Should You Hire an Executive Pastor?


As your church grows, things need to change and evolves. That includes the responsibilities of the senior pastor. It might be time to look at hiring an executive pastor, referred to in the church world as an XP.

Before we go into this, it’s important to note that many churches have business administrators already in place. They usually handle:

  • Church finances
  • Buildings and grounds
  • Information technology
  • General office management / some HR
  • Special projects (Directed by the Senior Pastor)

Here is the quick difference between a business admin and an XP and why it might be a good idea to consider this position.

  • The demands (scope and breadth) of the ministry have grown significantly due to the increasing size of the church.
  • The pressure is rising, things are falling through the cracks, and the pastor is not able to focus and develop his or her greater gifts.
  • The senior pastor is wired to delegate and empower authority and major responsibilities to see the church continue to grow.
  • The staff and ministries would benefit in clear and measurable ways from the addition of an XP.

When you hire the right XP, the senior pastor is then able to invest his time and energy more deeply into prayer and hearing from God, overall vision and leadership, primary communication of weekend messages, developing stewardship, and passion for evangelism.

Discerning when to make this move is not easy but as your church grows, things always need to change, including staffing. If you don’t make the changes in the right timing, you can hinder your church and slow down your potential to grow. Choose wisely.

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