Our Vision of Leadership and Decision Making

At New Hope we have chosen to not approach issues of leadership and decision making from the cultural model of secular democracy. It is our belief that a church is healthiest when it operates as a body with each part supportively functioning together. This concept is pictured for us in 1 Corinthians 12 and is built on the model of the early church.

The primary leadership of our church rests with our founding pastor. This is based on our recognition that God has called the pastor to this role and to this particular ministry. The record of Scripture is that God calls an individual to lead His people and provides that individual with a vision of His heart and a sense of burden for that vision which is unique to the position.

Part of any pastoral call includes a willingness to listen, seek counsel and be accountable. Our pastor is accountable to the Advisors of our Leadership Team and to his ordaining body for personal integrity and the performance of his pastoral responsibilities.

The Leadership Team is responsible to make administrative decisions for the congregation. Their decisions are intended to be those that better empower, equip, and enable the congregation to use their gifts in ministry so we fulfill our God given mission. Leaders listen, seek wise counsel and make decisions that are the outgrowth of prayer. The decision making process of our Leadership Team is one of consensus and each member of the team has an equal voice in that process.

Because the partners in this ministry are one body and the unity of that body is highly valued, the Leadership Team will sense occasions when the direction of the congregation will best be served by requesting the blessing of all the partners.

The blessing of our partners opens the way for the Leadership Team to shape the future, not by controlling, binding or restricting that future but by setting it free and opening it up to greater possibilities.