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Episode 0098: Leading Through COVID-19: Multisite Before and After the Crisis

Dr. Gregg Allison from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary joins us to talk about the multisite church model before and after the COVID-19 crisis. Dr. Allison started his research as a skeptic, but after hosting a course and finding strong Biblical support for it, he has become an advocate. He tells us about his book, MultiChurch, which includes how to balance the responsibilities of individual churches with those of the larger network they belong to. Dr. Allison stresses the importance of considering the unique context of each congregation, while still being accountable to and interconnected with the other churches in the collective, explaining how the roles and functions are divided so that the leadership of each congregation enjoys both autonomy and support. Towards the end of the conversation, Dr. Allison also shares his perspective on churches who choose a different path and how the Sojourn Collective approaches things like church governance, voting, and ordinances during the coronavirus pandemic.

Key Points From This Episode:

  • Dr. Allison’s transition from skepticism to tolerance and eventually advocating for the multisite model.
  • An explanation of the multi-church model, including the leadership roles and the connection to the larger body.
  • Finding the balance of prioritizing the individual church against the collective network.
  • Thoughts on property ownership, finances, and HR responsibilities in the multisite structure.
  • Why multisite churches are finding themselves in an advantageous position at the moment.
  • The posture to maintain toward churches who choose a different approach.
  • The challenge of congregational governance and decision making in the current context.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Gregg Allison

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

MultiChurch Book by Dr. Gregg Allison

Sojourn Collective

Jimmy on Twitter

Leslee Bennett on Twitter

Carly Seelman

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