CALVARY CHURCH LEADERSHIP
Philosophy, Culture & Structure
A. Philosophy of Spiritual Leadership
A church's spiritual leadership culture is essential to its spiritual health and mission success. Culture is pervasive and influences every aspect of church activity. A church's governing structure is also important, but it is clearly secondary to culture. Culture is shaped by foundational beliefs and values that drive how people interact within a church or leadership community. Therefore, while governance structure and job descriptions are necessary for clarity in responsibilities and accountability, culture guides how leaders conduct themselves within any governing model.
Scripture speaks extensively about spiritual culture and interpersonal conduct but offers limited guidance on church organizational structures. Aside from clearly directing governance by a plurality of elders, the Bible does not prescribe a specific model of church organization or governance, which allows for considerable freedom in this area. Ideally, a church's governing structure should enhance and nurture healthy spiritual and leadership cultures within the local community.
Calvary's approach to decision-making is through shared leadership. When Calvary leaders (Elder Team, Executive Team, Leadership Council, or any other decision-making body) gather to discuss and make decisions, they bring a shared leadership approach based upon the following beliefs:
1. This is Jesus' church, and he will lead us in all matters through the work of the Holy Spirit.
2. God will use every person in the room in the process because he loves to build interdependent Christian community.
3. God has gifted each of us differently, and we deeply value each other’s unique perspectives. These differences are a strength and provide safety to the group.
4. We will strive for consensus and not try to force it. We will never resort to manipulation, denigration, or power plays to achieve a particular outcome.
5. We will always speak the truth but with love and kindness.
B. Elder Rule in the Church in General
The Functions of Elders. “As the apostolic era came to a close, the office of elder emerged as the highest level of local church leadership. Thus, it carried a great amount of responsibility. There was no higher court of appeal and no greater resource to know the mind and heart of God with regard to issues in the church.”[i]
The primary responsibility of an elder is to serve as a manager and caretaker of the church (1 Timothy 3:5). That involves a number of specific duties. As spiritual overseers of the flock, elders are to determine church policy (Acts 15:22); oversee the church (Acts 20:28); ordain others (1 Timothy 4:14); rule, teach, and preach (1 Timothy 5:17; cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:12; 1 Timothy 3:2); exhort and refute (Titus 1:9); and act as shepherds, setting an example for all (1 Peter 5:1-3).
C. Shared Leadership: A Council of Equals[ii]
1. Plurality of Leaders. The New Testament is clear that pastoral oversight is a team effort, not the responsibility of one or a few. Our Lord personally appointed and trained 12, thus giving the church a plurality (meaning more than one, numerous) of leadership. See also the seven appointed in Acts 6. Many scriptures evidence a plurality of elder leadership in the early churches (James 5:14, Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5, 1 Peter 5:1).
2. Council of Equals. "By definition, the elder structure of government is a collective form of leadership in which each elder shares equally the position, authority, and responsibility of the office."[iii] The benefits to this are many: (1) Balancing individuals’ strengths and weaknesses; (2) lightening the workload; (3) providing accountability; (4). creating unity and love among the group; and (5) creating a dependence on Christ as the head of his church, rather than a dependence on man's gifts and efforts (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23-24). The elder board acts as a collective board, not as individual decision-makers (see Acts 15, meeting of the Jerusalem council).
3. First Among a Council of Equals: Leaders Among Leaders. "Although elders act jointly as a council and share equal authority and responsibility for the leadership of the church, all are not equal in their giftedness, biblical knowledge, leadership knowledge, leadership ability, experience, or dedication. Therefore, those among the elders who are particularly gifted leaders and/or teachers will naturally stand out among the other elders as leaders and teachers within the leadership body.”[iv] This is evidenced by Jesus' dealings with his apostles (he singled out three for special attention) and the choosing of the seven in Acts 6, where Phillip and Stephen stood out.
1 Timothy 5:17 states, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching." The idea here is respect, regard, and consideration for this extra labor, and the idea of compensation and benefit is suggested also.
"This doesn’t mean, however, that elders who are first among their equals do all the thinking and decision-making for the group or that they are the pastors while the others are merely elders. All elders must be able to teach the Word, but not all desire to work fully at preaching and teaching. Those who are gifted in teaching and spend the time to do so should be properly acknowledged by the local church (double honor). The advantage of the principle of first among equals is that it allows for functional, gift-based diversity within the eldership team without creating an official, superior office over fellow elders."[v]
D. Calvary's Leadership Structure
Currently, there are six primary decision-making bodies at Calvary:
1. The Elder Team shepherds the church body.
2. The Lead Shepherding Team, composed of the Lead Pastor of Ministries, Lead Teaching Pastor, and Elder Chair, coordinates the connection between the Elder Team and pastoral leadership.
3. The Executive Team collaborates (with the Elder Team) to design and maintain the overall ministry strategy of Calvary.
4. The Leadership Council serves as a connection point for all pastors and directors of major ministries or operations, facilitation alignment between ministries and the overall strategy.
5. The Teaching Team discusses and maintains the philosophy and strategy of the teaching/preaching ministry.
E. Further Explanation of Team Functions & Responsibilities
1. The Elder Team shepherds the church body and is "the primary governing board of the church with the conviction that they serve under the lordship of Jesus Christ, the head of the church."[vi] The Elder Team "provides oversight as to all matters related to the doctrine, discipline, finances and direction of the church."[vii] As to its decision-making culture, the Elder Team "shall endeavor to function as a unified leader community corporately discerning the will of God for the church."[viii] Calvary’s Elder Team typically meets monthly.
The Elder Team consists of twelve members: eight lay leaders and four pastors, including the Lead Teaching Pastor (LTP) and the Lead Pastor of Ministries (LPM). The remaining two pastors will be selected and approved by the lay elders. These remaining two positions will be rotated periodically as determined by the lay elders. Pastors not serving on the Elder Team will be represented by the other Pastor-Elders and may be invited to attend Elder Team meetings on occasion.
The role of the Elder Team is to:
• Model spiritual leadership to Calvary staff and the congregation by demonstrating complete devotion to Christ and a commitment to His Word and to prayer.
• Establish and protect Calvary's mission, vision, and values, championing these to staff and the wider congregation.
• Come alongside the LTP, LPM, and pastoral staff to “equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12) by shepherding, leading, teaching, and engaging in ministry and mission. Our practice is that each elder regularly engages informally with one or more specific Calvary ministries.
• Work with the pastoral staff to provide oversight of the doctrine held and taught at Calvary.
• Collaborate with the pastors to develop high-level strategic goals for the church. The Elder Team will approve the goals in Calvary’s three-year plan and collaborate with the LPM and LTP to track their implementation.
• Make significant financial decisions (annual budget, pastor salaries, land/property acquisitions, construction contracts, etc.) and provide general oversight to the management of Calvary’s finances. At least two lay elders (and the LPM) will serve on the Finance Committee. The lay elders will approve the salaries and benefits of all pastors.
• Be responsible for hiring the LTP and LPM and will approve the hiring of all other pastoral positions. They will be informed about the hiring of any director-level positions.
• Discuss and approve any new church plants or campuses and the plans/playbooks for these.
• Provide oversight and support in church discipline matters.
• As appropriate, provide encouragement and accountability to the LTP, LPM, and other pastoral staff.
• As requested, advise the LTP and LPM on decisions the Executive Team is processing as it implements the strategic goals.
• Be aware of emerging risks the church faces and support the LPM and LTP in responding to crisis situations.
2. The Lead Shepherding Team comprises three positions: The Lead Pastor of Ministries, The Lead Teaching Pastor, and the Elder Team Chair. All other pastors and most ministry directors report to either the Lead Pastor of Ministries or the Lead Teaching Pastor. The Elder Chair represents the Elder Team. Accordingly, the Lead Shepherding Team has an overarching perspective of the entire functioning of the church. It meets at least monthly (and more often as required) to coordinate the nexus between the Elder Team and the pastoral leadership. The Lead Shepherding Team:
• Discusses essential issues regarding the church body and its ministries.
• Plans and prepares the Elder Team meeting agendas and determines what reports are needed for meetings.
• Makes decisions on issues that require a timely response.
• Encourages and empowers collaboration between lay elders and pastoral staff.
3. The Executive Team collaborates closely with the Elder Team to shepherd the church body and design and maintain Calvary's overall ministry strategy. The Executive Team is the primary body for implementing the goals approved by the Elder Team in Calvary Church’s Strategic Plan in accordance with the vision, mission, and values.
The LPM and LTP appoint the members of the Executive Team, which may change over time. Other staff may be invited to participate in meetings or portions of meetings as needed.
The role of the Executive Team is to:
• Provide spiritual oversight to the church's ministries, ensuring that the teaching of the Word and prayer are central to all we do.
• Champion Calvary’s mission (“Experiencing the gospel changing lives forever”), vision, and values, and keeping Christ at the heart of all programs, activities, and decision-making.
• Implement the strategic goals approved by the Elder Team, develop relevant objectives and activities within this strategic framework, and report progress, challenges, and recommended adjustments to the Elder Team.
• Champion the implementation of change across the organization to accomplish Calvary’s mission, vision, values, and goals.
• Manage organizational risks and respond to emerging crises or significant problems, engaging the Elder Team as appropriate.
• In collaboration with the ministry directors, oversee annual planning for each ministry area and monitor progress towards annual goals and objectives.
• Empower ministry directors, other staff, and lay leaders to lead, grow, and flourish by providing mentoring, coaching, and other leadership development opportunities.
• Design and implement relevant policies, informing the Elder Team and presenting policies to them for approval as appropriate.
• Keep the Leadership Council and staff apprised of goals towards the fulfillment of Calvary’s mission and vision.
• Cast Calvary’s mission, vision, and values with the congregation and the broader community.
4. The Leadership Council is a forum where Calvary’s pastors and ministry directors discuss and collaborate on various strategic and operational issues. It aims to be a creative space where Council members contribute their voices, problem-solving skills, and innovative thinking to help Calvary become more effective and healthier. Council members strive to draw the best from one another as we devise and implement strategies to strengthen Calvary’s programs, activities, culture, and processes. The Leadership Council will ensure the alignment of our ministries, events, initiatives, operations, and processes with our mission, vision, values, and strategic plan.
Individual LC members may be invited to participate in ET meetings, cross-organization working groups, or other meetings related to their areas of expertise or responsibilities.
The Leadership Council comprises pastors and ministry directors who oversee the major areas of ministry and church operations. It typically meets once a month for two hours, with a longer meeting once a quarter or as needed. The LPM facilitates the meetings.
Members of the Leadership Council are appointed by the Executive Team and may change from time to time.
The role of the Leadership Council is to:
• Pray together for Calvary Church, staff, ministries, and the congregation.
• Champion Calvary’s mission (“Experiencing the gospel changing lives forever”), vision, and values, and keeping Christ at the heart of all programs, activities, and decision-making at Calvary.
• Participate collaboratively in developing, monitoring, and reviewing Calvary’s strategic objectives and goals.
• Collaborate with the Executive Team to translate Calvary’s overarching strategic goals into ministry and team objectives and report on progress, challenges faced, learnings, and outcomes.
• Promote Calvary’s organizational culture to others inside and outside the organization.
• Promoted healthy collaboration and communication between Calvary staff and ministry teams throughout the organization.
• Assist with identifying staff training, development, and teambuilding needs and implement plans for delivering these.
• Discuss practical matters such as calendaring events, facility use, security protocols, communication strategies, and special service times.
• Discuss key challenges and opportunities facing Calvary and help identify a way forward.
• Assist the Executive Team in developing or revising Calvary’s policies and procedures, including providing clarity on decision-making.
• Ensure that safeguarding policies and processes are implemented to protect children, students, and adults.
• Participate in conveying decisions and organizational messages to the broader staff team, keeping other team members apprised of activities and objectives.
5. The Teaching Team consists of teaching and worship pastors along with select members of the worship and communications teams. This team meets at least 2-3 times a year to engage one another regarding the philosophy and strategy of the overall teaching and preaching ministry. The Lead Teaching Pastor leads and collaborates with this team to strategize and plan the preaching calendar and future teaching series, bringing together ideas on themes, contextualization, titles, etc. The team also considers the components of the Sunday morning services to make recommendations for adjustments. This team works together weekly by providing input and feedback on the sermon draft for consideration by the preaching pastor, yielding the fruit of a plurality of voices contributing the sermon every week.
Addendums
I. Job Descriptions for the Lead Teaching Pastor and Lead Pastor of Ministries
A. Lead Teaching Pastor
Reports to: Elder Team
Job Description: The Lead Teaching Pastor (LTP) will be one of the primary spiritual leaders of the church and will collaborate with the Elder Team and the Executive Team to discern God’s voice together and develop an overall vision and strategy. He will take the lead in casting the spiritual vision for the church. He will:
• Lead and coordinate the teaching team, develop the preaching calendar, and collaborate with the pulpit curriculum development team.
• Prepare sermons & preach approximately 32 to 36 Sundays annually.
• Work with, coach, and mentor other developing preachers.
• Provide spiritual oversight for Calvary ministries and the entire church community in collaboration with the other pastors and elders.
• Work with the Pastor of Worship & the Arts to guide and provide theological and content oversight for worship services, weddings, & funerals held at Calvary.
• Foster “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” between elders, pastors, and staff leaders (Ephesians 4:3).
• Collaborate with the LPM to oversee Calvary ministries.
• Oversee & collaborate with the communications staff on church-wide communication strategy & implementation.
• Be involved as a pastor-shepherd, including engaging in premarital counseling, officiating weddings/funerals, and providing pastoral care and counseling.
• Assist in forging relationships with local & global ministry partners.
• Work closely with the LPM & the elder chair in the development of a multiplication strategy & church-planting partnerships.
• Collaborate with the LPM & the elders in financial initiatives.
B. Lead Pastor of Ministries
Reports to: Elder Team
Job Description: The Lead Pastor of Ministries (LPM) will direct the overall operations of the church, collaborating with the Lead Teaching Pastor (LTP) and with assistance from the Lead Director of Operations. The LPM will:
• Oversee the strategic planning for the church in accordance with the overall mission, vision, and values.
• Assist in forging the organizational culture and be a shepherd to the staff team.
• Foster “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” between elders, pastors, and staff leaders (Ephesians 4:3).
• Ensure coordination and collaboration among all ministry teams.
• Facilitate Executive Team, Leadership Council, and other leadership meetings.
• Maintain effective lines of communication between the elder team, pastors, and staff.
• Direct long-term budgetary strategy, oversee financial initiatives and encourage a culture of generosity at Calvary Church.
• Guide and coach the ministry pastors and directors in vision-setting and reaching agreed-upon goals.
• Have regular meetings with ministry pastors and directors to understand developments and issues in their respective areas of ministry.
• Develop a multiplication strategy and church planting partnerships in close collaboration with the Lead Teaching Pastor and Elder Chair.
• Assist in forging relationships with local & global ministry partners.
• Interact with the congregation as a spiritual leader, including engaging in premarital counseling, officiating weddings/funerals, and providing pastoral care and counseling.
• Be a member of Calvary’s collaborative teaching team and preach approximately 2 to 6 Sundays per year.
II. Duties of the Elder Chair
The following duties of the Elder Chair are taken from the Calvary Church constitution:
• The Elders shall appoint a person with strong leadership ability to serve as the Chairman of the Elder Team. The Elder Chairman shall preside over the functioning of the Elder Team and shall prepare the agendas for Elder Team meetings.
• Special meetings of the Elder Team may be called by or at the request of the Elder Chairman or a majority of the Elder Team.
• The Elder Team may meet in executive session of only Lay Elder members of the Elder Team to discuss and decide issues of Staff Pastor employment, compensation and benefits, or for any other purpose deemed appropriate for executive session by the Elder Chairman or a majority of the Lay Elders.
III. Eleven Biblical Principles of Local Church Governance[ix]
1. The local church is governed by Christ (Matthew 16:18). This governance was mediated through the authority of the apostles and their close associates (Ephesians 2:20; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 7:17; 14:37-38; 2 Thessalonians 3:14).
2. The ministry of the church is primarily the work of the members in the activity of worship toward God, nurture toward each other, and witness toward the world. Internal structures for church governance are not the main ministry of the church but are the necessary equipping and mobilizing of the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12).
3. Governance structures should be lean and efficient to this end, not aiming to include as many people as possible in office-holding but to free and fit as many people as possible for ministry (implied in the preceding principle).
4. Christ is the head of the church, and spiritually, all his disciples are on a level ground before him, each having direct access to him and responsibility to intercede for the good of all as a community of priests (Ephesians 4:15, Matthew 23:8-11).
5. Not inconsistent with this equality, God has ordained the existence of officers in the church, some of whom are charged under Christ with the leadership of the church (1 Timothy 5:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:12).
6. Under Christ and his Word, the decisive court of appeal in the local church in deciding matters of disagreement is the gathered church assembly. (This is implied, first, in the fact that the leaders are not to lead by coercion, but by persuasion and free consent [1 Peter 5:3], second, in the fact that elders may be censured [1 Timothy 5:19], and third, in the fact that Matthew 18:15-20 and 1 Corinthians 5:4 depict the gathered church assembly as the decisive court of appeal in matters of discipline).
7. The local congregation, therefore, should call and dismiss its own leaders (implied in the preceding principle).
8. The leaders of the church should be people who are spiritually mature and exemplary (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9), gifted for the ministry given to them (Romans 12:6-8), have a sense of divine urging (Acts 20:28), and are in harmony with the duly established leadership of the church (Philippians 2:2).
9. Spiritual qualifications should never be sacrificed to technical expertise. For example, deacons or trustees or financial and property administrators should be men or women with hearts for God even more importantly than they have heads for finance, and best of all, both. (Implied in the preceding principle.)
10. The selection process should provide for the necessary assessment of possible leaders by a group able to discern the qualifications mentioned in #8 and that the process provides for the final approval by the congregation of all officers. (Implied in principles 6 and 7.)
11. Terms of active service should not be dictated by the desire to include as many different people as possible in leadership (see #3 above), but by the careful balance between the need, on the one hand, to have the most qualified leaders and, on the other hand, to guard against burn out and stagnation.
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[i] John MacArthur, The Master’s Plan for the Church (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991). For a fuller treatment of biblical eldership, consult this resource.
[ii] Adapted from Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership (Colorado Springs, CO: Lewis and Roth Publishers, 1995).
[iii] Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership (Colorado Springs, CO: Lewis and Roth Publishers, 1995).
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership (Colorado Springs, CO: Lewis and Roth Publishers, 1995).
[vi] Calvary Church Constitution
[vii] Ibid.
[viii] Ibid.
[ix] John Piper, “Biblical Eldership: Shepherding the Flock of God Among You” (desiringgod.org/messages/biblical-eldership-session-1).
