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Church Leadership

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Leadership Team

At YOUR CHURCH, we believe that the church should be led by those with the spiritual gift of leadership. Therefore, up to six people with this gift (and other complimentary gifts) will serve with the Senior Pastor on the “Leadership Team.”

All final congregational authority shall be vested in the Leadership Team.

Senior Pastor and Leadership Team Roles

YOUR CHURCH is a staff-led church under the servant leadership of the Senior Pastor.

The Leadership Team exists to assist the Senior Pastor in fulfilling their calling. As such, the Leadership Team exists to serve five specific functions:

  1. Serve as the primary care group for the Senior Pastor.
  2. Provide a sounding board for the Senior Pastor as they sense the next steps for the church.
  3. Hold the Senior Pastor accountable for the performance of the church.
  4. Serve a fiduciary responsibility to the church by determining salary increases for the Senior Pastor, approving the annual budget, and holding the Senior Pastor accountable for the church’s financial health.
  5. Hire/fire the Senior Pastor.

General Regulations

No person shall be appointed to the Leadership Team who is not a mature Christian.

The Leadership Team shall be chosen from people who are active members of the congregation and who are committed and dedicated to serving Jesus and His people. However, allowance is made for one member of the Leadership Team to be someone who is not a YOUR CHURCH member but a Christian leader from another Independent Christian Church congregation. That person’s role on the team shall be to (1) challenge the team’s thinking by being a source of unbiased, non-YOUR CHURCH attendee/member feedback, (2) provide fresh ideas and insight, and (3) help with the search for a new Senior Pastor if and when that situation arises. This person shall possess the spiritual gift of leadership, be a member in good standing of another Independent Christian Church congregation, and meet the character qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-11 and Titus 1:6-9.

The Leadership Team shall comprise no less than two (excluding the Senior Pastor) and no more than seven (including the Senior Pastor) members. If there are no more than two qualified people other than the Senior Pastor, the Leadership Team shall not exist, and matters normally transacted by the Leadership Team shall be transacted by the Senior Pastor, Executive Pastor, and church staff.

The Leadership Team shall meet once per quarter.

Selection of Leadership Team Members

The Senior Pastor will nominate new Leadership Team members after deliberate prayer, council, and evaluation of potential candidates. After a person has been selected, their name shall be submitted to the Leadership Team for review, examination, and approval.

The Leadership Team’s approval must be unanimous. Nominees approved by the Leadership Team shall be presented to the congregation. However, the congregation shall not have the right to approve or disprove the appointment of a Leadership Team member.

Other than the Senior Pastor, leadership team members will serve for three years or until their successors are selected.

After one year away from service, a person may be considered for nomination again. A person will only be nominated by the Senior Pastor if:

  1. They have the spiritual gift of Leadership, as measured by spiritual gift testing devices, self-observation, and observation of existing leaders within the congregation.
  2. They agree wholeheartedly with the mission, philosophy, and beliefs of YOUR CHURCH.
  3. They have demonstrated proven servant leadership in ministry at YOUR CHURCH for at least two years without signs of control or authoritarianism.
  4. They tithe.
  5. They have positively supported the existing Leadership Team members, Senior Pastor, Executive Pastor, and church staff.
  6. They are a mature Christian with highly developed Christian character as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-11 and Titus 1:6-9.
  7. They feel called by God to exercise their gifts within this body of believers.

Removal of Leadership Team Members

Any circumstance that renders a Leadership Team member unable to do their duties as outlined herein, shall be cause for termination.

Also, action will be taken against a Leadership Team member in spiritual disharmony with the Leadership Team by Biblical discipline, as seen in 1 Timothy 5:17-20 and Matthew 18:15-20.

The Leadership Team is responsible for removing a member and does so by majority vote (excluding the vote of the member in question).

Selection of a Senior Pastor

The leadership team shall recruit and hire the Senior Pastor of the congregation by majority vote. The new Senior Pastor shall minister for the period specified in the employment contract.

The contract of employment shall be in writing and signed by the prospective Senior Pastor and the Leadership Team.

The Leadership Team shall set the senior pastor’s qualifications, but they shall be no less than those of admission to membership in the congregation.

Under no circumstances will a Senior Pastor be hired who has not received an undergraduate and/or graduate degree from an Independent Christian church college or seminary and had at least five years of full-time service with an Independent Christian church.

Duties of the Senior Pastor

The Senior Pastor shall serve on the Leadership Team.

In addition to the Senior Pastor’s duties as a Leadership Team member, the Senior Pastor will serve as the primary teacher in weekend services, visionary leader for the congregation, and church staff leader.

Certain limitations and general constraints to the responsibility and authority of the Senior Pastor are set forth by the Leadership Team in the Executive Limitations Policy.

Termination

The Senior Pastor’s position may be terminated voluntarily by giving written notice to the Leadership Team or involuntarily by a unanimous decision of the Leadership Team (excluding the Senior Pastor’s vote) following appropriate corrective action.

Termination shall take effect one hundred and eighty days from such notice or vote unless the period is altered by mutual agreement of the Senior Pastor and the Leadership Team. During this period, the leadership team shall determine the performance of the duties of the Senior Pastor’s position.

Selection and Duties of Church Staff

The Senior Pastor shall lead the church staff, providing them with support, regular oversight, and direction.

Both the Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor are responsible for hiring and firing church staff. Neither can make this decision independently of the other.

The duties and qualifications of church staff are documented in the applicable job description.

The qualifications of church staff shall be no less than those of admission to membership in the congregation.

The Staff Policy Manual contains specific policies and procedures related to church staff.

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Related Documents

Executive Limitations Policy
Staff Policy Manual