Organizational Structure

A church and an organization

The Austin Stone is aiming to do and be two complimentary things at once. First and foremost we are a church ruled by God’s word and so defined by the New Testament. We follow an ecclesiology for how we shepherd, lead, disciple, and mobilize our body through our teams of elders, deacons, partners, and other leaders.

Because we are a large church, we are also supported by an organization, a team made up of the divisions and departments of our staff. The organization does not run the church, for we do not want the organization to swallow up the organism of the church. But neither can our church neglect the need for organization, for the larger organism of our church requires an appropriate structure to be able to flourish. So, our aim is for the organization to support and enable the effectiveness and fruit of the ministry of the church. Ultimately, we want to be faithful to bring God more glory through the work of our church for His kingdom.

For our team to effectively work together to this end, it’s helpful to be on the same page about who does what in the organization. This is where a leadership matrix comes in. So, to organize things in terms of teams, departments, and divisions helps us move around with less stumbling over each other. Among other things, knowing how the organization works should help us make effective decisions, know who you should talk to for different things, and who you’re accountable to so you don’t feel like you have 10 bosses!

Keep in mind this is an iteration toward more clarity, so you can be sure this will be updated again. But even now it’s a very good and helpful representation of how our divisions, departments, and teams are organized to do our work together. As you have questions, never fear! We’ll keep working toward more and more clarity in the descriptions of our organization.

This describes the organization

Also keep in mind that this leadership matrix in itself is not a description of how our church has been and is still led and served through the plurality of elders and deacons, and body of our partners. Members of our Central Elder Team are still responsible for the overall direction of our church, the message of our church, and the health of our church, by 1) representing and bringing theological and major directional issues to the larger body of elders, and by 2) working in teams to focus on church-wide strategic decisions and ministry stewardship. You can also see here, in particular, how our organization recognizes the role of Congregation Leaders as both essential voices among our Central Elders as leads in our larger elder body, as well as integral to the function of an organization designed to support congregational ministry.

In support of these, our organization (through the divisions, departments, and teams you see here) then works to align, plan, and execute the tasks of ministry and mission. 

Leadership Matrix

The leadership matrix represents individuals who steward the ministries of the various divisions and departments. While the matrix is not exhaustive, it does highlight who is facilitating ministry and making decisions.

How Do We Communicate and Work Together?

In order to continue being one church expressed in many different ways, our behaviors will need to reflect this structure. Congregation team members who experience tension or challenge should first contact their immediate supervisor and their congregation pastor. Central ministry team members who experience tension or challenge should first work with their immediate supervisor, department leader, and division head.

While we always want to remain flexible and servant-hearted, communication through these channels is the fastest path from confusion to clarity. We depend on our Division Heads and Department Leaders to cascade our communication well. We are one big team—and a loving family—and our desire is to continue serving one another.

Where are Elders and Deacons on the Leadership Matrix?

This leadership matrix represent authority, accountability, and responsibility within our staff team. Again, these are staffing structures, not a representation of our ecclesiology.

Our elders and deacons are God’s appointed leaders in the local church. While some elders and deacons serve on our staff team, others are employed outside our church. Because our staff members who serve as elders and deacons often have job descriptions that overlap with their duties as elders or deacons, the two spheres of responsibilities do not neatly fit on a leadership matrix. 

In general, our elders serve as spiritual fathers to our congregation. They may serve in primarily teaching or pastoral roles, or they may not. What a man does for a living is not a determining factor in whether God is calling them to be a spiritual father. In general, the elder body serves with overall oversight of the mission, vision, and members of The Austin Stone, which is executed and guided by those represented on this staffing structure. 

Our deacons, in the same way, serve their local congregations in a variety of ways. This service may, or may not, overlap with their Austin Stone job responsibilities.