Leaving IFB to become SBC

Closest I've seen to your dream scenario is at our current church, Sojourn (link is in my sig below). That is partially why I am there serving and attending as a member instead of filling a pulpit at present. I need to learn from an inside perspective what is happening, how this all came to be, and how to duplicate the effort in another location.

We have a packed house in 3 campus locations, for 7 services, with 20+ pastoral staff, over 1200 members and over 2400 average attendance, soon to be 4 campus locations (with a move of one campus to a recently purchased Catholic cathedral to increase capacity by 3 times over our current location), and additional services planned for 2 of the other locations.

We are currently OVER budget in giving, have ministry and missions projects going on all over the city, nation, and internationally, have started a new network of church plants, and are seeing growth in the neighborhood of 25% or more per year.

One of our membership requirements (per covenant agreement -- the membership process can take as long as a year to complete -- it is rigorous!) is SERVICE. Each member is fully expected to do at least one ministry in or for the church, whether watching kiddos, doing mercy ministry, music, arts, community group leadership, cleaning the campus, or some other ministry.

We don't treat our pastors like kings... They would not allow it! But they are esteemed and respected -- and compensated in keeping with their needs. They well understand that Christ is the true King, and that they are only mercifully saved under-shepherds who have a task and a role to fulfill.

One other thing that has worked well for us is that we have eliminated the issue of a cult of personality in the pastoral role by having multiple leaders who can each fill multiple roles. On any given Sunday at any one of the services or campuses, any one of the pastors may be preaching, another leading the service, and yet another leading worship. Worship pastors also preach, preaching pastors also lead worship, and all serve in multiple functions as campus pastors, counselors, elders, etc.

Glad that most of you realized that I had tongue fully planted in cheek when I wrote the daily routine of an SBC pastor... Unfortunately, I've met some who live EXACTLY that routine! I had a couple of men in mind when I wrote that little blurb above. :BangHead:

 

I suspected as much because I know you are a knowledgeable guy. I just wanted to clarify the relationship because it is:

1.) often misrepresented in the media because they don't understand it
2.) often a point of concern for Independent Baptists because some have been told the Convention is where the rules are made for the churches and the see the messenger as a delegate who votes on the rules that every one of the churches has to live by.

 

You're right, but some people have a hard time doing that.