Phil and Tyler sit down with longtime executive pastor, author, coach, and leadership mentor Dan Reiland. Dan reflects on his ministry journey, beginning as John Maxwell’s second intern and eventually becoming one of the pioneering executive pastors in the modern church movement. He shares stories from his years at Skyline Church, the Enjoy ministry, and his 25-year tenure at 12Stone Church.

The conversation explores how the executive pastor role has evolved over the decades, the challenges and opportunities of church growth, and the importance of balancing organizational leadership with spiritual leadership. Dan offers a behind-the-scenes look at 12Stone’s decision to launch five campuses in a single Sunday, including lessons learned from rapid growth and the importance of strong systems.

Dan also discusses the calling and partnership between senior pastors and executive pastors, recounting the remarkable story of how God led him and Kevin Myers into ministry together. The conversation turns to leadership development, mentoring, generational learning, and the growing challenge of helping leaders interpret culture in a rapidly changing world.

Dan’s strongest leadership conviction after four decades in ministry is:prayer is not preparation for the work—it is the work.

Mentioned Resources

• 🗣️Follow Dan
• 💻Dan’s Website
• 📕Shoulder to Shoulder: Strengthening the Church by Supporting Your Pastor by Dan Reiland
• 📕Amplified Leadership: Five Practices to Establish Influence, Build People, and Impact Others by Dan Reiland
• ⛪️12Stone Church
• ⛪️ Skyline Church

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

The best way to support this podcast is to like, subscribe and share it with a friend.

LIKE & SUBSCRIBE

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CHAPTERS

03:50 – From John Maxwell’s Intern to Executive Pastor

08:26 – How the Executive Pastor Role Has Evolved

12:02 – Launching Five Campuses in One Sunday

19:00 – Supporting and Strengthening Senior Pastors

21:00 – God’s Calling to Partner with Kevin Myers

27:16 – Mentoring Leaders and Interpreting Culture

31:00 – Addressing Anxiety in Today’s Generation

32:05 – Prayer as the Foundation of Church Growth

35:03 – Developing One More Leader

– –

Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co.

Backstage Pastors™️ is a Registered Trademark

In this episode of Backstage Pastors™️ Podcast, Phil and Tyler welcome veteran executive pastor and leadership consultant Tim Stevens for an in-depth conversation on ministry leadership, organizational health, and sustainable service in the second chair. Tim reflects on nearly 40 years of ministry experience spanning nonprofit leadership, Granger Community Church, Vanderbloemen, Willow Creek, and now Leading Smart.

The conversation explores the evolving role of the executive pastor, including the tension between being highly executive-minded versus deeply pastoral. Tim shares insights from his e-book 40 Lessons in 40 Years: Wisdom for the Long Haul, unpacking lessons about visionary leaders and integrators, why systems are actually pastoral tools, healthy governance, leadership burnout, and managing energy for long-term ministry health.

Tim also gives listeners an inside look at stepping into Willow Creek during one of the church’s most difficult seasons and explains how focusing on “the next right thing” helped guide the rebuilding process.

Guest Resources

• 🗣️Follow Tim
• 📕40 Lessons in 40 Years: Wisdom for the Long Haul
• 💻 Right Roles Assessment
• 💻LeadingSmart.com
• 🎙️Tim’s Podcast
• 📅Leading Smart 2026 Gathering

• 
  

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

The best way to support this podcast is to like, subscribe and share it with a friend.

LIKE & SUBSCRIBE

📹 ⁠Youtube⁠

🍏 ⁠Apple⁠

🎤 ⁠Spotify

CHAPTERS

04:05 Introducing Tim Stevens

07:18 Tim’s Ministry Journey and Leadership Background 10:18 Executive Pastor Wiring and Leadership Styles

13:42 40 Lessons in 40 Years

15:26 Why Visionary Leaders Need Integrators

18:01 Why Systems Are Pastoral

22:00 Sustainable Leadership and Managing Energy

26:06 Board Alignment and Healthy Governance

30:30 Leaving Church Ministry for Vanderbloemen and Leadership Consulting

34:10 Rebuilding Willow Creek Through Crisis

39:58 How Leading Smart Helps Churches Thrive

– –

Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co.

Backstage Pastors™️ is a Registered Trademark