Keys to Becoming an Effective Associate Minister & Church Leader

By David W. Hopewell

This book is a must-read for all associate ministers and their spouses. Additionally, pastors would benefit greatly from Rev. Dr. Hopewell's insights into the thinking of associate ministers and would find this book helpful as a training and teaching tool for their associates.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stratton Press
• Release date: Nov 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9798887641218

David W. Hopewell

Dr. Hopewell is the founder of the Joshua Evangelism Ministry and School of Evangelism. He is also founder of the Joshua Ministry School of Associate Minister and Leadership Training. In addition, he has served as a contract worker for the North American Mission Board, training churches in the area of evangelism and outreach strategies. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Beulah Heights University, where he taught courses in Urban Evangelism and Leadership.He is the author of seven other books, "The Joshua Ministry," a systematic evangelism strategy based on the book of Joshua, "Joshua Implementation Manual," "Unity, The Highest Form of Evangelism," "Set the Captives Free," "Keys to Becoming & Effective Associate Minister & Church Leader," Joshua Ministry School of Evangelism Manual," and Joshua Ministry Associate Minister & Leadership Manual," and "Economic Evangelism. "He is a seminar speaker, evangelism outreach consultant, and strategist. For more information visit www.thejoshuaminsitryatl.org

Book preview

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my wife and children. I thank God for my wife who has stood by my side for over forty years. I thank God for a supporting family.

Special thanks to Reverend Dennis Mitchell for encouraging me to write this book.

Acknowledgements

Above all, I give God all the praise and glory. I thank Him for the principles he has taught me through the years. He has also allowed me to serve under incredible men and women of God that have poured into my life practical lessons, which have shaped me into the person I am today.

Special thanks to those who have spent long hours editing this work.

Forward

There is perhaps no greater misunderstood role in the church today than that of the associate minister. Not only is the role of associate minister misunderstood, but it is also one that has been beset with frustration, discouragement, suspicion, and a factor in church splits.

As Director of Church Planting for the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention-which facilitates the planting of approximately 1400 new churches a year, I am amazed at the number of new churches started as a result of church splits often by associate ministers who have grown frustrated and felt underutilized as an associate.

Not to be last in this discussion on the role of the associate minister and the frustration that often leads him of her to break off and stat their own ministry, is the fact that it is estimated that today between 50-60% of Protestant churches are plateaued or declining (most church growth authorities cite poor leadership as a major factor in church health)

Rev. Dr. Hopewell’s biblical perspective on the role of associate minister, coupled with my observation of associate ministers who went on to become senior pastor, has lead me to conclude that there exists a clear correlation between a successful associate ministry assignment and a successful pastorate.

Rev. Hopewell does an excellent job of using scripture and applying lessons learned in his over thirty years of ministry experience to provide his readers a very practical guide for serving as an associate minister.

This book is a must read for all associate ministers and their spouses. Additionally, pastors would benefit greatly from Rev. Hopewell’s insights into the thinking of associate ministers and would find this book helpful as a training, teaching tool for their associates.

I am so thankful that God has inspired Rev. Hopewell to write this which I feel is destined to contribute to the improved health of the body of Christ and quite possibly lead to an expansion of the Kingdom of God through the improved health of newly planted churches. Churches lead by pastors equipped to lead through their service as associate ministers.

My only regret is that I did not have benefit of the wisdom of this material when I was first called into the ministry. Oh, how many sleepless nights and distractions could have been avoided and how much a greater impact I could have made for the Kingdom!

_Dennis Mitchell

Director of Church Planting for the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention

Contents

 Introduction

 Chapter 1 Understand the Pastor’s Role

 Chapter 2 The Associate Minister

 Purpose

 Faithfulness

 Dying

 Servant

 Chapter 3 When not to scratch the Itch

 When it’s time to move on

Chapter 4 Who are you Serving under?

Pastor Moses or Pastor Saul,

And what will they allow

Chapter 5 Covering Weakness in Leadership

Character 6 The Calls of the Associate

 Chapter 7 Why the Circumstances

Introduction

There have been several times that I have been either in a teaching session, or in discussion with a minister or group of ministers where the topic of discussion seemed to focus on their frustration and discontent for their pastor or the ministry in which they currently serve. The frustrations all seem to be centered on the use, or lack there of, by their pastor, or their pastor’s response, or lack there of, concerning the vision that God had placed in their hearts. While I do understand their frustration having served twenty-two years of twenty-five years in ministry as an associate minister, I believe that a clear understanding of the role of the pastor, along with certain biblical principles, can be used to guide the associate minister, in his or her ministry and help in the development of a productive and effective relationship with the pastor.

This book is not written to those, whom aspire to only preach, but to those whom are struggling with the question, should I leave, or pregnant with a vision and call on their lives that are still sitting in the pew filled with frustration and the thought that God has abandoned the vision he once placed in your heart. The content of this book is for those who are at the point of leaving their church, yet not sure. I have drawn from over twenty-two years of working as an associate minister to share principles and real life experiences that have helped me to stay focused and in the center of God’s will for my life. I am sure that if you want to follow God and receive his blessings for your ministry, you will want to read this book. My only request is that you read it prayerfully with an open mind. I have written this book to reveal truth and offer solutions so that the relationship between the pastor and associate can become strong, and together they work as a team fulfilling God’s purpose individually and