In this episode of the Backstage Pastors podcast, Phil Taylor sits down with Matt Steen, co-founder of Chemistry Staffing, to talk about church staffing, pastoral succession, and the evolving role of the executive pastor. Matt shares his unconventional journey into ministry and explains why Chemistry Staffing was created to help churches find healthier, longer-lasting ministry fits. They also discuss the shrinking pipeline of ministry leaders, why some churches may not actually need an executive pastor, and what aspiring XPs should consider when looking for the right role.

Matt highlights concerning trends in staff retention and encourages church leaders to have intentional conversations about their team members’ health, calling, and future. They close with practical ways churches can develop and send leaders while creating healthier teams and more sustainable ministry.

Mentioned Resources

• 🗣️Connect with Matt Steen

• 💻 Chemistry Staffing

• 📩 Contact Matt Steen

• 📕Turn the Ship Around! by L. David Marquet

Upcoming Events

• Harbor Network Conference — Fort Myers, Florida

• The Church Hub Executive Pastor Cohort

From Our Partners

💻 ⁠The Church Hub⁠: The Church Hub serves pastors, ministry leaders, and their spouses through equipping and training resources. Learn more at https://thechurchhub.org

Connect with Phil Taylor

✉️ ⁠Get Phil's Newsletter⁠

✉️ ⁠⁠phil@backstagepastors.org⁠⁠

🗣️ ⁠⁠@philtaylorxp⁠⁠

📚 ⁠Books by Phil⁠

💻 ⁠backstagepastors.org⁠

💻⁠plainjoestudios.com⁠

Connect with Tyler Drewitz

✉️ ⁠⁠tyler@myxp.church⁠⁠

🗣️ ⁠⁠@tylerdrewitz⁠⁠

💻 ⁠myxp.church⁠

💻⁠ridgelineprinting.com⁠

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CHAPTERS

03:59 — Matt Steen’s Unconventional Journey into Ministry

07:29 — Why Chemistry Staffing Was Started

10:13 — Succession and the Shrinking Ministry Pipeline

14:09 — Does Your Church Really Need an Executive Pastor?

16:48 — Advice for Aspiring Executive Pastors

22:15 — Surviving Your First Year as an XP

26:24 — What the Church Staff Health Assessment Is Revealing

30:04 — The Three-to-Five-Year Wall and Developing Staff

38:43 — How Chemistry Staffing Approaches Church Hiring

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Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co.

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