Personal Disciplines and Discipleship

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PASTOR-CHURCH COVENANT BETWEEN

DR. ______, SENIOR PASTOR

AND

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF ______

Covenants are more than contracts and more than simple agreements. Covenants are promises made with God as our witness, and this Witness is more than the judge of our actions and character. God gives us the vision, strength, help and renewal that every believer and every church needs to do earthly good for the glory of God and the hope of others.

We enter this covenant to promote a harmonious, loving, and beneficial working relationship. It serves as evidence of mutual understanding of the stewardship of our mutual purpose and our unique, gifted roles in ministry in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask God’s blessing on us as we sincerely enter into this covenant and carry it out by the mercies and love of God. Together we will review this covenant at least annually in order to keep it up to date and alive in the minds of all.

Within this covenant, we state our shared understandings of our purposes and mission in associating ourselves as a church; and commit each party to particular responsibilities in this effort. To clarify the many aspects of church life, this covenant is organized in five sections:

1. Personal Disciplines and Discipleship
2. Care and Development of the Call to Minister
3. Service
4. Resources
5. Internal and External Relationships

The congregation of the First Baptist Church of ______solemnly and joyfully calls as its full-time Senior Pastor, ______, and enters into the following covenant with him, effective ______.

Signed by:

Chair, Pastor Search Committee: ______Date: ______

Chair, Council of Deacons: ______Date: ______

Chair, Church Administration Team: ______Date: ______

Senior Pastor: ______Date: ______

The Author, James B. Johnson II, grants full rights for use of this sample to the Ministering to Ministers Foundation, Inc.

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I. Personal Disciplines and Discipleship

We understand that the followers of Christ and members of this church family are called to:

Practice the Christian faith with joy.

Adopt disciplines of prayer and reflection on the scriptures.

Remain accountable to one another in matters of conduct and discipleship.

Avoid wrongdoing and even the appearance of wrongdoing.

Practice thoughtful and realistic stewardship of time, physical well being, family responsibilities, financial resources, emotional resources and gifts for ministry.

Protect time for personal renewal and family commitments, enrichment, growth and fun.

Remain open to direct and honest dialogue and evaluation without being offended.

Value and bring all talents to bear on this and each season in the church’s pilgrimage.

Be flexible and open to change and willing to bring energies to the process.

Exercise responsible Christian citizenship.

Within our shared responsibilities we each covenant…

The Pastor Will: / The Members of the Church Will:
Prove to be a person worthy of trust, dedicated to the work of the ministry, and competent to perform it. / Trust the pastor as a person of integrity, dedicated to the work of the ministry and as a competent professional person who will exercise the opportunity responsibly and wisely.
Maintain a moral, healthy and fulfilling life he believes to be pleasing to God. Exhibit integrity in personal, relational, financial and other matters so as to be a credit to the church. / Maintain moral, health and fulfilling lives, pleasing to God and a credit to the church.
Seek to win people to Christ through preaching, teaching and witness. / Seek to win people to Christ by the teaching and sharing of the Word of God.
Display fidelity to the supremacy of the scriptures and loyalty to Baptist beliefs as supported in the Scriptures. / Display fidelity to the supremacy of the scriptures and loyalty to Baptist beliefs as supported in the Scriptures.
Allow persons to be who they are and, specifically, the freedom to be led by the Spirit of God rather than compelled. / Allow the pastor the freedom to be self-defined rather than expected to fit into a preconceived ministerial mold.
Invite persons to share in the joys and challenges of Christian discipleship. / Share in the joys and challenges of Christian discipleship with the pastor.
Support persons on their spiritual pilgrimage. / Pursue the high calling in Christ Jesus with zeal. Be open to and seek the counsel of spiritual mentors in and out of the church.
Lead the preparation and delivery of meaningful worship experiences. / Contribute to the preparation and delivery of meaningful worship experiences. Arrive prepared in heart to worship.
Preach, teach and counsel on the stewardship of time, talent, treasure, and testimony. / Respond to God’s invitation to give a worthy proportion of our time, talents, treasure and testimony to Christian service through The First Baptist Church of ______.
Avoid confounding the Gospel and the mission of the church with personal opinions. / Avoid pressuring the Pastor to confound the Gospel and the mission of the church with personal opinions and worldly values.
Acknowledge that constructive criticism from the congregation can be helpful, and be open to accept it and profit by it. / Acknowledge that constructive criticism from the church, its members or pastor, can be helpful, and be open to accept it and profit by it. Confer with the pastor about any complaint made against him and refrain from passing judgment until full information is available.
Acknowledge that people are imperfect and the church is imperfect, but God uses us still. / Acknowledge that the pastor is imperfect and the church is imperfect, but God uses us still.

II. Care and Development of the Call to Minister

We understand that the followers of Christ and members of this church family are called to:

Protect time and energies for worship, Christian education, service and witness in and through the church. We will also support others in this.

Sustain a growing edge in life and ministry by remaining teachable and open to God’s future.

Encourage one another to explore new avenues of ministry.

Allow seasons for individuals to be set apart for specific ministries.

Make one’s self available and accountable to peer members of the church and mentors.

Utilize training events to equip ourselves for further, different, and more effective service.

Affirm all in the exercise of our respective ministries.

Within our shared responsibilities we each covenant…

The Pastor Will: / The Members of the Church Will:
Be supportive of clergy colleagues and of laity in the service of the church, and encourage others to consider ministry as a vocational option. / Be supportive of clergy and laity in service in the church. Nurture potential candidates for the ministry.
Participate in continuing education experiences. / Participate in Christian education and leadership training events.
Utilize career guidance and counseling experiences appropriate for the evolving phases of the pastor’s ministry. / Utilize the pastor and other lay mentors in discerning the call of God to new or changing service throughout life.
Lead and assist in training and spiritual growth of the individuals of the congregation in the stewardship of life, the knowledge of Bible, faith and practice, the testimony of personal faith in word and example, and Christian caring to those in need. / Seek to grow in faith and service through participation in worship, study, and training. Recruit persons to use their spiritual gifts in ministry through the councils, committees, and ministries of the church.

III. Service

We understand that the followers of Christ and members of this church family are called to:

Serve Jesus Christ and others in the caring spirit of the Lord, with urgency for those in crisis.

Serve within the spirit, policies and practice of the Rules or Order and the Constitution and Bylaws of the Church.

Pray for one another sincerely and regularly.

Provide an environment where persons are not only willing to serve, but are encouraged to take risks for Christ’s sake and others.

Support the role of both women and men in church leadership and ordained ministry.

Support in thought and action the historic Baptist principles of soul freedom, authority of the Bible, the freedom and responsibility of individuals to interpret and apply Scripture to their lives, the autonomy of the local congregation, religious freedom, and believer’s baptism.

Provide enthusiastic support for presenting the gospel in meaningful, contemporary ways in the 21st Century and appropriate beneficial technologies for the present and future.

Recognize that, however well-meaning, everyone makes mistakes, requires forgiveness, and may not always live up to expectations.

Within our shared responsibilities we each covenant…

The Pastor Will: / The Members of the Church Will:
Contribute to an environment where pastor and people can do their best work. / Create an environment where the pastor can do his best work, one in which the support is sure, his family loved and respected, the compensation adequate, and his reputation not sullied without cause.
Invest meaningfully and with sufficient commitment in ministry with the First Baptist Church of ______to build strong relationships and presence in the community. / Invest personally, meaningfully and with commitment to be a strong support to the pastor and the church.
Keep promises. / Keep promises.
Perform the duties of Senior Pastor in the model of Christ, as a servant and shepherd to the congregation, rather than autocratic ruler. / Seek the counsel of the Senior Pastor and, while free to respond according to the Spirit, also be responsive to appropriate shepherding.
Encourage and facilitate processes where the laity lead the church in decisions. / Informed by the Spirit, have the courage to make decisions and follow through with action.
Perform duties relating to the office such as preaching, worship planning, evangelistic outreach, teaching, the development and evaluation of Christian education programs, counseling and visitation. / Provide the opportunities, presence and support which optimizes the effect of Christian worship, teaching, counseling and visitation.
Provide pastoral leadership and care to persons in crisis. / Identify persons in crisis and provide support according to gifts and opportunity. Respond affirmatively if a crisis call for assistance is issued.
Be available to those in need. Respond to crises, calls, requests for conversation, and appeals for assistance promptly. / Be sensitive to the obligatory priorities and array of challenges placed on the pastor.
Hold in confidence any privileged communication received during the conduct of his ministry. No confidential communication offered in public or private will be disclosed unless convinced the sanctity of confidentiality is outweighed by the belief that there is clear danger the individual will threaten or harm self or others, or if the privilege is waived by that individual giving information. / Support the pastor’s obligation to protect privileged communications unless the well being of the source or others is in danger.
Preach sermons that are earnestly and well prepared, Biblical, appropriate to the lives of individuals and the times, and well delivered. / Guarantee the freedom of the pulpit so the pastor can preach in his own manner, style and, in terms of content, as the Spirit of God leads and in accordance with the Scriptures. Listen for the word of God within the sermon, and, if the Spirit of Truth is evident, respond faithfully.
Lend support to both traditional and new styles of worship and opportunities in service and Christian growth. / Lend support to both traditional and new styles of worship and opportunities in service and Christian growth.
Arrange for replacement during pastoral absences in collaboration with Worship Council. / Support in spirit and presence the ministries of persons acting in pastoral roles in the absence of the pastor.
Provide spiritual leadership for the church:

• With others, identify and convey God’s vision for the church;
• Provide well-prepared sermons;
• Provide diligent and creative support of innovative church outreach and local mission efforts, motivating involvement in the mission;
• Develop disciples to serve at their full potential;
• Assist in the discernment of leaders for specific ministries;
• Build the church as a team serving with complementary gifts;
• Interpret information and signs to help the church make strategic decisions;
• Communicate spiritual truths, Baptist principles and church plans;
• Foster an environment where the church listens and hears the “still, small voice of God”;
• Maintain focus on the Christian, Baptist, Church mission;
• Model a behavior that honors Christ.

/ Respond openly to the guidance of the spiritual leaders of the church. Develop and use one’s own spiritual gifts and encourage others to do likewise.
Educate about and call for service through groups, associations and denominational bodies with which we have made commitments. / Make allowances in the budget, in time, and by setting aside and preparing persons for ministry through groups, associations and denominational bodies with which we have made commitments.
Facilitate training in processes in conflict-management. / Engage in and train for managing differences with Christian love and good will.
Serve cooperatively and in a servant-like spirit with the Officers, Council and Committee members, and congregation. / Serve cooperatively and in a servant-like spirit with the Officers, Council and Committee members, members of the congregation, and pastor. Keep the pastor informed as to considerations and decisions of the councils and committees of the church, as well as their need for staff support.
Seek consultation with and the counsel of the Personnel Committee, as well as other leaders and members of the church. / Through the Personnel Committee or other agreed upon forums, review at least annually the duties, working conditions, equipment, compensation, vacation, working environment, and performance of the pastor. Provide honest, straight-forward, meaningful affirmation, as well as constructive criticism of the pastor in an effort to encourage and improve his effectiveness.
Recognize new staff requirements and make needs known. Participate in the search and selection of staff and volunteers. Provide day-to-day staff supervision, allocation of respective responsibilities, and, in conjunction with the Personnel Committee, staff evaluations. / Provide for the recruitment, selection, orientation, support, general supervision and evaluation of staff according to the Constitution and Bylaws. The church will not call pastoral associates or other staff without the support of the pastor.
Abide by the decisions of the church with respect to termination of his employment. All efforts on his part will be made to maintain the coherence of the gospel message, continuation of the various ministries and the unity of believers in the transition to follow. / In the event that the tenure of the pastor is terminated through action in accordance with the Bylaws, give consideration to adequate terms, including, but not limited to expectations regarding relationships with members, transference of any on-going pastoral responsibilities to others, and severance package.

IV. Resources

We understand that the followers of Christ and members of this church family are called to:

Call on one another in times of need for help, clarification, guidance, instruction, and other forms of support that the church might minister to its own as it should.

Request the support of resources and staff of kindred churches, supportive agencies, associations or denominations to support the church in seasons of planning, beginnings, growth, decision and crisis.

Within our shared responsibilities we each covenant…

The Pastor Will: / The Members of the Church Will:
Serve as Pastor to the First Baptist Church of ______. After the will of God and the well being of his family, the pastor will recognize this opportunity as his primary obligation and entertain additional responsibilities only if they do not interfere with the overall effectiveness of ministry. The pastor will not use his office to seek personal favors, advantages, or discounts on the basis of his professional status. / Provide the resources required for effective service of the pastor. These include but are not limited to:

• Adequate volunteer commitments and staff to serve in the ministries of the church;
• Worship and education space;
• Office environment;
• Study leave and the means and materials to partake in continuing education;
• Time for each of the required pastoral duties;
• Orientation to the work;
• Availability of the primary documents of the church; and
• Pastoral ministries financial package.

Formulate and post a schedule of working days and hours, and make known to the secretary, staff and lay leadership when he is needed out of the office during posted hours and how to be in touch. Make known to the secretary and leadership how he can be reached for emergencies when he is out of town. Communicate regularly with lay leadership and staff. / Provide staff support and resources as needed for the pastor’s work, including secretarial support; bulletins and other communications tools; funds for special ordinances and pastoral projects within annual budget guidelines and constraints.