Mount Helena Community Church – Helena, Montana

Believers who invest their hearts, time, families and finances in the building of a local church deserve to have confidence in church leadership. People are looking for leaders who conduct themselves with integrity and respect when making decisions that affect their lives.

In November of 2010 the MHCC Eldership Team announced a plan for the transition of leadership to a new generation. While the transition has already started, it will become official on April 15, 2012.

In recent history, the office of the pastor has become a professional position – an all-encompassing role of being CEO for the church, preacher, teacher, chairman of the board of directors, chief financial officer, butler, maintenance guy, shepherd, prayer team boss, eldership team leader, worship boss, etc.  The rest of team, in effect, existed to serve him and, as a result, he carried the bulk of stress regarding all these things.

OUR PLAN

We are taking a road which presents a departure from that cultural definition and move toward a more biblical approach to church leadership and care. Our approach will involve the following action:

• Release Bryan Asay from the role of ‘Senior Pastor’. We will cease to use that term.  In other words, no one will take over that position.  We are retiring that position but not retiring Bryan and Margaret.  In a sense, Bryan and Margaret will take on a Grandfather’s and Grandmother’s role, providing pastoral care and encouragement to the Leadership Team. Bryan will also lead a team which will be called the Oversight Team (described below). Bryan will also preach, teach and equip as and when requested by the Senior Leader.

• Recognize J.R. Quigley as the Senior Leader of MHCC. JR is a superb communicator and a strong leader. He will lead the eldership team, directly caring for, encouraging and equipping the elders to fully function in their roles. He will provide overall direction, spiritually, to the congregation. His position will not be a full-time staff position. In other words, he will continue operating his business – Quigley Metal Works and Air Serve of Helena – and will serve Mount Helena Community Church in a part-time capacity.

• Recognize Jason Harris as Community Life Pastor. Jason and his Wife Rebekah have established themselves as ones who passionately care for the congregation, its health and welfare.  Jason exemplifies the role of pastor: one who cares for others and one who is a prolific disciple-maker. We will use the title of Community Life Pastor because it accurately states his role as an elder who cares for the church and a pastor who equips church members to do the work of ministry, first to each other in the MHCC community and then to the Helena community as a whole.

• Recognize Tyler Redden as Executive Pastor. Tyler is gifted as a communicator, visionary and administrator.  Tyler will lead at an operational level to assure organizational movement, effective communication, and good administration of the church. Tyler is passionate about collaborating with others to release their gifting and present a clear, consistent, effective message as a group. Tyler also will provide pastoral care and leadership directly to the congregation.

• Release Kevin Asay, David Polk, Jay Sherley and Bryan Asay from their present roles as elders to that of Elders of Counsel. These leaders have sacrificed much over the last 20 years and have been great examples to the congregation. These men and their wives are not moving “out” but moving over to allow another generation of leaders to step up into their calling.  In their new role, these elders of counsel will actively provide care and counsel to the next generation of leaders at MHCC.  In a sense, they will provide pastoral care to the elders while also being available to lend their experience to the eldership team. Once released, these men will not meet with the Eldership Team except at times regularly scheduled for their input or when the Senior Leader requests their advice.

In addition to our plan for transition, MHCC’s governmental structure is as follows:

 1. Guided & Protected by ELDERS

The Elders are nominated by the Senior Leader and covenant together with the congregation and the Senior Leader for the development of the spiritual life of the church. These men and their spouses support the church staff as the primary protectors and encouragers of a positive spiritual climate within the church body.

All elders are responsible to model a Godly lifestyle, provide a prayer shield for the mem­bers, defend and protect the integrity of the church, pray for the sick, mediate disputes, counsel, and represent the church to the community.

 2. Served by MINISTRY STAFF

Ministry Staff consists of the Community Life Pastor, Executive Pastor and others as necessary. This team oversees the day to day ministry and operations of the church. These staff pastors serve the congrega­tion, the elders and the senior leader and are responsible for the development of the spiritual life of the church.

3. Strengthened by OVERSEERS

The Overseers are three men of respected congregations and ministries who love Mount Helena Community Church and are willing to provide spiritual protection to the church. They may be called in to help in accountability matters relating to the Senior Leader if requested to do so by the Elders.

Mount Helena Community Church Overseers:

Bryan Asay                          Mount Helena Community Church, Helena, Montana

Dr. Clem Ferris                  Chapel Hill Grace Church, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina

Dennis McNally                 New Life Castro Valley, Castro Valley, California