A church plant Management Team plays several crucial roles in supporting the planter during the early stages of the new church. Go without a Management Team and you’ll be at risk for the following reasons.

If you’re starting a legally autonomous church congregation, you should not be flying solo until the someday that you can install and Eldership. You need a temporary church plant Management Team to fill that role. Because…

You Need Spiritual Covering

Planting a church is not an easy task. And the forces of darkness do not want to see you succeed. You will be opposed by outside forces and sometimes by people on your own team.

Your Management Team fulfills the role of Elders in being the spiritual authority of your congregation.

You Need Wise Counsel

Those that serve on your church plant Management Team will have life experience, wisdom, and spiritual gifts different than yours.  You’re going to encounter situations that you feel unprepared for. The wise counsel your Management Team brings will help you make better decisions.

You Need Accountability

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Planting a church will put pressure on all your cracks. It will tempt you to compromise the vision God entrusted you with and settle for some lesser or counterfeit version.

Install a Management Team that has authority and permission to ask you the hard questions and call you on the carpet. You’ll be healthier, stronger and eternally grateful that you did.

You Need a Corporate Board

On a very practical level, if you’ve incorporated as a nonprofit in your state, you need a Board of Directors. Depending on your Bylaws, that could be a separate body, but why? Your Management Team will already be meeting regularly during the first few years after incorporation. They’re already charged with the important, weighty things. Have them wear this hat, too, and you’ll save yourself a whole nutha round of meetings.

Don’t fly solo. Bring yourself under authority somehow. Especially if you’re starting an autonomous congregation, you need a church plant Management Team. And maybe a good pizza now and again.