What’s a constitution good
for? These might not be soul-energizing questions but answering them
well is a mandate of love for the church.
I learned as a young husband that, while I might want to celebrate
“spontaneity” or “taking it easy,” loving my wife sometimes meant
making plans, thinking ahead, establishing a few structures. This is
what living with someone else, and not as a single man, means. So it is
in a church. Working together well and peaceably requires attending to
administration.
We asked a number of lead pastors and administration or exec-
utive pastors to help us think through matters like staffing, build-
ing, budgets and other policies. As I read every article, I found my-
self asking a host of further questions I would not have thought to
ask before. I trust you’ll discover the same. Even if we don’t answer
every question you have (far from it, I assume), you’ll have a better
sense of which questions to begin asking.

7
 Paul left Titus in Crete to “put what remained into order”
(Titus 1:5). He also told the Corinthians, “all things should be done
decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40). He was talking about the
church gathering, of course, but the lesson applies more broadly.
Pastors and deacons build up the body of Christ by caring for the
staffing structures, pay policies, and building budgets. We pray this
Journal will help.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathan (@JonathanLeeman) edits the 9Marks series of books as
well as the 9Marks Journal. He is also the author of several books on
the church. Since his call to ministry, Jonathan has earned a master
of divinity from Southern Seminary and a Ph.D. in Ecclesiology from
the University of Wales. He lives with his wife and four daughters in
Cheverly, Maryland, where he is an elder at Cheverly Baptist Church.

8
Is Administration
for Pastors?
THE NEW TESTAMENT’S FIRST ADMINISTRATORS

Brad Thayer

P
astoral ministry comes with many hardships, including ad-
ministrative challenges. It’s part of the calling to be “servants
of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1;
cf. 2 Cor. 11:23–33).
I’ve had my fair share of admin challenges over the years. They’ve
often come unannounced, demanding immediate attention. In 2008,
the stock market plummeted the week I moved to Atlanta. Giving de-
clined when the church was over a million dollars in debt. Most sup-
port staff resigned within three months of new pastoral leadership. I
had to figure out the church’s operations with a notebook of outdated
instructions. At one point, the sewage backed up into the children’s hall
on a Sunday morning. And most painfully, in my tenth year, the finan-
cial assistant was caught embezzling thousands of dollars.
These types of challenges and countless others, big and small, can
leave pastors discouraged. And this may be no fault of their own. Their
church may have unrealistic expectations that they preach excellent
sermons and oversee the facility. Some pastors become disgruntled

9
because they have ministry misperception. They think ministry runs
on two rails that never intersect—pastoral and admin. When the ad-
min crosses the pastoral, they’re frustrated because it interrupts the
“real” ministry of teaching and discipling.
Administrative challenges are not new to pastors and churches. In
the first century, the church in Jerusalem experienced botched admin-
istration during its infancy. And the apostles’ solution to appoint ser-
vants (let’s call them the New Testament’s first “administrators”) is in-
structive today. From Acts 6:1–7, I want to show how good admin-
istration is a priceless service to both a church’s health and elders’
leadership.

ACTS 6:1–7: THE NEW TESTAMENT’S FIRST

ADMINISTRATORS
Throughout Acts, Luke summarizes how the gospel spread: “the Word
of the Lord continued to increase” (Acts 19:20; cf. 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5;
28:30–31). But something always threatened the church. As soon as it
was birthed in Jerusalem, corruption and persecution tested its com-
mitment (Acts 5:1–42).
In Acts 6:1–7, the apostles faced a new challenge. They struggled
to care for widows as “the disciples were increasing in number” (v. 1).
And with limited time and energy, the apostles couldn’t tend to be-
nevolence and word ministry (vv. 2, 4). Both were important. But they
were too much for one group. As a result of poor administrative over-
sight, disunity broke out among the members (v. 1). No longer were
they of “one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32).
The apostles were also at a crossroads. They couldn’t forsake their
primary calling. They were commissioned to preach the gospel, not
“serve tables” (v. 2). But caring for widows and restoring unity were
critical to the church’s health. Love and unity were at stake if “serving
tables” wasn’t given due administrative attention.
In God’s providence, the apostles came up with a plan. They
asked the church to pick out godly, wise men to administer the

10
benevolence so they could devote themselves to “prayer and the
ministry of the word” (vv. 3–4). The congregation saw the wisdom
in this: “what they said pleased the whole gathering” (v. 5; emphasis
added). They “chose” seven men and set them before the apostles to
be commissioned to service (v. 6). The church kept word and mercy
ministry in proper relationship.
The seven’s administrative ministry was a significant undertaking.
They were entrusted with restoring unity that was fractured along cul-
tural lines between Hellenists and Hebraic believers. They needed wis-
dom for problem solving. Their solution couldn’t run roughshod over
the pain of a widow who was hurt from being neglected. The church
was comprised of thousands of believers. It was a high cost if they
didn’t properly administer the daily distribution. A poor administra-
tive solution would deepen the fissure. They were dealing in relation-
al capital essential to a church’s health—love and unity. So they had to
be full of the Spirit.
Whatever means the seven used to meet the need, the Lord blessed
it. Luke wrote, “The Word of God continued to increase, and the num-
ber of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many
of the priests became obedient to the faith” (v. 7). The administrative
challenge of a growing church’s benevolence ministry ultimately didn’t
distract from the gospel. The seven’s service proved to be a priceless gift
to the apostles’ ministry and church’s unity.

LESSONS FOR OVERSEEING ADMINISTRATIVE

CHALLENGES
There will be administrative challenges when believers covenant to love
and provide for the needs of one another. Instead of pastors begrudging
these challenges, they should find ways to oversee and utilize members
to meet them. Here are some ways they can do this:

11
 1. Find qualified, gifted servants.
Acts 6 is as a good paradigm for separating the responsibilities of el-
ders and deacons. Deacons are to safeguard the church’s unity by meet-
ing physical needs so elders can devote themselves to prayer and the
ministry of the Word.
Pastors are often overwhelmed with admin demands because
they’ve undervalued the office of deacon and members’ gifts of ser-
vice. They’ve taken on too much responsibility for physical needs that
should be met by deacons and members. Qualified, gifted servants
free a pastor of many burdens by ensuring members are cared for and
ministries are coordinated.
It blesses pastors to have servants who eagerly keep Word minis-
try central. A servant’s instinct should be to relieve the pastor of admin
burdens and members’ physical needs so he is well prepared to preach.
They should ask, “What tasks might we do so Sunday School teachers
have excellent lessons? How can we coordinate volunteers so children
and youth teachers are ready to engage kids with the Word? Are the
right people managing the finances so our elders are free to minister
Scripture to members personally?” Finding qualified, gifted servants
helps to ensure the Word remains central and physical needs are met.

2. Identify the pastoral implications of administration.

Not all admin responsibilities have pastoral implications. If the
AC goes out, someone needs to get it fixed. But if it goes out and the
church has to figure out alternative arrangements for gathering, a pas-
tor or some elders should think through pastoral implications of those
arrangements. The pastoral concern in Acts 6 was relational disunity
caused by broken administration. The seven’s solution had to aim to
restore unity.
Pastors should care about their church’s administrative operations.
They should know them well enough to identify their pastoral impli-
cations. This is especially true of communication, finances, and facili-
ty renovations.

12
 Take finances, for example. Treasurers and deacons can present
helpful and informative financial reports at member’s meetings. But
are these reports about more than finances? I believe so. They’re op-
portunities to set a pastoral tone and provide biblical instruction about
giving and a church’s priorities. So it’s good to have an elder give the fi-
nancial report and any pastoral implications.

3. Delegate with direction and encouragement.

Delegation entails the humble recognition that no pastor is omni-
competent. He needs others. And his church may be full of members
with diverse gifts willing to help (1 Cor. 12:4–11). They support the el-
ders’ leadership and are happy to serve “wherever is needed.” They just
need a job with direction and encouragement.
It’s a pastor’s responsibility to explain why a ministry needs coor-
dination. Why should members use their time and energy? What’s the
purpose of overseeing administrative tasks? If members understand
the elders’ vision for a ministry, they’ll often happily employ their gifts
to meet it. Their hands are strengthened to serve when given clear
direction.
Members also need encouragement. I often tell support staff, “Your
job is to equip and resource members for ministry in the church.”
Sometimes the best encouragement is to provide people the right tools
for the job. An encouraging word from a pastor also goes a long way.
Administration usually goes unseen and underappreciated. So a “thank
you!” or “I praise God for your service!” will encourage their hearts.

CONCLUSION
Satan is cunning. He’ll use any means necessary to threaten a church’s
commitment to preach the Word and maintain unity. His weapon of
choice may even be a poor admin process to subvert a church’s com-
mitment. And yet, God’s Spirit gives his church every sufficient gift for
her good, including the priceless service of good administration.

13
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brad Thayer is an associate pastor/administration of Mount Vernon
Baptist Church in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

14
Administrators
PLAYING WITH CALCULATORS OR BUILDING UP
THE BODY OF CHRIST?

Mike Carnicella

E
very year I go on a retreat with administrative pastors from
like-minded churches. And every year, Alex Duke (9Marks ed-
itor and my coworker at church) makes fun of me. “What are
you guys going to do? Pull out your TI83 calculators? Look at a bunch
of spreadsheets together?” Ha ha ha.
Jokes aside, the average member of my church (and I’d assume oth-
er churches as well) does not have a good idea of what an administra-
tive pastor actually does. Vague thoughts of building maintenance or
paying the bills are usually what people have in mind. Sure, we often
handle those things or supervise someone else who does. But being an
administrative pastor is much more than that. At the end of the day,
good administration is necessary for a healthy church.

WHAT’S ADMINISTRATION—AND WHO’S GOOD FOR IT?

What is administration? Likely, one of the first things we think about
when we hear the word administration is government: “Under my

15
administration…” or “This administration has done….” Has the church
today co-opted this word? I don’t think so.
The word can be translated a few different ways: administering,
leadership, or even governing. In other words, it involves leading or
guiding. The apostle Paul also lists administration as a spiritual gift
(Rom. 12:8 and 1 Cor. 12:28). The Holy Spirit has equipped some
people in the church in this way so that they might build up the body
of Christ.
So how do you know if you are gifted for administration in the
church?
I’ve seen many people from different backgrounds succeed in
administration, but one common characteristic seems to be an abil-
ity to focus on details. Detail-oriented people often find their way
into administrative roles. Sometimes this characteristic is indicative
of someone being supernaturally gifted in administration. In this
case, and like other gifts, administration can be nourished and im-
proved. There are naturally gifted teachers and preachers, but even
these people can improve their gifts and skills by practicing them
and learning from others.
What kind of board game player are you? Do you like to jump in
and learn as you go? Or do you want to open the manual, read the rules,
and understand them before you play? I would guess that many admin-
istrative pastors belong to the latter group. We can call this the “board
game rule of thumb.” (Administrative pastors are also often very cre-
ative!) Often, church administration is not unlike playing a very com-
plex board game. I’m not talking about Settlers of Catan. That’s just a
gateway board game. My eight-year-old can play that. I’m talking about
Agricola, a real board game. Of course, leading a church in the area of
administration is not a game. The people are real, and the stakes can be
high. And how you administrate can either harm or help.

16
WHY GOOD ADMINISTRATION IS IMPORTANT
Administration is not only biblical; it’s necessary. It might not be
your thing, but it can’t be ignored. Someone needs to know all the
rules or policies and be able to administer them correctly. Without
clear rules (a constitution and accompanying policies), a group
of individuals is likely to fall into either tyranny or anarchy. The
church is no different.
Therefore, I’d argue that an administrative person is one of the
most critical positions a church can hire. As a lead pastor in a small
but growing church, you’re often faced with the question of whom to
hire first. Should you hire someone to help with worship gatherings?
Should you hire someone to handle missions or discipleship? It de-
pends somewhat on the skillset of each lead pastor, but I would ar-
gue that the first hire generally should be someone who can help in
administration. This is especially true if the lead pastor is not gifted
in administration.
Of course, administration and policies cannot simply be taken
from one church and plugged into another. Administrative structures
and policies vary from church to church. This is because policies are
regularly created in the wake of a problem to prevent the problem
from coming up again. Regardless of having first-hand experience
with a problem or not, policies for things like handling money, child
safety, and appointing leaders are necessary. Introducing a new pol-
icy is a wisdom issue. Hopefully, you’ll have a plurality of elders to
help you make these decisions, but it often falls to those in adminis-
tration to lead the way.
What does someone involved in administration actually do?
Everything from handling finances to building upkeep and renova-
tions to the oft-overlooked development of various church-related pol-
icies. These three tasks may seem tedious, but they’re extremely valu-
able to a healthy, happy church.

17
 You may not be able to find chapter and verse to demonstrate their
importance, but even the early church found similar issues popping up.
For example, Acts 6 features an administration issue. There was a dis-
pute in the church, and with it came potential division and distraction.
The Greek-speaking Christians felt neglected relative to the Hebrew-
speaking Christians. The apostles stepped in to create a new team of
servants to address this issue. Many believe they were the first deacons.
These servants helped to preserve the church’s unity by way of their
administration.
It’s no different in our churches today. Sometimes unforeseen prob-
lems arise, and we must react. Problem-solving is at the heart of good
administration. In my experience, being trained as an engineer has
often proved helpful in church administration because engineering
school is basically four years of problem-solving. Seeing problems in
advance and creating systems or policies to avoid them is a big part of
my job. Reacting to problems and figuring out how to solve them is just
as important.
I would wager that many churches learned valuable administra-
tion and problem-solving lessons over the last couple of years. I doubt
that many churches had pandemic policies in place before 2020. Did
your church create any new policies during the pandemic? We can
debate the merits of having a livestream and whom you should allow
to watch it if it’s not public. But how many churches started a lives-
tream during the pandemic and now can’t figure out how to turn it
off or at least limit who has access to it? Without a policy for its use,
there will always be a tendency toward what’s easiest. Once the lives-
tream has been started, it’s easy to just keep it going because turning
it off will require hard conversations. “Are you saying that you don’t
want people to hear the gospel? That’s unloving. That’s limiting your
reach.” Maybe. Or maybe you need to have a challenging conversa-
tion with someone, so they will start coming back to church, where

18
people gather in person. This is just one example of what it looks like
to think through a problem and come to a solution that seeks to love
and protect the flock.
Good administration and good administrators are a gift from God.
Don’t neglect these gifts just because they seem boring or nerdy. That
may be true, but God has given these gifts to build up and protect the
unity of the church.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Carnicella is an associate pastor for administration of Third
Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

19
Pastors, Don’t Forget
to Shepherd Your
Deacons

Gus Pritchard

T
here’s something good and right about a pastor fighting to stay
out of the weeds of church administration. To put a slight spin
on the apostles’ words, “It is not right that we should give up
preaching the Word of God to manage spreadsheets and review facil-
ity-use policies” (see Acts 6:2).
Nonetheless, there is a ditch on the other side to avoid, too. While
we shouldn’t focus too much on administration, we shouldn’t totally
ignore it.
God calls us to provide oversight to the entire ministry of our
churches—including shepherding the deacons in their work.

TWO BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES

1. Elder oversight involves giving some attention to administration.
Several times the elders are said to exercise “oversight” or are sim-
ply called “overseers” (e.g. Acts 20:28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-2; Tit. 1:7;
1 Peter 5:3). The term suggests that their work includes superintend-
ing the entire local church. Walter Bauer’s English-Greek lexicon ex-
plains how this word is closely related to the work of “one who has the

20
responsibility of safeguarding,” “a supervisor, with special interest in
guarding the apostolic tradition.” The Louw-Nida lexicon states that
the word “overseer” captures both “the responsibility of caring for the
needs of a congregation as well as directing the activities of the mem-
bership.” This suggests the elders’ work includes a level of administra-
tive authority.
Consider also the example of the apostles in Acts 6:1–7, who func-
tioned in a pastor-like way. They provide guidance to the entire church
for solving the food distribution problem. They didn’t merely inform
the church of their duties, and then walk away. They offered a concrete
solution: appoint proto-deacons.
Paul also gave a detailed set of instructions to Timothy, who func-
tioned as a pastor, about his church’s benevolence ministry. And to some
extent he gets into the nitty-gritty: support widows who meet these par-
ticular qualifications. In other words, Timothy should give some level of
oversight to the physical care of widows in his pastoral role, even if a dea-
con gives more direct attention (1 Tim. 5:3ff).
In these kinds of examples, the New Testament suggests that a pas-
tor’s job includes some measure of administrative focus. While pastors
give their chief attention to the state of the vine, doing so requires them
to step back sometimes and inspect the condition of the trellis as well.
In other words, directing the affairs of the church means elder over-
sight extends even to the realm of deacons’ work.

2. Elders ought to provide some degree of oversight to deacons’

work.
The fact that the elders need to give broad oversight to the admin-
istration of the church means they give broad oversight to the work of
the deacons.
Consider Acts 6 once more. We have no reason to think they man-
aged the proto- deacons as they went about distributing food to wid-
ows, but they did specify who could serve in this capacity and put them
in charge: “select from among you seven men of good reputation, full

21
of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need”
(Acts 6:3).
In general, commentators distinguish the spiritual concerns of the
pastors (like sermons, Sunday school lessons, prayer meetings, and bap-
tisms) from the tangible concerns of the deacons (like the building, the
grounds, the security, and the finances), as in Matt Smethurst’s book
Deacons. And that’s broadly accurate. At the same time, human beings
are both physical and spiritual, and the two aspects of our persons are
profoundly integrated. A church’s overall ministry, therefore, should not
try to wholly separate them either.
For instance, imagine the deacon of budget trying unilaterally to re-
duce missionary funding to pay for a major building project. The pas-
tors, in response, might take issue!
In short, the Lord places both the spiritual and the tangible, to vary-
ing extents, under the oversight of the pastors. The extent of elder involve-
ment over the work of deacons will vary, depending on how closely the
deacon’s work relates to the ministry of the word and the spiritual heath
of the church.

BEST PRACTICES FOR LEADING DEACONS

Here are three pieces of advice on how pastors can give oversight to the
administration of the church without getting swamped with spreads-
heets and file folders.

1. Put elders in charge of the annual budget process.

Few matters of administration have more influence on the direction
and shape of ministry than the church budget. What gets funded will
eventually influence the overall direction of the church. For this reason, it’s
wise to put elders in charge of the annual budget process.
In our church, I serve as the pastor who gives oversight to the annu-
al budget process. We have an incredibly capable deacon of budget, who
does the vast majority of the number-crunching, the forecasting, and
the coordinating of various data inputs. One of my main tasks includes

22
setting and managing a budget-planning schedule. By doing this, I can
ensure that the elders get enough time to scrutinize the budget before
our members see it and vote on it.
The pastors’ oversight of the annual budget process might look dif-
ferent at another church. It is generally good to keep pastors from get-
ting lost in weeds of financial details. But it would also be unwise to not
give the elders sufficient time to study and broadly shape the church’s
budget.
2. Find deacons who know when to defer to elders.
A good deacon must be capable of getting vital administrative tasks
done with little supervision. Their work should be measured in part
by how they protect the pastors and elders from distraction. And yet,
a good deacon will also be comfortable with deferring big decisions to
the pastors and elders. This instinct for deferral preserves the elders’
oversight over the entire ministry of the church.
3. Build strong lines of communication between the deacons and
elders.
Communication between the elders and deacons should be reg-
ular. After elder meetings, for instance, the elders should make sure
they contact any deacons who might be affected by decisions the elders
made. You don’t want a deacon finding out about an elder decision that
dramatically impacts their area of service at a members’ meeting along
with the rest of the congregation. That risks causing the deacons to feel
like their work doesn’t matter.
Likewise, deacons should be quick to report anything they do or
see they think the elders might want to know. One thing to help facil-
itate this is to invite a deacon to every elder meeting and ask them if
they have any updates or if there are ways the elders can better help the
deacon.

23
CONCLUSION
In God’s wisdom, he has given the church two offices: elders and dea-
cons. They shouldn’t function as two separate bodies of authority.
Instead, God calls pastors and elders to lead the flock under their care,
such that the work of the deacons causes the elder-led word ministry
to flourish.
May this be true of all the places where Christ is faithfully preached!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gus Pritchard is an associate pastor for Castleview Church in
Indianapolis, Indiana.

24
From the Archives
WHY AN ADMINISTRATIVE PASTOR

Ryan Townsend

A
t 9Marks, one of our favorite books on pastoral ministry
is Colin Marshall and Tony Payne’s The Trellis and the
Vine. The main idea is simple: in the disciple-making work
of Christian ministry, the real growth that churches should pursue
is the growth of the vine (Christians). Growing the church’s trellises
(administrative structures) is important only insofar as it helps the
vine to grow.
If Marshall and Payne are correct, and we think they are, there are
some clear implications for what kinds of staff a church should look to
hire. For instance, a church may benefit from hiring a trellis-building
administrative pastor.
Indeed, this is not the right course of action for all situations.
However, I’d like to raise a few of the advantages of an administrative
pastor for your consideration.

YOUR FIRST HIRE: A FAITHFUL PREACHER

The most important thing is to find a man gifted by God to preach
the Bible. This is because God always saves and sanctifies through his

25
Word. Like the apostle Paul, we must be willing to let everything else
fail, if necessary, to continue preaching the gospel (e.g., Acts 20:18-24).
This means that if a church can only hire one pastor, it should be a
man who can preach God’s Word.

YOUR SECOND, THIRD, OR FOURTH HIRE: CONSIDER

AN ADMINISTRATIVE PASTOR
Vine growth in a church is easier and more efficient with good “tre-
llises”—strategy, structures, processes, tools, and communication.
Trellises like these help us steward our resources and relationships
and promote supernatural, gospel growth.
I was converted thirteen years ago at Capitol Hill Baptist Church.
Since then, I’ve seen the immense value of Matt Schmucker’s trellis
work in our church. Now I get to work with Jamie Dunlop, the current
executive pastor, who serves our church so well. I’ve also served as the
administrative pastor at Clifton Baptist Church. From that chair, I ex-
perienced the pastoral demands and managed many details of our life
together.
Often, preaching pastors make their second hire a general-duty as-
sociate pastor. The idea is that this man will help with teaching, coun-
seling, worship, adult education, and children and family ministries.
That makes sense. After all, a pastor needs backup in all these areas.
But what about administration? Churches often fail to consider this
a pastoral priority. I think this oversight can hinder the vine’s growth.
A man who is both a pastor and an administrator understands vine
growth and stewards the trellises appropriately.
This brings us to why I think an administrative pastor is often a
good hire. Remember, I am recommending a man who is qualified to
pastor and who is a proficient administrator. A pastor because, well,
the job is pastoral! He handles the big-picture (e.g., strategy and orga-
nization) and the small details (e.g., budget line items and members’

26
meeting agendas). He must have sound theology, pastoral discern-
ment, communication skills, preaching and teaching abilities, ser-
vant-hearted leadership, humility, love, and diplomacy in both fields.
He also needs to be gifted in administration, organizational strategy,
and communications because his job requires him to define, build, and
manage the organization and its infrastructures. He must manage the
church’s strategy, processes, tools, and people.

NINE MORE REASONS TO HIRE AN ADMINISTRATIVE

PASTOR
Here are nine more reasons why your church might benefit from hiring
an administrative pastor:

1. Strategy
The preaching pastor will naturally influence and even drive the vi-
sion and voice of the church. But every vision requires someone to ad-
ministrate and advance it in the area of its nuts and bolts. This takes
time, patience, biblical knowledge, pastoral discernment, and hard
work. A good administrative pastor brings these things to the table.
You might have seen the Charles Spurgeon portrait with a couple of
men hidden in the shadowy background. Did you notice these men?
This portrait reminds us that Spurgeon’s ministry depended partly on
brothers serving the church in the background. Most, if not all, good
churches and pastors have such people.

2. Organization and Infrastructure

Typically, strategy consultants say that an organization will only
succeed to the extent that clear processes and tools are in place to build,
support, and maintain it. Gospel ministry is different because actu-
al growth depends on God’s aid. Still, churches must consider how to
steward their resources faithfully through good trellises. And this is
the job of the administrative pastor. He builds and maintains processes

27
and tools for all the parts and pieces of the church. These nuts and bolts
may include:
• managing building(s) and property
• overseeing the logistics, schedule, and events
• managing tasks, personalities, details for staff, membership pro-
cesses, money, important church documents, etc.

3. Communication
The best plans and processes will fail if good communication and
teaching are absent. Much of the responsibility for communication falls
to the preaching pastor and elders as a whole. Still, the administrative
pastor is a kind of glue that holds the staff, leadership, and members to-
gether. A good administrative pastor is 20/20 when it comes to details.
At the same time, he aims to manage those details for the glory of God.
Practically, this plays out in how he communicates to the church. He
works so that all the parties hear and understand one another.

4. Member Care
Administrative pastors should look out for the congregation’s needs
that others may be unaware of. With pastoral discernment, love, and
empathy, he will be able to act on behalf of the church so that they are
faithful to care for one another. For example, he may help build an ef-
fective deacon team to serve the church’s needs.

5. Staff Care
A good administrative pastor practically cares for the staff. He is
the guy managing things like health care, compensation, housing, and
the office culture. Further, he is a liaison between the church staff and
other leaders. A good administrative pastor understands that business-
es are profit-driven, and churches are relationship-driven. Managing
these relationships is his business!

28
 6. Stewardship and Finances
Church budgets and finances require pastoral qualification and dis-
cernment. The administrative pastor should be organized, efficient,
above reproach, and trustworthy. He must manage and steward the
church’s resources faithfully. This work may include his appointing a
competent, like-minded treasurer.

7. Teaching and Discipling

An administrative pastor should have the gift of teaching. This is
a biblical requirement for all elders (1 Tim. 3:2)! Therefore, he should
assist in the local church’s regular teaching, discipling, and mentoring.
Going above and beyond may also mean training and mentoring other
men who aspire to a similar position.

8. Corporate Witness
Our God is a God of order, detail, and beauty. While a church’s
physical appearance should not sum up our growth strategy, it may
subtly help or hinder its witness. A good administrative pastor should
manage signage, landscaping, and the facilities for regular use by the
church. This includes ensuring the grounds and building are safe for
members and guests. His attention to detail may not be known, but it
will undoubtedly be felt.

9. Glory of God
In many ways, the work of a good administrative pastor should go
unnoticed. If he’s doing his job well (with God’s blessing), the church
will run smoothly with him standing somewhat in the background.
This doesn’t mean that his work is unimportant. The administrative
pastor’s faithfulness supports the platform on which the preached
Word goes forward. In so doing, he brings glory to God.

29
 In short, the teaching and ministries of a healthy church can be
wonderfully enabled and enhanced by faithful management, steward-
ship, and administration.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ryan Townsend is the Executive Director of 9Marks, and an elder at
Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D. C.

30
Staffing
HIRING AND FIRING

Brad Wheeler

Y
ou may not love it. In fact, you may be pretty bad at it, but
you’re still expected to do it. Seminaries don’t teach it (in my
experience), but your church’s health depends on it. And more
personally, your own longevity in ministry will often rise or fall be-
cause of it.
I’m talking about managing a church staff. I’m not so much refer-
ring to the culture of a church staff, though that’s certainly critical. I’m
referring more to the scaffolding, the authority structures, the supervi-
sory and subordinate relationships. This subject doesn’t excite me at all.
But if managed poorly, it can make your life, your experience of minis-
try, and the ministry experience of those under you miserable.
So if you’re the lead pastor (or an elder given charge of staff over-
sight), here are a few hard and humbling lessons I’ve learned along the
way. And please keep in mind: much of what I’ll share is more pruden-
tial than biblically prescribed.

31
1. CLEARLY DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ELDER AND NON-
ELDER STAFF POSITIONS.
Most polity structures recognize this difference in some fashion. I pas-
tor a congregational church, so the congregation has the formal autho-
rity to call pastors (lead pastor, associate pastors, assistant pastor, i.e.
whoever is a pastor). The hiring of pastoral staff (e.g. pastoral assistants)
and administrative staff is delegated to other staff elders. Ensure such
matters are clearly delineated in your church bylaws or constitution,
however your church is structured.
A word of encouragement: as much as possible, align your titles
with biblical offices. So if the man is a pastor/elder, make that clear in
his title (lead pastor, associate pastor, assistant pastor). It will be a reg-
ular reminder to all that he holds the biblical office of elder. If the in-
dividual is not in the formal office of pastor/elder, don’t call him a pas-
tor. He can be a pastoral assistant (“assistant” is his role, “pastoral” ad-
jectivally describes what he does). Or he can have some other title, like
“director.”
Personally, I would avoid vague terms like “minister” as much as
possible. Is the person an elder or not? Do they exercise pastoral au-
thority, or are they merely servants (which is closer to the meaning of
the word minister)? Avoid titles that obscure instead of clarify.

2. CLEARLY DELINEATE LINES OF AUTHORITY.

On smaller teams, detailed organizational charts aren’t necessary. But
the larger the team, the more important they become. When a staff
member has a question about their job, role, expectations, performan-
ce, etc., it will serve them if they know who to go to.
Pastoral work can never be perfectly captured on a spreadsheet.
And some individuals may work with multiple staff pastors. But seek
to avoid a patchwork structure where someone feels as if they have two
or three different bosses. That only creates confusion and frustration.
And lead pastor, avoid the temptation to overly insert yourself
into conversations and decisions you’ve delegated to others. If you’ve

32
handed authority to them, trust them. If you consistently don’t trust
them, then hire someone you do. But don’t say you trust them and then
second-guess them at every turn. That’s a wonderful way to discourage
them, and it will eventually lead to everything landing on your desk.
And, as I’ve sadly learned, that serves nobody well.

3. CLEARLY COMMUNICATE EXPECTATIONS.

Pastoral ministry is all-encompassing work. And any valuable staff
member will be willing to pitch in and serve wherever there’s need.
That said, a job description is a useful tool in establishing expecta-
tions. Individuals should not be confused about what the church has
set them apart to do. A clear job description helps them prioritize tasks
and allocate time. It keeps them focused and, when necessary, can be
used to call them back to their main role.

4. CLEARLY ESTABLISH REGULAR FEEDBACK LOOPS.

Annual or periodic reviews may be fine, but I’m a fan of more regular
and informal feedback loops. Nobody wants to be left wondering if
they’re doing their job well. So in staff meetings, weekly check-ins, and
intentional conversations, make a habit of encouraging people when
they’re working hard and executing well.
And when you observe something amiss, find the right time to
address it. Ask questions. Probe. Pursue. And above all, be willing
to have hard conversations. Don’t cherish them, but don’t run from
them either. No one is perfect at their jobs, and it’s the wise who
through instruction gain knowledge (Prov. 21:11). And should the
day ever come when you need to terminate a staff member for is-
sues of character or competency, it should never come as a shock. If
they’re surprised, it means you’ve failed.

5. CLEARLY LEAD THROUGH HARD DECISIONS.

Ministry often feels like a parade of difficult conversations and deci-
sions, especially for the lead pastor. It’s why it’s so critical that we fear

33
God and not man. Fear man, and we’ll be paralyzed by indecision.
Fear God, and we’re freed to move forward with charity, humility, and
clarity.
This applies to staffing as well. Though it’s a bit simplistic, I’ve
found the old adage to hold true: “Be slow to hire, quick to fire.” As
the one at the head of the table, your elders and staff are looking to
you to provide leadership and guidance.
And yet, as difficult decisions are made, don’t make them alone.
As much as possible, involve your elders. Talk through decisions with
them. Help them understand. And if you ever must terminate a staff
elder, make sure your lay elders not only understand but support the
decision. That ought to be a decision you make with them.

6. BE PATIENT.
You may have built your staff. But many of us inherit staff, whose phi-
losophy of ministry has been formed over years, often subconsciously.
Therefore, it won’t be reformed in days or weeks.
So be patient. Use staff meetings to instruct and reflect together.
Constantly drip doctrine, watch, and pray. Look for who’s humble and
teachable. And as you lead, recognize everybody goes through hard
seasons. Be patient. Remember they’re people, not merely producers.

CONCLUSION
If the Lord gives you godly laborers who work diligently and humbly,
then policies, hierarchies, formal reviews, and other “scaffolding” won’t
appear important. But sadly, no church is perfect. No staff is perfect.
And no lead pastor is perfect. So may these encouragements bring fur-
ther clarity, unity, and joy to your work.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brad Wheeler is the senior pastor of University Baptist Church in
Fayetteville, Arkansas.

34
What Job Titles
Should Churches Use
— Two Simple Rules

Jonathan Leeman

I
n case you missed it, the Southern Baptist Convention got into a
bit of a tussle at this year’s annual meeting over the definition of the
word “pastor.”
What provoked the tussle was the fact that in recent years Saddleback
Community Church, a SBC church, installed several women as pas-
tors. This seems to contradict the SBC’s statement of faith, The Baptist
Faith & Message 2000. It reads:

• a church’s “scriptural officers are pastors and deacons”;

• and “While both men and women are gifted for service, the of-
fice of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

Contrary to bullet point 2, Saddleback has female pastors. Contrary

to bullet point 1, they justify female pastors by dividing the pastoral of-
fice from the elder office. The question is then, should the SBC remove
them from membership in the convention?

35
 It’s easy to fall into a debate over the second bullet limiting the office
of elder to men. Yet often it’s our treatment of the first line that creates
the confusion about the second line.
Are there really only two offices in a church? If so, what do we make
of a “minister of music” or a “children’s director” or a “receptionist”?
And what if a church distinguishes pastor from elder? Or what’s the
difference between a senior pastor and an associate pastor, or a mis-
sion’s pastor and a youth pastor?
The larger question is, what job titles should churches use? Does
the Bible care?

TWO OFFICES OR MORE?

For centuries Christians have disagreed on how many biblical offi-
ces there are and what they should be called. Since Calvin’s day,
Presbyterians have debated whether there are two offices or three (is
the “teacher” different from the “elder”?). Most today say two.
Meanwhile, the first English Baptist confession, John Smyth’s
(1609), lists “bishops and deacons.” The First London Confession of
1644 lists “pastors, teachers, elders, deacons,” while the Second London
Confession of 1688 returns to two: “bishops or elders and deacons.”
In fact, nearly all Baptist confessions mention only two, including the
SBC’s 1925, 1963, and 2000 Baptist Faith & Message, as we saw above.
The idea of two offices fits with Paul’s greeting to the church in
Philippi: “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including
the overseers and deacons” (1:1). It also fits with the fact that he only lists
qualifications for two offices—elders and deacons—in 1 Timothy 3.
To return to Saddleback, then, you can see how the two lines from
the BF&M cited above implicate one another. For instance, when de-
fenders of Saddleback’s inclusion in the SBC argue that the line about
men as pastors refers only to senior pastors (bullet point 2), they have
placed themselves inside the centuries-old conversation about the
number of offices (bullet point 1). Unwittingly or not, they’re asserting

36
that Scripture establishes three offices—senior pastor, pastor, and dea-
con—with different sets of qualifications and responsibilities.
The same trouble attends those who distinguish between elders and
pastors, as Saddleback does. They’ve created a third office—elder, pas-
tor, deacon.
The same is true for those who argue, in one breath, that the word
“pastor” in the Bible does not refer to an authoritative office but to a gift,
and in the next breath argue that this gift justifies the creation of what
any innocent bystander would call...an office, complete with a name
plate on the door. So, again, does the Bible call for two offices or three?

SO MANY TITLES
What complicates our present moment even further is how adminis-
tratively complex and pragmatic some churches have become. To run a
church of any size these days, you may well need what we call “a busi-
ness administrator” and “a receptionist” and maybe a “director of chil-
dren’s ministry” and “youth pastor” and “minister of music” and “pas-
toral intern” as well as a “pastor of this,” “that,” and “the other.” None
of those titles are in the Bible. Doesn’t that mean we should give up the
game and go ahead and list as many offices as we need?
I don’t think so. In spite of whatever titles we end up using (I’ll say
more about that in a moment), we should start by keeping the idea of
two offices clearly separated in our minds for two reasons. First, God
is wiser than man, and so we want to build our churches in accordance
with the Scriptures.
Second, we should aspire to keep our church offices or jobs tied to
biblical qualifications. Think about where Paul spills all his ink: a tiny
bit on titles; a whole lot on qualifications. What does that tell us? We
never want to go outside the qualifications he lists for those two offices.
They’re essential to a rightly “ordered” church (Titus 1:5).
As such, we should want basically everyone working in a titled ca-
pacity for a church, whether paid or unpaid, to meet the qualifications

37
 • of a pastor or elder (“above reproach, the husband of one wife,
sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to
teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome”
etc.)
• or of a deacon (“dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to
much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain…not slanderers, but
sober-minded, faithful in all things” etc).

I’m pretty sure, for instance, you don’t want someone answering
the phone in your church office who is double-tongued and a slander-
er. Right?
When we build church staffing structures that lose sight of these
two basic offices, we risk untethering ourselves from their respective
qualifications. It also leads us into the confusion we presently have over
what men and women can or cannot do in a church. Folks have been
quick to defend Saddleback’s inclusion by saying, “Southern Baptists
have meant a host of different things by the title ‘pastor.’” That’s true.
We have. Which is why we’re in this mess.

TWO SIMPLE RULES FOR DOCTRINAL CLARITY . . .

Let me offer two simple rules that should help our churches remain
tied to Scripture while also offering some flexibility for different
circumstances:
1) Affirm that the Bible establishes two offices1 and make sure that
every titled job in a church, no matter what you call it, complies
with the duties and qualifications of one or the other.2
1 To be clear, the word “office” refers to a position
• given to certain named individuals, not the whole congregation,
• who meet certain qualifications,
• that gives them some type of authority either over the whole church or a specific area
• in order to fulfill certain responsibilities or functions.
2 Even if you don’t think 1 Tim 3:10 refers to deaconess, the characteristics of these deacon wives could
still be applied to female staff.

38
 2) Choose titles that reinforce the biblical division of labor and don’t
blur or confuse it, especially by paying attention to the nouns in
those titles.
So think back to my comment above about every position needing
to meet the qualifications of a pastor or a deacon. Now let’s take anoth-
er step. I’m suggesting that everyone with a title in a church (paid or
unpaid) should essentially be slotted into one of two job descriptions
broadly conceived:

• Job description 1: this person (i) possesses or shares over-

sight over the whole church (e.g., Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1–5;
Hebrews 13:7,17); (ii) is responsible for the ministry of the Word
and prayer (e.g. Acts 6:1–7; 2 Tim. 2:1–2; 4:1–5; Titus 1:9; 2:1, 15;
Heb. 13:7); and meets the qualifications set down by Paul in
1 Timothy 2:12 and 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9.
• Job description 2: this person (i) is a model servant (which is what
the word “deacon” means); (ii) will attend to tangible needs, orga-
nize and mobilize acts of service, preserve the unity of the flock,
and support the ministry of the elders (Acts 6:1–7);3 (iii) and
meets the qualifications set down by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:8–13.
For people in the first office, whether paid or unpaid, whether one
person or several, whether affixed to an adjective like “senior” or “exec-
utive” or “young adult” or not, we should use the biblical nouns “pas-
tor” or “elder” or “overseer” in the job title.
Locking down those three nouns to this first office will help our
churches conform to the pattern of Scripture. And it will serve the pur-
poses of clarity. Maybe this guy’s day-to-day work is preparing ser-
mons, that guy’s is sitting in a counselor’s chair, that other guy is lead-
ing mission trips, while those guys work all week in secular vocations
but devote their evenings and weekends to shepherding sheep. Still,
everyone in the church knows, “These are our spiritual overseers and
3 The wording in this second clause is taken from Matt Smethhurst’s book Deacons (Crossway, 2021).

39
shepherds. These are our pastors and elders. And they’re all bound by
the same qualifications.”
Then, we can open our Bibles and read, “Remember your leaders,
those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of
their way of life, and imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7); and we can know
how to apply it. We can read a few verses later, “Obey your leaders and
submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those
who will have to give an account” (v. 17); and we can know how to obey
it. We’re to follow the example of, we’re to submit to, these men—our
pastors or elders or overseers.

. . . AND CONTEXTUAL SENSITIVITY

Once that first office and the biblical nouns “pastor,” “elder,” and “over-
seer” are locked down, there’s some flexibility with that second office
and the job titles we might use for them. We might formally call such
people deacons to recognize and affirm their model service. Yet we also
might hire them as the church receptionist, children’s ministry direc-
tor, song leader, pastoral assistant, administrator, or building manager.4
Different circumstances call for different jobs, just like the challenge
highlighted in Acts 6 concerning food distribution among widows was
highly specific to that moment. The point is, all these jobs effectively
place people into a diaconal role, as defined in job description 2 above.
And with all these jobs I have difficulty imagining not asking them to
meet the qualifications listed by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:8–13.
To be sure, some jobs in a church might feel like they fall some-
where in between descriptions 1 and 2. Maybe you have a “Christian
Education Director” who is making decisions about what’s taught in
the Sunday School program and who is teaching the classes. My advice
would be to push this individual more fully toward job description 1
or 2. Either recognize that he’s already doing the work of a pastor by
attending to what the church is taught, and so help the congregation
4 The title “minister” is tricky because different traditions use it for the pastor and other for something
more diaconal. If you do use the term “minister” as a noun, aspire for clarity about what you’re saying and
what you’re not saying.

40
recognize him as a pastor or elder as soon as possible. Or, if you’re not
convinced he’s ready to be a pastor, make sure some pastor is over-
seeing his work. Your unwillingness to recommend him as a pastor
means, to some extent, he’s still working in a diaconal (assist the elders)
capacity. And even if you trust his work entirely, the congregation has
not yet entrusted their discipleship to his oversight.

PLEASE STOP CREATING LOOPHOLES OR BLURRING THE

LINES
All that strikes me as pretty biblical and straightforward. Work hard
at slotting every job into the pastoral or diaconal categories, and then
make sure your job titles—especially the nouns—don’t blur the assig-
nments. Instead, restrict the nouns “pastor,” “elder,” and “overseer” to
that first category. This creates flexibility in the second, which is useful
since the focus of the second—tangible needs—will change from con-
text to context.
Frankly, I think that counsel will serve both complementarian and
egalitarian churches. It will help both clarify who they are and what
they think biblical obedience requires. The churches this counsel will
frustrate are those who are trying to land somewhere in between.
Which brings me to a final, more critical note. I’m struck by how
often churches and writers end up creating loopholes by blurring the
lines between these two offices.
Going back to the Saddleback conversation: To argue a woman can
be a pastor but not the senior pastor is to create a loophole. You’re
blurring lines and fomenting confusion. Are you saying that “pastor”
and “senior pastor” are different offices with different qualifications?
Which biblical passages bind the one and which the other? And, if you
think she can be affirmed as a pastor, why would you restrict her from
preaching? That begins to feel arbitrary.
Or to argue that all the elders are pastors but not all the pastors are
elders. How does that bring any clarity to the biblical job descriptions?
As a member, am I to “obey and submit” in a Hebrews 13 way to both

41
pastors and elders? If so, how do I relate to them differently? What pas-
sages should I consider? And, frankly, why the power differential be-
tween them? Is that just old-man elders trying to keep too much power
from the young pastors they might hire?
Or to say, women cannot be pastors but they can be on the “lead-
ership team.” Wait a second: what are the qualifications for the leader-
ship team? Am I to submit to them? Do they possess oversight over the
church, because the name certainly suggests they do?
All such fidgeting and blurring is confusing at best, misleading at
worst. It would be clearer and better to simply say, “Women can be
pastors or elders,” if that’s the road you want to take. The in-between
stuff, increasingly common right now courtesy of these various loop-
holes, at least appears culturally motivated; more likely is the conse-
quence of several decades of pastors learning to think pragmatically,
not biblically.
The biblical patterns for church structures and leadership are meant
to be a blessing. We shouldn’t want to look for loopholes, like we do
with our taxes. We should aspire to conform ourselves to the Bible and
be clear about it.

APPENDIX: A FEW COMMENTS ON THE SBC-

SADDLEBACK TUSSLE ITSELF
Since the article above raises the topic, I’d like to offer a few comments
for my Southern Baptist friends on how we might navigate the SBC/
Saddleback tussle itself.
If you google the story, you’ll notice that reports often use the word
“disfellowship” instead of “remove,” as I did earlier. Should the SBC dis-
fellowship Saddleback, people ask.
That’s the wrong word to use, even if it’s become the common way
for SBCers to talk about removing a church from the convention. First,
the SBC bylaws (correctly) don’t use the word (see 8.C.2-5). More sig-
nificantly, the Bible uses “fellowship” exclusively to refer to our gospel
unity or fellowship, as when Paul refers to “the right hand of fellowship”

42
(Gal. 2:9; see also, Acts 2:42, 2 Cor. 6:14; 1 John 1:3, etc.). To “disfellow-
ship” a church, by that standard, would be to effectively excommuni-
cate it, which Baptists don’t believe conventions or denominations or
presbyteries or general assemblies can do.
I trust that no one using the word “disfellowship” for or against
Saddleback’s membership means to suggest that excommunication is
at stake. The trouble is folks then heap on other emotionally-ladened
language which raises the stakes almost that high. Disfellowshipping
Saddleback would be a “tragedy,” they say, and “grievous.”
To which I can’t help but respond, well, it’s tragic only if we have an
outsized view of God working exclusively among Southern Baptists.
Doesn’t he work outside the SBC, too? Can’t Paul and Barnabas go sep-
arate ways and still both do great gospel work, and even bless each oth-
er as they go?
The question at play with Saddleback is not about fellowship but
about cooperating or convening to train seminarians and send mission-
aries. This is why the Southern Baptist Convention exists. In a world of
limited resources, my church can decide it does not want to pool re-
sources with, say, the Presbyterians and Anglicans for missions, while
still happily affirming our partnership in the gospel. In two weeks,
I happen to be guest-preaching in a gospel-affirming Presbyterian
church. Yet that doesn’t mean I’d plant a church with them.
In that regard, denominational separations can, ironically, protect
a deeper gospel unity. The alternative is to ignore or tut-tut secondary
doctrinal matters (ordinances, church governance, women’s ordination,
etc.). Yet this leads to the potential for disobedience on both sides of a
disagreement as well as to relativizing biblical authority, as in, “We need
to obey these passages, but don’t worry about those.”
A better path may involve doing two things at once:

• separating denominationally, which heads off constant fighting

and allows everyone to act according to their understanding of
Scripture;

43
 • looking for other ways (conferences, book projects, sharing pul-
pits, evangelizing together) to affirm our ongoing gospel partner-
ship in primary matters.

Sometimes these amicable separations are the humbler path, par-

ticularly when nothing biblically sacrosanct is at stake, like a marriage
vow. They acknowledge our fallenness and finitude and don’t bur-
den our consciences with the false weight of theological and ethical
perfectionism.
As Christians more mature than me have said, we should work for
peace amidst our disagreements on secondary matters by keeping the
fences in between us clear but low; and shake hands over them often.
Imagine, then, the Saddleback conversation going like this. The
SBC says to Saddleback, “We love you. Yet to allow both of us to hold
our convictions regarding female pastors, we think it’s best to separate.
But we look forward to hearing reports of your ongoing gospel minis-
try and let us know how we can help.”
To which Saddleback responds, “Makes sense, and we don’t want to
stir up controversy nor ask you to go against your conscience and un-
derstanding of Scripture. Pray for us, and we’ll pray for you!”
That, to me, sounds like a mature conversation between two spiri-
tually healthy adults.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathan Leeman edits the 9Marks series of books as well as the
9Marks Journal. He is also the author of several books on the church.
Since his call to ministry, Jonathan has earned a master of divinity from
Southern Seminary and a Ph.D. in Ecclesiology from the University of
Wales. He lives with his wife and four daughters in Cheverly, Maryland,
where he is an elder at Cheverly Baptist Church.

44
Evaluating How an
Elder Is Ruling

Bob Johnson

H
ow do you conduct a job performance review for the elders
(particularly the paid staff elders)? In other words, how do you
determine if an elder is “ruling well”?
Before a man is considered for the office of an elder, he must be eval-
uated in light of the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
But then what? Is that it? Is there anything in Scripture that suggests
ongoing evaluation and encouragement for more effective ministry?
Yes.

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those
who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17).

To consider an elder worthy of double honor, he must rule well.

Paul’s admonition indicates an evaluation process that determines
whether he’s doing this or not. Okay . . . But how? How can elders help
one another “rule well”? How can a congregation know that its elders
are serious about improving as elders?
Over the years, we’ve tried many ways to do “job performance eval-
uations,” particularly for our staff elders. And I’m serious when I say
many. Our efforts mostly returned empty. Sometimes, the process was so

45
ponderous and frustrating that we just gave up for a while. Its value was
overshadowed by what felt more business-like than biblical. However, af-
ter sustained effort, we’ve found an evaluation process that is workable—
dare I say even good!
Here’s what we did.
First, we asked each staff elder to come up with three questions for
the rest of the elders to answer. We intended these questions to give each
elder the chance to receive input into the areas he was most concerned
about. For example…

• Where are my blind spots?

• How can I improve as a leader?
• What areas of ministry have lost traction under my authority?
• My wife says I can be aloof. Am I this way with the congregation?

Second, these questions were sent to every elder several days before
we met to discuss them. This gave the brothers ample time to think and
pray about their answers.
Third, the elders met to discuss our answers with one anoth-
er, and we took notes on this conversation. We currently have 17 el-
ders: six staff, eleven lay. Only the staff elders were evaluated. Knowing
this meeting could drag on, we allotted 10 minutes to each staff el-
der. This may seem too brief, but the prep enabled effective, efficient
conversation.
Fourth, each staff elder received a copy of everyone’s answers. They
were then asked to sign the document so we had a clear record of what
had been agreed to.
I walked away encouraged, full of ideas for how I needed to im-
prove. The other staff elders felt similarly. We all walked away built
up, but with work to do. The process contributed to a culture of help-
ing one another look more like Christ and enhanced our service to our
church.

46
 Our Administrative Pastor, Dave Kaynor, spear-headed this exer-
cise. It was our best effort at a performance evaluation process, and I’m
confident we’ll repeat it next year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Johnson is the senior pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in
Roseville, Michigan.

47
Why Clear Job
Descriptions and
Staff Structures
Serve the Church

Ryan Townsend

L
et’s start with the big picture…
Every organization—from a Fortune 500 company to gov-
ernment bureaucracy to a non-profit—must define and align
themselves according to four essential elements: strategy, operations,
finances, and people. These decisions will determine how every orga-
nization will faithfully steward its resources and execute its mission.

• Strategy – This answers the identity question. Who are we? Why
do we exist? What are our goals, objectives, purpose, vision, and
mission? What key principles and core values define who we are
(i.e., our “DNA”)? The Bible has much to say about the church’s
strategy. The church is the body of Christ and ambassadors for
King Jesus. Its strategy is the Great Commandment and the Great
Commission.

48
 • Operations – This answers the function question. Considering
who we are (identity), what do we do? How do we operate? Again,
the Bible answers these questions for the church. The church gath-
ers to preach the Word, sing the Word, read the Word, pray the
Word, and see the Word (i.e., practice the Lord’s Supper and bap-
tism). Practically, however, we need to figure how out these bibli-
cal values we budget and staff operate the church.
• Finances – Money is just fuel, but we must manage it well to exe-
cute our mission. After all, it doesn’t grow on trees!
• People – People are at the heart of every organization, both on the
outside and inside. For the church, staff—large or small—over-
sees and manages the shepherding, serving, and equipping of the
congregation for Great Commission work (Eph. 4:11–16).

Of course, the church is different from any other organization on

the planet. It’s a blood-bought, supernatural creation that God himself
creates (Eph. 2:1–22). But God uses pastors, deacons, and every mem-
ber to do his work (Eph. 2:10; 4:11–16). And “success” in all this work
is faithful stewardship (1 Cor. 4:1–2) of all God has entrusted to us.
This is where we move from the big picture to everyday life.
Job descriptions and a clear org chart or staff structure are essen-
tial tools for organizational excellence and faithful management. They
help keep those four essentials above in alignment through a five-fold
purpose:

• Strategy - a good job description and org chart tie each position
to the organization’s vision, mission, purpose, and goals (i.e., the
identity question). The job description details specifically and
practically how each individual job serves the overall mission and
goals most effectively and efficiently.
• Operations & Management – a good job description also helps
to translate the strategic value of a job into how the organization

49
 operates (i.e., answering the function question). Specifically, a
good job description enables:
1. Planning – it prioritizes and schedules specific tasks and
responsibilities.
2. Human resource administration – it serves as part of a job con-
tract in many ways, detailing compensation, benefits, terms of
employment, and work hours/schedule.
3. Clear operations – it defines and details expectations and tasks,
along with the frequency and amount of time expected to do
them.
• Training – a good job description is a key tool for training new
staff. It provides all the key elements and details that must be ad-
dressed in staff transitions and training plans. It also serves cur-
rent staff as a practical tool to monitor and manage their profes-
sional development, needs, goals, continuing education, etc.
• Evaluation – a good job description sets clear expectations and
provides an objective standard to give and receive regular, specif-
ic feedback and performance reviews.
• Communication – a good job description helps the whole team
understand what you do and how you fit into the organization.
Since staff is often our most considerable expense, we need to
communicate the tangible benefits and outcomes of staff posi-
tions so that our members understand their investment.

So, assuming you’re convinced of its value, what are some critical
pieces of a good job description?

JOB TITLE
A good job description should have a clear title.

JOB PROFILE
The job profile details the specific characteristics that best complement
the particular tasks and responsibilities for the job. All job descriptions

50
should have a brief description summarizing the ideal profile for the
position.
The ideal job description highlights the importance of “the 4 Cs”:

• Character – character is king. Bad character can be a team killer;

good character, on the other hand, strengthens everyone around.
• Competence – do they have the skills and competencies neces-
sary to do the job?
• Communication – are they able to communicate well with staff,
members, and visitors?
• Compatibility/Culture – do they fit into the culture of your
church staff/membership?

JOB QUALIFICATIONS
This could complement or serve as the job profile. It provides specific
qualifications and skills that are necessary for the job (e.g., communi-
cation, experience, relational, technical, travel, spiritual).
Relationships (i.e., clear staff structures)
The job description should clearly state whom the employee reports
to, whom he/she works with, and, if applicable, who reports to him/
her. This should parallel the org chart.

HOURS
This details the specific daily and weekly hours required for the job
(e.g., 40–50 hours/week. Traditionally, Monday–Friday, 8:30-5:30 pm,
and other times as needed).

RATIONALE
This briefly explains the big-picture/purpose behind the specific role,
highlighting its strategic relationship and value-add to the church’s
mission and ministry. This may complement or be a part of the job
profile.
Responsibilities

51
This breaks out in summary form the major categories/areas of respon-
sibilities of the job.

DEPARTURE NOTICE
This explicitly explains the terms for notice and departure if the emplo-
yee intends to leave the position.

THE ACTUAL, DETAILED JOB DESCRIPTION – SPECIFIC

TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES
This is by far the largest section of the job description. It takes the
major responsibilities and spells out the specific expectations and
individual tasks for the job. Depending on the nature of the role,
you can use this section to explain the tools and processes to do
each task. It’s also generally helpful to include a note for each task
that states the expected number of hours it should take.
In conclusion, remember that the job description is simply a
tool to build up, encourage, and serve the whole staff and church.
Therefore, while the core elements and responsibilities will stay the
same in most roles, a good job description is a living document that
you should review and revise regularly as the role innovates, grows,
and changes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ryan Townsend is the Executive Director of 9Marks, and an elder at
Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D. C.

52
Why Pastors
Should Submit to
Each Other

Jeff Wiesner

“E
very leader is in some sense a follower. If a man does not
follow, he cannot lead.”
These words, spoken by a pastoral mentor, summarize
the humble character of pastoral ministry. But unfortunately, it like-
wise exposes an endemic issue among disqualified pastors. They were
taken down by a proud, authoritarian spirit that couldn’t follow.
Such pride threatens every pastor’s heart—the arrogant refusal to
acknowledge God’s goodness to limit his competency and authority. No
pastor is omnicompetent. Nor is his authority absolute. Consequently,
godly leaders must also be humble followers.
In this regard, every senior pastor should submit to several sources
of authority: his Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4, Heb. 13:17), his own con-
gregation (Matt. 18:17–20, Gal. 1:2, 6–9), his fellow elders (Acts 20:28),
and the biblical standards for “life and doctrine”, particularly those that
are summarized in his church’s governing documents (1 Tim. 4:7).

53
 This article will focus on those latter two sources, demonstrating
how fellow elders and founding documents guard a senior pastor against
the pride of authoritarianism.

SUBMIT TO YOUR FELLOW ELDERS

Pastoral ministry is challenging. Satan is ferocious against God’s
church. False teachers, like ravenous wolves, devour it from the out-
side. Sin, like leaven, consumes it from within. These form the every-
day context for pastoral ministry and inform Paul’s final words to the
Ephesians elders: “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the
flock” (Acts 20:28).
The word translated “pay attention” carries the sense of being in
a state of alertness or on guard. A church’s elders cannot adequately
guard the flock if they do not guard one another.
Moreover, this kind of guarding care is impossible without mutu-
al submission. Each elder should entrust his life and ministry to fel-
low elders, and the senior pastor is no exception. But how can a pas-
tor practically cultivate a leadership culture in which he is a leader and
a follower?

1. Let Fellow Elders Guard Against Pride

“What three graces does a minister need most?”
Augustine famously replied, “Humility; humility; humility.”
Tendencies toward heavy-handed pastoral leadership spring from
the wicked pride of self-glory. C.S. Lewis described it as “the pleasure of
being above the rest.” Every pastor is vulnerable to this temptation and
must heed Scripture’s warnings, promises, and commands concerning
sinful pride versus godly humility (Prov. 29:23; 1 Pet. 5:5–6; cf. Jas. 4:6).
These passages reveal that a genuinely humble pastor fears God
above all. His chief aim in ministry is to glorify and enjoy God. He
knows that a desire for God’s glory fuels a holy motive to serve, while a
lust for self-glory energizes a worldly desire to be served.

54
 “Forget not,” Abraham Booth wrote in his Pastoral Cautions, “that
the whole of your work is ministerial; not legislative—that you are not
a lord in the church, but a servant.”
Godly elders must guard their church’s senior pastor against pride,
and he must submit to them. Relying on God’s Word, fellow elders
help a senior pastor measure himself against God’s majesty They pray
alongside him regularly, with thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6). He starves his
ego by talking less during meetings and listening to fellow elders more,
even at efficiency’s expense. In short, when fellow elders serve and sub-
mit to one another, they suffocate authoritarian pride.

2. Lend Fellow Elders Your Ear

Senior pastors must also lend their ears to godly encouragement and
criticism. Joel Beeke and Nick Thompson, in their helpful book Pastors
and Their Critics, diagnose why this may be difficult for a pastor:

The gospel-humble pastor will incline his ear. This is not something that comes
easy for most pastors. We are used to doing the talking. Our job consists in an
unending sequence of preaching, teaching, counseling, and giving advice. . . . We
become very good at moving our mouths, but not so good at lending our ears.

Consider this statement in light of Jesus’s words in Luke 8: “Take

care how you hear” (v. 18). This recalls Jesus’ earlier teaching: “As for
the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an
honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience” (v. 15).
The tragic disqualifications of many talented preachers reinforce
Jesus’s point: a pastor’s spiritual vitality and fruitfulness do not final-
ly depend upon how well he speaks God’s Word, but how well he hears
and obeys it (cf. Heb. 5:11, Matt. 7:24–27).
Therefore, every pastor should “lend his ears” to his fellow elders.
He must be humble in listening, teachable in receiving correction,
and willing to submit to a brother’s admonishment. Exemplary elders
guard one another with their words and ears by speaking the truth in
love to one another (Eph. 4:14–16).

55
 Senior pastors, in particular, should create intentional spaces where
they actively give and receive godly encouragement and criticism from
fellow elders. These might include service reviews, off-the-record “exec-
utive sessions” in elder’s meetings, or lunch and coffee meetings, to name
a few possibilities.
In summary, elders cannot guard one another without mutual sub-
mission. Pastoral submissiveness requires godly humility. And this kind
of humility compels a senior pastor to submit to fellow elders as they pro-
tect his life and ministry by speaking God’s Word to him in spiritually
beneficial ways.

SUBMIT TO YOUR FOUNDING DOCUMENTS

Even if a church has not yet recognized a plurality of elders, every se-
nior pastor is accountable to his church’s founding documents. Good
founding documents summarize and apply the Bible’s teaching on
matters of sound doctrine (confession), godly living (covenant), and
church polity (constitution).
When churches employ these in wise ways, a pastor becomes
accountable to his congregation, and his congregation is protected
from pastoral caprice. Specifically, a church’s founding documents
shape a pastor’s ministry in three ways:

1. Teaching According to the Church’s Confession

A church’s confession is more than a page on their website and cur-
riculum for their membership class. Much more, a confession says,
“This is what we believe and how we interpret the Bible with other true
churches around the world and through the ages.”
Some may protest that using confessions in this way undermines
sola Scriptura. But that’s untrue. Scripture is supreme. A church’s con-
fession submits to Scripture. But a pastor’s interpretation of Scripture
submits to the confession.
I keep a copy of our church’s confession within reach while pre-
paring sermons for three reasons. First, it guards my teaching and

56
preaching. Second, it allows me to bind my congregation to what they
have already knowingly bound themselves. Third, it helps me promote
charity and Christian liberty on disputable matters beyond our confes-
sion’s scope.
In these ways, a confession protects congregations from being mis-
led or wrongly bound by a pastor’s individual, private interpretations
of Scripture. Likewise, a pastor who submits to his church’s confession
can “watch his life and doctrine closely” and guard the integrity of his
Word ministry (1 Tim. 4:16).

2. Living According to the Church’s Covenant

Character is everything in pastoral ministry. The Bible encourages
elders to be “examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3). They are to be “above
reproach” (1 Tim. 3:2). Paul told his pastoral protégé that “godliness is
of value in every way” (1 Tim. 4:8; cf. 6:6).
If a church’s confession summarizes sound doctrine, then a church’s
covenant summarizes a godly life. It encourages a congregation to
grow in godliness and commends a pastor’s exemplary character.
Furthermore, it prevents pastors from turning right-and-left issues of
Christian liberty into right-or-wrong matters of Christian obedience
(e.g., alcohol, education, etc.).
My church’s covenant explicitly commits me to Christian uni-
ty, love, holiness, evangelism, family worship, generosity, and more.
So, as their pastor, I want to hold up our church covenant and say,
“Brothers and sisters, follow me as I aim (always imperfectly) to fol-
low Christ in these ways, by God’s grace.”

3. Ruling According to the Church’s Constitution

A church’s constitution is more than a legal document. It’s a blue-
print for a biblical polity that summarizes Scripture’s teaching on
how church membership and leadership work together to guard the
gospel. How is church discipline to be executed? How are new elders

57
and deacons affirmed? How do elder leadership and congregational
authority practically work together?
The answers to these questions require prudential applications of
Scripture, agreed upon by the congregation. A constitution describes
how a church will constitute its life together. It’s a manual for church
polity.
Our church’s elders put our constitution in front of our church
as often as possible to prove ourselves above reproach and show our
congregation we are not leading by fiat. For matters on which our
church must vote—membership applications and resignations, elder
and deacon nominations and affirmations, church discipline, etc.—
we include the relevant portions of our church covenant in the mem-
ber’s meeting packet. Our goal is to equip our church to think well
about biblical church polity and say to them, “Hey! We’re not making
this up as we go!”
How might pastoral authoritarianism be undermined if churches
took their confession, covenant, and constitution seriously? These are
good guides for godly leaders and healthy congregations. And senior
pastors, above all, do well to submit to them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Wiesner is the lead pastor of North Point Baptist Church in Denton,
Texas. You can find him on Twitter at @jeffwiesner.

58
Buildings
ARE BUILDINGS ESSENTIAL TO HEALTHY CHURCHES?

Adam Sinnett

A
re buildings necessary to building healthy churches? Does
lacking a building put a church at a disadvantage? Does being
mobile hinder disciple-making and the spread of the gospel?

THE DILEMMA EVERY PASTOR FACES

Every pastor I know whose church doesn’t have a building wants one—
and for good reason. Setting up and tearing down every Sunday is exci-
ting, but only for a season. Recruiting faithful volunteers to arrive ear-
ly and leave late—every week—is a challenge. Navigating relationships
with landlords is often complex. Losing your space at the last minute is
more common than you’d think. Finding a new space before the end of
your current lease is time-consuming. This doesn’t even include loca-
ting space for offices, classes, and mid-size gatherings throughout the
week. This pastor is tempted to think, “If only we had a building . . .”
At the same time, almost every pastor I know whose church has a
building, well, they want a slightly different one. After all, buildings can
be too big or too small. The sanctuary may be just right, while there
aren’t enough classrooms. Or the kids’ space may be ideal, but there
aren’t enough offices. Buildings are expensive to purchase, remodel,

59
and maintain. Designated staff is typically required for facility man-
agement. The boiler always needs repair. (Why is it always the boiler?)
Parking is usually a challenge, especially in urban contexts. This pastor
is tempted to think, “If only our building had . . .”

PLACES AS STAGES
It’s fascinating to survey the Scriptures and note the places where
God tends to do redemptive work. Even a cursory reading reveals
that God uses people in all kinds of places, from the everyday to the
unexpected—from gardens, fields, arks, and prison cells to deserts,
whale bellies, shipwrecks, and stables. But what’s striking about this
is that the places are always secondary. The places themselves are
not the drama. They’re merely the stages on which God’s redemp-
tive drama unfolds in ways big and small through the lives of his
people.
So I wonder: why would we think it would be any different today?
For those of us who may be tempted to think that God’s work is some-
how restricted or hindered by our space, we need this reminder.

THE PLACES OF DOWNTOWN CORNERSTONE

Our church gathers in the heart of downtown Seattle. We recently tur-
ned ten years old, and over the course of our shared life we’ve met in
almost every conceivable type of space.
From birth to year four, our Sunday gatherings took place in a
basement-level antique shop, then an office building foyer, and then
a movie theater (in fact, we met in five different theaters in the same
complex over three years). We used conference rooms for classes. We
offered pre-marital counseling in living rooms. We had prayer nights
in a local community center. Our small groups met in condos, on
rooftops, and throughout parks. Early morning discipleship groups
met in cafes. Our staff worked out of a shoe-box sized office that had
been donated to us.

60
 And yet, Jesus used these scattered, everyday places as stages on
which to spread the gospel, save sinners, and sanctify his people.
From year four to the present, we’ve leased a former dance club.
This was incredibly significant for our fledgling church. It gave us a
more permanent presence in our community. There was no more set-
up and tear-down. We could consolidate all our ministry efforts to one
central location.
But . . . our sanctuary is too small, our office space is too limited, and
we’re kept from making any improvements by our landlords. Our fam-
ily entrance is literally in an alley. We’re glad to be in the most dense-
ly populated neighborhood downtown. But this area also attracts graf-
fiti, urine, and drug deals. Oh, and did I mention it has no windows?
And yet Jesus is using this imperfect building as a stage on which to
spread the gospel, save sinners, and sanctify his people.
From the beginning, we prayed, searched, and saved for a per-
manent building. We continually found ourselves coming up short.
Some buildings were too small. Others were too expensive. Most
were located outside the city center. Still others were purchased in
cash by developers before the ink was dry on our own offer. But by
God’s grace, after ten years of searching and saving, we purchased a
building in December 2020. While this is a huge piece of evidence
of God’s grace toward us, we now find ourselves leading a capi-
tal campaign and a building project. Meanwhile, amid a once-in-a-
century pandemic, the cost of raw materials has soared.
Buildings are a gift, but they too have their challenges.

THE ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES OF NOT HAVING A

BUILDING
Here are a few advantages of being mobile:

• Your church isn’t tied down to a particular place.

• There’s no financial burden of a mortgage.
• As your church grows, you can simply move to a larger space.

61
 • Generally, your landlord is responsible for facility repairs.
But there are, of course, some disadvantages:

• Your experience will often be determined by your landlord.

• Set up and tear down requires significant energy and volunteer
capital.
• You will often be thinking about where to meet next.
• Lacking a permanent space can communicate a lack of rooted-
ness to the community.

THE ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES OF HAVING A

BUILDING
Here are a few advantages of owning a building:

• A permanent building communicates stability and presence.

• You no longer need to set up and tear down every week.
• You no longer need to be concerned with lease negotiations,
landlords, or finding new spaces.
• Your church is usually easier to find.
• You have more freedom to make facility improvements.
But there are some disadvantages, too:
• Buildings can be expensive and require ongoing repair.
• They often need staff attention.
• If the building is too small, you’ll need to find another space or
invest in an expensive renovation.
• If the building is too big, your church may have difficulty sup-
porting it.
• If it’s in a poor location, it may not serve the church well.

CONCLUSION
So, are buildings essential to building healthy churches? No. Can they
be incredibly helpful? Absolutely.

62
 Is God’s work limited by your space? No. Does having a building
guarantee more fruitfulness? No. Does a building make all your physi-
cal space issues go away? No.
Now here’s the trickiest question: should a church get a building if
it can? In most cases, I’d say yes. The benefits outweigh the burdens.
Above all, whether we have a building or not, we need to remember
that our space is merely one stage on which God’s redemptive drama
continues to unfold.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam Sinnett is the lead pastor of Downtown Cornerstone Church in
Seattle, Washington.

63
The Benefits of
Having a Building

Benjamin Woodward

T
oday, the Dubai skyline offers an impressive row of towering
skyscrapers, world-class hotels, and the world’s tallest building.
On the south side of the city sits our humble church home.
While unimpressive by architectural standards, this church build-
ing is priceless. It’s the only building licensed by the government for
evangelical Christian worship in our city of nearly three million peo-
ple. Currently, just three other evangelical church buildings exist in
the entire country of UAE. Each week, our building in Dubai hosts
more than a dozen congregations which speak Arabic, Urdu, Chinese,
Korean, Telugu, Tagalog, Hindi, and English, and in so doing it facili-
tates the gathered worship of thousands of evangelical believers from
more than 70 nations.
We often tell our congregations that the church is not a building but
a body: a blood-bought community of the redeemed. We stress this
because conflating the church with a building is common and yet de-
structive to the church’s true identity and mission. Buildings can be-
come distractions from the gospel; they can even become idols.
But just because a good thing is corruptible doesn’t mean it’s not a
good thing. In fact, a church is not just a people; it’s a people constituted

64
as a people by gathering in a place. Without some place to gather, like
a building, scattered saints cannot become a church.
A building set apart for gospel use is a gracious gift from God,
one that’s often been given through the sacrifices of previous genera-
tions. We too easily overlook or even grumble about what we should
be thankful for.
As believers, our physical bodies matter. Genesis teaches this, and the
incarnation confirms it. Similarly, a church is an assembly of embodied
creatures who gather weekly because of the gospel and to be built up by
that same gospel. So it’s no surprise that believers through the centuries
have created designated spaces for gathered, regular worship—whether in
homes, catacombs, or distinct church buildings.

FOUR BENEFITS OF A CHURCH BUILDING

1. Maximizing Word Ministry

The church grows in size and maturity as the gospel brings faith and
conforms us into Christ’s image. This does not require a building, but a
building supports the ministry of the Word.
With a dedicated building, the space can be optimized for preach-
ing, teaching, and fellowship. The sound system can be prepared and
ready. People know where to gather each week and how to get there. The
HVAC system can mitigate bad weather and allow people to focus on
the prayers, song lyrics, and sermon. Appropriate classrooms can be pre-
pared for each specific need. Simply put, more people can benefit from
the preaching and teaching of the Word when a space is optimized for
this purpose.
A meeting space can be a distraction when the aim is entertainment or
fostering a mystical experience. So we should design our spaces to center
the congregation’s attention on the living and active Word of God because
God has promised it will not return void. This reconfiguration of church
buildings and worship halls occurred during the Protestant Reformation.
Reformers placed the pulpit in the center, replacing the table for the Lord’s

65
Supper. A building is a strategic part of a church’s trellis that can be inten-
tionally shaped to support vine growth.

2. Stability for the Long-Term

The church is a collection of sojourners, but stability for gospel
ministry is a welcome blessing. Some church leaders, especially in mis-
sions’ contexts, argue that believers should avoid becoming distract-
ed by buildings because buildings can’t be replicated quickly enough.
Such proposals are short-sighted. There is nothing strategic about a
congregation being uncertain of where it will meet next month, or if
they may be kicked out of their space, or if neighbors may complain if
the congregation doubles in size.
Buildings promote stability and give greater freedom to gospel minis-
try. There are seasons and places where a dedicated church building is sim-
ply unavailable. But when such a building is available, a congregation can
better sink deep roots into its neighborhood and community.
For its first 25 years, our congregation in Dubai gathered in schools
and private homes. God provided what we needed for this season, but
there were many challenges, too. After years of praying, HH Sheikh
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum granted land for an evangelical
church building in 1997. This grant of land and the building we built
has given us the stability we needed for greater member care, training
pastors, planting churches, and visibility to our witness. Speaking of…

3. Public Gospel Witness

A church’s public identity in a city is a persistent witness to the gos-
pel. House churches are generally invisible, often intentionally. Again,
this can be necessary at times. But the church should aspire to foster a
corporate, public testimony to the gospel.
A few years ago bus routes were redrawn in our neighborhood,
and the new bus stop in front of our church building was named “The
Evangelical Church.” We were honored! Each Christmas, the ruler of an-
other emirate graciously fixes Christmas lights in the parking lot of the

66
Evangelical Church there. Before Easter, the local police strategize with
us on how to manage the increased traffic.
Being a small Christian minority in an Islamic country, we’re glad
to be recognized as a community fixture. Attempting to worship in se-
cret could suggest we have nefarious and ulterior motives. Gathering
publicly in an identifiable church building announces that we are
Christians gathering to worship our Savior. We are glad to be a land-
mark for the curious in our city who want to understand more about
the Bible, Jesus Christ, and our faith.

4. Cost Savings
Building projects require significant capital investment. On-going
maintenance takes up valuable staff time and requires allocations from
the annual budget.
But these costs are long-term investments in the ministry of the
church. Short-term rental agreements and changing plans cost even
more. When churches engage in building projects and upkeep wisely,
the congregation can focus its financial resources on gospel work near
and far that will have an impact in eternity. It also saves money for future
generations of church members who can continue to make good use of
the building.

CONCLUSION
The church in my region of the world is small, but it still contains evi-
dence of the vibrant Christian faith of previous generations. I’ve walked
through the ruins of a large basilica dating to fifth century Carthage
(present-day Tunis) as well as the Hagia Sophia, constructed by empe-
ror Justinian in sixth century Constantinople (present-day Istanbul).
And on a small island off the coast of Abu Dhabi, near the border with
Saudi Arabia and Qatar, sits the ruins of a Christian church and monas-
tery from the seventh century. Although none of these ruins are used for
Christian worship now, they testify to the Christian congregations and

67
faith present in North Africa and the Middle East before the arrival of
Islam.
If your church owns a building, give thanks to God, and remind
your congregation to do so. Despite their quirks and faults, our build-
ings promote health and growth in our gatherings, while the gather-
ings testify to the communities around us that Christ is our risen Lord.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Benjamin Woodward is an associate pastor of the Evangelical Christian
Church of Dubai.

68
What to Do When
Your Building Is Full

Mike Carnicella and Greg Gilbert

W
hat’s the correct size for a church? Is it possible for a
church to be too big? What happens when a church grows
to the point it no longer fits in one building? Here’s the
popular answer: start another service. But let’s assume you are com-
mitted to one service only. Your building is full on Sunday. Now what?
The first thing to do is examine all the options. Assuming you’ve
ruled out multiple services or multi-site, then there are really only four
choices.

Option 1: Do nothing.
Pretty self-explanatory.

Option 2: Carve off part of the church and send them out to do a
church plant or church revitalization.
Note: A variation of this option would include carving off part of
your church and having them meet in the same building, but at a differ-
ent time. You might be thinking to yourself, “That sounds like multiple
services.” That’s true; it does sound like it. But if the second gathering
has its own pastors and distinct membership, then you actually have

69
two churches meeting in the same building. One church with multi-
ple services is an oxymoron since the essence of the church is to gather.

Option 3: Move to a different building and location.

Option 4: Renovate or add on to your existing building.

Here are several factors to consider when deciding what to do when
you run out of room.

CONSIDERATIONS

The Strengths and Weakness of Buildings

Buildings have benefits and costs. Be aware of both.
Costs: they break and require maintenance. Over time, they can be-
come an idol, a distraction, or a museum.
Benefits: over time, church-in-a-box is taxing to a congregation. Just
ask any church plant who has been meeting in a school gymnasium for
more than a few months. Buildings are more likely to enable a gener-
ational church; and they offer a standing invitation to the community.

The Unpredictability of Attendance

It’s hard to predict the size of a church and attendance on any given
Sunday. So a building that allows some flexibility is helpful. We have an
overflow room that we use strategically during our predictable weeks
of highest attendance each year (our adult attendance can fluctuate
from 400 all the way to 750 because of our proximity to schools and
universities).

Packed Is Better than Potential

A crowded room is better than a sparse room. We could rent the
Kentucky Convention Center and have plenty of room to grow, but
our 700 people would suddenly seem quite small—and maybe a little
pathetic.

70
 No Solution Is Final
There’s no silver bullet here. If the Lord gives growth, you’ll eventu-
ally face the same questions with a church of 1500 as you did with 200.
Don’t look for one solution for the ages. Solve one problem, then solve
it again a few years from now if necessary.

OUR STORY
So, given all that, what do you do?
This is a live question for us at Third Avenue. We inherited a de-
crepit building that had seating for around 250 on the main floor and
another 200 in the balcony, if renovated. In 2010, there were around
100-150 people attending Sunday morning. Today, we are a church of
around 750 members, and we have a main hall that seats around 675.
Along the way, we chose to do incremental renovations that gave us
the opportunity to keep growing. But now we are up against the wall,
and we’re facing the same dilemma. We’ve looked at all the options and
even sent dozens of members to both church plants and church revital-
izations over the last few years. But we’re still growing, and we have no
more room in our building.
So what do we do?
Plant another church! That’s the obvious answer, right? For a va-
riety of reasons, we’ve decided that it’s worth it to plan another ren-
ovation that would allow us to double our size from 750 to 1400
members, even though it will cost us upwards of $10 million. Gasp!
But we think it will be worth it. Why?
We’ve thought about moving locations, but we don’t think that
would be best for our church. We’ve thought about big church
plants, but again, we don’t think that would be the best thing for us
to do right now. We want to affirm that we think church planting
is both biblical and necessary. It’s a good thing! However, based on
our experience and observations of churches in a similar position,
we don’t think church planting is the answer to our space problem.

71
We believe you should plant a church when there is a good, strate-
gic reason to do so.

WHY NOT PLANT?

Why have we decided that planting a series of churches isn’t the next
move for us? Here are a few reasons.

1. Resources
Large churches can do lots of good ministry. Believe it or not,
bigger churches can do even more ministry. They can plant more
churches, do more outreach, and train more people for ministry
than an equal number of people divided into three or four church-
es. That’s in part because of the often-overlooked fact that a large
church will likely have much less overhead than, say, four smaller
churches.
There are potential drawbacks that come with a church that contin-
ues to grow, of course. One possible difficulty is keeping track of more
and more sheep. But for us, having grown from 100 to 750 over the last
10 years, that’s not our experience.
One marker we have tracked over the years is attendance at our
evening service, which is a completely different service from the
morning. It has a less formal feel and gives new members a chance
to connect on a deeper level. As we’ve grown over the years, we’ve
actually seen attendance at our evening service go up from 30 to 40
percent when we had 200 members to more like 50 to 60 percent
now that we have 750.
Thankfully, we haven’t also seen an increase in church discipline
cases on a percentage basis. Keeping track of the sheep is a high pri-
ority and something we keep a close eye on, and we’re confident that
continued growth won’t cause us to compromise in this area.
Another common objection we hear is that when the church is
larger, an individual member can no longer deeply know everyone in
the church. That’s true, but it was true even when we were a church of

72
150 members. No matter how big your church is, especially once you
get bigger than about 50 people, each individual member simply can’t
know everyone the same. There will always be members you know on
a deeper level and others you know on a shallower level. You can’t be
best friends with everyone in the church, and that’s not the point of
the church anyway.

2. Church Planting Isn’t Simple

Second, at least for us, we can’t plant churches fast enough to deal
with our space problem. Church planting is a complex endeavor. You
need to think through leadership, finances, and who will form the
church. All of that takes a significant amount of time and resources to
pull off well.
It may be different for your church, but for us, planting a church of
100-150 people every year is not something we are currently able to do.
But that’s what would be needed to deal with our space problem.

3. Church Plants Should Be Healthy

Third, and relatedly, we’re not interested in just planting churches.
We want to plant healthy churches. That means, among other things,
we want the churches we plant to last for a long time. We’re not inter-
ested in planting a bunch of churches and hoping that some percent-
age of them will survive and thrive. We believe that successful church
plants require significant leadership and resources, both of which are
hard to come by.
On top of that, you need a new church to be comprised of
healthy members, so we want those members to have been around
long enough to absorb our ecclesiological DNA and be able to stay
with the church plant for a while.
A quick look at the regular turnover of our membership reveals that
the average church member only stays 3 to 4 years. In other words, we
turn over 75 percent of our membership every 3 to 4 years! Why such
drastic turnover? Because a large percentage of our members are here

73
for school, and they plan to go somewhere else when they finish their
studies. While we’re thankful that those members are with us during
that time, people who are only planning to be in town for a few years
aren’t exactly prime candidates for the core of a church plant. But if
we were a church of 1400 instead of 750, then we could plant a church
comprised of longer and shorter-term members without compromis-
ing the core of our own church.

CONCLUSION
Again, planting churches is a good and worthy thing to do. But a
big, Bible-believing church is good, too! Your situation and analysis
may differ, but we believe we can do more training, church plan-
ting, and missions from a larger base.
Each church will face different decisions and obstacles when it begins
to run out of space, and each church must make its own decisions. But
in the end, the goal—for all of us—is to follow Jesus’s marching orders to
make disciples of our Lord. To God be the glory!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Mike Carnicella is an associate pastor for administration of Third
Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

Greg Gilbert is the Senior Pastor of Third Avenue Baptist Church in

Louisville, Kentucky. You can find him on Twitter at @greggilbert.

74
A Theological
Framework for
Buildings and
Renovations

John Henderson

A
s we continue in a season of hiring architects and contractors
to evaluate our facilities and recommend steps toward build-
ing and renovating facilities, it seems prudent to discuss and
develop our theology of buildings. The goal as elders will be to wisely
avoid two ditches:

1. Glorying in our buildings (a form of materialism) — where we

measure our church health by buildings, or measure the Lord’s
faithfulness to us by the quality of our buildings, or boast in our
buildings before others, or find encouragement for gospel min-
istry from our buildings.
2. Despising our buildings (a form of asceticism) — where we mea-
sure our spiritual maturity by how happy we are with dilapidat-
ed buildings, or boast in our old facilities, or equate physical

75
 renovations and construction with worldliness, or wrongly ac-
cuse God of judging churches who improve their facilities.

Along with avoiding these ditches, we also want to develop a pos-

itive, biblical understanding of physical resources in fulfilling our
calling as ambassadors for Christ and ministers of the gospel. We
don’t want to be dependent upon buildings, but we do want to uti-
lize every resource the Lord provides in honoring his name and bear-
ing fruit as his church. We want to be good stewards. We want to be
a church who walks wisely and faithfully through building projects.
We want to understand from Scripture a theology of church proper-
ty, facilities, and physical resources.

I. A THEOLOGY OF BUILDINGS

1. The Significance of Physical Places in Scripture

The physical world was created good, not evil, and can been used
for good or evil. Even more, the Lord has used physical places in the
created world for significant purposes.

1. Pillars and altars (Genesis 12:7-8; 22:9-14; 28:10-22;

2 Samuel 24:18-25)
2. The tabernacle (Exodus 24:15-25:9; 40:34-38)
3. The Promised Land (Exodus 32:11-14; Joshua 4:1-7)
4. Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:8-10)
5. The temple (1 Kings 8:1-11; 2 Chronicles 7:11-12)
6. Jesus Christ taking on human flesh (John 1:1-14)
7. Our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:17-20)
8. The church, the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
9. The new heavens, new earth, new Jerusalem (Revelation 21)

There is clearly a shift in emphasis on physical places and build-

ings as Scripture progresses. The Old Testament is full of physical

76
shadows and types that were meant to prepare the people of God for
the coming of their Messiah. The entire sacrificial system was ful-
filled in Jesus Christ. The physical temple in Jerusalem gave way to
the church-as-temple-of-God under the new covenant. He dwells
in a people, not a building. The conversation between Jesus and the
woman at the well signaled a marked transition.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the
Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we
know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is
now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spir-
it and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit
and truth.” (John 4:21–24)
Of course, the Lord is not done with physical spaces. There will
be a new heavens and earth, a new Jerusalem, and all kinds of glori-
ous physical spaces in the eternal state, and we’re meant to be excit-
ed about it. Though the sacrificial system and physical temple of the
OT was fulfilled in Christ and his church, they also represented and
reflected the reality of heaven in various ways. Moses was to build
the Tabernacle to the exact design God provided because it would
be a copy of the real thing in heaven.

2. What Happens in the Physical Place Is the Essential Thing

Consider God’s words through the prophet Haggai:
In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the
word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: “Speak
now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to
Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant
of the people, and say, ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in
its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your
eyes?

77
 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O
Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people
of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the
Lord of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when
you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.
For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will
shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.
And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations
shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of
hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of
hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former,
says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the
Lord of hosts.’” (Haggai 2:1-9)
God uses physical buildings. The glory of a building does not rest
in the size, style, and opulence, but in how God uses it to accomplish
his purposes. In the days of Zerubbabel, some people mourned, and
some rejoiced at the sight of the new temple, mostly for the wrong
reasons. The Lord wanted them to grasp what mattered most. Jesus
Christ would someday step into that very temple. The Son of God
would take on flesh, enter Jerusalem, and bring peace.
Of course, even the new temple would not last. Jesus Christ an-
nounced its destruction: “Jesus left the temple and was going away,
when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the tem-
ple. But he answered them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say
to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will
not be thrown down’” (Matthew 24:1-2). The temple served a pur-
pose, and then it was destroyed. Another temple was built, the body
of Christ, the Church, filled with the Spirit of God.

3. The Church Is a People, Not a Building

Union with Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit,
who unites us to Christ, is one of the glorious truths of the gospel
(Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 6:17-20). Even more, we are joined

78
to one another because of our union with Christ. The church, there-
fore, is composed of people. We are the stones of a new temple for
the glory of God, and Christ is the cornerstone:

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God cho-
sen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spir-
itual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to
God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-5).

4. Our Primary Work Is Spiritual, Not Physical

The Lord Jesus Christ commissioned us to make disciples, not
buildings: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching
them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am
with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
The apostle Paul purposely came to the Corinthians, not with
the wisdom of the world, but with Christ and him crucified, “in
the demonstration of the Spirit and of power,” through lives trans-
formed by the gospel. It makes sense to extend his reasoning to
buildings. We preach Christ and view lives transformed by the pow-
er of God through the gospel to be evidence of fruitfulness, not
buildings.

5. Buildings Are Helpful, Not Essential

It is wise to conclude that we do not need church buildings. If a day
arises when we lose our church property, the church will remain and,
by God’s grace, thrive. The gates of Hades shall not prevail against the
church of Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18).
At the same time, church buildings are helpful. If the Lord allows,
we are wise to take advantage of every resource we receive in the min-
istry of the gospel and the edification of his church. Though we could
say much about the wise use and purpose of church property and

79
buildings, the following section will highlight a few ways our build-
ings help us fulfill the mission to which Christ calls us.

II. OUR PURPOSE FOR BUILDINGS

As previously stated, church property and buildings are not essential,
but they can be helpful. They are not evil, though they can be built
and used for evil reasons. They can be distracting and tedious, but
they can also be useful in obeying the Great Commission.
Behind our theology of church property is our theology of all cre-
ated things. They are gifts from the Lord that may be used rightly or
wrongly, for the glory of Christ or the glory of mankind. We proba-
bly need continual reminders about the purpose of physical things,
which are to be received humbly and with genuine thanksgiving.
They should be used in service to Christ and his kingdom, for the
ministry of the gospel, for the love of people. If we keep viewing them
as mere means by which we fulfill our mission as a church, then we
will probably stay on a good track.

1. A Place to Assemble in the Worship of our Great God, Minimizing

Distractions Where Possible (Snow and Rain; Noise; Intense Cold
or Heat, etc.)
Though we could break into 20 small churches meeting in houses,
overseen by 20 separate groups of elders, our building provides the op-
portunity to meet as one local church bearing one witness to the sur-
rounding world led by one group of elders.
A building also helps us focus the resources of the Lord with pre-
cision and wisdom. When we gather in one place at one time, the
church can be built up through the ministry of one pastor preach-
ing one sermon, through the ministry of one music team leading the
singing.
A building allows us to worship God together. It allows us to
break bread together at one time. It protects our bodies from rain
and snow in order to hear the preaching of the Word, pray as a

80
congregation, and worship the Lord with minimal distractions. It
provides a space for members of our congregation to encourage,
strengthen, serve, and love one another.

2. A Place to Equip the Saints for the Work of Ministry (Classrooms;

Fellowship Halls; Children’s Ministry Rooms)
For the most part our paid pastors and staff have an office at
the church, which is very helpful for preparing sermons, counsel-
ing members, and teaching Bible studies. When Paul preached at
Ephesus, he was not received in the synagogue, but he was able to
“reason daily in the hall of Tyrannus” (Acts 19:9). For approximately
two years Paul preached, taught, and made disciples in that building.
I’m sure he was very thankful for it.

3. A Place to Help Us Make Disciples of Jesus Christ as Well as

Train Future Pastors and Leaders in the Work
The church property and buildings allow us to overcome certain
obstacles to ministry, like meeting space constraints, parking con-
straints, cost of utilities, etc. For example, if housing is a significant
obstacle for future pastors and church leaders to receive training
at DRBC, and the Lord provides means to remove those obstacles,
then it may be wise to do so.

4. A Visible Mark of the Church

Strangers can walk in. People driving by can see and inquire. People
can see and hear the church being the church together because we have
a place to gather in one accord. Though the church is a people, not a
building, these people show themselves as the church when they gath-
er together in worship, service, and care for one another.
The Lord uses our unity, Christ-centered lives, and proclamation
of the gospel to bear witness to the world. It helps, at the same time,
when we have a place where people can walk in from the street and
actually witness our unity, Christ-centered lives, and gospel procla-
mation. Again, a building is not essential, but it is helpful to this end.

81
 We encourage you to take time in the days ahead to read some of
the passages in this document and pray for the Lord to give us wis-
dom in developing and renovating our buildings. If other passages
of Scripture come to mind that might be helpful as we think about
buildings and renovation, then please send those passages and ideas
to the elders.

EDITOR’S NOTE
The following is a document produced by the elders of Del Ray Baptist
Church in Alexandria, VA to instruct their congregation on how to
think about upcoming building renovations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Henderson is the Associate Pastor of Counseling and Family
Ministries at University Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

82
Budgeting
HOW TO TALK WITH YOUR CHURCH ABOUT MONEY

Jamie Dunlop

D
o you enjoy talking with your church about money? For many
pastors, almost anything else would be preferable. Too often,
it seems the moment you start talking about money, all the air
is sucked out of the room.
“Here goes the pastor again, laying on the guilt. Time to check out.”
How can discussing money with your church become a positive
experience for them and for you? Let’s see how the apostle Paul dis-
cussed money, and then apply his approach to scenarios you may
find yourself in.

THE STRANGEST THANK YOU NOTE

Paul ends his delightfully encouraging letter to the Philippians by
thanking them for their recent gift. But this doesn’t look anything like
the thank you notes you receive from your favorite charity: “Thank
you for your recent gift; we could never do this important work wi-
thout you; here are 17 more needs we have; could you please give
more?”
Instead, Paul bends over backward to make it clear that God’s work
is in no way dependent on their generosity. “Not that I am speaking of

83
being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be con-
tent” (Phil. 4:11). “I can do all things through him who strengthens
me” (4:13). “Not that I seek the gift . . . I am well supplied” (4:17-18).
Nonetheless, Paul “rejoices” in their gift (4:10). Why? Not for his
sake, but for theirs. “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that
increases to your credit” (4:17). As it turns out, Paul really believed
those words of Jesus he quoted in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to
give than to receive.” According to Paul, giving is for the benefit of
the giver.
Here are a few principles we can take from Paul’s example:

1. When we talk about money with our congregations, we should

exemplify an exuberant confidence that God in his providential
care for our churches will provide exactly what is right, whether
or not that amount is what we’d hoped for.
2. When we talk about money, our primary interest is the eternal
good of our sheep, not the plans of their shepherds.
3. Talking about money is an opportunity to teach our people how
to think about money.

SPEAKING LIKE PAUL

Consider a few scenarios churches face and how we can discuss money
like Paul when they occur.

When Asking Your People to Give

Every pastor should teach about giving. It’s a topic that’s covered
repeatedly in Scripture. When you do, follow Paul’s example by mak-
ing it clear that you’re not teaching about giving because your church
needs the money; you’re teaching about giving because it’s good for
your congregation to give. Giving loosens their heart’s grasp on the
things of this world (Matt. 6:21); giving is an investment in an eternal
reward (Phil. 4:17).

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 When You Present the Budget
Paul’s example inclines us to describe the church budget less as
spending and more as investment. In that regard, you might describe
your church’s budget as a spiritually oriented mutual fund.
In a financial mutual fund, thousands of investors entrust their
money to an investment manager, who looks for the best opportuni-
ties to invest that money, so that someday people will see a return on
their investment. Likewise, your congregation entrusts to your church
a significant portion of their wealth each year. Your church “invests”
that money in kingdom-oriented work, like paying pastors and fund-
ing missionaries. One day, each of these saints will stand before God
to give account for how they stewarded what he entrusted to them
(2 Cor. 5:10). Let’s pray that on the last day, they are grateful for every
bit of money they gave to your church budget.

When Your Church Is Doing Well Financially

We often don’t talk as much about money when the church is do-
ing well financially, but that’s the best time to talk about giving—pre-
cisely because it’s when our motives are least likely to be misunder-
stood. I often say something like, “I’m thankful our church is doing
well financially, but frankly, I couldn’t care less whether or not we
meet our budget. Instead, what I care about is you: the state of your
heart, the opportunity for giving to free you from worldly concerns,
and the reward that awaits faithfulness. In fact, the reason I’m men-
tioning this now is precisely because we are meeting our budget.”

When Your Church Is Behind Budget

When times are tight, make it clear you love your people far more
than you love your budget-dependent plans. You will need a healthy
dose of faith-filled confidence in the providential care of a good
and sovereign God. As David wrote, “The boundary lines have fall-
en for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance”
(Ps. 16:6). That is always true—whether God has provided 110% of

85
your budget or 10%. As you speak from such confidence, not only
will you show by example what it looks like to trust God’s good pur-
poses in hard providence, but your people will more easily trust that
your desire is not their money, but the good of their souls.
Of course, saying the words “I care much more about your faith-
fulness than about meeting this budget” can ring hollow if the congre-
gation knows your back is against the wall and you’ll need to lay off
staff unless more money comes in. So avoid having your back against
the wall! How? By maintaining some flexibility in your budget. For ex-
ample, if possible, save some lines (say, for discretionary building im-
provements or one-time missions’ opportunities) that you don’t spend
until the end of the fiscal year. Budget flexibility will go a long way to-
ward helping your congregation trust that you care more about their
souls than their money.

When You’re in a Time of Financial Emergency

No matter how wise your planning, there will be times when your
back is, indeed, against the wall, and you will have to make some
painful decisions unless your congregation increases their giving. My
advice in these situations? Be honest: “Almost always when I encour-
age you to give, I’m doing so not because of our budget, but because
of your hearts. Like Paul in Philippians 4, I’m seeking the fruit that
increases to your credit. But this time is different. I’d hate for us to cut
long-term investments in staff and missionaries in order to accom-
modate what I believe to be a short-term financial crisis. So I’m ask-
ing you to give beyond what is faithful. If we can balance our budget,
I think it will be a better spiritual investment vehicle over the long
run. And if we can’t, that’s OK—we know God will provide exactly
what we need.”

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 Who Talks about Money with Your Church?
Let me close with one final implication of Paul’s example. Given
how many opportunities there are to pastor your church when
talking about money, why would you not entrust this to a pastor?
When presenting the monthly financial report, encouraging the
congregation to give, and discussing the church’s financial needs, don’t
just communicate the financial details. Instead, like Paul, put finances
into the context of larger matters, like faith in God’s providence and his
eternal rewards. Whenever you talk about money, seek to pastor your
church.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jamie Dunlop is an associate pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church
in Washington, D. C. He is the author of Budgeting for a Healthy
Church: Aligning Finances with Biblical Priorities for Ministry.

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Handling Your
Church’s Finances
with Transparency
and Integrity

Jenny Terry

H
ow we spend money reveals what we value. Jesus tells us:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin
destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves trea-
sures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy and where thieves do
not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matt. 6:19–21)

How churches spend the money entrusted to them should mat-

ter greatly to believers. And yet, we find ourselves living in a world
where it’s hard to talk about money. We get squeamish when the topic
of money comes up. Should it be the same way in the church?
Jesus didn’t shy away from talking about money. In fact, we see in
the Gospels that of his thirty-nine parables, eleven of them talk about
money.

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 How should this shape the way we think and talk about how the
church spends the Lord’s money?
Several years ago, I found myself handling finances and adminis-
tration for a rapidly growing church with multiple campuses. During
that time, I saw the pastors take on a private posture when handling the
church’s finances. There was no transparency, which meant there was
no accountability. Even between staff and lay elders, there was a tre-
mendous lack of transparency regarding how church finances were be-
ing handled and how money was being spent. Unfortunately, this led to
ballooning operating expenses that regularly outpaced the church’s giv-
ing. We were consistently operating in the red. To make matters worse,
there were obvious areas where we could and should have pulled back
spending.
Again, how we spend money reveals what we value.
Pastors often caution their church members about the dangers of
money. But pastors themselves aren’t immune. When Jesus warns us
about our hearts and our treasures, he’s not condemning money in and
of itself, but rather the greediness that so easily grabs our hearts and
convinces us money is all we need.
Church members tithe their hard-earned money; they give sacri-
ficially, trusting those in charge that their gifts will be stewarded to
serve God’s kingdom. When we give, we’re not just investing our mon-
ey; we’re investing our allegiance. And we’re trusting that the elders in
charge of stewarding the church’s finances are doing so with the utmost
integrity.
Jesus is the perfect example of a man of integrity. He is faultless, sin-
cere, righteous, and without blemish. We are called to be imitators of
Christ in all we do (Eph. 5:1). That includes modeling his integrity in our
handling of money.
To that end, here are three basic principles that I’m convinced lead
to a healthy financial culture, especially in a local church.

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1. LEAN INTO TRANSPARENCY
Churches should lean into transparency about how money is allocated
and spent. A church should be transparent not only about its inten-
tions but its actions. In other words, yes, the budget should be visible
to church members. But also should a regularly updated report that
offers a snapshot of recent spending and giving. These practices create
accountability. Sometimes, there may be a thoughtful reason for not
sharing a specific detail; but generally speaking, make as much infor-
mation available as possible. Transparency is a core building block of
trust; it communicates that leaders are committed to faithfully stewar-
ding the church’s resources—not merely saying that intend to.
This kind of transparency invites everyone to observe how God is ad-
vancing his kingdom through faithful giving of your fellow church mem-
bers. It reminds us that giving is meant to lead to worship. Just as we
teach our members how to pray by praying together on Sunday morn-
ings, we also teach our members how to view their money by faithfully
spending the resources entrusted to the church.
When money is handled properly, those handling the financ-
es should count it a joy and privilege to share the details of what the
church is doing with spending their money. It’s an incredible opportu-
nity to paint a picture for the entire congregation of how God is using
their sacrificial giving in both big and small ways.

A Litmus Test of Transparency

For pastors who are committed to building a healthy financial cul-
ture, administer a quick litmus test by asking how much your cur-
rent staff feels they can share about how the church’s money is spent.
Do they feel like there are things they need to hide in order to pro-
tect the image of one or more of the pastors? If so, that is dangerous-
ly problematic.
Trust starts with transparency. Transparency enables accountabil-
ity.

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2. INVITE ACCOUNTABILITY
Church leaders should share details about the church’s budget, and
then create opportunities for members to ask questions. This goes a
long way in building a healthy financial culture.
Why? First of all, because it forces church leaders to remain hum-
ble. A church member might ask a question that reveals areas in the
budget that could use prayerful reconsideration. When church lead-
ers are open to adjusting something as important as how the church
spends money, it provides a powerful example of the body of Christ
working together.
When spending is not treated with integrity, church leaders will be
tempted to get defensive when members start to ask questions. I saw this
happen firsthand. When members’ questions started to reveal too much
about the wayward spending of the church, they were accused of lacking
trust and faith in their leaders.
What a shame. Elders should gladly welcome questions about the
budget as an additional layer of accountability that protects their own
hearts from the pitfalls of greed.
Lastly, inviting accountability sets the stage to develop internal con-
trols for checks and balances. Putting appropriate safeguards in place
gives peace of mind that those handling the church’s finances are guid-
ed by integrity.

3. Commit to moderation.
In the summer of 2012, the church where I handled finances and
administration had undertaken a $2 million dollar construction and
renovation project. We were highly leveraged, and week over week,
more and more money was going out to pay for both expected and un-
expected expenses associated with the project.
At one point, the senior pastor told me not to worry about our bur-
geoning expenses, that I should rest like a Calvinist, knowing God is
in control.

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 Quite right, God is in control. And yet, we are not passive bystand-
ers to the work God is doing in and around us. It’s not mere coinci-
dence that Jesus spent so much time talking about money. He knew
that money makes an alluring ruler that tries to convince us it’s more
valuable than the greatest gift we’ve been given: eternal life through
Jesus Christ.
In the years since that exchange, I’ve reflected a lot on why it was
so unsettling. In the end, I’ve come to see that even the best intentions
can be clouded when we allow our love of money, power, and image to
overshadow our love for God. When money takes hold of our hearts,
we are tempted to dismiss the stronghold it has over us, and we con-
vince ourselves that our worldly desires are somehow righteous. After
all, the excessive spending habits I saw firsthand were touted as if they
were for the advancement of the kingdom.
How much more powerful it would have been if the senior pas-
tor had committed to pulling back spending, working together with
my team and the board of elders to cut costs, rather than defaulting
to another sermon series on money and giving. Maybe we didn’t actu-
ally need to spend a quarter of a million dollars on a state-of–the-art
speaker system. Perhaps the $75,000 system would have worked just
fine. Maybe we didn’t need to spend $50,000 a year on coffee and cof-
fee equipment to prove we were a “hospitable” church. Perhaps we just
needed to define hospitality biblically.
Of course, this example is not meant to suggest that we should ques-
tion every decision made by elders who have proven themselves to be
trustworthy. Those of us working in a diaconal capacity need to prayer-
fully balance asking questions with our call to submit to faithful elder
leadership. The point here is that elders and deacons can commit to
moderation, and both have a role to play in committing the church’s
resources.
As a general principle, I’d encourage churches to commit to mod-
eration when it comes to how we spend money. We simply cannot

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properly value the kingdom of God and at the same time be driven
by self-centered, thing-oriented spending.

CONCLUSION
How we spend money reveals what we value. And I pray your
church’s spending reveals that your greatest treasure is Christ him-
self and his gift of forgiving, transforming grace.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jenny Terry currently works as the Director of Business Operations for
Buffer and serves on multiple boards in the Fintech and SaaS space.
She currently lives in Louisville, KY with her husband and daughter
where she is a member at Third Avenue Baptist Church.

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Who Should
Know How Much
Everyone Makes?

Jason Read

P
ay transparency is a growing trend in the business world. Want
to know how much each employee at social media giant Buffer
makes? You can look it up on their website. Similarly, Whole
Foods publishes the average salary for every position. Norway’s gov-
ernment recently took it a step further. They made each Norwegian
citizen’s salary available via an online searchable database. But be fore-
warned, people can see a log of who looked them up!
Some states in the U.S. have legislated a measure of pay transparen-
cy. For example, South Carolina’s Act to Establish Pay Equity makes it
illegal for employers to prohibit their employees from sharing wage in-
formation. Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act requires employ-
ers to include compensation ranges with job postings.
Should churches proactively disclose staff salaries to the members?
When a member or employee asks for the information, is it wise to
share? Put simply, is pay transparency a good idea for the church?

94
 When considering whether to share salary information with the
whole church or one inquisitive member, try to process that question
with two goals: build ownership and maintain unity.

GOAL #1: BUILD OWNERSHIP

Budget meetings in the church can span the spectrum from a simple
FYI with no voting to accepting amendments from the floor. Some lean
toward the simple, highlighting only high-level categories. Others pre-
fer the detailed approach, showing every cent spent on every item.
My goal in our church budget process is to faithfully steward re-
sources by aligning our budget with Christ’s stated purpose for the
local church, which is to make disciples (Matt. 28:19–20). While our
Chief Shepherd certainly does not need our money for his mission, our
resources significantly impact the church’s work.
When each part of the church body works correctly, the whole body
grows up (Eph. 4:16). This means members contribute to one anoth-
er’s lives and have an active role in each other’s discipleship. The bud-
get intersects with this culture because it’s a commitment to sustaining
a gospel ministry. It’s a matter of discipleship. It follows that voting on
or affirming the budget is part of overseeing each other’s discipleship.
But back to the question: how much information does the church
need to know in order to own its budget meaningfully? Over the years,
I’ve discovered an inverse relationship between the number of cells in
a budget spreadsheet and the average person’s ability to understand it.
Ownership minus understanding trends toward pie in the sky.
Prudence lies somewhere in the middle space, between only know-
ing the bottom number and being able to recite every line. When mem-
bers have a working knowledge without being overwhelmed with de-
tails, they will feel greater ownership of the budget and the ministry.
That might mean sharing pay data. It could be helpful to know how
much the church is investing in the ministry of the Word compared
to other expenses like building maintenance. Both are important, but
one is an obvious priority over the other. Members being in the know

95
regarding staff salaries may also help curb pastors being underpaid. If
churches understand the correlation between a pastor’s salary and the
ministry of the Word, they will not underpay him purposefully.
Conversely, combining all salaries into a single line might be suffi-
cient. This strategy can prevent less mature church members from be-
coming distracted by the specifics. If your church goes this route, I rec-
ommend taking the time to teach the congregation the church’s sal-
ary philosophy. The Lord gives us instructions for paying our pastors
(1 Cor 9:1–14; 1 Tim 5:17–18). Members must be obedient and care for
those who care for them.
I know of at least one church that lumps the bottom line for salaries
but makes individual numbers available on request in the church office.
This may be a good middle-ground solution. What should be obvious is
that there is not a universal answer to this universal question. Knowing
what will best serve each church takes wisdom.

GOAL #2: MAINTAIN UNITY

As believers, we’re all called to eagerly maintain the unity of the Spirit
(Eph 4:1–6). A united church is a spectacular reminder of God’s eter-
nal, cosmic plan to unite all things in Christ. Unfortunately, budget
meetings and church finance conversations are notoriously divisi-
ve. Division, regardless of its cause, harms a church’s gospel witness.
Budgets should not be a source of division in our congregations. So, let
me ask you, church leader, would sharing individual salary data main-
tain or threaten unity in your church?
I know of too many churches recovering from financial misman-
agement or sinful impropriety. Both scenarios erode the trust mem-
bers have in their leaders. In the wake of a scandal, a bent toward hon-
est transparency is generally the best course. Even apart from scandal,
I can imagine other scenarios in which more detail, whether on salaries
or utilities, will best serve a congregation. For example, if a church has
come into maturity in valuing Word ministry and has worked over-
time to compensate their lead pastor fairly, it may be very encouraging

96
to share the information so they may be encouraged in the excellent
work they did together!
We should share Solomon’s sentiment when he said, “A tranquil
heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot” (Pro. 14:30).
While not always, envy often lies at the root of many arguments against
pay transparency. If employees know how much everyone makes, envy
sprouts up in the soil of the team. On the other hand, it may also be a
cause for rejoicing that other brothers are being taken care of.
Paul presses on the churches in Galatia and us today when he
says, “walk by the Spirit…you will not gratify the desires of the flesh”
(Gal. 5:16). Those desires include enmity, jealousy, strife, and dis-
sensions (Gal. 5:19–21). Interestingly, research by organizations like
Payscale and WorldatWork suggests that transparency increases em-
ployee engagement, job satisfaction, and teamwork. I don’t think we
should assume that church staff will necessarily choose to gratify their
sinful desires. Instead, the Spirit empowers pastors and staff to trust the
Lord for their daily bread and celebrate it being given to others as well.
So, is it wise to trust the Spirit and immediately sing salaries from
the hilltops? Not necessarily. Having a compensation policy may also
be a warranted defense against envy and division. That policy, given to
staff and available to anyone, should outline things like a biblical frame-
work for why the staff is paid, the principles for compensation, and
an overview of when compensation is evaluated and who is involved
in that process. That may be short of publishing pay data, but it goes
a long way toward removing the curtain’s mystery and ensuring your
staff understands the what and the why behind their compensation.
Additionally, I would encourage you to maintain unity by building
a culture where it’s okay to talk about money in general and compen-
sation in particular. Like every other member, pastors have bills, too.
This is not an encouragement to fall in love with money. Elders should
be above reproach in this matter (1 Tim 3:2–3). I’ve often found myself
stuck, needing to talk about making more money but also suspicious of
my own heart and fearful of being misunderstood. Regardless of your

97
polity or staffing structure and regardless of whether you publish sal-
ary data, who is actively making it easier for church staff to talk about
their pay?

CONCLUSION
Pay transparency in the church comes with significant risks. Some
will be confused by total compensation made up of salary and bene-
fits. Other members may be tempted to compare the pastor’s salary to
theirs, risking envy and tension. As a pastor, I don’t love these conver-
sations. But if sharing my salary helps to maintain unity and gives the
church meaningful ownership of the ministry, then I joyfully accept.
Therein lies the challenge of shepherding; we must know our people
and their needs. Sometimes, sharing information will build up; some-
times, it will tear down. Rather than hide information out of fear or
carelessly publish it on the street corners, aim to shepherd your church
toward meaningful membership and unity in Christ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason Read is the executive pastor at Heritage Bible Church in Greer,
South Carolina.

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Preparing Pastors
for Retirement

Brad Thayer

A
church’s health is nurtured by biblically sound preaching.
God uses his infallible Word to grow his church. But this isn’t
an article about preaching; it’s about retirement.
The connection between sound preaching and a congregation’s
health is obvious. But what’s the relationship between a church’s health
and a pastor’s retirement? Is there a connection? Not directly. Instead,
the connection is indirect by virtue of pastoral longevity. A church that
is thoughtful about its pastor’s retirement contributes to his longevity,
and with longevity comes health. The longer a man pastors one church,
generally speaking the more fruit the Spirit will produce through his
faithful preaching and shepherding (1 Cor. 3:5–11).
A generous compensation package contributes to longevity. Pastors
experience their congregation’s love when their family “lacks nothing”
(Titus 3:13). They’re free to “shepherd the flock of God . . . not for
shameful gain, but eagerly” (1 Pet. 5:2). If you play a role in setting your
pastor’s compensation, then this article is primarily for you. Healthy
churches can proactively plan for and financially invest in their pastor’s
retirement as a way to encourage his longevity.

99
 I need to give a qualifier. Retirement benefits are not applicable in
all settings. Many pastors are bi-vocational or are in poorer regions.
Some serve overseas and depend on limited financial support or they
are from countries where retirement is not a thing. Not all churches
will handle this subject the same. Though my comments are aimed at
American churches, each congregation should be thoughtful in how it
cares for its pastor.

PROACTIVELY PLAN FOR YOUR PASTOR’S RETIREMENT

The Lord has numbered every one of our days (Job 4:1–6; Ps. 90:10;
Heb. 9:27). None of us should presume upon tomorrow (Jam. 4:13–
17). Your pastor may not live to see retirement. Nonetheless, it’s pru-
dent to plan for the day when he no longer shepherds his church. That
may be due to diminished health or the inability to keep pace with
the ministry’s daily demands. Therefore, proactively plan for his retire-
ment—his redeployment to a new season of ministry.
Here are some suggested ways to plan.
Where opportunities present themselves, encourage him to use his
gifts to serve other churches and ministries. If possible, give him the free-
dom to preach at other churches, teach at seminaries, write for minis-
tries, provide leadership for your denomination or network, go on mis-
sion trips, and more. These opportunities expand his relationships and
hone his gifts that could be used in a new season of ministry when he
retires as your full-time pastor.
Encourage financial planning early in his ministry. For example, di-
rect him to a certified financial planner to help set reasonable goals.
Ensure he has a living will. Offer to pay for those services within his
first five years. If he’s young, he may have student loans and would be
helped by Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. Whatever it may
be, have someone come alongside your pastor and his wife to help
them plan.
Organize wise counselors to help plan for his retirement. Proverbs 15:22
says, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisors they succeed.”

100
Your pastor, his family, his fellow elders, and the congregation will be
helped by having “many advisors” figuring out a plan for his retire-
ment. Consider creating a “Retirement Oversight Team”1 comprised of
elders, deacons, and trusted members. When your pastor is between
the ages of 50–55, this group could work with the pastor and, when
necessary, his wife, to answer questions like:

• What’s an approximate timeframe for a planned retirement?

• What is the transition plan for his replacement?
• Who are possible replacement candidates?
• Are there ways we’ll care for his widow or special-needs children?
• How can we steward his years of wisdom, experience, and rela-
tionships into retirement?
• What’s the progress of his financial plan?
Any plan is just that—a plan. They can be changed or scrapped en-
tirely, so don’t be anxious. But it could serve many people well to plan
early.

FINANCIALLY INVEST IN YOUR PASTOR’S RETIREMENT

The Bible commends compensating pastors for their faithful labor.
Paul said, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double
honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the
Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the gra-
in,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages’” (1 Tim. 5:17–18; cf. Gal. 6:6).
Where possible, seek to pay your pastor. Your church is well served
by the financial investment made in faithful shepherds.
How much should you pay him? It depends. But lean into generos-
ity and trust, as the word double in the passage above suggests.2 In an
American context, it’s good to structure his compensation with a “sal-
ary and benefits” package versus a “lump-sum” package. The former
1 Evangelical Counsel for Financial Accountability, “8 Essentials of Retirement Planning for Ministers
and Churches” in the Church Essentials Series. (E-book), 22.
2 Jamie Dunlop, Budgeting for a Healthy Church: Aligning Finances with Biblical Priorities for Ministry
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2019), 78-84.

101
reduces tax liability and ensures funds are spent appropriately. This
also allows a pastor to know how much he and his family have for liv-
ing expenses and charitable giving. Generally, a good package will be
comprised of five parts: salary, housing allowance, healthcare, retire-
ment, and ministry resources and education.
Give generously to all these, including a retirement plan. Any
man qualified to pastor is not in ministry for the money (1 Tim. 3:3;
Titus 1:7). If you cannot trust him with money, he should not be your
pastor! More lucrative careers are in the private sector; he may have
even left one to be your pastor. The standard expectation is 80–90%
of pre-retirement income during retirement. Your pastor is probably
aware of his financial limitations to meet that expectation. He’s faith-
fully providing for his family, giving generously to the church, and sav-
ing for emergencies, but not much is left over. So give generously to his
retirement.
If possible, contribute 10% of his salary to a retirement plan. If he
begins pastoring young like I did, those funds will grow with salary in-
creases and investment earnings. Other factors may necessitate giving
more than 10%. If you’re providing church-owned housing, he may
need additional income to buy or rent when he retires. He may have
special-needs children that will be financially dependent on him. These
factors may warrant a 15–20% retirement contribution.
Another factor to consider is living expenses during different sea-
sons of life. Pay scales trend upward with tenure, but so do costs with a
growing family. (Trust me! I have three teenage girls and a tween boy.)
So the peak earning years when a pastor may be able to invest in his
retirement are limited. If he does—and lovingly encourage him to do
so—matching contributions are a helpful incentive. For example, give
a 10% base contribution and then match his contributions to a certain
percentage.
I’m no financial planner. I’m a pastor, so consult with someone
knowledgeable of a pastor’s unique tax status and investment op-
tions before making retirement contributions. But one retirement plan

102
exclusively designed for ministries is a 403(b). It maximizes the bene-
fits available to pastors: Their contributions are tax-sheltered and not
subject to SECA; they can be designated as housing allowance at retire-
ment, and more.
Last bit of advice: Housing and healthcare are the most significant
expenses in retirement. If your pastor has opted out of Social Security,
that income and Medicare won’t be available from his church salary
when he retires. It’s wise to help him plan for healthcare expenses by
redirecting SECA reimbursements to his retirement instead of addi-
tional income.
Others may have more creative financial solutions for your pastor’s
retirement. Great! My encouragement is, if possible, generously invest
in it.

A WORD TO PASTORS
Brother pastor, thank you for your service. It may be inconceivable to
think about retirement. Right now, you’re preparing for the next elders’
meeting, or counseling session, or sermon in Isaiah. Those responsibi-
lities matter exponentially more than retirement. Persevere! Labor dili-
gently for the good of the souls entrusted to your care for whom you’ll
give an account (Heb. 13:17).
Praise God if you’ve been helped in any way by this advice! Find a
trusted leader to figure out how to take steps toward implementation.
Continue to devote yourself to the ministry of the Word and prayer.
Pray for humility. Seeking counsel requires transparency about your
financial management. Be humble to receive advice and correction if
necessary.
Lord willing, your church will exist after you’re gone. So invest in
“faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). Share
the pulpit and leadership responsibilities with godly and gifted broth-
ers. You can run longer and faster in ministry with their help. If you’re
the primary preaching pastor, the burden is on you to create a culture
where members aren’t solely dependent upon you for teaching and

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shepherding. They will be better prepared for the day you retire after
years of being taught and cared for by a plurality of elders.

CONCLUSION
Having pastored the same church for fourteen years, I know the
fruit born from longevity. Our relationship of unity, love, and trust
wasn’t forged overnight; it came through endurance and generosity.
These saints have been patient with my shortcomings and generous
with their love in word and in deed. We’ve grown together through
longsuffering and longevity which will, Lord willing, continue until
either my retirement or our Savior’s return.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brad Thayer is an associate pastor/administration of Mount Vernon
Baptist Church in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

104
How Much Should
We Pay Our Staff

Jamie Dunlop

O
ne factor to consider when deciding how many staff your
church should hire is the simple math of how much you pay
them. Should you aim at lower compensation so you can hire
more staff? What are the spiritual consequences of overpaying or un-
derpaying your staff? Let me suggest two principles to guide your phi-
losophy of staff compensation.

GENEROSITY
Every time the New Testament addresses financial support of church
staff and missionaries, it underscores generosity.

• “The one who receives instruction in the word should share all
good things with their instructor” (Gal. 6:6, emphasis mine).
• “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy
of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and
teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17, emphasis mine).
• “Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their
way; see that they lack nothing” (Titus 3:13 ESV, emphasis mine).
• “Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God”
(3 John 6, emphasis mine).

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 Don’t be stingy with your staff compensation. What benefit is it to
you for your pastor to be distracted from ministry because of finan-
cial needs? It is possible to be overly generous as well. Extravagant pay
is poor stewardship and may warp a pastor’s motivations for ministry.
After all, he is to be one who is “not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager
to serve” (1 Pet. 5:2).
So what constitutes pay that is generous but not extravagant? As
with beauty, it would seem that “generous” is in the eye of the beholder.
As such, Paul’s exhortation in Titus 3:13 is a good summary of appro-
priate pay: “See that they lack nothing” (ESV). You shouldn’t try to pro-
vide your staff with everything they could ever wish for. But you want
to provide enough that a pastor or staff member is not distracted from
ministry because of financial concerns.
How can you be sure your staff are lacking nothing in this regard?
I recommend five different data points that can guide your compensa-
tion decisions.
First, consider nonchurch benchmarks.
How are comparable public servants paid? Similar to pastors, many
public officials have agreed to work for less money than they could
make on the open market. Yet like a church, their employers don’t want
them eventually forced into the private sector for want of money. You
might find a useful comparison by looking at the compensation pack-
age of a local school principal or police chief, or the government pay
scale.
You may also want to look at church benchmarks. How do other
churches pay their staff? Several organizations will sell you bench-
marking information for church staff positions in your area. Of
course, churches are generally not known for being generous with
their compensation. Don’t assume that all or even most churches
in your benchmarking set are being faithful in paying their staff.
Rather than buying benchmarking data, you might find it more
useful to exchange compensation information with a few churches
in your area that you trust in this regard.

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 Consider what replacement cost would be for this position. If a staff
member were to leave, would you need to increase (or be able to de-
crease) the size of the compensation package in order to attract an in-
dividual who would do the job equally well? Then you are probably not
paying what the work is worth and should consider revising what you
are paying them.
Fourth, look through a sample personal budget. What makes for a
sustainable family budget at different stages of life in your locality? Ask
this question of several people in their fifties and sixties, as those much
younger may not fully understand what it really costs to raise a fam-
ily, and those who are older may no longer remember. Why do this
if you are paying your staff based on their work rather than on their
needs? Because compensation is not a purely deductive process and
you should check what you think the work is worth against a typical
level of need.1
Finally, have some honest conversations. Ensure that someone in
leadership in your church speaks regularly with your staff about how
their compensation package is serving them and their families. Do
they feel there is parity across staff? Are they finding their ministry
hampered for want of money? Consider that feedback carefully.
That short phrase in Titus 3 is remarkably powerful in summariz-
ing these goals for compensation. “See that they lack nothing.” Paying
your pastor is one of the most important things your church bud-
get can do. As such, unless your congregation really doesn’t have the
money, one of your top budget priorities should be to pay a pastor
and to ensure that his compensation is a help to his ministry, erring
on the side of generosity.
1 Three notes regarding compensation: (1) Do not assume that just because a compensation package
worked for a person’s predecessor it will work for them as well. Different people have different needs (say,
particular health issues or family they need to care for in a different country). (2) Some churches start
with a benchmark and then subtract what a staff member would have given to the church, surmising that
it’s more tax-efficient to not pay them this in the first place. Don’t do this! Since giving is one of the main
purposes for income (Eph. 4:28) and pastors are to be examples to the flock (1 Pet. 5:3), don’t deprive
pastors of the joy of giving simply because they work for a church. (3) Even if your pastor is single, it is
wise to consider needs based on the needs of a family. After all, he may one day have a family, or even if he
doesn’t, his replacement might. Don’t pay less merely because of the marital status of your pastor.

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HOW MUCH TO PAY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
I find it interesting that Paul’s rationale to pay pastors in 1 Timothy 5:18
is not grounded in their office but their work: “The laborer deserves his
wages.” As such, this principle offers rationale for paying administra-
tive staff as well as a pastor. It implies that you should pay them what
their work is worth, not how much you think they need.
But shouldn’t people working for a church make less money? No.
If the laborer deserves his wages, he deserves what his work is worth.
Evaluating what his work is “worth” might be complicated for a pasto-
ral position, but it is comparatively straightforward for an administra-
tive position.
Since administrative jobs are often similar to positions in other
nonprofit organizations and businesses in your area, you might find
that regional compensation surveys conducted by the government are
a good guide. Some struggling churches might not be able to pay mar-
ket rate for a time. But over the long term, adjust your staff size to fit
the available budget.

TRUST
In addition to generosity, consider the importance of trust. Several
years before I began working as a pastor at my church, I served on our
church’s compensation committee. I did this while working in a career
in business, having no idea that the salary I was helping to set would
one day be my own. I’m in the unique position of having designed a
church compensation plan that I now live with! One lesson I’ve learned
from that transition—from layman to staff pastor—is the inherent vul-
nerability of working for a church.
Consider, by way of analogy, the difference between working for a
large corporation and working for your father’s small business. Both
situations involve trust—but trust in a family-run company is different
because the relationship extends beyond the business.
When I worked in the business world, my employer expected me
to look out for myself, and I negotiated my compensation with that

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in mind. When I began to work for my church, however, the dynam-
ic shifted. It was more like working for the family business. Of course,
we discussed my compensation before I accepted the job, but not in the
freewheeling way that’s expected in the for-profit world. The implicit
agreement, now that I work for my church, is that I will spend my en-
ergy for them—and that they will care for me. When that vulnerability
is held in trust, it makes for a wonderful working relationship between
a pastor and his church.
As a church, hold that trust carefully. One way you can do that if
you don’t work for a church is by understanding how your church’s pay
package works. Do you know the tax burdens and benefits of working
as a pastor? Do you know how much your pastor’s pay has increased in
the last five years relative to inflation? Do you know how your church
accounts for your pastor’s housing (which in the US has special tax
treatment)? How confident are you that staff are paid in parity with
each other, accounting for merit, experience, and education? If your
general response is, “those details aren’t of interest to me,” or “it’s my
pastor’s job to bring up any problems with compensation,” I would
challenge you as to whether you fully appreciate the vulnerable place
that your church staff are in.

WHAT ABOUT STAFF IN FINANCIAL DISTRESS

What should a church do when its own staff are struggling financially?
It is important in these situations to keep in mind the principle I outli-
ned earlier from 1 Timothy 5, that it is a person’s labor that makes them
worthy of pay. Here are some questions to ask when your staff are in
financial hardship:

1. Is This Our Fault?

Has the church been underpaying for the work they receive? In
that case, the church might provide a bonus to remedy this wrong in
addition to adjusting compensation. A staff member’s level of need is
not irrelevant to this assignment: only in unusual situations (as with a

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trainee) should a church hire a staff member knowing that compensa-
tion will not be sufficient to meet their needs.

2. Are They in the Wrong Job?

You should not increase compensation simply because a person’s
needs have increased. It may be that this person’s needs are simply
more than this job can support. In that case you might help them up-
skill so they can make a transition to a different job.

3. Are Finances Being Mismanaged?

Perhaps financial distress has come because a staff member doesn’t
manage their money well. This may be cause for (1) questioning wheth-
er a pastor is disqualified from office by failing to “manage his own
household well” (1 Tim. 3:4 ESV); and/ or (2) teaching them about fi-
nancial management.

4. Do They Need Temporary Financial Help?

If they do, then assist them in a way that does not compromise their
dignity or respect. Do be sure, however, to make it clear that this is be-
nevolence and not compensation, as to not confuse Jesus’s principle
that the worker is worthy of their wages.2 As is true with any use of be-
nevolence funds, this is a good short-term solution but not a viable
long-term solution.

EDITOR’S NOTE
This article is adapted from Budgeting for a Healthy Church: Aligning
Finances with Biblical Priorities for Ministry by Jamie Dunlop, ©2019.
Used by permission of Zondervan.
2 A separation between benevolence and compensation is important in your communication to them,
but the two may be indecipherable for tax reasons. Most likely, benevolence to a staff member will be seen
by taxing authorities as taxable income.

110
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jamie Dunlop is an associate pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in
Washington, D. C. He is the author of Budgeting for a Healthy Church:
Aligning Finances with Biblical Priorities for Ministry.

111
Addressing Staff
Salary Discrepancies

Dennis Blythe

T
he personnel committee of First Church sits down for its annual
staff salary review. After a few moments of silently perusing the
numbers, someone eventually verbalizes what everyone else is
thinking: “Why is Pastor Brian paid so much less than Pastor Larry?
Hasn’t Brian been here longer? And Larry hasn’t even finished semi-
nary. That doesn’t seem right.”
Second Church, across town, has a different question. Word on the
ministerial street is that every other church in the community pays bet-
ter than they do. And when they recently had an open role to fill they
were discouraged to learn their leading candidate declined taking a po-
sition elsewhere. The pastor couldn’t help but wonder, “Was it because of
the money?”
These are fair questions, and in some cases, they may have good an-
swers. But unfortunately, for many churches, there is often no rhyme
or reason for why staff salaries are what they are. For some churches,
the issues could be attributed to a change in leadership or a new phi-
losophy of staff compensation. In another instance, it might be that
the church got off track due to some lean years financially. And then

112
there’s the real possibility that leaders simply made a few unwise or un-
informed decisions.
So, what do we do when there seems to be a discrepancy (perhaps
more than one) in our staff salary structure?

GUIDING PRINCIPLES
There are three guiding principles church leaders should bear in mind
as they work to address these issues.

1. It’s essential to sit down with church leaders and develop a plan.
Identify where the discrepancies are; determine an order of priori-
ty for addressing them (begin with your most valued roles/individuals
first); and then prayerfully take steps in your annual budget planning
to ensure that staff members are compensated appropriately.

2. Create a staff salary structure that you can evaluate and use for
the future.
Begin by putting on paper what the actual salary range for each cat-
egory on your staff is currently (i.e. pastors, directors, associates, ad-
ministrative assistants). Then, using reliable salary survey data, local
salary comparisons, and demographics of the church and community,
determine what your target range needs to be for each category. For a
variety of reasons, this will look different from church to church.
The low end of the range for a category should represent what a start-
ing salary would be before any unique factors are applied. The high end of
the range should represent what the church would be able/willing to pay a
highly qualified and experienced individual in that category. It’s important
to note that this tool should be reviewed and updated annually. A starting
salary of $50,000 shouldn’t still be $50,000 three years from now. The pay
ranges need to increase as salaries change in order to account for inflation.
Questions you might ask as you develop a salary structure for your
church include: Are we fair in our compensation? Are we consistent?
Are we competitive? Is this sustainable?

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 3. Establish consistent criteria for setting and evaluating salaries.
One reason churches get out of balance with their compensation
structure is they will sometimes set a salary without considering the
bigger picture. A common mistake is to think, “We just need to pay
them whatever it’s going to take to get them here.” In some cases, that
may mean the number is lower than it should be. In other cases, it is
higher than it should be. More often than not, however, this approach
will leave you with a bit of a mess and eventual discrepancies and in-
consistencies. As you establish your salary criteria, it’s important to
consider both the role and the individual.

SALARIES FOR DIFFERENT ROLES

There are at least five questions to ask when setting a salary for a par-
ticular role.

1. What’s the scope of responsibility?

In most cases, the greater the responsibility, the higher the salary.
Variables might include supervision responsibilities (of both staff and
volunteers), the extent of financial oversight, decision-making author-
ity, etc. This is a common reason that two seemingly similar pastoral
roles might be paid differently.

2. What’s the geographic location of the church?

Because cost of living varies across the country, a church in a major
city on the West Coast is understandably going to pay differently than
a rural church in the Midwest.

3. What are the demographics of the church?

As an example, if a church located in an upper-middle class suburb is
made up largely of white-collar professionals, that ought to inform, to a
degree, how they compensate members of the staff.

114
 4. What are other churches paying for this role?
It’s not about keeping up with the Joneses, but it’s important to
be comparable and competitive with your pay, whenever possible.
Networking and exchanging information with other churches may
help you know if you are low, high, or right on target. To the extent
possible, be sure you are comparing apples to apples.

5. What’s the church’s overall budget?

To be clear, a big budget shouldn’t necessarily mean big salaries,
nor should a small budget necessarily mean small salaries. There are
small churches who pay handsomely, and there are larger churches
who are somewhat stingy. With that said, it’s important for a church
to live within its means. Sometimes discrepancy issues arise because
a church has stretched itself too thin and is trying to employ more
staff than it can afford. A hard but sometimes necessary decision is
to operate with fewer staff so that a church can adequately compen-
sate those it has.

DETERMINING SALARIES FOR INDIVIDUALS

Additionally, there are four considerations to keep in mind when set-
ting a salary for a specific individual.

1. What’s the individual’s value to the church?

While it’s true that no staff member is indispensable or irreplace-
able, there are individuals who bring unique value to the table for
a church. It may be their skillset, institutional knowledge, or some-
thing more intangible. Within reason, it’s certainly appropriate for
such persons to be compensated accordingly.

2. How long has this person served on staff at the church?

If someone has been with you for a long time, it stands to rea-
son they have served well (or they wouldn’t still be there). It makes
sense for them to earn more than the employee who is just start-
ing out.

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 3. How long has this person served in vocational ministry?
This is primarily for those serving in a ministerial or pastoral role
and may have come from another church. A seasoned leader with 20-
plus years of vocational service under his belt will likely be paid more
than someone in a similar role who is serving in his first church staff
job.

4. What about education?

Each church will uniquely set any education prerequisites it may
have for specific staff roles. The time and effort invested in preparation
and training ought to count for something in the consideration of their
pay, similarly to one’s years of experience.

ADDITIONAL PRINCIPLES
Here are some additional principles to keep in mind when addressing
discrepancy issues:

• Be consistent with how you pay similar roles on your staff. In

other words, be careful about doing for one what you don’t do
for another. An example of this might be, “We are paying Mary
a higher wage, but since the budget is tight, we’ll hire Linda for
a little less and just give her more vacation instead.”
• Neither gender, marital status, nor family status should be crite-
ria for one’s salary. Churches can find themselves on a slippery
slope if they decide to pay one candidate more than another sim-
ply because one is married and the other is not. Likewise, the staff
member who has five children shouldn’t be compensated more
than the one who doesn’t have children simply because their fam-
ily has more dependent-related expenses.
• Consider rewarding short-term or one-time exceptional perfor-
mances with a bonus, as opposed to a permanent pay increase. A
couple of “good job” raises that are permanent can quickly create
the beginning of a discrepancy.

116
 • On the other hand, use a salary adjustment (or merit raise) to re-
ward a demonstrated increase in value to the church over an ex-
tended period of time. Don’t misunderstand—there is certainly
a place for permanent increases to one’s pay, but if not adminis-
tered wisely, they can quickly stretch your salary structure. (Note:
this is different than a cost-of-living adjustment the church might
provide staff-wide on a more regular basis.)

CONCLUSION
Finally, it is important for church leaders to recognize that addres-
sing salary discrepancies likely won’t happen, in full, in a single budget
year. For many churches, it may take several years, but it is important
to stay the course. The matter of compensating your church staff fairly
(and even generously) is not an unspiritual one. In fact, it’s biblical and
God-glorifying, and churches should work diligently toward making it
a reality.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dennis Blythe is the executive pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in
Birmingham, Alabama.

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Advocating for Your
Own Pay

Jamie Dunlop

W
hen is it appropriate for a pastor to advocate for chang-
es in his own compensation? If a pastor is “not a lover
of money” (1 Tim. 3:3), shouldn’t he take whatever the
church gives him without complaining? I believe a pastor should take
an active role in making sure his pay package is adequate. But there
are a few things to keep in mind when you (pastors) do this.
Be careful that you don’t mislead your church as to how much
you cost. Assume your church wants to see that you “lack nothing.”
Help them do their job! Imagine you’re getting ready to pastor a
church. You take the job even though the pay seems low. You think
to yourself, “I can make this work for now, and I’m sure we can ad-
just things later.”
But you don’t make that clear when you are hired. Now, three
years in, you find you need to take a second job to make ends meet,
and you resent the church for not taking better care of you (which
may be a valid concern). But remember: you accepted the job with-
out complaint—and you’re only now telling them that you need

118
more money, and that you’ve always known you’ll need more mon-
ey. Do you see how they might feel misled?
Another factor to keep in mind if you’re the main preaching pas-
tor is that your pay package will be the basis for compensating any
future staff. For their sakes, help your church come to an appropri-
ately generous compensation philosophy. The reality is that some-
day you’ll need to be replaced, so don’t get your church accustomed
to unrealistic expectations in how much they need to pay a pastor. If
they pay you more than you need, just quietly give it back!
How then should you talk about your own pay? Not in the con-
text of negotiation, but in the context of trust, with the purpose of
providing accurate information. You might say something like this:
“To be honest, that figure isn’t going to work for my family in the
long term. For the next year or so, my wife can get a job and we
will gladly make this work. But if I’m going to be here long term,
which I’d really like, we’ll eventually need to move toward a figure
more like $XX,XXX. Otherwise, you’ll need to find a less expen-
sive pastor.”
Be sure to consider any additional factors that might influence
your compensation, like experience or the size of the church. Keep
in mind that if you’re young and inexperienced, you probably don’t
deserve the pay package your predecessor had. Here are four sugges-
tions for talking with your church about your compensation:

1. Keep the conversation private. Ideally, this conversation is be-

tween you and a designated leader in your church—perhaps
the chair of your compensation committee or the chair of your
session. More generally, it’s wise for the church to have one lay
leader as the point person on all matters of compensation (ide-
ally a non-staff pastor/elder). This way, one person in authori-
ty will accept full responsibility for these issues without holding
any personal bias.

119
 2. Your goal is to provide information, not to negotiate. Unless
you’re really at the point where finances might force you out
of the job, don’t pretend that they’ll lose you if they don’t
boost your pay.
3. Assume they want what you want. Many churches desire to pay
their pastors generously, in line with Scriptural admonitions.
Before you accuse them of being too stingy, ask them about
their objectives for your compensation. You may be surprised
to discover that you’re all working for the same goal, even if
there is disagreement on how to get there.
4. Don’t make them do all the work. Work through your personal
budget, complete with ministerial tax implications, and hum-
bly ask for their feedback on your expectations and lifestyle.

PAY PRINCIPLES
TO AGREE ON
The group that sets pastoral pay should agree on which compensa-
tion principles the church should be committed to. Which items in
this list can/should you agree to?

• We will pay pastors such that they can support a family on this in-
come alone.
• We will pay pastors such that they can afford to live near where
our church meets.
• We will pay pastors such that they can save for retirement (if this
isn’t already included in the compensation benchmarks you use).
• We will pay pastors enough that they can give money away.
• We will base a pastor’s total comp package on one or more suit-
able external benchmarks.
• We will err on the side of being generous.

120
CONCLUSION: MAKING VULNERABILITY SAFE
What’s the goal in setting staff pay? The goal is to make the vulne-
rable relationship between a church and its staff feel safe for your
staff. You want to ensure their ministry is not hampered by finan-
cial concerns. And you want to equip your congregation for works
of service. In all this, staff are a means to an end: God-glorifying
ministry in the church.

EDITOR’S NOTE
This article is taken from Budgeting for a Healthy Church: Aligning
Finances with Biblical Priorities for Ministry by Jamie Dunlop, ©2019.
Used by permission of Zondervan.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jamie Dunlop is an associate pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in
Washington, D. C. He is the author of Budgeting for a Healthy Church:
Aligning Finances with Biblical Priorities for Ministry.

121
Policies
PRINCIPLES FOR A BENEVOLENCE POLICY THAT IS BOTH
MERCIFUL AND WISE

Philip Duncanson

T
o be a Christian is to acknowledge that you are needy. It’s one of
the marks we read about in the Sermon on the Mount: “Bless-
ed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
(Matt. 5:3). To follow Jesus, you must acknowledge you are spiritually
bankrupt and incapable of saving yourself.
A church, then, is a gathering of needy people. Every member rec-
ognizes his or her need for the righteousness of Christ (Rom. 3:20), for
God’s grace (Eph. 2:5), and for forgiveness (Col. 1:13-14).
That said, our physical needs will vary. We may be on the same sea,
but we’re not in the same boat. Some of our boats have holes, some lack
paddles. A church’s benevolence ministry begins here: showing each
other mercy amidst our different physical needs.
In other words, benevolence is not only about giving people mon-
ey to help solve their problems. It’s about showing others the mercy and
love we’ve been shown. This understanding will both guard against a
“savior complex” and keep us from trampling upon one another’s God-
given dignity.

122
 Here are several principles to keep in mind as you begin to devel-
op your own policy.

FIVE SUGGESTIONS

1. Designate a deacon or a deacon team.

Some churches charge a particular deacon with overseeing be-
nevolence. Capitol Hill Baptist, for instance, names a deacon of
member care. My own church distributes that responsibility to all
the deacons. Since they are broadly aware of the needs and resourc-
es within the body, we feel they are best equipped to minister and
discern the best way to approach each situation. A church can ask
a non-deacon to be responsible for any given case of benevolence.
Yet make sure anyone taking responsibility for these tasks meets the
criteria of “the seven” in Acts 6 and of deacons in 1 Timothy 3. Plus,
the process will be served by having a consistent individual or team
who knows the policies and procedures giving oversight.

2. Budget for benevolence—or at least have a fund.

Some churches have benevolence funds for designated gifts, or
they take special offerings. Since our church has frequent benevo-
lence needs, we include a line for benevolence in the annual budget.
The deacons oversee that budget item and are empowered to make
decisions on how those funds are dispersed. For larger benevolence
needs that go beyond what’s budgeted, they consult with the elders.

3. Build a culture of vulnerability that will help with communication.

Churches should continually remind members that a benevolence
fund exists and what the process is for getting help. But communica-
tion goes both ways. Members must communicate their needs, too.
As such, we need a culture of vulnerability where we share the un-
derstanding that we’re all needy in some way. Hopefully, this will help
people ask for help when they should and protect them from suffering

123
silently. This also means the deacons should know how to engage the
body, build relationships, and generally be accessible and approachable.

4. Evaluate each situation on its own merits.

Every benevolence request must be evaluated carefully. Financial
assistance may not be the answer. Our deacons ask people to fill out
an application, which they follow up with a personal consultation, be-
fore determining how to best help the individual or family asking for
assistance.
The application forces the individual or family to boil down their
needs and requests. The consultation allows the team to consider what
services and resources in the body might provide solutions without the
use of finances. For example, if an individual needs help with dental
work, perhaps a dentist in the congregation might help.
The consultation also provides an opportunity to ask questions about
overall budgeting patterns or other outside sources of help. Are there fool-
ish expenditures that contribute to the present need, which might solve the
problem? Is there a Christian family member who should help instead, lest
the church, by taking over the responsibility, tempt that family member to
sin (see 1 Tim. 5:8)? These conversations can be uncomfortable, but they’re
necessary and loving for the sake of the long run. No doubt, they often re-
quire some measure of pastoral skill, which is why your deacons should be
people “full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3).

5. For long-term benevolence situations, prioritize discipleship.

Some requests are for one-time assistance. Maybe a family has
found itself in a financial bind and needs a life jacket. The ask is
clear and specific, and a financial gift will quickly solve the problem.
However, many benevolence situations require more time and ongo-
ing assistance. These provide an opportunity for an on-going disciple-
ship relationship.
Some people haven’t been taught how to think about money from
a biblical perspective. Therefore, it’s helpful to build into benevolence

124
policies things like financial literacy classes, budget development,
Scripture memorization, and other practical tools. Each case is different,
but in some instances using those tools as prerequisites for on-going as-
sistance can help.

6. If possible, pay merchants directly.

This procedure will help to ensure the money is used directly to
fund the need as well as help the ministry keep good financial records.
This may come across as a lack of trust, but ultimately you want to be
above reproach, creating an environment that leaves no provision for
the flesh (Rom. 13:14).

7. Accountability for the deacons?

In order to care for the deacon(s) managing the benevolence poli-
cy, it is crucial to have a financial accountability structure in place. The
deacon(s) as they make distribution decisions should do so under the
oversight of an elder. Check-ins and updates about benevolence cases
in the congregation should be regularly shared with the elders.

WHAT ABOUT NON-MEMBERS?

What about helping those who are not members of our church?
Many individuals regard churches as places to go for help. If your
church building is located in an area with a lot of walking traffic, I’m
sure you inevitably get strangers requesting help. We should thank the
Lord for this, but it can also be quite overwhelming.
Here are some principles to keep in mind for those circumstances.

1. If possible, resist handing out cash.

Rather than cash, keep gift cards to restaurants or mass transit
cards on hand, as well as non-perishable food items, hygiene kits, and
clothes. You want to be able to hand people something, but avoid actu-
al cash if you can.

125
 2. Determine a designated one-time amount you’re willing to give
to strangers.
This is helpful if someone needs rides, shelter, or assistance with
a utility. If their request falls within your limit, no extra steps are re-
quired. You can provide immediate relief. Just be sure to pay the mer-
chant directly rather than giving the money to the person needing help.

3. Keep an updated list of resources in the area.

Some people will need more assistance than you can provide. So have
on hand a list of trusted local shelters, food banks, and other services that
you can point people to.

4. Error on the side of mercy.

After dealing with a number of benevolence cases, it’s easy to be-
come jaded and even skeptical of every request. Be wise and discern-
ing, but also remember that if you have never been taken advan-
tage of, then perhaps you’re not being as merciful or generous as you
ought to be.

5. Share the gospel and invite them to church.

I love Peter’s example in Acts 3 when he and John come upon the
lame beggar at the Beautiful Gate. After the man asks them for mon-
ey, Peter responds, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I
give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
(Acts 3:6). We may not always have something to give, but we can al-
ways give people Jesus.
And that’s the goal. You want to have a benevolence policy that
seeks to show people the love and mercy of Christ. For he is the one
who meets all of our needs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Philip Duncanson is an executive pastor of East Point Church in East
Point, Georgia.

126
Why a Church
Constitution Is More
Than a Necessary Evil

Greg Gilbert

T
here’s a set of people for whom things like rules, constitutions,
and by-laws are endlessly fascinating, people who salivate at
the prospect of being asked to revise or—even better!—write
from scratch a set of procedural rules for an organization. There is a
set of people like that. And then there are normal people! For most
of us, constitutions and by-laws are far from fascinating; they’re le-
gal documents, necessary administrative evils at best, and at worst, a
kind of desiccated straitjacket that hinders the Spirit and turns what
should be Spirit-led churches into hide-bound bureaucratic behe-
moths.
In my experience, though, the people who are most likely to have
that sort of low opinion of rules, constitutions, and the like are peo-
ple who are about to lead something, not people who have actually
led. They’re people who are going to plant a church or take a pastor-
ate but haven’t yet found themselves having to make real decisions
in real time in a real congregation. But once you’re in a leadership

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position, it becomes clear pretty fast that solid rules aren’t a neces-
sary evil at all; they’re an indispensable weapon for safeguarding the
unity of the church.
At the most basic level, rules—whether a constitution or by-laws
or governing policies—are just a way of clarifying up-front, for ev-
eryone, who can do what . . . when . . . and under what circumstances.
That’s not a minor thing. Get that right, and you’ll head off many po-
tentially church-killing arguments and disagreements. Let’s explore
why that’s the case, and why good rules are so important.

FIRST, A CHURCH CONSTITUTION IS A PROFOUNDLY

THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENT.
Ultimately, a constitution presents a congregation’s way of looking at
the Bible’s commands about how the church should be structured and
organized and then working together to figure out the best and wisest
ways to obey those commands. So, the Bible says we’re supposed to
have a plurality of elders? Great, so how are we supposed to get them?
Well, at Third Avenue, for example, we have standing rules that specify
that electing an elder requires the recommendation of the elders them-
selves and then a 75 percent vote of the congregation. That process isn’t
specified in the Bible. Still, it’s our way of trying to obey what is speci-
fied—the command-by-example to churches to have a plurality of el-
ders who are not hastily appointed and whose authority is recognized
by the congregation.
Here’s another example: The Bible says that elders are to lead the
congregation but that the congregation has final earthly authority
(at least in some matters; there is no time now to get into that). So
how do you navigate that tension? How do these authorities coin-
cide? At Third Avenue, we’ve tried to thread that needle in a cou-
ple of ways. For most actions like bringing members in, seeing them
out, and electing elders and other officers, the elders’ recommenda-
tion and the church’s vote are required. The elders lead, and the con-
gregation executes. There are a couple of actions, however, that the

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congregation can take without the elders’ recommendation or even
over their objection: They can remove elders from office, and they
can amend the constitution (which effectively gives them the right
to take back to themselves any authority they have delegated to any-
one else). All those authority structures took some thought, creativi-
ty, and work, but they’re our way of trying to obey the commands and
examples we see in the Bible.

SECOND, A GOOD CHURCH CONSTITUTION ALLOWS

GOOD-FAITH WINS AND LOSSES.
In my experience, most church fights don’t ultimately happen becau-
se of an argument’s substance. They happen because one party to the
argument feels hard-done-by and cheated by the other party. Maybe
they lost a key vote at a members’ meeting, but the rub comes because
they think the meeting wasn’t adequately announced or the correct
procedure wasn’t followed. Clear rules help to cut off, in advance, that
feeling. When everyone knows who can do what, when, and under
what circumstances, it allows both wins and losses to be accepted in
good faith. Most Christians are okay with losing a vote fair and squa-
re on mundane matters. It’s when they think the vote was illegitimate
that gets them riled up.
Thank God, we haven’t yet been close to any church-wide disagree-
ment at Third Avenue; the Lord has been kind. In fact, most of the
close-run votes happen in our elders’ meetings, so we’ve found it enor-
mously helpful to have a set of by-laws not just for the church as a
whole but for the eldership more particularly. Those by-laws have cut
the fuse of more than one potential fight.
To give you an example, a few years ago, one of our elders called
me before a meeting and asked if I, as chairman, would at some point
ask another elder to step out of the room so that the elders could dis-
cuss something concerning him. Naturally, I called the brother and
asked if he’d be willing to step out, and he said, “No, I think it’s im-
portant for us to have that conversation all together.” Frankly, neither

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of those guys was being unreasonable; I could see the benefit of both.
But we were stuck. Could I, as the chairman, require that a duly-elect-
ed elder leave the room? Could the board as a whole? Or did that el-
der have a right to be there as someone the church had set aside to
be an elder? What if the board wanted to exclude an elder from every
meeting? Could they do that? You can see the problem! We worked
through that specific instance without any real problems, but it was
a close-run thing. So, when we adopted by-laws for our elders, we
specified a process for asking an elder to leave. It says: “Pursuant to
§3.2.9 of the Constitution, the Board may not exclude any Elder from
any Meeting of the Board, or any portion thereof, without his consent
or the concurrence of three-quarters of the Full Number of Elders.”
Since we adopted that provision, that problem hasn’t come up again.
Everyone is fully aware of who can do what, when, and under what
circumstances, and it has cut off one line of attack that the enemy
could use against our board’s unity.

THIRD, A GOOD CHURCH CONSTITUTION CLEARS

LOGJAMS AND ENCOURAGES FORWARD PROGRESS.
Imagine a scenario in which the elder board of a new church plant
presents to the congregation a budget for the first full fiscal year of
the church’s existence. Now imagine that even after all the prayers for
unity and calls for Christian forbearance, the church votes “no” on the
budget. If you don’t have any rules, what do you do when the budget
fails? Do the elders give it another crack? Does the church elect a bu-
dget committee to try again? In the worst-case scenario (but certainly
not a far-fetched one), the church could literally be torn apart by not
knowing what’s supposed to happen next.
A good constitution can prevent that by allowing the church to
specify precisely, in advance, what’s supposed to happen in the wake
of something like a budget failure. I mean, that’s essentially what
rules are, right? They’re the church making some decisions in ad-
vance and saying, “Under these circumstances, here’s what we want

130
to do. We don’t, for example, want to elect an elder unless the oth-
er elders recommend that we should.” Or, “We don’t want to adopt
a budget unless this church officer has signed off on it.” Or, in the
example of the failed budget, “Here’s the process we want to follow
in the event a budget is voted down.” To be sure, that process could
take many forms: maybe the church mandates a committee to be
elected; maybe it tells the elders that they must try again.
At Third Avenue, for what it’s worth, our constitution allows the
elders to basically force the budget through by process of attrition!
That may seem harsh, but the beauty of it is that when the congrega-
tion adopted that constitution provision, they were saying, “Under
these circumstances of a failed budget, we don’t want our no-vote
to logjam the church. We want our elders to listen to us, but finally,
we want them to have authority to force it through so that the church
can continue moving forward.” See the point? Good rules prevent the
church from being locked in a months-long struggle over something
like that or even breaking apart altogether. They clear the logjam, al-
low the church to sail on, and do so in a way that enables good faith
wins and losses.

ABOVE ALL, A GOOD CONSTITUTION PROTECTS THE

UNITY OF THE CHURCH.
I’ve often thought of our rules at Third Avenue as a kind of “explosion
containment unit.” They take disagreements and fights that otherwi-
se might spread uncontrolled through a church, dampen them, and
channel them into productive places. Here are some of the things
our rules have allowed me to say to various members over the years,
things that I think have cut off potentially damaging fights within our
church:

• “Brother, I understand that you want to nominate Jim to be an elder,

but the church has decided in its constitution that it doesn’t want
elder nominations to come from the floor of a members’ meeting.

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 It wants its elders to nominate new elders. Of course, the church
can change that rule by amending the constitution if it wants to,
but for now, it would be out of order for you to nominate Jim from
the floor.”
• “Sister, I know you want to have a church-wide conversation
about how often we take the Lord’s Supper, but the church has
specifically asked the elders to have that conversation among
themselves and make that decision. Of course, the church can
change that decision by amending the constitution, but for now,
it’s decided it doesn’t want to have that conversation as a com-
mittee of the whole.”
• “Brother elders, I realize that we would unanimously prefer if
we could spend this money for a missionary in a closed coun-
try without taking a congregational vote on it. But when the
church adopted its rules, it reserved for itself the right to vote
on certain-sized expenditures that aren’t in the budget. Maybe
it would be wise to carve out some more exceptions to that rule
for the future, but we’ll have to do that by asking the church
to amend its rules. Until then, we can’t make this expenditure
without a church vote.”
• “Sister, I know you feel like two weeks isn’t enough time for you to
consider your vote on this pastoral candidate, but in its constitu-
tion, the church decided for various reasons that all it wanted was
two weeks to consider this question. You can ask them to change
that and lengthen the time in the future, but the way to do that
will be by offering a constitutional amendment.”

I hope you can see what I mean by saying that a constitution is

a deeply theological document and a powerful defensive weapon
against disunity. Satan is endlessly creative in figuring out ways to
fracture churches, and of course, any church’s unity is ultimately pre-
served only by God’s grace and power. But at the very least, don’t un-
derestimate how much good rules can cut off some of the enemy’s

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most obvious lines of attack—dampening, redirecting, and even pre-
venting some of the fights and disagreements that otherwise would
have the potential to destroy the church.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Greg Gilbert is the Senior Pastor of Third Avenue Baptist Church in
Louisville, Kentucky. You can find him on Twitter at @greggilbert.

133
How a Lack of Trellis
Undermines Ministry

Jonathan Rourke

S
an Diego is a military county. Camp Pendleton lies to the north
of my church, Miramar to the south, and the city itself is the
homeport of the Pacific fleet. To say we are influenced by the
presence of military personnel is an understatement. These men and
women appreciate the need for order, structure, and clear communica-
tion. For them it can mean the difference between life and death.
In the church the stakes are different but the needs are similar. In
this article, we’ll look at how a simple priority with shared authority
can be a trellis for the vine and a blessing to the body of Christ.
Unlike a tree or flower, vines need something to grow on. Without
support the branches will cling to and follow the direction of anything
they can find. Churches are similar: clear structure supports ministry
like a trellis, which makes it more likely to be fruitful.
Assuming that’s true, a natural question arises: Does the Bible have
much to say about church structure? In short, yes! At the core is a bib-
lical understanding of elders, deacons, and church members, and their
varied authority and various responsibilities. But is there anything else
to say? How can elders, deacons, and church members work together

134
toward a trellis-supported, vine-growing ministry? To answer these
questions, let’s consider four characteristics of such a ministry.

1. SIMPLICITY
Churches need a structure that everyone can understand. Otherwise,
people won’t know how to get answers and information. This can pro-
duce speculation at best and suspicion at worst. The trellis metaphor
is helpful because it’s simple. The vine will naturally and easily find its
way upward if the trellis is sturdy and straight. People and ministries
work similarly. They attach and grow when competent and qualified
leaders maintain a simple trellis.
Simplicity also helps a church avoid friction. Complexity leads to
confusion, which is a recipe for conflict. The elements of the service,
and the work of the ministry should be simple and clearly defined. It’s
acceptable for churches to be ordinary. The leadership team doesn’t
need to make elaborate, ever-changing plans. Instead, churches must
adhere to what Scripture makes clear, trusting that God will be faithful.
This shapes not only the elements of our gatherings but also the shape
of our various ministries.
At a personal level, the body grows to appreciate its many members.
No one should feel inadequate because of their gifts. Instead, members
should exercise the gift(s) they have been given to build up the body. A
church member who tries to do everything probably won’t do much of
anything well. Every member is gifted and should contribute that gift
to everyone else. It’s that simple.

2. PRIORITY
If the church isn’t clear on its mission, it will get distracted. Churches
can quickly get off track when they don’t know why they exist. So, con-
sider the Lord’s requirements for the church. Once we know what he
has called us to be, we can deploy human and financial resources to
support that mission.

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 Knowing the mission and means of the church will help churches
be less distracted by activities and programs outside their purview. The
world is full of parachurch and non-Christian organizations commit-
ted to good humanitarian work. But is the church supposed to major in
humanitarian work? No, the church’s primary mission is to make disci-
ples, and the Bible is our manual for how to do that.
A trellis should set the outer limits for the vine. Trellises informed
by mission result in clear objectives. Clear objectives help a church
turn down good opportunities to focus on great ones. Everything out-
side the grow zone is pruned, which allows fruitful branches to grow
in the right direction. Do you see how good trellises help focused vines
grow? In time, the whole body gains an intuitive sense of why they ex-
ist and what they should do.

3. AUTHORITY
Church leaders will maximize the value of the trellis when they respon-
sibly give their authority to others. Constant appeals for permission or
funding can become distracting for leaders and burdensome for ser-
vants. Instead, leaders should empower others to carry out acts of ser-
vice for the good of the whole.
Ideally, decision-making is diffused over a larger area. This is bene-
ficial for several reasons. It gives the members a greater sense of own-
ership as they see the fruit of their meaningful contributions. Members
will also be more inclined to use their best judgment for problem-solv-
ing, leading to faster fixes. As a result of this, leaders become freed to
stay focused on the big picture as watchmen and shepherds.

4. OBJECTIVITY
Church administration involves evaluating ideas, and some will be be-
tter than others. As they say, “not all ministry opportunities are created
equal!” Without a system made to weigh the merits of an idea, you run
the risk of getting sold. An objective leader, working within a sturdy
system, will have the tools to call out a bad idea, even if it’s his own.

136
 In other words, biblical trellises bring objectivity, which produc-
es stability.
The alternative to a biblical trellis is either structures or trellises
manufactured by the leaders themselves to fit their own style or pref-
erence; or a lack of structures or trellis, which means the whims and
conflicts and personalities of the moment will tend to rule. After all, if
ego infects the leadership structure, then the leaders’ identity gets in-
termingled with the church itself. When things go wrong, it can lead
to discouragement. When things go well, it can induce pride. In every
case it will hinder the church, the leadership, and the flock.
Building biblically, on the other hand, forces every decision through
the channels that God intends, not the channels that we make for our-
selves and that satisfy our biases.

CONCLUSION
Don’t let the vine determine the shape of the trellis. Build out biblica-
lly, then grow into it. Structure at the beginning will train the vine. The
longest-lasting designs are simple and well-engineered. They started
with an end in mind, and everything grows up into a unified whole.
Effective administration requires simple structure, shared priori-
ties, clear lines of authority, and a clear overarching mission. The result
of effective administration is a healthy and fruitful vine, one that can
withstand seasons of difficulty.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathan Rourke is the senior pastor of Tri-City Bible Church in Vista,
California.

137
How to Have a Well-
Run Elders’ Meeting

Aaron Menikoff

C
OVID-19 changed the way businesses operate. Instead of
fighting traffic, sitting in a cubicle, and discussing politics
around the water cooler, a growing number of employees push
away their Cheerios bowl, pull out their laptop, and work from home.
This change comes with risks like lower morale and increased loneli-
ness. However, few object to fewer meetings; boardrooms are seen as
spaces where productivity goes to die.
Even as leadership teams in the business world meet less and less, I
see the value of church elders regularly being in the same room as they
think and pray about their church. In fact, besides the gatherings of
our whole church, the most important meeting I attend is our bi-week-
ly elders’ meeting. Every other Thursday night, we convene to pray for
church members, discuss urgent shepherding matters, and oversee the
affairs of the congregation.
What can we do to make these meetings excellent? The Bible of-
fers no specific guidance on how to have a well-run elders’ meet-
ing. However, here are ten encouragements—some principled, some

138
pragmatic—that may be helpful as you start or tweak the elders’ meet-
ings at your church.
Do remember: every church is different. An elders’ meeting with
three elders will probably be a lot less formal than one with thirty!
The church I serve is about in the middle. Whatever the size of your
church or elder body, I pray these encouragements help you to or-
ganize meetings brothers love to attend.

1. Start with godly elders.

This is the most important ingredient in a well-run elders’ meeting.
Brothers who love the Lord, put the interests of others first, care for
the flock, and long to be an encouragement—such men are a delight to
bring together and make meetings a joy.

2. Select an organized leader.

Give someone the responsibility to set the agenda, send it out in ad-
vance, convene the meeting, and steward the conversation. By “steward
the conversation,” I mean soliciting input from elders where necessary,
limiting discussion when it begins to drag, and even bringing the delib-
erations to an end by tabling discussion or calling for a vote. An orga-
nized leader is a unique blessing to an elder body.

3. Encourage thoughtful, robust, respectful conversation.

An elder who talks too much is a tax on the others. A brother who
talks too little underestimates the importance of his contribution.
Worst of all is an elder ill-prepared to engage the topic at hand. Good
meetings are not just about accomplishing tasks but sharing wisdom—
hearing from brothers raised up by the Spirit to shepherd the flock.

4. Make space for organized and organic prayer.

The well-being of the church rests in the hands of our sovereign
God. We should implore him to bless the members and ministries of
the church. Plan ahead to pray for select members and items (orga-
nized prayer). Be willing to interrupt an elders’ meeting to plead with

139
God to intervene in a difficult situation (organic prayer). It’s unlikely
you will ever pray too much. However, short petitions are not ungod-
ly, and a wise elder knows how to keep his prayer brief (see Eccl. 5:1-
3; Matt. 6:5).

5. Open the Bible often.

Answers to problems can’t always be proof-texted. But sometimes
they can! And even when they can’t, there are certainly biblical impli-
cations we can consider. Therefore, elders should regularly ask, “Does
the Bible have anything to say about what we’re discussing?” God is the
Lord of his church, not the elders. We look to his Word for guidance.

6. Stay focused on spiritual matters.

Labor to prioritize issues that require the input of the men entrust-
ed with the ministry of the Word. If the question-at-hand can be re-
solved by a deacon, it probably shouldn’t be discussed at the elders’
meeting. Hit a pinata, and you expect Tootsie Rolls and Smarties to
cascade onto the ground. Hit an elders’ meeting, and discussions of
discipleship, soul care, theology, and future leaders should burst forth.

7. Create a healthy dynamic between staff-elders and lay-elders.

Lay elders should respect the staff elders who have devoted them-
selves full-time to shepherding the local church. They surely take a sig-
nificant weight off the shoulders of the elder body by organizing church
ministries. It is wise for lay elders to give plenty of room for staff elders
to make certain decisions without needing to run them by the entire
board. Likewise, staff elders should respect the lay elders, who have
equal authority and voices that need to be heard. Staff elders should
lean into the wisdom of the lay elders when the elder body is gathered.
Generally speaking, staff elders should be slower to speak, recognizing
their voices often carry considerable weight.

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 8. Allow meetings to be brief.
A well-run elders’ meeting need not be extraordinarily long. Ours last
from 7–9:30 p.m., and our chair works hard to end the meeting on time.
This is never easy, and it is only a rule-of-thumb—sometimes pressing
matters require we extend the time. However, if all the elders know when
we plan to finish, they tend to speak only when necessary and be suc-
cinct when they do.

9. Keep substantial conversations to a minimum.

We handle “shepherding matters” and “business” at each elders’
meeting. Shepherding matters and prayer typically take more than an
hour, leaving about an hour for other business—new elder nomina-
tions, mission opportunities, the church budget, etc. To accommodate
this schedule, we try to limit business to two or three topics at most. If
we need an extended period of time for a particular conversation, we’ll
either spread it out among several gatherings, save it for an elders’ re-
treat, or hold off until we can have an elders’ meeting with that topic as
the only agenda item.

10. Utilize elder sub-teams.

Even if our elders’ meetings went to 2 a.m., we still wouldn’t have the
hours we need to get into the weeds as much as we should. Therefore,
our chair regularly puts together small groups of elders to deliberate in
separate meetings throughout the month before bringing a recommen-
dation to the body as a whole. These groups may discuss prospective
missionaries, the upcoming budget, revisions to our statement of faith,
and diaconal ministry. They do not replace the elder body as a whole,
but their labors grease the wheels for our deliberations and help our
meetings run smoothly.

CONCLUSION
There is no silver-bullet to a well-run elders’ meeting. Still, this whole
list has served our church well as we’ve operated with elders for over
a dozen years. And I can’t emphasize enough the importance of godly

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elders and an organized leader. We are a work in progress, but our mee-
tings are a joy because the work is good and the Christ we serve is
glorious.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aaron Menikoff is the senior pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in
Sandy Springs, Georgia.

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How To Use a Care
List in Elders’ and
Members’ Meetings

Alex Bloomfield

L
ocal churches should prioritize vine work (people) over trellis
work (programs). Trellises exist to support the vine. People, not
programs, are the mission. But if we’re honest, it often feels like
trellis issues dominate our time, especially in elders’ and members’
meetings.
How do we work against that?
There are many ways, and one of them is to use something called a
“care list.”

WHAT IS A CARE LIST?

A care list is an administrative tool that serves elders and church mem-
bers in caring for weak, hurting, and straying sheep. It is comprised of
members who are experiencing an acute need or are found in unrepen-
tant sin. There’s a private version of the list seen only by the elders, and
there’s a public version of the list that would be known to the whole
congregation.

143
 When the public version is used as a church discipline tool, it of-
fers a formal way to obey Jesus’s command to “tell it to the church”
(Matthew 18:17), while then providing a space of time to elapse be-
fore the final step of “treat[ing] them as a Gentile and a tax collector”
(Matthew 18:17). At every step, the goal is for the straying sheep to feel
the weight of their sin and its effect on their church. The goal is their
repentance and restoration.

USING A CARE LIST IN ELDERS’ MEETINGS

A care list begins privately among the elders as a way of identifying the
most vulnerable members. It prevents any difficult situations from fa-
lling through the cracks. The chairman might say to the room, “Is there
anyone you think needs special attention?” This provides every elder
the opportunity to raise the matter of a troubled marriage, or of so-
meone who is sowing division, or of an elderly member’s failing health.
To put someone on this internal, private list is his way of saying to
his fellow elders, “We need to keep our eyes on this, brothers, and make
sure we’re checking in.” It’s like a siren or flashing light. It reminds them
to pray for and maintain regular contact with these vulnerable sheep.
Once a situation gets added to this list by elder consensus, it stays
there for future meetings until the circumstances are resolved.

USING A CARE LIST IN MEMBERS’ MEETINGS

Sometimes, when a problem is acute enough, an individual’s name will
move from the private care list to the public one made known to the
members in a members’ meeting. And here the list works similarly. It
points the church toward significant pressure points and helps them
know how best to minister to their fellow members.
Put simply, it’s a mobilization tool. It says to the congregation,
“Look and minister here!”
During the meeting, the care list would be shared with the congre-
gation. I recommend doing this verbally and not in written format,
which is best for confidentiality. An elder should then share a brief

144
rationale or update for each person on the care list, take questions in
most cases, and pause to pray for each person.
If someone has been added to the list as part of a discipline process, the
congregation should be instructed on how to engage with the member in
hopes of restoring them to repentance. For example, the elders may think
it wise for only those members with a prior relationship to reach out, while
others are exhorted only to pray. In other cases, the elders may think it best
for many members to make contact. Either way, the elders should prepare
the congregation for the possibility of excommunicating the person at the
following meeting should they refuse to repent.
Sometimes, a personal crisis is so severe that a member is added to
the care list (cancer diagnosis, house fire, death in the family, etc.). This
alerts the congregation to give special support and prayer to their hurt-
ing brother or sister. As many battle-tested saints can attest, the worst
days of suffering often come after the initial wave of support. When a
loved one passes, or someone gets sick, people rush to the scene and
rise to the occasion. But what about the weeks following the funeral
or the months after the dire diagnosis? A members’ meeting care list
keeps the congregation’s mind and heart on their hurting members.

TWO BENEFITS OF USING A CARE LIST

First, a care list lessens the shock value of an escalating church dis-
cipline case and thereby protects leaders from unwarranted accusa-
tions. Members can take the necessary time to process the news, sha-
re relevant information with elders, and raise questions before exer-
cising the keys of discipline. Church discipline is a sorrowful exerci-
se. While a care list doesn’t remove the pain of ex-communication,
it does provide a trellis for the necessary work. Rather than feeling
forced by elders to act immediately, a care list gives the church time
to become informed and to act with freedom and purpose. We know
Satan loves to use church discipline to sew division and break down
a congregation’s trust in its leaders. A care list chokes this tactic by its
inherent transparency and intentionality.

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 Second, a care list engages the whole church in both corrective
discipline and caring for the weak. In large congregations, the hurt-
ing and the straying can sometimes be hard to see. After all, they’re
one in hundreds or more! But thankfully, a care list points to serious
opportunities to show love and give service.

IS THIS USEFUL FOR A SMALL CHURCH?

If you’re like me and come from or pastor a small church, you may think
care lists are only necessary for big churches. Does a 50-person church
really need a trellis like this? I would suggest that it does. Even small
churches can fail to recognize their greatest needs. Because discipline
can affect a small church’s unity even more than a large church, it may be
even more pressing that the leaders of small churches prepare their peo-
ple well before asking them to make a decision about discipline.
Since discipline is often infrequent in smaller churches, some mem-
bers may be navigating it for the first time. The shock value may be
high, so care lists provide a cushion in the form of time. In most cas-
es, and certainly in small churches, slowing down and being deliberate
is the wisest path.

CONCLUSION
We will not regret any extra time spent caring for God’s sheep. Yes, a
care list may add more time to elders’ and members’ meetings, but the
cost is worth it.
In fact, we should be willing to cut other things to make room for
caring for the most vulnerable. Our people are going to dwell forever
in heaven or hell. This truth has a focusing force to it. A care list may
serve your church to keep the vulnerable safe and rebuke the stray-
ing. It’s a trellis that supports the vine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Bloomfield is an elder of New City Baptist Church in Toronto.

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LGBTQ+ Policies
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT YOUTH GROUP?

Zach Carter

L
ast year a few parents asked me for a meeting. They explained
that a boy in their kids’ school returned from Thanksgiving break
identifying as a girl. The school district’s policy guaranteed toilet
access according to his perceived gender identity. Any female student
who felt uncomfortable sharing a stall next to him was required to go
to the bathroom in the nurse’s office. These kids were in fourth grade.
Every church in the United States has schools in its vicinity that
have, are, or most likely will soon experience what the parents at our
church experienced. Pastors must disciple their people to think bibli-
cally about LGBTQ+ issues. This is especially the case in family min-
istries. Though discipling involves more than policy, we cannot afford
to think it means less. Wise policies allow a congregation to continue
gospel ministry in an increasingly pagan culture. Good policies are ur-
gently needed in children and student ministries. The goal of this arti-
cle is to help us think through what these policies may look like.

SETTING THE STAGE

Policies aren’t created in a vacuum, and wise ones consider the mo-
ment and questions at hand. Let me set the stage—so to speak—by

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giving context for my suggestions on the how’s and why’s of family mi-
nistry policy.
In the United States of America, two federal government de-
partments oversee public, independent, and collegiate education:
the Department of Education and the Department of Justice. The
Department of Education supports local and state school boards’ ef-
forts by providing standards and research and by executing laws on
education. The Department of Justice ensures that students’ consti-
tutional rights are not violated. Furthermore, Congress passed the
Education Amendments of 1972 to tie the federal government’s pre-
rogatives in education to its funding.
Most Americans are familiar with Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972. These are statutes inserted into previous legisla-
tion to expand protections to students based on sex. The objective was
to protect the interests of female students. The law states: “No person
in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from partic-
ipation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial
assistance.”1 There are a few exceptions in application carved out by the
statute itself, but in general, the Supreme Court has broadly applied
Title IX to protect students’ constitutional rights.
Each presidential administration determines how it will execute this
law. On March 13, 2016, President Obama’s Department of Education
and the Department of Justice issued a joint statement indicating that
the two departments would consider the interests of LGBTQ+ students
to be protected under the Title IX statute. They also offered guidelines
on accommodations schools should make to comply, including sports
inclusion and protected bathroom/locker room access.2 The Trump ad-
ministration revoked this guidance. The Biden administration then
1 “20 U.S. Code § 1681 – Sex”. LII / Legal Information Institute. Cornell Law School. Retrieved June 29,
2022. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/1681.
2 U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education, “Dear Colleague Letter on Transgender
Students,” May 13, 2016, https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201605-title-ix-
transgender.pdf

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reversed course and reapplied the Obama administration’s interpreta-
tion of the “U.S. Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County.”3
Bostock guaranteed the civil rights of LGBTQ+ employees under the
Civil Rights Act. One does not have to stretch the imagination to see
why the Biden administration sees a corollary between Bostock’s impli-
cation and Title IX application. On June 23, 2022, the Department of
Education announced future regulations reinforcing Title IX’s covering
of transgender students.4
This is the world in which the next generation is being catechized.
This is the world in which family ministries will need to minister.
When I was a student pastor in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2014—
before the Obama administration issued its Title IX guidelines—one
high school in our area, Atherton High School, took it upon itself to is-
sue LGBTQ+ policies. Atherton parents and administrators moved to
grant access to bathrooms and locker rooms to transgender students
according to their gender identity. These moves quickly gained influ-
ence around the country.
Things moved quickly after that. Students started asking many
questions about transgenderism. By 2015, I started advocating for our
church leadership to act. During this time, we were partnered with
a parachurch organization to gain gospel opportunities on our local
high school’s campus. Following one summer break, a room in the li-
brary had been converted into an LGBTQ+ safe space with signage
and a 3’ x 5’ pride flag. Our ministry teams began seeing an increase in
students experimenting with same-sex relationships. Back at church,
our students were persistently talking about issues related to sexuality.
They wanted to know what the Bible taught.
3 U.S. Department of Education, “U.S. Department of Education Confirms Title IX Protects Students from
Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,” Press Release, June 15, 2021, https://www.
ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-confirms-title-ix-protects-students-discrimination-
based-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity.
4 Moriah Balingit and Nick Anderson, “Sweeping Title IX changes would shield trans students, abuse
survivors,” Washington Post, June 23, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/06/23/title-
ix-biden-trans-sexual-assault-college/.

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 I approached my senior pastor with a proposed statement for our
ministry handbook on human sexuality and gender. We needed poli-
cies for things like locker rooms, bathrooms, camp sleeping arrange-
ments, dress codes, and more. After all, we want unsaved kids to come
to our church events, so we wrote policies that applied to believers and
nonbelievers as a condition for participation. Most importantly, I did
not want Title IX regulations to catechize my volunteers, families, or
children on how the church should handle real-world scenarios. We
thought having a stated and adopted policy would give us more signif-
icant standing should someone accuse us of discrimination.
So, on December 22, 2016, we added the following policy to our stu-
dent ministry handbook. We weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel and
lifted some of the sentences directly out of a policy drafted by Southern
Seminary. As I am no longer on staff at that church, I have anonymized
it for their privacy:

[Our student ministry’s] policy regarding sexuality and gender identity is

grounded in the orthodox understanding of Christian sexuality, which is rooted
in the Bible. We confess that sex and gender are gifts from God. At birth, a hu-
man being is born as either a physiological male or a physiological female; by ex-
tension, gender is an immutable, exclusively binary characteristic rooted in the
physiology of each human being. Any blurring of the boundary between male-
ness and femaleness, such as identifying oneself as a transvestite, transsexual, or
transgendered, is contrary to biblical standards. We also confess any sexual ori-
entation other than strict heterosexuality to be a deviation from God’s good de-
sign for human sexuality.
In the event that a student presents a gender different than his or her biolog-
ical sex, we expect them – when involved in [our] official and unofficial events
– to live and present in accord with their biologically assigned sex. This includes
but is not limited to pronouns, dress, appropriate bathrooms, locker rooms, as-
signed sleeping arrangements, groupings, classes, etc. We must view the actions
or intentions of those seeking fundamental changes of any kind from one’s sex at
birth as a rejection of the biblical and theological understandings to which [our

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 congregation] is committed and hence as grounds for removal from activities and
the Student Ministry. The same is true for persistent or exaggerated examples of
cross-dressing and other expressions or actions that are deliberately discordant
with birth sex. Decisions will be handled on a case-by-case basis in a pastoral-
ly sensitive manner. Every case should be brought to the attention of the Student
Pastor immediately before any correction takes place.
No student, however, will be turned away from any event because he or
she struggles with his or her gender identity or sexual orientation. We wel-
come everyone [to our gatherings] as long as he or she is working toward a re-
pentant, life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ that is obedient to the
ethical demands of the Old and New Testaments.
Volunteers are expected to be compassionate, understanding that the cul-
ture has confused (and lied!) to so many image-bearers about the nature of
gender and sexuality. They are to compassionately explain our policies and lov-
ingly invite them to participate even if the student feels uncomfortable present-
ing something other than their own perceived gender. Only after manifold, com-
passionate exhortations to repent and experience the life-transforming grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ will students be asked to no longer participate in [our] stu-
dent activities.
See, “XVIII. The Family,” Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
See “Transgender Identity” (http://www.sbc.net/resolutions/2250/
on-transgender-identity).5

We needed to clearly address our city’s cultural moment and teach

our volunteers to have compassion for confused children. This policy
helped us strike a balance between these two things.

POLICIES SERVE PASTORS

Every day, over 2,000 airplanes fly across the Atlantic Ocean with little
help from ground radar or air traffic control. Why are there no colli-
sions? Because of a policy—a treaty called North Atlantic Tracks (NAT-
OTS). Spaced ten minutes apart, planes enter and follow the tracks at
5 This link is no longer active, but this reference was included in the original policy.

151
assigned waypoints created the day before. The NAT-OS dramatically
reduces the risk of collision due to spotty radar coverage. More impor-
tantly, it also reduces the decision fatigue of airline pilots.
Policies function similarly in the life of a congregation; they wisely
delegate decision-making. Generally, most pastors don’t enter ministry
eager to write policies. Furthermore, few congregations consider ad-
ministrative prowess as an important pastoral characteristic. And yet,
God gifted administrators to his church.
Paul listed “administrating” as one of the gifts for the church
(1 Cor. 12:28). Contrary to common perception, its scope is more sig-
nificant than spreadsheets and expense reports. The word overlaps
with concepts like navigation, and LXX translators used the same word
to translate Proverbs 1:5; 11:14; and 24:6. Each of these verses cele-
brates the virtue of someone who can guide a group through difficult
circumstances.
Clear policies reduce the potential for collision and decision fatigue.
This isn’t to say that policies pastor people on their own. However, pol-
icies create decision lanes, reducing collisions. A policy might indeed
discriminate, but a good policy discriminates without respect for per-
sons. For example, a policy may say, “you have a bad driving record,
so you can’t drive our church bus.” Additionally, a policy reduces de-
cision fatigue by automating a course of action. Like waypoints across
the Atlantic, policies provide guidance where details might be lacking.
Increasingly, pastors will be asked to make complex moral deci-
sions related to LGBTQ+ issues. Policies delegate the decision-making
process, creating more time for pastors to exhort, instruct, and disciple
individuals on gender identity and sexual orientation.

POLICIES MAKE NARROW ROADS STRAIGHT

Policies are not precisely like autopilots. They are more like teachers.
Pastoring people who have been discipled by the constant voice of corpo-
rate or educational policies is challenging. Yesterday, I went to lunch with
a major in the armed forces. He shared that he had recently been required

152
to take a training session on new policies for transgender soldiers’ physical
training. Apparently, they would be evaluated according to whether they
were “pre-op” or “post-op.” Let the one who has ears hear.
A good policy does two things. First, it identifies a biblical princi-
ple with requisite support. Second, it bends that principle into an ap-
plication. In other words, a policy connects how the Bible should be
obeyed in a specific real-world scenario.
Increasingly, church members will be shaped by policies from their
vocational domains. This means they will have a different autopilot;
different waypoints will influence their instincts. Good policies in the
church allow pastors to multiply their teaching impact by neutralizing
disordered policies in the world.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

I introduced my 2016 ministry handbook with these words:
“The gospel has always been the hub through which ordinary peo-
ple turn the world upside down. We have the most precious opportu-
nity to call our people to a radical, counter-cultural revolution that em-
phasizes others over “friends,” speaking the truth in love over “likes,”
and following Christ over their own “followers.”
I’m convinced there hasn’t been a more exciting, urgent, reward-
ing, challenging, and frustrating time to be in ministry. I’m glad you
are joining us.”
Policies aren’t as glamorous as preaching. But as far as they protect
and teach our people, they are important.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zach Carter is a discipleship pastor of Rivertree Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

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Sabbaticals for the
Shepherds

Garrett Kell

“Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength. . . . It is wisdom
to take occasional furlough.”
– Charles Spurgeon, “The Minister’s Fainting Fits”

A
ll work is hard, but faithful pastoral ministry takes a unique
toll on the laborer. Pastors have the exhausting honor of carry-
ing the daily pressure of anxiety for the church (2 Cor. 11:28).
Office hours are not sufficient for the unceasing strain of broken mar-
riages, straying sinners, suffering saints, and spiritual warfare.
This is why it’s wise for churches to require rest for their pastors.
I’m not talking about a day off (which pastors should guard) or a vaca-
tion (which pastors should take) but a required season of rest known
as a sabbatical.

PURPOSE
Churches are served best by invigorated shepherds. When a pastor is
rested and refreshed in Christ, his oversight will be infused with wis-
dom, forbearance, and compassion. But exhausted and burned-out

154
shepherds have little to give. Their patience runs short, and cynicism
runs high. This manner of ministry isn’t good for anyone (Heb. 13:7).
Wisely scheduled sabbaticals can prevent burnout by providing an
opportunity to step away from regular routines. These sabbaticals are
not glorified vacations. They may include vacation-like elements, but
their aim is uniquely rest and rejuvenation for the soul. Sabbaticals al-
low pastors to cease normal duties, lay down taxing burdens, and re-
shape existing rhythms to press deeper into God’s grace. In this way,
sabbaticals serve both sheep and shepherd.

POLICY
A sabbatical policy sets expectations for everyone. As a minister who
loves my calling, I am helped by parameters that require me to rest. I’ve
joked that my elders “sabbatical me” from time-to-time because they
know when I need to retreat and be refreshed in the Lord.
Some churches pattern pastoral sabbaticals after the seventh-day
rest of the Old Testament. This means every seven years, a pastor takes
sabbatical leave. This may serve some pastors well, but I have found
more frequent sabbatical plans to be wiser.
The policy should aim to avoid burnout instead of responding to it.
For instance, our staff pastors accrue three weeks of sabbatical leave for
every year of employment completed. This allows us to take nine weeks
off every three years or 12 weeks off every four years.
Implementing a policy like this requires teaching the congregation.
Some churches will immediately understand the wisdom of a sabbati-
cal, but others may be suspicious. Teaching through the pastoral epis-
tles and related passages helps the flock understand the colossal re-
sponsibility pastors carry (Heb. 13:17, 1 Pet. 5:1–11).
It may also be helpful for the pastor and his wife (if he’s married)
to share with the congregation how they experience ministry. Without
grumbling, they can explain that pastors are often required to be “on
the clock” far past office hours, bear the weight of others’ sin and suf-
fering, and face criticism from those same sheep. As Jared C. Wilson

155
said, “Good pastors can’t take the pastor hat off at the end of the day or
leave their hearts for their flocks in the office when they clock out. It’s
not something you can just turn off.”

PLAN
To best steward a sabbatical, pastors should develop a plan. He should
work with his family and elders to come up with goals and a travel
schedule. Goals may include a devotional plan, family time, physical
rest, exercise, diet, counseling, studying, and writing. The plan should
not be overly ambitious so the pastor actually rests.
The congregation should also consider how to bless their pastors
during the time away. This may involve writing letters of encourage-
ment, setting up a prayer calendar to intercede for him, providing a sti-
pend to alleviate expenses, or offering air miles or vacation homes to
facilitate travel.
Before leaving, the pastor should ensure all his counseling cases and
teaching responsibilities are entrusted to others. This is the time to lean
on fellow pastors, aspiring pastors, or pastors in your broader network
for help. And he should consider making plans for reentry, such as
meeting with staff and elders for updates on anything he needs to be
caught up on.

PRINCIPLES
Developing a sabbatical requires wisdom. As you make your plans,
consider the counsel other pastors have shared with me.

1. Don’t rely on sabbaticals to stay zealous. Shepherds are first sheep.

If we forget this, spiritual exhaustion is unavoidable. Always
aim to minister from the overflow of your fellowship with Jesus
(John 15:1–11).
2. Rest but don’t rust. You can unplug from regular rhythms of min-
istry in a way that doesn’t end up edifying. Properly enjoying
movies, games, sports, and entertainment is possible, but so is

156
 abusing them. Remember: you will end up loving what you re-
treat to for rest. Keep entertainment in its proper place, and al-
ways aim to enjoy Jesus, who promises lasting rest for your wea-
ry soul (Matt. 11:28).
3. If possibly achievable, leave town for at least part of the sabbatical.
You may not get to the south of France like Spurgeon, but some-
where ministry won’t be constantly pulling at you is helpful. At the
same time, don’t travel too much, as that itself can be taxing.
4. Perhaps visit other gospel-preaching churches instead of your
own. For some pastors, unplugging can be difficult at your own
church. Attending other like-minded local churches can refresh,
encourage, and inspire creative ideas for your own church.
5. Sabbaticals are as much for the pastor’s wife as for the pastor. She
needs a break, too. Member, find creative ways to bless the pas-
tor’s whole family. Pastor, consider personal and marriage coun-
seling. Even if things are going well, having a professional help
you process personal and pastoral pressures can be life-giving.
6. Withdraw from everything to focus on some things. Guard ex-
tended time in prayer and the Scriptures. Your great aim is to
draw nearer to Jesus.
Make modest goals to write, study, or plan to that end. But be
careful not to begin projects that will stress you later. Returning
from sabbatical with half-finished projects sets you up for future
trouble.
7. Read life-giving material. Aside from Scripture, develop a list of
other books and articles you hope to consume. Don’t measure
success by how much you read, but by how deeply you commune
with the Lord through what you read.
8. Don’t “talk shop” with fellow elders during your time off. I was
notorious for trying to ask leading questions to my elders to get
any information about what was happening, but they were joyful-
ly tight-lipped to shield me from any news. It was a kindness I re-
main thankful for.

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CONCLUSION
Sabbaticals are no substitute for regular patterns of rest and refresh-
ment in Christ, but they can serve a pastor’s soul toward a long, faithful
ministry.
If you haven’t thought much about the need for a pastor to rest, you
may want to read Charles Spurgeon’s article “The Minister’s Fainting
Fits” and Christopher Ash’s book Zeal without Burnout.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Garrett Kell is the lead pastor of Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria,
Virginia. You can find him on Twitter at @pastorjgkell.

158
Sample
Constitution and
Elder Meeting
Bylaws

3ABC CONSTITUTION
Since it pleased Almighty God, by His Holy Spirit, to call certain of His
servants to unite here in 1894 under the name [NAME OF CHURCH]
of [CITY, STATE] for the worship of God and the spread of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, and since He has sustained and prospered this work to
the present day; and
Whereas we, having searched the Scriptures under the guidance of
His Spirit, have recognized the need to reconstitute ourselves to con-
form more closely to His will for the Church in this age and to prepare
ourselves for greater efforts in His name;
Now therefore, we do hereby organize ourselves in accord with the
[any relevant State requirements] and adopt this Constitution as our
articles of governance, to be interpreted at all times to reflect the char-
acter of and bring glory to Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Holy Bible
and articulated in the Statement of Faith and Covenant of this church.

159
ARTICLE 1. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.
Clause 1. Members of this church shall be believers in Jesus Christ
Who give evidence of regeneration;
Clause 2. Who have been baptized as believers in obedience to
Christ;
Clause 3. Who hold without mental reservation the doctrines of
our church as expressed in the Statement of Faith; and
Clause 4. Who promise to keep the commitments expressed in the
Church Covenant.

Section 2.
Clause 1. An Applicant shall be received as a Member of the church
upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement
of at least three-quarters of the Members present and voting on the
question at any Members’ Meeting.
Clause 2. No Member of this church shall retain membership in any
other church.

Section 3.
Clause 1. Members shall be expected to participate actively in the
life of the church By regularly attending its Lord’s Day meetings;
Clause 2. By faithfully observing its ordinances, namely Baptism
and the Lord’s Supper;
Clause 3. By submitting to its discipline and instruction; and
Clause 4. By attending, as frequently as possible, its Members’
Meetings.
Clause 5. No Person who is not a Member or Church Associate shall
lead any ministry or hold any office of the church.
As amended by the congregation, 4/15/2020 (Multiple). Amended
4/22/2015 (§3.2.6, §3.5.5). Amended 9/18/2013 (§1.3.6, §3.2.1).
Amended 5/16/2012 (§3.2.6, §3.2.15, §3.4, §4.1.2, §4.2). Amended

160
4/20/2011 (§3.2.2, §3.3.2, §3.4.2). Amended 10/17/07 (§1.4.3).
Amended 12/20/06 (§4.2.5). Amended 7/19/06 (§3.2.8). Implemented
3/15/06. Adopted 2/15/06.

Section 4.
Clause 1. The church shall recognize the termination of a Person’s
Membership following his or her death, and may do so following his or
her voluntary resignation or joining with another church.
Clause 2. The church shall have authority to exercise discipline over
its Members, which may involve excluding from its Membership any
Member consistently neglectful of the duties enumerated in Article 1,
Sections 1 and 3, or guilty of scandalous conduct by which the repu-
tation of Christ or His church is dishonored. Any such action shall
be done in accordance with the instructions of the Lord Jesus in
Matthew 18:15-17 and those of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:1-
5 and 2 Corinthians 2:6-8.
Clause 3. The church shall have authority to refuse a Member’s vol-
untary resignation or transfer of membership to another church, either
for the purpose of proceeding with a process of church discipline, or
for any other reason the church deems necessary or prudent.
Clause 4. A Member shall be removed from Membership as a mat-
ter of church discipline upon the recommendation of the Elders and
the subsequent agreement of at least three-quarters of the Members
present and voting on the question at any Members’ Meeting.

Section 5.
Clause 1. Students and others temporarily residing in the Louisville
area may be received as Associates of the church, provided they are
members in good standing of another evangelical Baptist church.
Clause 2. An Applicant shall be received as an Associate upon the
recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of at
least three-quarters of the Members present and voting on the ques-
tion at any Members’ Meeting.

161
 Clause 3. Associates shall retain membership in one other evangel-
ical and baptistic church.
Clause 4. Associates shall be expected to participate actively in the
life of the church in the same way as Members, except that they shall
not be eligible either to stand for any office or to vote.
Clause 5. A Person’s Association with the church shall terminate
immediately upon the ending of residence in the Louisville area or by
voluntary resignation. The church shall have authority to terminate
the Association of any Church Associate consistently neglectful of his
or her duties, or guilty of scandalous conduct by which the reputation
of Christ or His church is dishonored. In such an event, the Elders
shall refer disciplinary action to the pastor or elders of the excluded
person’s home church.

ARTICLE 2. MEETINGS

Section 1.
The church shall meet together for public worship each Lord’s Day
morning, and at other times throughout the week as the church may
determine.

Section 2.
Clause 1. The church shall hold a regular Members’ Meeting at
least every other month, which shall not be held in place of the regular
Lord’s Day morning meeting, but at some other time.
Clause 2. The Elders, whenever they deem it necessary, or within
thirty days of receiving a written request signed by ten percent of the
voting Membership, shall call a special Members’ Meeting.
Clause 3. No Members’ Meeting shall be held until the date, time,
and place of such meeting shall be announced at every public meeting
of the church for one week immediately prior to the Members’ Meeting
in question, except as described in section 4.2.3 of this Constitution.

162
 Clause 4. The Chairman of the Elders or his Representative shall
preside as Moderator at all Members’ Meetings, but shall have no vote,
unless the Members be equally divided on a question.
Clause 5. Members’ Meetings shall proceed according to a reason-
able order, and the Members present shall constitute a quorum to do
business. Motions shall be adopted upon the agreement of a majority
of the Members present and voting on the question, except on matters
otherwise provided for in this constitution.
Clause 6. Members must be physically present in order to Vote. For
the purposes of this Constitution, “present” shall be defined as physi-
cally present.
Clause 7. In the event that legal orders by local, state, or federal
officials would prevent the Church from holding at least bi-month-
ly Members’ Meetings as required by this Constitution, and the
Elders agree to abide by those orders, the Moderator shall declare
duly-called meetings to be “virtual.” In that case, all requirements in
this Constitution for physical presence at Members’ Meetings shall be
waived, and the Church shall gather and conduct business by any tech-
nological means available to the majority of the Church. No other rule
shall be affected by a virtual meeting.

Section 3.
Clause 1. The church, duly assembled in a Members’ Meeting, shall
be responsible To elect officers;
Clause 2. To receive Applicants into church Membership;
Clause 3. To recognize termination of Membership due to death,
transfer of Membership, or voluntary resignation;
Clause 4. To exercise church discipline;
Clause 5. To approve, once in every year, a church budget;
Clause 6. To hear reports from the Elders and, from time to time,
the various Deacons/Deaconesses; and
Clause 7. To take any other action they deem necessary or desirable.

163
ARTICLE 3. GOVERNMENT

Section 1.
The biblical offices in the church shall be Elders and Deacons, but
final earthly authority is vested in the assembled congregation.

Section 2.
Clause 1. Oversight of the ministry, resources, and facilities of the
church shall be vested in a Council of Elders, which shall be comprised
of not fewer than three men who satisfy the qualifications set forth in
1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.
Clause 2. Elders shall be selected as follows: The Council of Elders
shall at any regular Members’ Meeting present to the church a list of
nominees to the office of Elder. For a period of at least one month, the
church shall consider whether such nominees are qualified for the of-
fice. If any Member believes one or more of the nominees to be unqual-
ified, that Member shall express such concern to the Elders, who may
on the basis of that advice remove names from the list of nominees. No
name shall be added to the list of nominees which was not included
on the initial list. When a period of one month has elapsed, the Elders
shall at the next regular Members’ Meeting present a final list of nomi-
nees to the church, who shall vote Yea or Nay on each of the nominees
in turn. The Moderator or his delegates shall count the votes, and any
nominee having the approval of at least three-quarters of the Members
present and voting on his nomination shall be an Elder, which men the
church shall in due haste publicly recognize and set apart as such.
Clause 3. At least once in every year, the Elders shall at any regular
Members’ Meeting solicit from the congregation recommendations for
the office of Elder, which recommendations shall be given to the Elders
in private, and not publicly. The Elders shall give due consideration to
any recommendation received.
Clause 4. In accordance with 1 Timothy 2:12 and 3:2, women shall
not serve as Elders.

164
 Clause 5. A majority of the Elders shall be laymen, that is, church
members not in the regular pay of the church.
Clause 6. With the exceptions of the Senior Pastor and Associate
Pastors, as defined in sections 3.3 and 3.4 of this Constitution, Elders
shall be reaffirmed by the church triennially, in accordance with the pro-
cess described in section 3.2.2 of this Constitution, and having served
two consecutive three-year terms, shall not be eligible for re-election
for one year. Neither the Senior Pastor nor Associate Pastors shall be
subject to a reaffirmation vote, nor to any term limit.
Clause 7. No Elder shall hold the office of Deacon during his tenure.
Clause 8. The Council of Elders shall choose their Chairman and
other Officers and shall adopt their own By-Laws. In compliance with
the nonprofit corporation laws of Kentucky, the Council of Elders shall
serve as the Board of Directors of the Corporation, and the Chairman
of the Elders shall serve as the president of the corporation.
Clause 9. Every Elder shall be expected to abide by the By-Laws
of the Elder Board of [NAME OF CHURCH], and every Elder shall
have a right to attend the entirety of every meeting of the Board, ex-
cept as described in the By-Laws of the Elder Board of [NAME OF
CHURCH].
Clause 10. The Elders shall, in keeping with the principles set forth
in the Scriptures, especially Acts 6:1-6; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:17; Titus 1:5-
9; James 5:14; and 1 Peter 5:1-4, undertake the responsibility of shep-
herding God’s flock by devoting themselves to prayer and the ministry
of the Word. They shall have particular authority To plan and oversee
worship services;
Clause 11. To oversee the ordinances, namely Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper;
Clause 12. To examine and instruct prospective members;
Clause 13. To oversee the process of church discipline;
Clause 14. To examine and recommend candidates for all offices
and positions;

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 Clause 15. To oversee the work of the Deacons/Deaconesses and all
other agents of the church;
Clause 16. To hire, oversee, evaluate the performance of, and when
necessary terminate paid church staff; and
Clause 17. To take any other action which shall be necessary and
proper for faithfully overseeing and shepherding the church.
Clause 18. An Elder shall be removed from office upon the vote of
two-thirds of the Members present and voting on the question at any
Members’ Meeting. Any such action shall be done in accordance with
the instructions of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 and those of the
Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:17-21.
Clause 19. In the event that the Church has no Elders, the Church
shall at the next Regular Members’ Meeting elect an Interim Moderator,
who shall at each subsequent Regular Members’ Meeting nominate
one or more men to serve as Elders, pursuant to section 3.2.2 of this
Constitution, until an Elder is elected. The office of Interim Moderator
shall dissolve immediately upon the election of an Elder.

Section 3.
Clause 1. Primary responsibility for preaching and teaching the
Scriptures in public meetings of the church may be vested in a Senior
Pastor. Only one Senior Pastor may be recognized at a time.
Clause 2. The Senior Pastor shall be selected as follows: The Elders
shall at any regular Members’ Meeting present to the church the
name of one nominee to the position of Senior Pastor. For a period
of at least two weeks, the church shall consider the nominee’s gifts in
preaching and teaching, and his commitment to minister personal-
ly to the members of this church. If any Member believes the nomi-
nee to be unqualified, that Member shall express such concern to the
Elders. When a period of two weeks has elapsed, the Elders shall at
the next Members’ Meeting present the nominee for Senior Pastor to
the church, who shall vote Yea or Nay on his selection as such. The
Moderator or his delegates shall count the votes, and if the nominee

166
receives the approval of at least three-quarters of the Members pres-
ent and voting on the question, he shall be a Member of the church,
an Elder, and the Senior Pastor, whom the church shall in due haste
publicly recognize as such.
Clause 3. The Senior Pastor shall meet all the qualifications and
hold all the rights and responsibilities of a Member of the church. He
shall satisfy all the qualifications and hold all the duties and responsi-
bilities of an Elder. In terms of formal authority, there shall be no dis-
tinction between an Elder and the Senior Pastor.
Clause 4. The Senior Pastor shall not be subject to a reaffirmation
vote, nor to any term limit.
Clause 5. The Senior Pastor shall be removed from office and his
employment terminated upon the vote of two-thirds of the Members
present and voting on the question at any Members’ Meeting. Any
such action shall be done in accordance with the instructions of the
Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 and those of the Apostle Paul in
1 Timothy 5:17-21.

Section 4.
Clause 1. Other particular pastoral responsibilities expected to
be of a long-term nature may be vested in one or more Associate
Pastors. Other particular pastoral responsibilities expected to be of
a short-term nature may be vested in one or more Assistant Pastors.
Clause 2. An Associate Pastor or an Assistant Pastor shall be se-
lected as follows: The Elders shall at any regular Members’ Meeting
present to the church the name of one nominee to the position of
Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor. For a period of at least two
weeks, the church shall consider the nominee’s gifts in the par-
ticular area of service to which he is being called, and his com-
mitment to minister personally to the members of this church. If
any Member believes the nominee to be unqualified, that Member
shall express such concern to the Elders. When a period of two
weeks has elapsed, the Elders shall at the next Members’ Meeting

167
present the nominee for Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor to
the church, who shall vote Yea or Nay on his selection as such. The
Moderator or his delegates shall count the votes, and if the nomi-
nee receives the approval of at least three-quarters of the Members
present and voting on the question, he shall be a Member of the
church, an Elder, and an Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor,
whom the church shall in due haste publicly recognize as such.
Clause 3. An Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor shall meet all
the qualifications and hold all the rights and responsibilities of a
Member of the church. He shall satisfy all the qualifications and
hold all the duties and responsibilities of an Elder. In terms of for-
mal authority, there shall be no distinction between an Elder and an
Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor.
Clause 4. An Associate Pastor shall not be subject to a reaffirmation
vote, nor to any term limit. An Assistant Pastor shall be subject to the
provisions of section 3.2.6 of this Constitution.
Clause 5. An Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor shall be removed
from office and his employment terminated upon the vote of two-thirds
of the Members present and voting on the question at any Members’
Meeting. Any such action shall be done in accordance with the instruc-
tions of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 and those of the Apostle
Paul in 1 Timothy 5:17-21.

Section 5.
Clause 1. Particular service to the church shall be provid-
ed by Deacons/Deaconesses, the number of which shall vary as the
church has need, and who shall satisfy the qualifications set forth in
1 Timothy 3:8-13.
Clause 2. The Deacons/Deaconesses shall not meet together regu-
larly as a body. Each diaconate position shall serve a particular need of
the church, and shall be created or dissolved upon the recommenda-
tion of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of a majority of the
Members present and voting on the question at any Members’ Meeting.

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 Clause 3. Deacons/Deaconesses shall be selected as follows: The
Council of Elders shall at any regular Members’ Meeting present to
the church a list of nominees to the office of deacon/deaconess. For a
period of at least one month, the church shall consider whether such
nominees are qualified for the office. If any Member believes one or
more of the nominees to be unqualified, that Member shall express
such concern to the Elders, who may on the basis of that advice re-
move names from the list of nominees. No name shall be added to
the list of nominees which was not included on the initial list. When
a period of one month has elapsed, the Elders shall at the next regu-
lar Members’ Meeting present a final list of nominees to the church,
who shall vote Yea or Nay on each of the nominees in turn. The
Moderator or his delegates shall count the votes, and any nominee
having the approval of two-thirds of the Members present and vot-
ing on his nomination shall be a Deacon/Deaconess, which men or
women the church shall in due haste publicly recognize and set apart
as such.
Clause 4. At least once in every year, the Elders shall at any reg-
ular Members’ Meeting solicit from the congregation recommenda-
tions for new diaconate positions and for qualified persons to fill new
or vacant positions, which recommendations shall be given to the
Elders in private, and not publicly. The Elders shall give due consid-
eration to any recommendation received.
Clause 5. No Deacon shall hold the office of Elder during his or her
term, nor more than one Diaconate.
Clause 6. Deacons/Deaconesses shall be reaffirmed by the church
triennially, in accordance with the process described in section 3.5.3 of
this Constitution.
Clause 7. In keeping with the principles set forth in Acts 6:1-6,
Deacons/Deaconesses shall not exercise a ministry of spiritual authori-
ty, but shall support the Elders’ ministry of the Word, work to maintain
the unity of the church, and care for the physical needs of the church.

169
 Clause 8. The church may recognize Deacons/Deaconesses to take
responsibility For seeing that the sick, the sorrowing, the aged, and the
infirm receive spiritual and physical comfort;
Clause 9. For leading the hospitality ministries of the church;
Clause 10. For attending to the normal care and maintenance of
church properties;
Clause 11. For receiving, holding, and disbursing a fund for benev-
olence, and for reporting from time to time on the use of such funds to
both the Elders and the church;
Clause 12. For attending to the accommodations for public
worship;
Clause 13. For assisting in distributing the elements during the
Lord’s Supper; and
Clause 14. For serving in other specific capacities as the church has
need.
Clause 15. No person or group shall solicit money on behalf of the
church or any of its ministries without the approval of the Elders and
the Deacon/Deaconess of Finance.
Clause 16. A Deacon/Deaconess may be removed from office by a
decision of the Elders, or upon the recommendation of the Elders and
the subsequent agreement of a majority of the Members present and
voting on the question at any Members’ Meeting, except as otherwise
specified by this Constitution.
Clause 17. In the event a diaconate position becomes vacant, the
Elders may appoint a person to fill that position and assume its respon-
sibilities, until such time as some person can be duly recognized by the
church as a Deacon/Deaconess, but not longer than two consecutive
Members’ Meetings.

170
ARTICLE 4. ADMINISTRATION

Section 1.
The church shall select a Deacon/Deaconess of Records, who shall
record the minutes of all regular and special Members’ Meetings of
the church, keep an accurate roll of the membership, and give re-
ports as requested by the Elders, particular Deacons/Deaconesses,
or the church. In compliance with the nonprofit corporation laws of
Kentucky, the Deacon/Deaconess of Records shall serve as the secre-
tary of the corporation.

Section 2
Clause 1. The church shall select a Deacon/Deaconess of Finance,
who shall, with the advice and approval of the Elders, move to the
church at the penultimate regular Members’ Meeting of every fiscal
year a budget, which shall be considered and voted upon by the church
at the final regular Members’ Meeting of every fiscal year.
Clause 2. The budget shall be adopted upon the motion of the
Deacon/Deaconess of Finance and the subsequent agreement of a ma-
jority of the Members present and voting on the question.
Clause 3. In the event of a failure by the Church to approve a new
Budget by the beginning of the new Fiscal Year, church Staff shall
continue to be compensated as specified by the most recent adopt-
ed Budget, with its amendments, but no other spending shall be au-
thorized until such time as a new Budget is adopted at any Members’
Meeting. In such an event, the Elders may call Special Members’
Meetings, their sole order of business being the consideration of a
Budget, with one day’s notice by Correspondence to the Members of
the Church.
Clause 4. Once adopted, the total amount budgeted shall not be
overspent. The Elders shall have responsibility to oversee and faithfully
disburse the budget. Amendments to the budget shall be adopted upon
the motion of the Deacon/Deaconess of Finance and the subsequent

171
agreement of a majority of the Members present and voting on the
question at any Members’ Meeting.
Clause 5. Oversight of and authority over all other resources of
the church shall be vested in the assembled congregation. Upon the
recommendation of the elders and the subsequent agreement of a
majority of the Members present and voting on the question at any
Members’ Meeting, the congregation may fund certain designated
accounts, distinct from the operating budget, which shall be under
the oversight and authority of the Elders.

Section 3.
Clause 1. The church shall select a Deacon/Deaconess of the
Treasury, who shall ensure that all funds and securities of the
church are properly secured in such banks, financial institutions, or
depositories as designated by the church. The Deacon/Deaconess of
the Treasury shall also ensure that full and accurate accounts of re-
ceipts and disbursements are kept in books belonging to the church,
and that adequate controls are implemented to guarantee that all
funds belonging to the church are appropriately handled by any of-
ficer, employee, or agent of the church. The Deacon/Deaconess of
the Treasury shall render to the Elders at least once in every year,
or whenever they may require it, an account of all financial trans-
actions and of the financial condition of the church. The Deacon/
Deaconess of the Treasury shall also be responsible for presenting
regular reports of the account balances, revenues, and expenses of
the church at regular Members’ Meetings.
Clause 2. No Person shall serve more than one consecutive three-
year term as Deacon/Deaconess of the Treasury.
Clause 3. No paid staff member of the church shall be eligible for
the office of Deacon/Deaconess of the Treasury.
Clause 4. The Deacon/Deaconess of the Treasury shall be removed
from office only upon the recommendation of the Elders and the

172
subsequent agreement of a majority of the Members present and vot-
ing on the question at any Members’ Meeting.

ARTICLE 5. RATIFICATION
This Constitution shall be ratified upon the approval of two-thirds
of the Members present and voting on the question at any regular
business meeting of the church, and shall take effect upon the re-
cognition of at least three Elders.

ARTICLE 6. AMENDMENTS

Section 1.
The Statement of Faith or Church Covenant shall be amend-
ed upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent
agreement of three-quarters of the Members voting on the ques-
tion at any regular Members’ Meeting, provided the Amendment
shall have been offered in writing at any previous regular Members’
Meeting, and shall have been announced at every public meeting of
the church for two weeks immediately prior to final consideration.
Any Member serving under the commission of this church on an
international mission field shall also be eligible to vote by corre-
spondence on this question.

Section 2.
This Constitution shall be amended by a vote of three-quarters
of the Members voting on the question at any regular Members’
Meeting, provided the Amendment shall have been offered in writ-
ing at any previous regular Members’ Meeting, and shall have been
announced at every public meeting of the church for two weeks
immediately prior to final consideration. Any Member serving un-
der the commission of this church on an international mission field
shall also be eligible to vote by correspondence on this question.

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 4.1 ELDER BOARD BY-LAWS

ARTICLE 1. GENERAL

Section 1.
These By-Laws shall be subordinate to the Constitution of [NAME
OF CHURCH].

Section 2.
The Elder Board of [NAME OF CHURCH] shall proceed according
to a reasonable order. Any question not otherwise governed by these
By-Laws shall be determined by a majority vote of the Elders present
and voting on the question at any meeting. Except as otherwise speci-
fied by any Article of these By-Laws, abstentions shall be considered as
absences and therefore deducted from the total number of votes, and
Votes shall be considered Final unless a majority of the Body which
originally voted on the Question agrees to Reconsider; such a Motion
to Reconsider must be made by an Elder who voted with the original
Majority or who did not vote on the question.

Section 3.
A Quorum of the Elder Board shall be defined as a Majority of the
Full Number of Elders, gathered physically in accordance with Article
3 of these By-Laws, except as otherwise specified by any Article of
these By-Laws.

Section 4.
Except as otherwise specified by any Article of these By-Laws,
Elders must be physically present in order to Vote. For the purposes of
these By-Laws, “present” shall be defined as physically present.

Section 5.
The Full Number of Elders shall be defined as all currently serv-
ing Elders, not merely those present. Unanimous Consent shall be

174
defined as the unanimous agreement of the Full Number of Elders,
except where otherwise specified in these By-Laws. Votes of the Full
Number may be taken, and Unanimous Consent may be obtained, by
Correspondence.

Section 6.
Except as otherwise specified by these By-Laws, in lieu of a meeting
and on questions of a time-sensitive nature and expected to be non-con-
troversial, the Elders may conduct business by Correspondence. A Vote
by Correspondence shall be initiated upon the motion and second of
any item of business by any Elder. A Vote by Correspondence shall be
considered Final one day after initiation, at which point the question
shall be decided by a majority of those voting, or immediately when
the question has been decided by a Two-Thirds Majority of the Full
Number of Elders. Any Elder may, while a vote by Correspondence is
still open and by appeal to the Chairman, refer the question to the next
Meeting of the Board.

Section 7.
During the months of March, April, and May of 2020, the Chairman
may declare duly-called meetings to be “virtual.” In that case, all re-
quirements in these By-Laws for physical presence shall be waived,
and the Elders shall be allowed to gather and vote by any technological
means available. No other rule shall be affected by a virtual meeting.

ARTICLE 2. OFFICERS

Section 1.
The Senior Pastor, as defined by §3.3 of the Constitution, shall serve
as the Chairman and Secretary of the Elder Board. His duties shall be
as defined by custom and the provisions of these By-Laws.

175
 Section 2.
The Chairman shall appoint a Vice-Chairman, who shall not
be a full-time employee of the church, and who shall hold office
until a new Vice Chairman is appointed. The Vice Chairman shall
serve as chairman of the Compensation Task Force during the bud-
get process, and he shall chair Elders’ Meetings at the Chairman’s
discretion.

Section 3.
The Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall retain at all times the right
to act on any question, commensurate with every other Elder.

Section 4.
Pursuant to §2.2.4 of the Constitution, the Chairman may appoint
a Representative to serve as Moderator of any Members’ Meeting. This
may be, but is not required to be, the Vice-Chairman.

Section 5.
In his capacity as Secretary, the Senior Pastor may appoint an
Assistant, not necessarily an Elder, to keep, compile, and archive
the Minutes of the Board. Minutes, including Attendance Records,
shall be kept for every Meeting of the Board, except when the Board
is in Executive Session. Minutes shall be made available to all Elders
within seven days of every meeting.

Section 6.
In the event of a vacancy in the Senior Pastorate, the Elders shall
elect an Interim Chairman.

Section 7.
No other Officers of the Board shall be recognized.

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ARTICLE 3. MEETINGS

Section 1.
Regular Meetings of the Board shall be scheduled upon the recom-
mendation of the Chairman and the consent of a Majority of the Elders
present and voting on the question. The Regular Meetings of the Board
shall take place at least once in every month, and additionally for at
least five minutes immediately prior to every Members’ Meeting. The
public announcements of Members’ Meetings and the Minutes of the
Board, duly delivered according to §2.5 of these By-Laws, shall consti-
tute due Notice of Regular Meetings.

Section 2.
A Special Meeting of the Board shall be called within one week
of the application of a Majority of the Full Number of Elders to the
Chairman, or at the Chairman’s discretion.

Section 3.
No Meeting of the Board shall be held without Notice of such
Meeting being given to every Elder at least two days in advance, except
by Unanimous Consent.

Section 4.
Pursuant to §3.2.9 of the Constitution, the Board may not exclude
any Elder from any Meeting of the Board, or any portion thereof, with-
out his consent or the concurrence of three-quarters of the Full Number
of Elders, except as directed in Article 6 of these By-Laws. Even if an
Elder is to be duly excluded by the Board, notice of any meeting must
still be given to all Elders, pursuant to §3.3 of these By-Laws.

Section 5.
Visitors may be invited to Meetings of the Board by a Majority Vote
of the Elders, or by the Chairman or Vice-Chairman without objection
from any other Elder.

177
 Section 6.
During any Meeting, the Board may enter Executive Session, de-
fined as a Private Session of the Board Members, by majority vote of
the Elders present and voting on the question, or at the discretion of
the Chairman without objection by any other Elder. The Board may
exit Executive Session by the same procedure. The Board must enter
Executive Session at least once in every Regular Meeting for at least five
minutes, those meetings held immediately before Members’ Meetings
being excepted. All business shall be in order during Executive Session,
subject to these By-Laws. The nomination of new Elders may occur
only in Executive Session. Minutes shall not be taken of proceedings
in Executive Session. By unanimous consent of the Elders present, vis-
itors may be invited to Executive Session.

Section 7.
Upon the request of any Elder to the Chairman, any item of discus-
sion or business shall be referred to Executive Session.

Section 8.
An Elders’ Retreat—defined as a meeting lasting at least eighteen
consecutive hours, held between September 1 and December 31, and
passing through 4am on a Saturday morning—shall be held once ev-
ery calendar year. A Retreat shall be scheduled by means of a Poll of the
Elders, to be completed no later than August 15 of each year and ac-
cording to the following requirements: Only those dates which can be
attended by every Elder elected under §3.3 and §3.4 of the Constitution
shall be eligible; after that, the eligible date with the most available
Elders shall be the date of the Retreat; in case of a tie, the earliest eligible
date engaged in the tie shall be the date of the Retreat. The Retreat shall
be held according to the Elders’ declared ability to attend during the
Poll, not their actual ability to attend. The Retreat shall be considered
Executive Session, and the Elders present at the Retreat shall consti-
tute a Quorum, except for questions governed under Article 6 of these

178
By-Laws. The Chairman shall decide the agenda for the Retreat. All
business shall be in order during the Retreat, subject to these By-Laws.

ARTICLE 4. EXPECTATIONS

Section 1.
Each Elder shall be expected to be present for at least Two-Thirds of
the Meetings of the Board, both Regular and Special, excepting those
held immediately prior to Members’ Meetings. Failure to do so over a
consecutive twelve-month period shall be duly considered by the Board
in the matter of Re-nomination, Censure, Request for Resignation, or
Recommendation for Removal.

ARTICLE 5.
BUDGET PROCESS

Section 1.
Pursuant to the Constitution §4.2.1, the Elders shall present an ap-
proved Proposed Budget to the Deacon of Finance at least one week
before the penultimate Members’ Meeting of each Fiscal Year. In the
event of a failure by the Elders to approve a new Proposed Budget in
time, the most recent Budget adopted by the Church, with its amend-
ments, shall be presented to the Deacon of Finance as the approved
Proposed Budget.

Section 2.
The process of creating and adopting a Proposed Budget, including
the definition of a Quorum for Budget Meetings, shall be governed by
the “[NAME OF CHURCH] Budget Process,” which may be amended
by a Majority of the Full Number of Elders.

Section 3.
As part of the budget process, and upon the consent of the Elders
present and voting on the question at the meeting prescribed by the

179
[NAME OF CHURCH] Budget Process, the Vice-Chairman shall ap-
point a Compensation Task Force to be chaired by the Vice Chairman,
and to include the Deacon of Finance, no other non-elder, not more
than three other elders, no full-time staff elders, and a majority of
the entire task force not being in the pay of the church. The Associate
Pastor for Administration shall attend meetings and have a voice for
informational purposes, but shall not have a vote, and shall be dis-
missed when his own compensation is discussed. The sole responsi-
bility of the Compensation Task Force shall be to recommend to the
Board, with the advice of the Senior Pastor, Compensation packages,
defined as Salary plus Housing, for the church’s staff, and after its re-
port it shall immediately dissolve.

Section 4.
A Proposed Budget shall be approved and recommended to the
Deacon of Finance by a Majority of the Full Number of Elders.

ARTICLE 6. NOMINATION OF NEW ELDERS

Section 1.
These By-Laws shall be subordinate to Article 3 of the Constitution.

Section 2.
The Nomination of a New Elder shall proceed with two Votes by
the Full Number of Elders, the first to send the potential Nominee
the “Questionnaire for Potential Elders,” and the second to Nominate.
Votes under this Article shall take place in Executive Session and only
when a Quorum of three-quarters of the Full Number of Elders is pres-
ent. For Votes under §6.5 of these By-Laws, the Elder under consid-
eration shall not be considered in the calculation of the Quorum, nor
counted toward its fulfillment.

180
 Section 3.
The Vote to send a potential Nominee the Questionnaire shall pro-
ceed as follows: During any Executive Session, and a Quorum being
present, an Elder shall Propose the name of a potential Nominee for
Elder. After discussion, the Chairman shall ask if any Elder votes Nay;
if a Nay is declared by simultaneous show of hands, the proposal fails;
if not, then the Chairman shall ask if any Elder Abstains; if Abstentions
amounting to one-fifth of the Full Number of Elders are declared by si-
multaneous show of hands, the proposal fails; if not, the Chairman shall
confirm that all other Elders present vote Yea. If the proposal survives,
any Elder not present must be notified of the proposal immediately and
allowed to cast a vote within twenty-four hours. Elders not present may
vote by Correspondence, but any Elder not voting shall be considered to
have Abstained. One Nay or Abstentions amounting to one-fifth of the
Full Number of Elders shall prevent the sending of the Questionnaire.
Otherwise, the Questionnaire shall be sent to the potential nominee.

Section 4.
The Vote to Nominate a New Elder shall proceed as follows: During
any Executive Session, and a Quorum being present, an Elder shall
Propose the name of a potential Nominee for Elder, provided he has
returned the completed Questionnaire and the Elders have had one
day to consider it. After discussion, the Chairman shall ask if any Elder
votes Nay; if a Nay is declared by simultaneous show of hands, the pro-
posal fails; if not, then the Chairman shall ask if any Elder Abstains; if
Abstentions amounting to one-fifth of the Full Number of Elders are
declared by simultaneous show of hands, the proposal fails; if not, the
Chairman shall confirm that all other Elders present vote Yea. If the
proposal survives, any Elder not present must be notified of the pro-
posal immediately and allowed to cast a vote within twenty-four hours.
Elders not present may vote by Correspondence, but any Elder not vot-
ing shall be considered to have Abstained. One Nay or Abstentions
amounting to one-fifth of the Full Number of Elders shall prevent the

181
Nomination. Otherwise, the nominee shall be presented to the church
for election pursuant to the Constitution.

Section 5.
Any Elder finishing his term and eligible for re-election pursuant to
§3.2.6 of the Constitution shall receive an automatic Vote, timed so as to
prevent any gap in his eldership, and governed by §6.4 of these By-Laws,
except that he shall not be required to complete the Questionnaire unless
otherwise directed by a Majority vote of the Elders present and voting.

Section 6.
No other Person shall receive an automatic Vote, but shall be nom-
inated only upon the completion of the entire Nomination process de-
scribed in §6.2-4 of these By-Laws.

Section 7.
No Person under consideration for nomination or re-nomination as
an Elder shall be present for the Vote process concerning him, and he
shall not be privy to the discussions or proceedings therein. An Elder
considered under §6.5 of these By-Laws shall be privy only to whether
or not he will be renominated and a general description of the reasons
for the decision, but the votes of particular Elders shall not be revealed.

Section 8.
Votes taken under Article 6 of these By-Laws shall be considered
Final until a) the Elders by Unanimous Consent agree to reconsid-
er a Proposal; or b) a new duly-called Meeting of the Board is called
to order.

Section 9.
Both the Votes and the Deliberations of the Board during pro-
ceedings under Article 6 of these By-Laws shall be considered Strictly
Confidential. Except when explicitly directed by Unanimous Consent
of the Board, any Violation of that Confidentiality shall be considered

182
grounds for Censure, a Request for Resignation, or a Recommendation
for Removal, pursuant to Article 7 of these By-Laws.

ARTICLE 7. DISCIPLINE

Section 1.
These By-Laws shall be subordinate to §3.2.18 of the Constitution.

Section 2.
The Board may Censure any Elder by Majority Vote of the Full
Number of Elders. A second Majority Vote of the Full Number of Elders
shall be required to report a Censure to the Church at the next Regular
Members’ Meeting. Otherwise the Censure shall remain confidential.

Section 3.
The Board may formally Request, but not require, the Resignation
of any Elder by Majority Vote of the Full Number of Elders. A sec-
ond Majority Vote of the Full Number of Elders shall be required to
report a Request for Resignation to the Church at the next Regular
Members’ Meeting. Otherwise the Request for Resignation shall re-
main confidential.

Section 4.
The Board may formally Recommend to the Church the Removal of
an Elder from office by Two-Thirds Vote of the Full Number of Elders.

ARTICLE 8. ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT

Section 1.
These By-Laws shall be adopted upon the approval of a Majority of
the Full Number of Elders.

Section 2.
These By-Laws shall be amended upon a Two-Thirds Vote of the
Full Number of Elders.

183
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hurch administration may not be a glitzy
or glamorous topic, but churches need good
administration, like houses need frames.
It helps to hold the church together and gives it
shape. More than that, administration feeds good
ministry, unifies the body, and helps prevent
division. Pastors, therefore, should give some
attention to their budgets, staffing structures,
buildings, and church policies, even as they
prioritize prayer and the ministry of the Word.

AT 9MARKS, WE HELP PASTORS, future pastors, and church members

see what a biblical church looks like, and help them take practical steps
toward becoming one. We believe every local church should be characterized
by expository preaching, biblical theology, a biblical understanding of the
gospel and of conversion, biblical evangelism, church membership, church
discipline, discipleship, and a biblical model of leadership. In order to inform
and influence churches, 9Marks creates a wide variety of practical resources
including books, articles, podcasts, book reviews, and a quarterly Journal.
We also host regular events around the world—almost all of them geared
toward equipping and encouraging pastors.