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The LeadingSmart Podcast
Honest conversations. Practical insights. Smarter leadership.
Hosted by Tim Stevens and Holly Tate, The LeadingSmart Podcast exists to equip church leaders who care deeply about leading with integrity, clarity, and wisdom—even when it’s hard.
We are officially on Season 3! This season is about staying sharp in today’s rapidly changing environment. We’ll dive into the practical issues leaders are facing right now—from running effective executive team meetings to navigating crucial conversations to leading in moments when the playbook doesn’t exist yet.
Holly and Tim are moving out of the studio into our offices, and they will be recording and posting in real time, responding to current events as they happen, sharing fresh insights from our work with leaders across North America.
Be sure to email us at tim@leadingsmart.com if there are specific topics you want us to cover!
Enjoy!
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The LeadingSmart Podcast
[S3EP10] Is It Time to Hire an XP? Signs Your Church Needs an Executive Pastor
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Welcome Back to Episode 10 of The LeadingSmart Podcast!
Struggling to figure out when your church needs an executive pastor? You're not alone. In this episode of Leading Smart, hosts Holly Tate and Tim Stevens tackle one of the most common questions church leaders ask: when is it time to hire an XP, and what should that role actually look like?
Here's the challenge most churches face—the executive pastor role can mean wildly different things depending on your context. Some churches need a big E, little p (executive/pastor) who excels at operations, systems, and administration. Others need a little e, big P (executive/PASTOR) who brings strong ministry leadership, preaches regularly, and shepherds the team. And larger churches might need both through separate roles like Executive Pastor of Operations and Executive Pastor of Ministries.
In this practical conversation, Holly and Tim break down the key factors that determine when you need an XP. Spoiler alert: it's probably sooner than you think, but it also depends heavily on the wiring of your lead pastor and existing team. They explore how churches are creatively solving operational challenges through outsourcing in areas like finance, HR, IT, and legal support—freeing up staff to focus on high-impact ministry rather than getting bogged down in administrative tasks.
You'll also discover a free self-assessment tool from Leading Smart that helps you identify whether you need someone who leans more executive or more pastoral. Whether you're a church of 150 or 1,500, this episode will help you think strategically about your staffing structure and avoid the trap of hiring someone just because "that's what churches do."
Key topics covered in this episode:
• When to hire an executive pastor (hint: probably sooner than you think)
• The difference between an "Executive" pastor and an "executive Pastor"
• How to use the free self-assessment tool to identify what kind of XP you need
• Smart outsourcing strategies for finance, HR, IT, and legal support
• The 25-50-100 dollar exercise for auditing your workload and prioritizing high-impact activities
• Return on energy versus cost savings when making staffing decisions
• How fractional services can free up your team to focus on ministry
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