Pastoral effectiveness and resiliency are largely dependent on the pastor’s ability to grow in radical dependence on God’s presence and power, and the people God has placed in and around the church.
The MBC Developing Leaders Group has engaged an array of networks and initiatives designed to support a movement of emotional, spiritual, and physical health among Missouri Baptist churches and their leaders.
The MBC Leader Care Network exists to connect church leaders to systems of care and refreshment. On this page, you will find a number of resources to help Missouri Baptist church leaders get the help they need.
MBC Leader Care Network's Current Assets
Associational Leaders
We encourage Missouri Baptist church leaders to contact their associational leaders first. Because the associational leader is closer to the local church, he is often more aware of partnerships and resources available to the churches than anyone else. The associational leader also is familiar with convention personnel and can often be more effective locating the right resources on behalf of the church. The MBC Leader Care Network works in strategic partnership with associational leaders.
We work with these leaders at every turn of the process. As churches connect with both the convention and their own association, convention leaders and associational leaders work together to deliver resources that bring glory to God in our communities. Believing we are better together, MBC missionaries connect the dots between churches, associations, state conventions, national partners, and between needs and resources.
Sandy Hastings: sandy.h@standingstoneministry.org
Phone: 479.925.8491
Standing Stone Ministry
This trusted partner provides free coaching to pastors and their wives as long as they need it. Standing Stone is a national ministry that establishes trusted, confidential relationships with pastors and ministry leaders.
Church leaders experience a full range of biblical guidance at no cost through an ongoing, trusted relationship with a Standing Stone shepherd who understands the challenges of ministry firsthand.
Dave and Sandy Hastings have been appointed to the MBC from Standing Stone’s national team.
Counseling Help for Missouri Baptist Leaders
The MBC keeps an updated and vetted list of counseling resources for Missouri Baptist church leaders. We are constantly looking for and partnering with counselors and counseling organizations we can connect with church leaders across the state. We use whatever funds and policies Missouri Baptist associations have put in place, and we pick up where these resources end. The availability of counseling services is dependent on designated funds. Funds available at the time of need will determine the extent of assistance that can be provided.
800.736.6227 ext. 336
Sexual Abuse Prevention Training
The MBC engages in several partnerships to help Missouri Baptist church leaders provide training to prevent sexual abuse in their churches.
Conflict Resolution Services
The MBC keeps an updated and vetted list of mediation resources for MBC churches. We are constantly looking for and partnering with mediators and organizations like PastorServe, which we can connect with Missouri Baptist churches that need them. If a church is experiencing conflict, we will work with that church and its associational leader to make mediation services affordable.
800.736.6227 ext. 336
Sabbatical Initiative
A network of experienced Missouri Baptist pastors and associational leaders provide guidance and resources for churches interested in establishing and implementing sabbatical policies for their leaders.
The MBC Developing Leaders Group provides this assistance to churches because of the short- and long-term benefits sabbaticals produce.
800.736.6227 ext. 336
Ministry Wives Support and Encouragement
Check with your associational leader to see if your association provides resources to support and encourage ministry wives. The annual Ministry Wives Luncheon and the New Pastor and Wives Retreat have become the launching pad for a more extensive array of resources to support and develop ministry wives. You can get information about these events from your associational leader.
The MBC has a growing relationship with Practical Shepherding Women’s Ministry (practicalshepherding.com/women) and Standing Stone (standingstoneministry.org) to provide coaching and counseling to ministry wives.
Pastoral Wellness Retreats
The MBC has made it possible for any Missouri Baptist bi-vocational pastor and his wife to attend Pastoral Wellness Retreats in Missouri at discounted rates. Registrations fill up quickly, so it’s important to plan ahead if you are interested in taking advantage of this arrangement.
Midwest Leadership Summit
The MBC provides registration and lodging at no cost to Missouri Baptist church leaders at this three-day conference designed for average- to smaller-size churches. Ministry leaders from across the Midwest gather in Springfield, Ill., every other year to hear from local and national Baptist voices. Speakers from the North American Mission Board and the Southern Baptist Convention deliver keynote addresses at the Summit, which also features more than 100 breakout sessions and eight leadership tracks:
- Associational Mission Strategist
- Church Leadership
- Church Planting
- Church Revitalization
- Current Topics
- Evangelism/Discipleship
- Specialized Ministries
- Spiritual Formation