Review these questions and answers before forming your own! We will continue adding to these FAQs in the following weeks, so check back here for more info.
Is it typical in the Vineyard not to have one senior pastor? What does Vineyard USA think of this team-led approach?
No, it’s not typical. Because the Vineyard movement was birthed through individual pastors called to plant churches, most Vineyard churches are led by a senior pastor or a married couple who co-pastor. However, as succession becomes more prevalent, there are some churches adopting various other models. Even in churches with a senior pastor, preaching teams have become increasingly common. Vineyard USA has been supportive of VCC’s process these past several years and we will continue to be integrated with the movement in many ways.
What does “shared discernment” or “pursuing God’s will together” mean?
Glad you asked! Ultimately it is a posture of asking God what he wants in every context possible and doing so with each other, knowing that hearing God works better together. We do this not only because we think God cares about what we do (amazingly!) but also because we have found the process of seeking him together actually draws us closer to him (forms us and grows us spiritually) and to each other. Sometimes the process is even more fruitful than the things we set out to do!
Shared discernment can take shape in many different ways depending on the context and objective, but we have learned starting from the book Pursuing God’s Will Together a helpful template consisting of three parts: individual formation, group formation, and decision-making together. The template can be adjusted and scaled in many ways because not every activity or decision requires the same effort, but this approach impacts how we look at everything that happens in and through the church. You can hear more in Caleb’s explanation and summary of this template from June 2025.
There’s much to discover and learn about shared discernment for us as a church. As we have said, one of the main things the Pastoral Leadership Team will be doing is equipping the church for shared discernment through teaching and practice.
Will Emily, Dannielle, and Caleb have specific roles within the Pastoral Leadership Team?
Our leadership structure de-emphasizes specific roles because shared discernment allows God to speak through multiple people, not just individuals assigned to specific roles and tasks. The three members of the Pastoral Leadership Team are not splitting the church into thirds with each person responsible for one section. Instead, the team will hold the mission and work of the whole church together as pastors.
That said, each individual brings a unique mix of gifts, experiences, calling, and capacity to the team at any particular point in time. As such, there will definitely be differences in how each of them carries their position within the team. In other words, they will not do all the same things together all the time! We have seen how Jesus is very capable of “assigning” work and enabling the team to work through shared discernment with a broad range of people throughout the church.
Emily is a paid staff pastor. Will Caleb and Dannielle also become employees of the church?
The Pastoral Leadership Team will be seeking God together with the Board for more clarity on this question.
Who is going to be on the "Support Group" that will be praying and giving counsel to the Pastoral Leadership Team?
This will be part of the work the Pastoral Leadership Team will be doing leading up to Installation.
What else will the Pastoral Leadership Team be doing to get ready for the Installation?
In the shared discernment model, one thing we have learned repeatedly is that each specific group needs its own group formation work. Groups with more significant purposes need correspondingly more formation. This work includes cultivation of healthy relationships within the group, identification of values that undergird the purpose of the group, and reaching shared agreements (called a Covenant) about how the group will function. Even though Dannielle, Caleb, and Emily have worked together in various ways for many years, the Pastoral Leadership Team itself is new and will need this type of group formation work as the Installation date approaches.
How will the Board and the Pastoral Leadership Team relate to each other?
As the two groups overseeing the church, the Board will continue to focus on financial and legal matters for the church while the Pastoral Leadership Team will hold the ministry work of the church. One group will not report to the other. When there is the need for collaboration, the two groups will use shared discernment principles to seek unity of spirit where decisions need to be made together, or garner discerned counsel in cases where one group is supporting the decisions of the other. It is critical to have a connecting person between the two groups. At present, Caleb will serve in that capacity by continuing to be on the Board. We can imagine other arrangements in the future.
It’s important to note for employees of the church, no one has the final decision making on his/her own compensation. In other words, if a Board member is also an employee, they would recuse themselves when setting that individual’s compensation. This has always been the case in our church.
What was the process like for Caleb, Dannielle and Emily in deciding to take on this role? What are David and Bill feeling about their transition?
We would love to tell you more about what God has been doing in each of us. You can always feel free to ask us individually but we're also working on a way to do this more generally (probably additional podcast episodes).
We'll continue to add FAQs to this page, so be sure to check here for more soon!