'Jesus Christ Named Senior Pastor': South Carolina's NewSpring Church Rebounds After Two Years
South Carolina's NewSpring Church has a new approach to leadership two years after founding pastor Perry Noble was let go over problems with alcohol abuse.
The Christian Post reports the church's new amended bylaws now proclaim Jesus Christ as the church's senior pastor.
The 14-location megachurch is now much healthier spiritually and financially, according to the church's Teaching Pastor Clayton King.
"We are a true team approach to ministry now," King said in a recent episode of his Essential Church podcast. "I was senior pastor for one year but now our church has one senior pastor and we've literally in our new bylaws named Jesus Christ as our senior pastor. So we are structured differently now. It's a true team approach and let me tell you, I love it."
A team consisting of four lead pastors, three teaching pastors, and 14 campus pastors oversee the operation of the church at all of its locations in cities throughout The Palmetto State.
"By the grace of God it's working. We're healthier than we've ever been. We're stronger than we've ever been," King told the CP.
As CBN News reported, King was appointed the interim senior pastor for one year after Perry left. In his recent podcast, King also admitted that after Perry's departure that the church was $47 million in debt. The church has managed to reduce that debt down to $36 million in less than two years.
He told the CP the church also made a commitment not to borrow any more money until they are debt free.
While NewSpring's leadership model may not be for every church, King thinks the team approach may be useful to some in the future.
"I will say this and I say it boldly. We believe that no one can predict what the future of the church in America is gonna look like. We know the church is gonna survive and thrive because the gates of Hell will not prevail. But I just have to wonder if the Lord is using us, NewSpring, as sort of an example or maybe a test run," he told the Christian news website.
"Maybe we are the ones that go first and maybe we can figure out some of this, so that in years to come as the Holy Spirit pours new wine in new wineskins and the church continues to grow and change and expand and the structures continue to look differently, maybe people can look to NewSpring and say those guys are doing team leadership let's hear from them," King continued.
