Leadership Transition at BT Church

No. Pastor Chris has given God his wholehearted yes and remains open to wherever the Lord may lead in the future. At the same time, Chris has no plans to leave BT Church and continues to serve faithfully in this next season of leadership.

Yes. As a Co Lead Pastor, Nick Maddox will serve as one of the elders of BT Church, joining the existing elder leadership in shepherding and guiding the church.

We recognize that this is a new season, and with any transition there will be learning and growth along the way. That said, there is a clear leadership framework in place.

The ministry of BT Church has been organized around four ministry directions:

Forward | Upward | Inward | Outward

Chris DuPree will lead:

· Forward – Overall vision, multi-location strategy, preaching ministry (sermon series and direction), and administrative leadership

· Inward – Discipleship and Next Gen ministries, including groups, adult discipleship, children, students, and young adults

Nick Maddox will lead:

· Upward – Worship through music, creative arts, and production

· Outward – Evangelism and outreach, community engagement, missions, communications, and counseling

This shared leadership approach allows both pastors to lead from their strengths while remaining unified in vision and mission. Chris and Nick will ultimately work together in all areas of leadership. Nick will also continue to serve on the preaching team of the church.

Pastor Chris has been prayerfully considering a shared leadership model for several years. In many ways, BT Church has already functioned with shared leadership through its elders and pastoral leadership team.

After an extended season of prayer, Chris brought this idea to the elder board. Following several months of thoughtful discussion, prayer, and discernment, the elders unanimously agreed that this step represents a healthy and strategic shift—from a single Senior/Lead Pastor model to a Co Lead Pastor model.

Yes. This transition is not personality-driven, but philosophical and strategic. The Co Lead Pastor model reflects a long-term leadership approach the elders believe will best serve the church moving forward.

The Bible gives clear guidance on what church leadership should be (qualified elders shepherding God’s people), but it allows flexibility in how leadership is structured locally. Church leadership structure is largely an open-handed issue.

Scripture instructs churches to appoint elders, but it does not mandate a single modern “Senior Pastor” role as we understand it today. In fact, many ministry roles we value—such as children’s pastors, student pastors, or worship pastors—are not explicitly named in Scripture, yet are widely affirmed and biblically faithful.

Additionally:

· The plurality of elders points toward shared leadership.

· The doctrine of the Trinity shows shared leadership within the Godhead—distinct roles, equal authority, unified purpose.

· BT Church is not claiming that a single Senior Pastor model is unbiblical (we have faithfully operated that way for over 40 years).

We are simply affirming that having more than one Senior/Lead Pastor is biblically permissible and theologically sound.

According to the by-laws of BT Church, Nick Maddox will become a Co Lead Pastor upon an affirmative vote of the church membership.

· March 8 – Nick will preach (the message will be streamed to all locations)

· At the conclusion of each service, members will be invited to vote

· If the vote is affirmative, the transition will take effect immediately