The Plurality Principle E-Book

Dave Harvey

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Building and Sustaining a Thriving Leadership Culture Essential to every healthy church is a biblical model of leadership. In the New Testament, church leadership is built around a team of elders working together, each bringing his own unique skills and gifts to the cause of shepherding the flock God entrusted to them. However, in many churches today the principle of plurality in leadership is often misunderstood, mistakenly applied, or completely ignored. Dave Harvey encourages church leaders to prioritize plurality for the surprising ways that it helps churches to flourish. This book not only builds a compelling case for churches to adopt and maintain biblical elder pluralities guided by solid leadership but also supplies practical tools to help elders work together for transformation. Download the free study guide.

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“In his concern to promote healthy churches and healthy pastors, Dave Harvey ensures that we understand leadership plurality and have a healthy, functioning team of elders in the local church. I’m not aware of another book that deals with this topic. The Plurality Principle is very practical and very helpful!”

Tim Challies, blogger, Challies.com

“Dave Harvey gives us another fantastic book. The Plurality Principle is enjoyable, biblical, and memorable. The fact that it is a quick read makes it all the more useful.”

Matt Perman, author, What’s Best Next

“God’s design for the church has always been a plurality of elders—but that doesn’t mean plurality is easy. Dave Harvey knows this, and he has provided this straightforward guide to help you cultivate effective plurality in leadership.”

Timothy Paul Jones, author, Family Ministry Field Guide; C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Family Ministry, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“It is one thing to believe in the necessity of a plurality of elders but quite another to understand what that means! Dave Harvey does an excellent job of explaining it. He has put into words the reality I have wanted to share with fellow pastors as the dean of a church-based seminary—the type of fellowship that should exist within a team of elders. I thank God for this precious brother and the light he sheds on our path.”

François Turcotte, President and Dean, The Evangelical Baptist Seminary of Quebec

“Every once in a while you encounter a book you wish you’d read years earlier. Having inherited elder teams in three different churches, I can testify that Dave Harvey’s book would have been gold during those transitions. If you are a young pastor, save yourself the heartache of confusion and conflict. If you are a seasoned leader, it could be time for a biblical tune-up. The health of your church, your leaders, and your own soul might just depend on it.”

Daniel Henderson, Founder and President, Strategic Renewal; Global Director, The 6:4 Fellowship; author, Old Paths, New Power

“Church leadership is the most perilous job out there, needing nothing short of the on-the-ground, forged-by-fire wisdom Harvey offers. From how elders can care for pastors to how elders and pastors can function together in practical, flock-sensitive, and Christ-honoring ways, this book guides elder teams through one of the most important needs they face: how church leadership teams can thrive in the complex challenges of real people, widely varying contexts, and treacherously subtle dangers.”

J. Alasdair Groves, Executive Director, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation; coauthor, Untangling Emotions

“Dave Harvey has done a great service for all who love the local church and have been called by God into leadership. He carefully explains why God calls local churches to be overseen by a plurality of leaders. And he steers us around the reefs and barriers that have left some church boards shipwrecked and their churches torn in pieces. By God’s grace, healthy plurality in leadership not only is possible but can be glorious!”

Bob Lepine, Cohost, FamilyLife Today; Teaching Pastor, Redeemer Community Church, Little Rock, Arkansas

“The Plurality Principle will be of great help to any church eldership seeking to lead and care for the people entrusted to them. Dave Harvey has zeroed in on the key principles and has put very useful feet to them. This book will serve our eldering deliberations in the years ahead.”

Mike Bullmore, Senior Pastor, CrossWay Community Church, Bristol, Wisconsin

“Being a pastor or elder is no small task. That’s why I’ve found Dave Harvey’s book so helpful. With a compelling vision and clear manner, Harvey makes the practice of developing a healthy plurality of elders both understandable and desirable. If you are planting or leading a local church and you want to see a healthy church last far beyond your leadership, pick up and implement this book. It may be the most humbling thing you will ever do, but also the strongest way you will ever lead.”

Jeremy Writebol, Lead Campus Pastor, Woodside Bible Church, Plymouth, Michigan

The Plurality Principle

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Here Is Our God: God’s Revelation of Himself in Scripture, edited by Kathleen B. Nielson and D. A. Carson

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The New City Catechism Curriculum

The New City Catechism Devotional: God’s Truth for Our Hearts and Minds

The New City Catechism for Kids

Praying Together: The Priority and Privilege of Prayer: In Our Homes, Communities, and Churches, by Megan Hill

Pursuing Health in an Anxious Age, by Bob Cutillo

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Resurrection Life in a World of Suffering, edited by D. A. Carson and Kathleen Nielson

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The Plurality Principle

How to Build and Maintain a Thriving Church Leadership Team

Dave Harvey

Foreword by Sam Storms

The Plurality Principle: How to Build and Maintain a Thriving Church Leadership Team

Copyright © 2021 by Dave Harvey

Published by Crossway1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Jeff Miller, Faceout Studio

First printing 2021

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture marked KJV is from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-7154-1 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-7157-2 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-7155-8 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-7156-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Harvey, David T. (David Thomas), 1960– author.

Title: The plurality principle : how to build and maintain a thriving church leadership team / Dave Harvey ; foreword by Sam Storms.

Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, 2021. | Series: The gospel coalition | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020029741 (print) | LCCN 2020029742 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433571541 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781433571558 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433571565 (mobipocket) | ISBN 9781433571572 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Christian leadership. | Elders (Church officers) | Group ministry.

Classification: LCC BV652.1 .H278 2021 (print) | LCC BV652.1 (ebook) | DDC 253—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020029741

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020029742

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2021-02-01 11:32:08 AM

To Wayne

Who needs superheroes,

with a big brother like you!

Contents

Foreword by Sam Storms

Introduction: Why a Book on Plurality?

Part 1 Building a Plurality

1  A Plurality Primer

2  The Case for a “First among Equals”

3  Dressing for Leadership Storms: Five Hats Senior Pastors Wear

4  Counterfeit Pluralities

Part 2 Thriving as a Plurality

5  Building a Culture of Care and Accountability

6  Acknowledging and Sharing Power

7  The Plurality Tune-Up

8  The Joy-Boosting Delight of Shared Ministry

Appendix 1: Elders, Care for Your Senior Pastor

Appendix 2: Your Wife Is Not Your Plurality: How Much Should a Pastor Tell His Wife?

Appendix 3: What’s the Best Way for a Pastor to Negotiate His Salary?

Appendix 4: Term Limits for Elders?

  Jeff Robinson

General Index

Scripture Index

Foreword

Really? An entire book on why our local churches should be led by a plurality of elders? Aren’t there more pressing and urgent issues that call for our attention? After all, among the many “-ologies,” shouldn’t we emphasize Christology (the study of Jesus Christ) and soteriology (the study of salvation) and eschatology (the study of the end times) and hamartiology (the study of sin)? Is ecclesiology, the study of the church, terribly important? Does it matter all that much?

My answer, and the answer that Dave Harvey provides in this excellent book, is a resounding yes! I once heard J. I. Packer say that “bad theology hurts people.” So, too, does bad ecclesiology. That statement may catch many of you by surprise. You struggle to believe that the way a local church is organized, led, and governed could possibly cause much damage. And yet, unbiblical leadership structures in the local church can wreak havoc on the people of God and bring reproach on the name of Jesus Christ. A failure to honor the clear teaching of Scripture on how a church should be governed is a recipe for disaster. Simply put, as Dave Harvey repeatedly asserts, the quality of elder plurality determines the spiritual health of a church.

One need only survey the landscape of recent train wrecks in several local churches to see how true this is. In virtually every instance where a gifted leader or pastor succumbed to temptation—be it sex, pride, isolation, bullying, or monetary mismanagement—the problem can be traced to a singular, authoritarian “pastor” who largely avoided meaningful accountability and built the ministry around his own giftedness and personality. I have in mind the sort of senior leader who never loses a vote; who regularly intimidates his staff, elder board, or deacon board; and who is rarely willing to admit that others might have greater insight and wisdom on a particular issue than he.

There are numerous reasons why I so highly recommend this book. Dave Harvey is himself a veteran of ecclesiological train wrecks. He has experienced firsthand what happens when churches fail to heed the clear teaching of Scripture. His wisdom and humility combine to chart for us a clear path forward as he deftly describes the countless reasons why plurality of male leadership in the local church is the most beneficial and spiritually healthy model to embrace.

This should not be taken as an indictment of every church where “the man of God” mentality or the so-called “Moses-model” of leadership is endorsed. Some of you reading this book likely attend a church where the senior pastor is the sole elder. I’ve known a handful of such men who functioned reasonably well in this capacity. In most instances, however, the deacons (or elders) exist only to rubber-stamp his decisions, and his unavoidably limited perspective is the only factor shaping the church’s vision. Admittedly, there are always a handful of exceptions where, by God’s mercy, an unbiblical model of local church life succeeds. But that is no justification for ignoring inspired Scripture.

One of the challenges in a plurality of leadership is the relationship between the lead or senior pastor and members of an elder board. Many envision the senior pastor as the “boss” of the board, while in other churches he is often “held hostage” and rarely permitted to provide the sort of leadership and influence essential to a healthy spiritual family. One of the many strengths of this book is that Harvey argues persuasively for a plurality of leadership while simultaneously making a convincing case for the principle of a “first among equals,” a senior or lead pastor whose gifts, calling, education, and spiritual maturity qualify him to exercise a greater degree of influence and cast vision for the body as a whole.

Harvey’s practical counsel on how a senior pastor works in tandem with a plurality of elders is nothing short of profound. Harvey does far more than simply defend the biblical reasons for plurality. He speaks directly and with great wisdom into the many concrete issues that arise on a daily basis in virtually every local church.

He rightly points out that the lead pastor does not possess unilateral veto power over the consensus of the other elders. He is alert to the dangers of a top-heavy, authoritarian, celebrity-pastor mentality. He is also wise in the way he warns against a failure to let leaders lead. He reminds us that a plurality is not an egalitarian enterprise that denies individual gifting, removes roles, or demands equality in function or outcomes. Even among equals, there must be leadership. And this calls for the all-too-rare combination of humility and courage.

Harvey addresses other critically important issues and questions with a balanced convergence of biblical instruction and common sense. He stresses the need for lay elders, provides practical insight on how much a pastor or elder should share with his wife, and speaks wisely on the sticky issue of how the lead pastor should negotiate his salary and benefits package. One trend spreading among numerous megachurches today is an external board of advisers that in many ways supplants the authority of the elders. Harvey’s critique of this decidedly unbiblical model is alone worth the time spent reading this book.

I’ve been reading books on the structures and dynamics of local church leadership for many years. Honestly, when I was asked to write the foreword to this short treatment, I wondered if Dave Harvey would have anything to say that I hadn’t heard countless times before. You may be asking the same question as you decide whether investing time into reading this volume will prove profitable. I assure you it will, far beyond what you can reasonably imagine.

As far as I’m concerned, this is the go-to book on the nature, role, and responsibility of local church elders that I will happily and energetically recommend to others in the days ahead.

Sam Storms

Lead Pastor for Vision and Preaching

Bridgeway Church

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Introduction

Why a Book on Plurality?

Two days ago, the alternator on our car died. Back in the day (three days ago), I was blissfully ignorant of all-things-alternator. Now I know way more than I want to. For example, how much one costs. But I also learned that the alternator is part of the electrical system that powers the engine, charges the battery, sparks the ignition, heats the interior, and runs all the other electrical stuff in my vehicle. It’s hardly visible and rarely comes up in discussion, but this unseen piece of machinery pretty much ensures that the whole car remains powered and moving forward.

A plurality of leadership—that is, a team of leaders—is like the alternator for the church. Most of the time, it’s operating out of sight, and most people don’t even know how it works. When it functions as designed, the church remains charged and moving forward. But where the functional plurality of a leadership team is absent, churches stall. Oh, and like alternators, pluralities can be very expensive when they fail. They require inspection and a dose of preventive maintenance. That’s why my premise for this book is that the quality of your elder plurality determines the health of your church.

Looking in the Mirror

Shared leadership is about power, trust, accountability, and responsibility. As a result, it’s relevant at every stage of ministry. But think about all the ways teamwork can break down. Maybe you are painfully familiar with one or more of these scenarios:

Plurality can be missing at the start. Rico successfully started a church, but he lives confounded. “I’ve spent the last two years driving most of the ministry myself. How do I help our church become a place where the saints are equipped to do the work of the ministry? Where do I begin to transition this ministry from me to us?”Plurality can be lost in transition. Cameron was hired to be the primary teaching pastor at his church. The board of elders ran the hiring process, but now he feels like he’s on the outside looking in. “I pressed the team on this issue, but they told me that they’ve been together for years. They just see me as the next hire; these men assume they’ll be here long after I’m gone.”Plurality can be challenged in crisis. After a leadership failure, Darnell inherited a large congregation, a functional facility, and a dysfunctional eldership. “As I’ve gotten to know these men, I’ve realized that half of them aren’t qualified to be elders. Can we operate as a healthy team when half of the men shouldn’t be a part of it?”Plurality can be undervalued. Reese is a gifted man, and no one is more aware of it than Reese. He can preach, understands organizational leadership, and seems to possess an innate instinct for identifying problems and proposing helpful solutions. The elders and other leaders around Reese feel pretty unnecessary. Deep down in his heart, Reese pretty much agrees. When he was recently asked why he didn’t delegate more responsibility, Reese observed, “God has blessed my ministry, and the church is best served when the plurality backs me up.”Finally, plurality can be ungrounded in reality.Kyle woke to another day knowing the cloud of disapproval would shade his whole morning at the office. When he first accepted the role of lead pastor, the elders and staff were falling over each other in an effort to care for him. Now his flaws appeared in some form on almost every meeting agenda. Kyle was feeling crushed under the weight of expectations. What should a lead guy do when those around him confuse plurality with fixing all his weaknesses?

Every single church, no matter its governance, has to attend to the problem of plurality in leadership—to its presence or absence, to its beauties and absurdities. But we should see this as an opportunity. We all have plurality problems, but moving people toward a shared vision of doing ministry together is worth it.

Plotting Our Course

My first pastorate lasted twenty-seven years in the same church. For most of that time, I was the senior pastor, and we continually tuned and retuned our understanding of plurality until it served the church well. We made plenty of mistakes, and it was painstakingly hard work. It meant having men get to know me down to the level of my dreams, desires, giftings, and temptations. But I treasure those memories and the fruit that plurality bore in my life and in the life of our church.

Since then, I’ve served on various teams in different roles. Sometimes we’ve applied the principle of plurality well; sometimes we’ve made some big mistakes. But through it all I’ve only become more convinced of this key truth: The quality of your elder plurality determines the health of your church.

In this book I will share what I have learned about how to define, experience, and assess a healthy plurality of elders, and I hope it helps you. We’ll look at what makes pluralities durable and what makes them so unpredictably delicate. We’ll talk specifically about why and how a healthy plurality contributes to a healthy church, including

how healthy pluralities keep the church moving forward,how healthy pluralities can be designed to work,how healthy pluralities create a context for elder care,how healthy pluralities offer authentic community that’s characterized by vulnerability, honesty, and growth through self-disclosure, andhow healthy pluralities, and the unity they enjoy, become a microcosm for the entire church.

Plurality matters. You see, the health and character of your team trumps the skill of the individual members. Ultimately, the health and character of your plurality will determine the health and vitality of the church. Together we will learn not to assume the health of our unity but to ask questions that will diagnose the strength and substance of our plurality. Together we will ask:

Do we agree with each other?Do we trust one another?Do we care for each other?Do we fit together?

But it’s about you too. A lot rides on your doing well in ministry. There aren’t many vocations out there of which it is said: “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:16). Thriving in God’s church amid the chaos of a fallen world is too difficult to be managed alone. For you to flourish, it takes a team.

My friends, we’re not merely looking for a few laughs, a season of growth, some decent conferences, and a nice retirement package. We want pastors and churches that last. But to achieve that goal, we need strong pluralities. Denominations, networks, collectives, and local churches will be successful to the extent that they encourage, and help in building, strong teams. Why? Because the quality of your plurality determines the health of your church.

Part 1

Building a Plurality

1

A Plurality Primer

It happened again. Another phone call, another crisis, another pastor walking alone. My heart aches for this guy. Leadership has always been a lonely experience for him, dependent solely upon his highly polished gifts. I hope he sees the different path of leadership we discussed—a road less traveled but in keeping with God’s design for flourishing churches.

Human beings are created for community (Rom. 12:4–5; Heb. 10:24–25). We’re made in the image of God just as our God dwells in the delights of eternal community (Matt. 28:19; John 1:1–18). Yes, as God exists in community, we are made to exist in community. We are relational creatures who derive our existence, salvation, identity, and hope from a relational Creator (Gen. 1:26–27; 5:1–2; 9:6; James 3:9). This remarkable experience of community shapes what it means to be truly human. The theme of connectivity flows across Scripture and—to the particular point of this book—informs church leadership. Leaders are called to community, connection, and collaboration.

I would love to tell you that I came to these convictions by seminary study, by analyzing healthy church models, and through examining what’s been most effective in the history of the church. Actually, my convictions began from a spiritual slap more than from anything that might earn me a pat on the back. This defining moment was a sort of holy headlock where the Spirit graciously grabbed me in my sin and pointed me in a different direction. Let me tell you about it.

Years ago, Kimm and I joined a church plant in the Philadelphia area. From the beginning, the church grew rapidly. Within eighteen months, I was invited onto the pastoral staff to help with evangelism, singles ministry, administration, and—well, you know—anything else that needed to be done. A few years later, some issues surfaced in the life of the lead pastor that raised some questions about whether or not that was a good role for him. Through a long and difficult process, it became clear that he wasn’t the guy to lead the church.

These events raised the obvious question “Who should be the church’s next leader?”

At that time, there was another man on staff who had helped to start the church. He was a lovable, pastoral, fatherly guy who had been one of the church planters. Since day one of the church plant, his house became the center of care and community. This guy was a respected voice, and he possessed the love and trust of the people.