Choosing the right church consultant can make all the difference when your ministry needs clarity, growth, or a fresh perspective. I know how much is at stake as you lead your congregation and make decisions about your church’s future. In this article, you’ll get a clear look at consultants with proven experience to help your church move forward.
19 Top Church Consultants
Here’s a closer look at church consultants who’ve helped ministries lead well through change, growth, and everyday challenges. You’ll find what sets each expert apart and how they can serve your church’s unique needs.
Carey Nieuwhof
Leadership author, speaker, and founding pastor of Connexus Church
Ontario, Canada
Focus area:
#Church leadership#organizational change#personal growth
Carey Nieuwhof is a former attorney turned bestselling author, speaker, and founding pastor of Connexus Church in Ontario, Canada. With over 25 years in ministry, he's built one of the most widely…
“The world is at its best when the church is at its best.”
Thom S. Rainer
Founder and CEO of Church Answers
Nashville, Tennessee
Focus area:
#Church revitalization#church growth#leadership
Thom S. Rainer is a researcher, author, and founder of Church Answers, with nearly 40 years of ministry experience, a Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a decade leading LifeWay…
“A guest can be warmly greeted and still leave anonymously. No one learned their name in a meaningful way. No one asked a thoughtful question. No one created a moment that felt personal. People do not return to general warmth. They return to specific relationships.”
Bill Easum
Church consultant and author
Texas
Focus area:
#Church growth#leadership#revitalization
Bill Easum founded the Effective Church Group in 1984 and has spent over 40 years consulting with more than 1,000 churches across 60+ denominations in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.…
“It's been my observation that great leaders envision what seems to be an impossible goal and then push the envelope until they find their limits of possibility.”
Connect with Bill:
Karl Vaters
Teaching pastor, author, and speaker
Orange County, California
Focus area:
#Small churches#pastoral leadership#church health
Karl Vaters has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, pastoring Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Fountain Valley, California. He's authored five books, including The Grasshopper Myth and De-Sizing the Church,…
“The biggest problem with small churches is not that they're small. It's that we think being small is a problem.”
Connect with Karl:
Jeff Brodie
Lead pastor and church leader
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Focus area:
#Leadership development#church growth#next generation
Jeff Brodie has served in full-time ministry for over 20 years and leads Connexus Church in Barrie, Ontario—one of Canada's most influential multi-site churches. He succeeded founding pastor Carey Nieuwhof as lead…
“When you're in an executive role, you're solving a lot of problems. But when you're in the lead pastor seat, your role is more to bring perspective first and solve the problem second.”
Rich Birch
Church consultant, author, podcast host
New Jersey
Focus area:
#Church growth#multisite strategy#volunteer engagement
Rich Birch is a church consultant and the founder of unSeminary, a resource and podcast hub helping church leaders grow healthy, thriving ministries. He has over 20 years of church leadership experience,…
“If you want to grow your church, you need to make it easy for people to get connected, and volunteers are the front line of that connection.”
Will Mancini
Church consultant, author, founder of Future Church Co.
Houston, Texas
Focus area:
#Vision planning#disciple making#organizational clarity
Will Mancini is a church consultant, ministry entrepreneur, and author of seven books—including Church Unique and Future Church—with over 25 years of experience helping churches develop vision clarity. He founded Auxano…
“Pastors don't pursue clarity not because they don't care about the future. They don't pursue clarity because they think they have vision 'generally' figured out.”
Ron Edmondson
Pastor, leadership coach, author
Kentucky, USA
Focus area:
#Church leadership#organizational change#pastoral coaching
Ron Edmondson is a pastor, leadership consultant, and author with over 20 years of ministry experience, known for helping churches navigate organizational health and change. He has planted two churches, led multiple…
“People naturally resist what they don't understand. It makes communication one of the most important aspects of leadership.”
Steve Caton
Leadership coach, consultant, author
Colorado, USA
Focus area:
#Leadership development#team health#church engagement
Steve Caton is a church growth consultant, author, and ministry leader with over 30 years of experience building teams and growing organizations. He's best known for his work at Church Community Builder,…
“Coming to church is a huge step for many people. It can make them feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. When we use language that's so foreign to them, it reinforces the idea that they're outsiders, that they don't belong.”
Connect with Steve:
Mark DeYmaz
Pastor, author, diversity consultant
Rock, Arkansas
Focus area:
#Church diversity#multiethnic ministry#community development
Mark DeYmaz is a pastor, author, and leading voice in the multiethnic church movement who has been active in ministry since 1997. He founded Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas in 2001, co-founded…
“We have zero credibility now because we have these systemically segregated churches filled with tons of people. They can't connect to the local communities that are changing around them. And it undermined our credibility and our witness.”
Connect with Mark:
Todd McMichen
Generosity and stewardship consultant at Generis
Birmingham, Alabama
Focus area:
#Church generosity#stewardship#financial strategy
Todd McMichen is a stewardship coach, generosity consultant, and author with over 30 years of experience serving local churches of all sizes. He has led capital campaigns raising over $35 million and…
“Generosity is not a sprint. It is a marathon.”
Connect with Todd:
Amy F. Anderson
Ministry consultant at The Unstuck Group
Atlanta, Georgia
Focus area:
#Multisite strategy#leadership development#church health
Amy F. Anderson is a ministry consultant at The Unstuck Group, where she has served since 2016, including eight years as Director of Consulting, and has worked with over 200 churches on…
“We aren't calling these stupid church tricks because pastors who use them are stupid. In all of our years of consulting, I have yet to meet a pastor who wants their church to fail.”
Matt Steen
Co-founder and CEO of Chemistry Staffing
Bradenton, Florida
Focus area:
#Staffing#church leadership#pastoral transition
Matt Steen is the co-founder and CEO of Chemistry Staffing, a firm specializing in connecting churches with ministry staff, and has over two decades of ministry experience as a pastor and church…
“Far too many churches hire people simply because their resumes look good, or because they are talented. Churches that excel are able to say no to phenomenally talented candidates in order to go with the best fitting pastor.”
Connect with Matt:
Mark MacDonald
Church communication strategist and consultant
Jacksonville, Florida
Focus area:
#Church branding#communication#digital strategy
Mark MacDonald is a church branding strategist, ordained pastor, and bestselling author of Be Known for Something, who has helped thousands of churches clarify their message and reconnect with their communities…
“Discipleship is not a church event. It's a practical rhythm that must be reinforced over time.”
Bob Whitesel
Church leadership consultant and author
Indianapolis, Indiana
Focus area:
#Church growth#leadership#multicultural ministry
Bob Whitesel holds two earned doctorates from Fuller Theological Seminary and has spent 30+ years consulting for hundreds of churches on growth, health, and change. He's the award-winning author of 14 books,…
“Remember, different generations in a church function as different cultures with distinct worship preferences, and unity is better built through shared leadership and mission than by forcing everyone into the same worship style.”
Connect with Bob:
Chris Sonksen
Pastor, author, and church growth consultant
Orange County, California
Focus area:
#Church growth#leadership#church health
Chris Sonksen is the founder of Church BOOM, a consulting organization that has coached thousands of pastors and churches across the U.S. on growth and health. He's also the founding and lead…
“It's those subtle driftings that tear teams apart. I always say that when the enemy takes a run at your church, he doesn't do it through those who attend it. He'll do it through those who lead it.”
Jim Wideman
Pastor, ministry coach, and leadership consultant
Nashville, Tennessee
Focus area:
#Family ministry#leadership development#church staffing
Jim Wideman is a pioneer of the modern family ministry movement, a pastor, author, and ministry coach with over 45 years of hands-on experience in the local church—including 17 years leading one…
“I help leaders think differently… at home, at church, and in everyday life!”
Preston Gillham
Leadership coach and author
Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas
Focus area:
#Leadership development#spiritual formation#personal growth
Preston Gillham is a leadership coach, author, and minister with decades of experience guiding pastors, executives, and ministry leaders. He coaches Christian leaders on spiritual formation, personal identity, and navigating leadership challenges.…
“Coaching the soul is not a straight-line journey. It is fraught with impediments, obstacles, and challenges. Just like life. This is a good thing, but it’s easy to lose your way.”
Connect with Preston:
Ed Underwood
Founder, President of Recentered Group
California, USA
Focus area:
#pastoral leadership#church crisis#discipleship culture
In 2015, God led Ed Underwood to transition from leading the historic Church of the Open Door, where he handed off the ministry to healthy and capable leaders. Without knowing what came…
““Vulnerability builds trust; redemptive stories build hope.””
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