First Orlando<\/a>, a multisite, multicultural church in Central Florida, has launched a new shared leadership model in which three senior pastors will share church oversight and collaborative governance.<\/p>\nThe three senior pastors and their new leadership roles are: David Uth, who has served as First Orlando senior pastor for 20 years, is now senior shepherding pastor; Danny de Armas, who has served First Orlando since 2008, is now senior executive pastor; and Trey Hildebrant, who has served most recently as pastor of ministries at 12Stone Church, a multisite church in greater Atlanta, is now newly elected senior teaching pastor.<\/p>\n
In their new roles, Uth will embody prayer, presence and pastoral leadership; de Armas will steward operations, ministries and organizational leadership, and Hildebrant will provide pulpit leadership, biblical instruction and doctrinal clarity.<\/p>\n
Uth stated that he believes the shared leadership model \u201clines up more appropriately with Scripture,\u201d citing numerous New Testament passages (Acts 13:1, 15:28, 20:17; Titus 1:5 and 1 Peter 5:1-2) in which early church leadership was built around a plurality of leaders rather than a single leader. The shared leadership model, he believes, also complements the giftedness of each leader.<\/p>\n
He said he first became acquainted with the idea of shared church pastoral leadership as a doctoral student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.<\/p>\n
During Uth\u2019s tenure at First Orlando, the church has grown from one location and two services to six locations and 13 services.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not the same church,\u201d he said. All measurable church health numbers at First Orlando, such as baptisms, attendance and giving, are on an upward trend.<\/p>\n
Still, he sensed some kind of leadership realignment was needed, and he wanted to move forward with care and prayer, acknowledging the church\u2019s rich past while preparing the church for a future of continuing to reach individuals with the gospel of Christ.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the Bride of Christ,\u201d he said. \u201cThese are the people I love.\u201d He stated he would not want to do anything that would harm the church in any way. \u201cI was thinking about what\u2019s best for the church. What\u2019s best for us, where we are in this city, but also what\u2019s happening in the country?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0Uth began to explore the possibility of shared pastoral leadership more than three years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cDanny (de Armas) and I began to dream a little bit,\u201d he said, and they discovered a few churches using a shared pastoral leadership model, which First Orlando is describing as a \u201ctable of three.\u201d Many corporations, he added, have also moved to a plurality of top leaders sharing responsibilities.<\/p>\n
When Uth presented the shared pastoral leadership team model to the church about a year ago, he told the congregation that God was \u201cmoving us in a direction of a model that\u2019s going to bring strength and greater possibilities for this church.\u201d<\/p>\n
He expected \u201csome pushback because this is not very common among our Baptist churches, but the room was silent,\u201d with only a few good questions, Uth said. Church members were ready to move forward and seemed pleased that the new leadership model meant that both Uth and de Armas would continue to serve the church they both loved.<\/p>\n
Such shared pastoral leadership in a church, he said, provides accountability and stability.<\/p>\nDanny de Armas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nA team was established to begin the search for a new teaching pastor, and Hildebrant became the unanimous decision of the search team.<\/p>\n
Hildebrant, a third-generation pastor with rich Southern Baptist roots, joined Uth and de Armas for a short presentation to the church on Sunday, Nov. 9.<\/p>\n
As the three sat around a table and spoke, Uth said that the shared leadership model is an answer to his prayer that First Orlando would be the \u201cbiggest small church\u201d that anyone would ever come to. His prayer is that those who walk through the doors of First Orlando would find a \u201cfamily. That\u2019s what we want for the city of Orlando and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n
De Armas added that as word about the leadership transition and Hildebrant\u2019s election as senior teaching pastor has begun circulating, \u201cThe excitement about us doing what we believe God is leading us to do is really strong, and we believe this is a beautiful way forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hildebrant affirmed, \u201cI could say this over and over again, but thank you to both of you because certainly your years of leadership and care and discipleship and shepherding have helped get First Orlando where it is today, and I feel unbelievably honored to step in and be a part of that and to lead alongside both of you. It isn\u2019t what \u2018was,\u2019 it\u2019s what we continue to do together.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cI love to preach the gospel. I want all of Orlando to hear the gospel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Uth continued that, as he walked into his office on Nov. 9, he read Psalm 139:15-16, which states that a person\u2019s days are ordained by the Lord. The Lord knew this day was coming for First Orlando, he said. \u201cThis is the day the Lord has made, and we are going to rejoice and be glad in it, and welcome our new senior teaching pastor, Trey Hildebrant,\u201d he said as the congregation applauded.<\/p>\n
Minutes later, Hildebrant stepped up to preach his first sermon at First Orlando. He read 1 Thessalonians 2 and shared his core convictions, which he described as promises to the church: \u201cI will preach for God first. I will give this work all I\u2019ve got. I will honor you by how I live, in public and in private. I will care for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201cWe are going to preach the gospel of Jesus here so clearly and so compelling that one day we are going to stand before God and thousands and thousands of people will be standing there with us. We will be soul-winners.\u201d<\/p>\nTrey Hildebrant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBecause Hildebrant is in his mid-thirties, Uth acknowledged that he and de Armas would help mentor the young senior teaching pastor. When Uth first accepted the call to First Orlando 20 years ago, then-senior pastor Jim Henry continued to serve the church for nine months as he helped Uth get settled into his new role. He remains grateful for Henry guiding him during that time of transition.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to be able to really help Trey, build him up, resource him and build around him everything he needs to succeed,\u201d Uth said.<\/p>\n
As the younger generation is becoming more open to the gospel, Uth is pleased that Hildebrant is a young man who understands the world and culture of young adults and can speak gospel truth in that context.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s the perfect one,\u201d Uth said.<\/p>\n
For Uth, the change is real as he will not be preaching each Sunday, which has been his role, he said, for the past 49 years. With the transition, he said he is looking forward to becoming \u201cbetter acquainted with our church\u201d that he has pastored for 20 years. \u201cWhat an incredible people they are,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The most common question that Uth says he has received about the new leadership model is: \u201cWhat happens if the three leaders disagree?\u201d For Uth, \u201cThat was never even a question. I\u2019ve done collaborative leadership all my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
If someone asks, \u201cWho is the pastor?\u201d Uth answers, \u201cThere are three of us, but really the top is the Lord Himself.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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