# Team Ministry: Too many Cooks Spoil the Broth?



## Need 4 Creed (Apr 28, 2013)

Within the wider church world, there is a huge emphasis on team ministry today. Many church leadership teams, even if they have a pastor, share the preaching ministry. 

Reformed churches have traditionally differentiated between ruling elders and teaching elders and have set apart a minister of word and sacrament who will feed the flock.

So, is 'team ministry' (in the sense that elders share the preaching) a good thing, or do (as the old adage says) 'too many cooks spoil the broth?'


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## Edward (Apr 28, 2013)

Need 4 Creed said:


> Within the wider church world, there is a huge emphasis on team ministry today. Many church leadership teams, even if they have a pastor, share the preaching ministry.



I'm not familiar with that model, even in two office churches, such as the PCA. Where is it widespread to have the ruling elders preach, when there is a teaching elder available?


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## Need 4 Creed (Apr 28, 2013)

Many independent, evangelical, brethren, contemporary and charismatic and pentecostal churches follow a 'team ministry' model. If you click on a church's 'sermons' tab on their website, many have different preachers every week.

I should also have added, that I am talking about churches that would probably not distinguish between ruling and teaching elders.


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## DMcFadden (Apr 28, 2013)

My eldest son is lead pastor of an independent evangelical congregation in rural IL. They typically run around 850 in three services. My son does the majority of the preaching (probably 50%+) but three of the other full-time pastors also preach. They preach through a series, so whichever pastor has the pulpit that weekend, he takes the next sermon in the series. Obviously there are differences of temperament between the pastors. However, from what I hear, it works pretty well.

I don't know if this is a classic "team ministry" model in that my son is the "lead" pastor. The other pastors who preach are the pastor of worship ministries, the youth pastor, and the pastor emeritus. In their minds, it mitigates the "cult of personality" that often surrounds "successful" preachers.


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## Edward (Apr 28, 2013)

Yes, we have 10 ordained teaching elders (may be going to 11 this summer) so I am familiar with the multiple pastor set up, but I wasn't familiar with putting REs into the rotation. Seems like a poor practice unless necessitated by exigent circumstances.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Apr 28, 2013)

10 Ministers? That is a Presbytery, not a Church.


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## Need 4 Creed (Apr 29, 2013)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> 10 Ministers? That is a Presbytery, not a Church.



Hi Benjamin, is this a critique of the approach?


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## DMcFadden (Apr 30, 2013)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> 10 Ministers? That is a Presbytery, not a Church.



Everything is bigger in Texas, don't you know?


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Apr 30, 2013)

Need 4 Creed said:


> Backwoods Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> > 10 Ministers? That is a Presbytery, not a Church.
> ...



Yes.


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## Edward (Apr 30, 2013)

DMcFadden said:


> Everything is bigger in Texas, don't you know?



You mean that most church plants don't start out with 1400 in attendance at the first service?


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