Show Summary

In this episode of the Build Groups Podcast, host Adam Erlickman interviews Nick Edwards, a seasoned ministry leader and consultant who is newly joining the Build Groups team. The episode explores the unique, often misunderstood role of the Executive Pastor (XP). Drawing parallels to Biblical deacons in Acts 6, they define the XP as the "chief operations officer" of a church. Edwards highlights how a healthy XP takes the operational weight—such as HR, finances, and facilities—off the senior pastor, allowing the lead pastor to focus purely on vision and preaching. They discuss the critical need for alignment across all ministry departments and emphasize that a successful XP must care for the staff’s hearts, essentially acting as the "pastor to the pastors."

Key Takeaways

• The Biblical Blueprint for Operational Support: The role of an executive pastor echoes Acts 6, where leaders were appointed to manage administrative duties so the apostles could remain dedicated to preaching and the Word [08:11].
• When to Hire an XP: While under 250 members might not require one, churches typically experience a strong need for an Executive Pastor or a director of operations once they reach the 700 to 1,000-member mark to create leadership margin [10:42].
• Vision vs. Mission Strategy: The senior pastor is responsible for casting the long-term vision (where the church is going), whereas the executive pastor's job is to build the roadmap and execute the movement to get there [12:10].
• The Danger of Bad Hiring: A bad hire is one of the most expensive mistakes a church can make because its negative impact outlasts their termination—eroding volunteer trust, staff alignment, and overall church culture [26:01].

Best Quotes

• "The executive pastor is the person who really acts as the chief operations officer... so that the pastor can focus on vision, preaching, and being able to communicate the word of God." [08:56]
• "You never tell me anything I don't know, you just ask the questions I would never ask myself. And I think that's the role of a coach and consultant." [16:28]
• "We are calling you executive pastor because you have to have the heart of a pastor. We are not looking for an operations person; we are looking for a pastor who God has wired on the administrative side." [26:30]

Host Adam Erlichman welcomes small groups expert Bill Donahue to The Build Group podcast, where Bill shares his background from Philadelphia through marketplace work, seminary, and leadership roles including Willow Creek, and his current consulting with churches. They discuss Donahue’s 30th anniversary edition of his small group leader manual, how it originated, and why it has remained widely used with over 250,000 copies in print. Bill frames small groups theologically through the Trinity as the “first small group” and connects community to Imago Dei, addressing the modern loneliness epidemic and how groups can help people be known, healed, and supported. He identifies unhealthy leadership motives like pride and “fixing,” emphasizes apprenticeship as a biblical pattern, offers practical ways to start developing an apprentice, and outlines principles for naming reality and working through conflict, concluding that love is the key shift for life-changing groups.

Register for the 2027 DLN Conference here!

Katie Lundgren serves on staff at Compass Church Roanoke, where she works with community groups and leaders to cultivate healthy, life-giving connection. A longtime Marine wife, her leadership has been shaped by seasons of transition and deep community. Katie enjoys walking alongside people with honesty and authenticity, believing God uses real stories—even imperfect ones—to lead us into what’s next. She lives in Texas with her husband and two kids.

Matt Lear serves as the Spiritual Formation Minister at Church at the Cross in Grapevine, TX. Join Matt, Adam, and Matt as they explore launching new groups and determining the direction for a group's ministry.

For more resources, visit us at: buildgroups.net

Gary Vaughan serves as the Executive Pastor of Adult Discipleship at Harvest Church in Carmel, IN, where he and his family have served for the past 9 years. From 1996-2015, Gary served full-time in Southeastern Virginia at Nansemond River Baptist Church, for 12 years in Student Ministry and 7 years as the Pastor of Groups, Discipleship, and Family Ministry. He is passionate about shepherding leaders and equipping people to walk together in Christ-likeness, living on mission as ambassadors for Christ.

Gary & his wife Stacey have been married for 27 years, and have two sons, Ty (23) and Tripp (18), both attending Purdue University. In the Vaughan house, there are two seasons: hunting season and baseball season. Gary loves to hunt bucks & ducks, and also is a varsity baseball coach at Heritage Christian in Indy. He is a passionate Baltimore Orioles, Virginia Cavaliers, Dallas Cowboys, & Indianapolis Colts family. He loves spending time with his wife, Stacey, and sharing these passions with his family!

Steve is the Founder and CEO of the Small Group Network. An international, non-denominational network, started in 2007, to help churches Eradicate Loneliness, engage the Bible, and impact the world. Steve also serves as an Elder of Saddleback Church.

He stepped away in August 2025 from local church ministry, where he had been Pastor of Small Groups at Saddleback Church from February 1998 to August 2025, where he oversaw the strategic launch and spiritual development of over 7,000 adult small groups on multiple campuses. He has authored Small Groups With Purpose, which has been translated into fourteen languages to date, Leading Small Groups With Purpose, and Planning Small Groups With Purpose.

He has a driving passion to see each church attendee connected to a qualified shepherd and become an integral part of their church body, living purposefully for Christ. He frequently speaks at conferences and consults with church leaders from many denominations, both in the United States and around the world.

Prior to stepping into his full-time role with the SGN, Steve had been on five other church staffs of varying sizes. He earned a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1985 and a B.A. in Biblical Studies, with minors in Greek and Philosophy, in 1982 from Evangel University. Steve and Lisa have been married since 1989 and have two children, Erika and Ethan.

Saddleback Community Group Leaders Handbook
Small Group Guardrails image

Scott Sullivan is the Discipleship Catalyst for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, where he serves hundreds of churches all across the state. Scott and his team take churches through thorough assessments and, focusing on relational disciple-making practices, partner with pastors and leaders to create customized strategies within the context of their churches and communities.

You can connect with Scott over at:
https://gabaptist.org/ministries/discipleship/