“That was a fine presentation, son,” the elderly pastor chortled. “But it will never work.” The scene was 25 years ago, and I had just finished presenting at a ministry convention on the very topics covered in the series of articles you’re reading now: the pitfalls of settled pastorates; the need for every-member-ministry and church planting, etc. As a young pastor still uncertain of my bearings, the old hand’s comments were less than encouraging.
But contrary to his intent, they turned out to be thoroughly inspiring. At that time I shared some of his skepticism. I wasn’t sure myself whether the Western church could make the transition back to New Testament organization. I knew what the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy called the church to do and be. But I had not implemented such things in my handful of years in pastoral ministry, and I didn’t personally know anyone else who had, either. Yet paradoxically, in this success vacuum, the elder statesman’s critique became a challenge I could not resist. I decided I would spend the rest of my ministry doing all I could to transition the churches I led to do ministry as close as possible to the New Testament ideal.
Twenty-five years later I do not claim to be the expert on such matters. But through God’s Spirit, the ministry of hundreds of dedicated laypeople, and lots of good old-fashioned hard work, I can nonetheless say with great confidence: Nearly any church in the West that genuinely desires it can become a healthy, pastor-nondependent New Testament church that actively contributes to the planting of new churches and to a harvest that exceeds what settled pastorates can achieve.
I would also take this one step further: Not only is such a thing achievable, but the steps needed to achieve it are nearly always simple and straightforward. This, for me, has been one of the more surprising revelations in my ministry. My guess previously had been that only a complex answer could solve our seemingly complex problems. But today it is my firm conviction that in most cases simple and straightforward steps really will carry the day.
How Change Works
Before we get to specific action steps, let’s make sure we have a basic understanding of the dynamics of change. In my experience God often uses a four-step process of inspiration, education, actuation, and maturation to bring about successful change in His church. What follows is a brief description of this process, one that I will add more details to when I share specifically about how to return to a New Testament ministry paradigm:
Step 1: Inspiration. This step is someone catching Christ’s vision for the church. They in essence say, “I may not know how to do it, but I at least know God has something far better in store for His church, and I will be a part of making that happen!”
Step 2: Education. In this step the inspired person or group learns, from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, as much as they can about the anticipated change. They also read other relevant books, go to training events, watch seminars online, and talk with other like-minded learners. Perhaps most important, they share what they’re learning with others in the church, expanding the number of potential adopters of God’s dream for the church. Note that usually during step 2 initial plans are drawn up, envisioning ways to take God’s dreams into reality. The goal is to learn as much as possible, doing as much prework as possible, in preparation for step 3.
Step 3: Actuation. Step 3 is the implementation of the plans drawn up in step 2. Mistakes will undoubtedly be made, but they are quickly learned from and result in appropriate adjustments. Feedback loops (board meetings, committees, surveys, etc.) that regularly assess progress and the quality of change allow improvements to be made. Implementation of all new procedures is done with as much clarity, communication, and teamwork as possible. This third step takes time (months to years) and easily requires the most work. But it is also the most rewarding and, in my experience, often when the most fun happens.
Step 4: Maturation. In step 4 the feedback loops in the third step can bear rich fruit. Lessons learned from both mistakes and successes are integrated regularly into the life and ministry of the church, enabling it to foresee (and thereby avoid) potential future threats. Additionally in step 4, members who show facility for leadership are regularly trained and deployed into service, with leadership succession a normal consideration for all ministry positions. To keep momentum going, whatever communication mediums the church has—sermons, bulletins, newsletters, children’s stories, email lists, etc.—are all regularly leveraged to reflect the progress God is making. In these ways long-lasting, positive change is embedded in the culture of the church.
With this basic change process in mind, let’s apply it to the task at hand by reviewing sample plans for: (a) how a local church can transition to a New Testament ministry paradigm; (b) how local conferences can support this effort; and (c) how upper levels of church administration can help this trend grow and continue indefinitely.
Returning the Local Church to Its Roots
Imagine that you are one of the inspired people who wants to return your church to a New Testament basis of ministry. You’re excited about the possibilities and want to move forward wisely and effectively. So you start with the end goals in mind—that is, you start by clearly identifying the specific behaviors a bona fide New Testament-based Seventh-day Adventist church exhibits. I would suggest at least four behavioral goals:
- The pastor is an evangelist/church planter. As a church more closely follows the New Testament plan, its members will depend more on Christ and less on a settled pastor, ideally to the point of doing without the latter. This will dramatically free up the settled pastor’s time, enabling him or her to return to the New Testament role of evangelist/church planter.
- Elders lead day-to-day operation of the church. This goal is closely connected to the first. As a settled pastor ceases to hover over an established church, it will be tangibly, substantively led by its elders.
- Every member is engaged in ministry. Members in a New Testament church are trained to do effective ministry for Jesus both inside and outside of the church—again, in the absence of a settled pastor.
- Churches plant churches. Established churches that are following the New Testament paradigm will regularly plant new churches, or at least support church planting elsewhere in regular, tangible ways.
With these specific behavioral goals in mind, we’re now ready for a strategic plan to achieve them. The following is a sample plan for bringing a local church back into a New Testament mode of ministry. It is based on the four-step change process (inspiration, education, actuation, and maturation). Feel free to adapt it to your own circumstances as needed:
Nearly any church in the West that genuinely desires it can become a healthy, pastor-nondependent New Testament church that actively contributes to the planting of new churches and to a harvest that exceeds what settled pastorates can achieve.
Step 1: Inspire. The goal here is for you (or an already-established guiding coalition of supporters, if available) to become a catalyst for change by seeking to inspire others in God’s new direction. Pray first and extensively, listening for the leading of God’s Spirit. Enlist others to pray, as well. Then, when the time is right, speak with your pastor about the things you’ve learned. Tell him or her how much you appreciate their ministry. Then share your understanding of the New Testament plan for every-member ministry: how early Adventism gave pastors a job description that freed them from unreasonable member expectations and enabled them to reap a mighty harvest for Christ; the pivotal role church planting played in the explosive growth in the New Testament and early Adventism; etc. If, alternatively, you are the pastor, share your convictions on these same topics with your head elder or other select key leaders. Present with courage, grace, and enthusiasm. Seek to inspire them as you have been inspired!
Step 2: Educate. If you find no receptivity to your efforts to inspire, keep praying. If you do find receptivity, then educate, educate, educate, in as systematic a fashion as possible. Consider forming a compelling PowerPoint presentation that includes such things as the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy references you’ve learned about (refer to the list of resources listed at the end of this article for assistance). Educate specifically on the four behavioral end goals mentioned earlier. Start with your pastor, if not already approached in step 1. Then, with his or her permission (and if possible, with him or her present), move to the elders. Then share with other key leaders (the church board, patriarchs, matriarchs, other key leaders in the church, etc.). Give them relevant books to read. Arrange for them to view pertinent online resources. Many churches have taken their entire leadership teams (board of elders, church board, etc.) to relevant seminars or watched videos together online so as to hear the same instruction and have an opportunity for group processing.
When the time is right, and with appropriate permissions, make plans for at least one sermon series to be preached during Sabbath morning worship. Topics covered should include the reasons for the return to a New Testament footing and, if possible, the drafts of future plans (see below) to implement this return. Follow the series with town hall meetings so that questions can be fielded in an open mic setting. The idea is to make as many appropriate resources available as possible to help members understand and embrace the changes envisioned.
From this series of educational experiences, churches become qualified to form plans to be implemented in step 3. Below are sample plans for the achievement of each of the four behavioral end goals. Again, modify them as needed for your context:
- The pastor is an evangelist/church planter. Ask some key questions here. For instance, is the current settled pastor capable and willing to plant a new church? If yes, map out a timeline to meet with conference leadership to discuss how and when the pastor will cease being settled and start planting instead. If not gifted in church planting, is the pastor equipped for general evangelism in the current church’s district, such as through preaching a public series of meetings, community engagement/starting a center of influence, etc.? If so, the pastor should make plans with the church as to when and how elders will take over most ministry functions (see next bullet point below) so the pastor will have time for implementing an ongoing evangelistic cycle of gospel seed sowing/nurturing of new interests/reaping/establishing converts in the faith, etc.
- Elders lead day-to-day operation of the church. When the congregation is sufficiently educated and enthusiastic, ask, What is the current settled pastor doing for established members? List all such activities: Bible studies, hospital visitation, general ministry troubleshooting, member crisis intervention, preaching, janitorial work, bulletin preparation, Sabbath School teaching (including New Believers’ classes), committee chair duties, etc. Then, be brutally honest: Which of these activities can only be done with reasonable proficiency by the settled pastor? List those activities separately . . . if there are indeed any to be listed (and remember to be brutally honest!). Then progressively map out how and when to transfer all remaining duties to local elders. In larger churches, this may require reorganizing the church’s ministries into five to seven major categories,[1] with a qualified elder guiding each category. This may require time and training and will put some elders out of their comfort zones. But I have found most will readily rise to the occasion and are often thrilled to be doing such impactful ministry. The results of a successful transition like this are often extremely positive, as lay members learn firsthand what the New Testament knew all along: working side by side with Jesus Christ as He works in a local church, ordered in the biblical way, is far more fulfilling than working in settled pastorates could ever be.
It’s important to note that this level of elder leadership does not eliminate the conference-appointed pastor as leader of the local church. The pastor will still be its leader, whether they stay on-site or not. This is in keeping with New Testament/early Adventist ministry, in which an apostle/minister still retained authority over local churches even if not present.
- Every member is engaged in ministry. As the settled pastor begins to cease his or her hovering over the church, plans will need to be implemented to complement the new paradigm. In preparation for this, assess the ministries of the church. What’s being done well? What’s being done poorly? What ministries need to stop (if any)? What ministries need to be started to complement the new pastor-nondependent church environment? Who will be responsible for engaging guests on Sabbath morning? How will those guests who show interest be nurtured to the point of baptism? How will the church help new members grow to maturity in Christ? Write down plans to address the needs generated by this assessment. Consider providing spiritual gifts testing (available at the Adventist Book Center and through other online sources), so as to match the right member with the right ministry. In larger churches, consider establishing a standing nominating committee to oversee member engagement in ministry. The goal is to have plans in place to involve every church member in meaningful ministry, both inside and outside of the church, such that the totality of the church’s mission is fulfilled—again, in the absence of a settled pastor.
- Churches plant churches. If the current settled pastor is going to become a church planter, they should contact the local conference office and ask for guidance and training. If there are areas within a 25-mile radius of the current church that are ripe for planting, the conference may recommend one of those locations for your pastor to plant in. This means plans will likely need to be crafted for how the current congregation will participate in and support the new church. Conversely, if there are no good planting locations nearby, or if the current pastor is not going to plant, plans should be made in consultation with the conference for the current church to support church planting in other parts of the conference through their financial donations, prayers, or volunteer hours.
Step 3: Actuate. With the necessary approvals in-hand (church board vote, conference approval if needed, etc.), implement the plans drafted in step 2. As mentioned previously, adjust for reality as needed; expect setbacks, learn from them, implement changes to counter them, and move forward. Additionally, present regular progress reports to the congregation (and, if needed, to the conference), both in person on Sabbath mornings and in print (via email, church newsletters, etc.). The work in this step can be difficult! But if you’ve prayerfully done your homework, you will also be deeply blessed by the results. Give it time, keep praying, keep moving forward, and God will provide the fruit in due season.
4. Maturate. The process outlined previously for step 4 previously is straightforward, and I won’t repeat it here. But one word of caution: As tempting as it can be, skipping this step will almost certainly, sooner or later, short-circuit progress. Don’t skip moving to maturity! There is no other way to solidify the changes being made such that they’ll last till Christ returns.
With this process in mind, it’s time to deal with an important realization.
Different Churches, Different Levels of Success
After years of teaching, preaching, and implementing the New Testament paradigm in local churches, I have found there are three levels of implementation most Western churches achieve.
What I would call a level 3 church is the lowest level of engagement with the New Testament paradigm of ministry. Such a church essentially goes through the first two steps of the change process detailed above—inspiration and at least some education—but decides early on that it will not be implementing the needed changes. There can be a variety of reasons (both valid and invalid) for this, and I won’t take the time to detail them now. But despite their lack of local implementation, rarely have I seen such congregations condemn the New Testament ideal. On the contrary, they often readily admit the need for it, and support it from afar with their prayers, votes at constituency sessions, financial donations, and occasionally (if a fledgling pastor-nondependent church is geographically near enough) their volunteer hours. Level 3 churches can thus still play an important part in righting Western Adventism’s ministry ship.
Moving on, a level 2 church goes deeper. It is highly enthusiastic about returning to the New Testament ministry ideal while retaining their pastor locally. Despite the pastor’s presence, the church goes as far as possible to turn day-to-day ministry operations over to the congregation under the leadership of the local elders. The pastor may still preach on many Sabbath mornings (though elders and others so gifted may also preach). But sermons are now regularly geared for guests rather than established members, and established members see it as one of their top spiritual priorities to bring guests to what essentially becomes an every-Sabbath evangelistic series. Ideally level 2 churches can sufficiently free up their pastors’ time so that the pastor can plant a new church nearby, taking some members from the current church to establish the new one. This is a win for both the pastor and the congregation, as the congregation learns to largely take care of itself, and the pastor can fulfill their rightful apostolic/church planting function.
And what about a level 1 church? A level 1 church does all that a level 2 church does, but the congregation also willingly surrenders the services of their pastor so they can go and plant new churches. The pastor may return on occasion to preach at and check in on the established church, much as the New Testament apostles and early Adventist preachers did. But their ministry will be focused nearly 100 percent on church planting. The elders run the established church, overseeing all its day-to-day functions—which is an apt segue to our next section.
Supportive Conferences Needed
Many conference leaders get nervous at this point in my presentation. How, they wonder, can a church retain accountability to the sisterhood of churches if it doesn’t have a pastor located over it? The question is a good one, and I would offer a twofold response.
First, it is reassuring to remember that the overwhelming majority of Adventism around the world operates year-round without settled pastors. It’s how Adventism is wired to work. It’s the reality the Church Manual is built on. This would seem to indicate that while wisdom is required whenever substantive changes are made in the church, we need not fear the absence of settled pastors. It is a solvable problem.
Second, when a formerly settled pastor leaves their established church to plant a new one, the established church should become part of a district, if possible, under the formerly settled pastor. As mentioned above, this now-district pastor would retain normal pastoral authority in that established church even though they are no longer on-site. Then—and fully realizing the unusual nature of this proposal—I would gently suggest that conferences in the West consider paying a modest monthly stipend to the head elder of each genuinely pastor-nondependent church. True, most elders outside of the West receive no pay for their ministry. But perhaps it’s time we leveraged the undue weight given to capital in Western culture and allocate some of it to qualified elders. By “modest stipend,” I mean truly modest[2]—big enough to say, “We value your service and time”; small enough to discourage opportunists merely looking for a side gig. And again, this would be only for elders of churches who have no pastor who regularly ministers in them. In return, the head elder would meet monthly with the conference ministerial director and would also be required to attend the same training events provided by the conference for its ministerial interns. When coupled with the oversight exercised by the district pastor, this could provide a tangible, compensated link between pastor-nondependent churches and local conference leadership that, over time, will build trust and healthy accountability.
In addition to such tangible methods of support, local conferences can also engage publicly in the first two steps (inspiration and education) of the four-step change process. Import the knowledge and experience needed to do this, if necessary. Provide time at camp meetings, constituency sessions, and in conference emails and newsletters to highlight the benefits of the New Testament modes of ministry. Recognize as heroes those pastors and laypeople who are living it. Such support can, over time, pay large and positive dividends. (If anyone doubts this, I encourage them to watch the reports from the pastor-nondependent divisions of the world church given at any recent General Conference Session. It is simply jaw-dropping what God does through places on earth that don’t depend on settled pastorates!)
Support From Upper Levels of the Church
Though it is completely above my pay grade, may I humbly suggest how unions and divisions in the West can support a return to New Testament modes of ministry?
First, share publicly and often the principles and practices of ministry found in the New Testament and in early Adventism. There is gold to be found here! Hearing you recite such things frees up many others to pursue God’s true plan for local churches.
Second, gradually reallocate how money is spent on pastoral training. For instance, current practice in most of the West is to formally train Adventist ministers to become settled pastors. A better plan may be to establish an apostle/church planter track at seminaries/training institutions. This will enable us to graduate pastors who could then be sent into, say, one of the many large and unreached metro areas in the West to start new churches. Over a period of four to eight years union/division funding could be shifted so that perhaps 25 percent of all their pastoral training subsidies would go to support the new track. Based on my experience, I would assert that within five to 10 years of the first graduates beginning their church planting efforts, the amount of tithe returned from the converts they win would easily equal or outstrip the costs of their training and ensuing salary packages. And by the way: All their new members would be taught to be pastor-nondependent from the start, meaning the conferences these churches were planted in would not have to add an additional salary when the founding pastor leaves one new church to go plant the next. Note also that particularly in high-population-density metro areas, a planting pastor could live in the same location and have his or her children attend the same Adventist schools for decades as they planted 10, 15, or 20 new churches in new (but geographically nearby) areas of the city. If we wish to reach the cities, nonsettled pastors repeatedly starting new pastor-nondependent churches may be the key we’ve been looking for.
A Warning—and Great Hope
The state of Western Adventism today remains a cautionary tale to the rest of the world field. Please, do not settle your pastors over your churches as we have. You will only gain our problems. Your growth rates will inevitably become as sluggish as ours, and the work in your field will be likewise on retreat. Instead of you following our example, let us follow yours.
And to my friends and coworkers in the West: We have great reasons for hope! Many of you are weary of working so hard in settled pastorates for so little return. It is time for a righteous revolution! And contrary to my elderly critic 25 years ago, it is easily within our grasp. Let us pray, let us roll up our sleeves, and let us get to work. The promised great revival is coming! And a return to New Testament principles and practices will without question be a pivotal part of that heavenly work.
Resources by the author:
- GYC Final Charge sermon (delivered Dec. 31. 2024). Rapidly covers pastor-nondependency, church planting, and other facets of New Testament ministry. See https://www.youtube.com/live/2_z2xPria38?si=BuWzFvKRStia2oTV .
- “ChurchWorks,” a seven-part sermon series given between January and May 2025 at Pioneer Memorial church. Covers pastor-nondependency, church planting, and numerous other facets of New Testament ministry. Part 1 is found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGqMnJAJW84 .
- “ChurchWorks, Part 4: One Final Revolution” (delivered Apr. 19, 2025) is a good source for Spirit of Prophecy quotations on pastor-nondependency. Given at Pioneer Memorial church. See https://youtu.be/HYkHRg4xqug?si=0P1UozRJfpsGtf-t .
- “Reducing Pastor-Dependency in the New Market Seventh-day Adventist Church Through Self-Managed Ministry Teams” (2017). Available at https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dmin/305/ or https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/305. NOTE: Appendix B (see p. 130) is a well-stocked collection of key Spirit of Prophecy quotations on settled pastors, church planting, every-member ministry, etc. If you’re looking to create your own presentation, this is a good place to start.
Resources by Russell Burrill:
Russell Burrill, professor emeritus at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, was a pioneer in the 1990s and early 2000s in resurrecting New Testament ministry in the local Adventist church. His books are a treasure trove of information on pastor-nondependency, lay ministry, church planting, etc.
- Recovering an Adventist Approach to the Life and Mission of the Local Church (Fallbrook, Calif.: Hart Research Center, 1998). Excellent synopsis of Burrill’s extensive research on the New Testament ministry paradigm.
- Revolution in the Church (Fallbrook, Calif.: Hart Research Center, 1993).
- Radical Disciples for Revolutionary Churches (Fallbrook, Calif.: Hart Research Center, 1996).
- The Revolutionized Church of the 21st Century: The Explosive Power of a Church Built on Relationships (Fallbrook, Calif.: Hart Research Center, 1997).
- Rekindling a Lost Passion: Re-creating a Church Planting Movement (Fallbrook, Calif.: Hart Research Center, 1999).
- Waking the Dead: Returning Plateaued and Declining Churches to Vibrancy (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 2004).
Resources by additional authors:
- Justin Kim, “One Dangerous Idea,” editorial, Adventist Review, August 2025, p. 2. Access at https://adventistreview.org/review-magazine/august-2025/ .
- P. Gerard Damsteegt, “Have Adventists Abandoned the Biblical Model of Leadership of the Local Church?” Faculty Publications (2005), paper 60. Available at http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/church-history-pubs/60 .
- Wesley McDonald, “Let My Pastors Go! The Reason Why Jesus Delays His Return.” Available at https://www.letmypastorsgo.com.
- Blake Jones, “An Apostle or Elder? The Critical Need to Define the Adventist Minister’s Role,” paper presented at the Adventist Theological Society, Nov. 22, 2014. Available at https://www.stonetowersda.org/wp-content/uploads/ATS-paper-Role-of-Ministers.pdf .
[1] Examples of possible categories: evangelistic ministry (could include personal ministries, Bible study correspondence ministries, etc.), children/youth ministry, church administration (could include financial and physical plant management ministries), church life ministries (could include women’s ministries, men’s ministries, wedding/baby shower/funeral planning teams, young adult ministries, etc.), spiritual growth ministry (could include adult Sabbath School, small groups, etc.), and worship ministry.
[2] Perhaps 2-5 percent of a full-time pastor’s monthly salary.
