THE DEVELOPMENTAL PASTORING FRAMEWORK

Developmental pastoring is an evolution from developmental psychology and organizational development that is research substantiated. Documented longitudinally are the stages of development in the lifespan of the congregation whose pastors led these churches for as long as a decade or two and more with a worship attendance of eight hundred to eighteen thousand. Showcasing this are the pastors of large churches in urban Metro Manila. An entrepreneurial spirit is an outstanding quality that permeates these developmental pastors such that from the birthing of their churches, they have nurtured its growth and maturity against all challenges and conflicts, and coming out as champions. These pastors are inspirational, serving as role models and passing on principles on developmental pastoring. Consequently, the research on developmental pastoring continues with the participation of my graduate students at the Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries. Gathered from seminar-workshops and consultancy work on this subject are additional data where students, pastors, workers, and would-be pastors and workers are oriented to the paradigm.


Developmental pastoring addresses the congregational lifespan that is comprised of birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, empty nest, retirement, old age, and death. The developmental pastor knows the specific stage of his congregational lifecycle and deals with the leadership tasks in line with the stages of growth.

The pastoral landscape yields a harvest of casualty pastors who left their churches for not being able to handle the crisis. Multi-faceted the pressures might have been but one may question the quality and sufficiency of ministerial training that should have prepared them to withstand the challenges and tensions of the ministry. Consequently, the landscape becomes dotted of churches lacking vitality because of having short-tenured pastors. For some unholy reasons, both pastors and churches resign to this status quo. Churches without pastor exist outside and antagonize the biblical composition of a church. Pastors who constantly run away from crisis and tension deprive themselves of ministerial maturity and productivity. Denominations are even in greater error when simply as a matter of policy rotate their pastors. All these require conscientious action. Developmental pastors do not have an escape hatch, where they easily retreated or resigned, in order to get out of a tight spot.

Some of these developmental pastors are Pastor Cesar "Butch" Conde, founding pastor of Bread of Life Ministries; Dr. Luis Pantoja Jr., senior pastor of Greenhills Christian Fellowship; Pastor Ed Lapiz, founding pastor of Day By Day Ministries; Pastor Jonathan Sebastian, founding pastor of Jesus Christ Saves Global Outreach; Pastor Dennis Hefner, founding pastor of Church of God Makati; Dr. Dave Sobrepena, founding pastor of Word of Hope; and, Bishop Dan Balais, founding pastor of Christ the Living Stone Fellowship and leader of the Intercessors For the Philippines.

Get to know the story of their lives and their church and discover that you too can become a developmental pastor. Come to the first public offering of developmental pastoring.