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The Plurality Principle: How to Build and Maintain a Thriving Church Leadership Team (The Gospel Coalition) Paperback – March 16, 2021

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 104 ratings

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Building and Sustaining a Thriving Leadership Culture

Essential to every healthy church is a biblical model of leadership. In the New Testament, church leadership is built around a team of elders working together, each bringing his own unique skills and gifts to the cause of shepherding the flock God entrusted to them. However, in many churches today the principle of plurality in leadership is often misunderstood, mistakenly applied, or completely ignored.

Dave Harvey encourages church leaders to prioritize plurality for the surprising ways that it helps churches to flourish. This book not only builds a compelling case for churches to adopt and maintain biblical elder pluralities guided by solid leadership but also supplies practical tools to help elders work together for transformation.

Download the free study guide.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“In his concern to promote healthy churches and healthy pastors, Dave Harvey ensures that we understand leadership plurality and have a healthy, functioning team of elders in the local church. I’m not aware of another book that deals with this topic. The Plurality Principle is very practical and very helpful!”
Tim Challies, author, Seasons of Sorrow

“Dave Harvey gives us another fantastic book. The Plurality Principle is enjoyable, biblical, and memorable. The fact that it is a quick read makes it all the more useful.”
Matt Perman, author, What’s Best Next

“God’s design for the church has always been a plurality of elders―but that doesn’t mean plurality is easy. Dave Harvey knows this, and he has provided this straightforward guide to help you cultivate effective plurality in leadership.”
Timothy Paul Jones, C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Family Ministry, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“It is one thing to believe in the necessity of a plurality of elders but quite another to understand what that means! Dave Harvey does an excellent job of explaining it. He has put into words the reality I have wanted to share with fellow pastors as the dean of a church-based seminary―the type of fellowship that should exist within a team of elders. I thank God for this precious brother and the light he sheds on our path.”
François Turcotte, President and Dean, The Evangelical Baptist Seminary of Quebec

“Every once in a while you encounter a book you wish you’d read years earlier. Having inherited elder teams in three different churches, I can testify that Dave Harvey’s book would have been gold during those transitions. If you are a young pastor, save yourself the heartache of confusion and conflict. If you are a seasoned leader, it could be time for a biblical tune-up. The health of your church, your leaders, and your own soul might just depend on it.”
Daniel Henderson, Founder and President, Strategic Renewal; Global Director, The 6:4 Fellowship; author, Old Paths, New Power

“Church leadership is the most perilous job out there, needing nothing short of the on-the-ground, forged-by-fire wisdom Harvey offers. From how elders can care for pastors to how elders and pastors can function together in practical, flock-sensitive, and Christ-honoring ways, this book guides elder teams through one of the most important needs they face: how church leadership teams can thrive in the complex challenges of real people, widely varying contexts, and treacherously subtle dangers.”
J. Alasdair Groves, Executive Director, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation; coauthor, Untangling Emotions

“Dave Harvey has done a great service for all who love the local church and have been called by God into leadership. He carefully explains why God calls local churches to be overseen by a plurality of leaders. And he steers us around the reefs and barriers that have left some church boards shipwrecked and their churches torn in pieces. By God’s grace, healthy plurality in leadership not only is possible but can be glorious!”
Bob Lepine, Cohost, FamilyLife Today; Teaching Pastor, Redeemer Community Church, Little Rock, Arkansas

The Plurality Principle will be of great help to any church eldership seeking to lead and care for the people entrusted to them. Dave Harvey has zeroed in on the key principles and has put very useful feet to them. This book will serve our eldering deliberations in the years ahead.”
Mike Bullmore, Senior Pastor, CrossWay Community Church, Bristol, Wisconsin

“Being a pastor or elder is no small task. That’s why I’ve found Dave Harvey’s book so helpful. With a compelling vision and clear manner, Harvey makes the practice of developing a healthy plurality of elders both understandable and desirable. If you are planting or leading a local church and you want to see a healthy church last far beyond your leadership, pick up and implement this book. It may be the most humbling thing you will ever do, but also the strongest way you will ever lead.”
Jeremy Writebol, Lead Campus Pastor, Woodside Bible Church, Plymouth, Michigan

About the Author

Dave Harvey (DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary) is the president of Great Commission Collective, a church-planting ministry. Dave pastored for thirty-three years, founded AmICalled.com, and travels widely across networks and denominations as a popular conference speaker. He is the author of When Sinners Say “I Do”; I Still Do!; Am I Called?; and Rescuing Ambition; and coauthor of Letting Go. Dave and his wife, Kimm, live in southwest Florida. He also writes at RevDaveHarvey.com, and you can follow him on Twitter.



Sam Storms (PhD, University of Texas at Dallas) is the founder and president of Enjoying God Ministries and serves on the council of the Gospel Coalition. Sam served as visiting associate professor of theology at Wheaton College and is a past president of the Evangelical Theological Society. He is the author or editor of 37 books and blogs regularly at SamStorms.org. Sam and his wife, Ann, are the parents of two daughters and grandparents of four.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crossway (March 16, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1433571544
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1433571541
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.5 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 104 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
104 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book insightful and practical. They describe it as a good foundation for healthy leadership, with clear explanations of elder-plurality and inspirational joys. The book is accessible, concise, and easily consumed. Readers appreciate the helpful advice and practical discussion. Overall, they describe it as an excellent read with a thorough understanding of Scripture.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

8 customers mention "Insight"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and applicable to church leaders. They say it provides a well-informed explanation of elder plurality and the inspirational joys that come from it. The author brings decades of experience into the conversation and provides good guidance for those looking to share leadership in a church.

"...with a plurality of elders (both healthy and unhealthy) and provides some good guidance for those who are looking to implement the model...." Read more

"...elder board overseas, I found this book to be a necessary addition to my biblical leadership library." Read more

"...Harvey is. He brings decades of experience into this conversation and gives some very helpful and practical reasons for why a plural elder ship is..." Read more

"...Though not written as an academic tome, it is biblically insightful and immediately applicable to every church leader, whether layman or professional..." Read more

4 customers mention "Accessibility"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book accessible and easy to read. They mention it's concise and focused.

"...His structure was well thought out and kept each chapter focused and concise...." Read more

"Harvey has written a captivating and easily consumed book advocating shared leadership in a church...." Read more

"...Dave communicates well and I found his book to be highly accessible...." Read more

"...Super helpful. Accessible. Practical. Pastoral. I’ll be recommending this book." Read more

3 customers mention "Practical"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book practical and helpful. They appreciate the biblical advice, accessible discussion, and practical reasons for plural eldership.

"...into this conversation and gives some very helpful and practical reasons for why a plural elder ship is important and how it can practically work." Read more

"...Excellent biblical and practical advice." Read more

"...I’m looking forward to the fruit it will produce in many lives. Super helpful. Accessible. Practical. Pastoral. I’ll be recommending this book." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and recommend it. They appreciate the clear understanding of Scripture provided by the author.

"...A good book on the importance of having a leadership team, while still highlighting the importance of a lead pastor among a group “of equals.”" Read more

"Excellent read! Highly recommend!" Read more

"Excellent instruction with a thorough understanding of Scripture… lacking one appendix..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2024
    Harvey has done his life work and homework with this one. He shares his own journey with serving in churches with a plurality of elders (both healthy and unhealthy) and provides some good guidance for those who are looking to implement the model. Of course, as a Reformed guy, he’s complementarian in his approach (which I am not a complementarian). But the principles are solid and have been something I’ve been thinking about for a while (even in a Baptist church setting). A good book on the importance of having a leadership team, while still highlighting the importance of a lead pastor among a group “of equals.”
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2023
    There are a decent number of examples from Dave’s ministry and others, which is helpful. His structure was well thought out and kept each chapter focused and concise. As a pastor who serves on an elder board overseas, I found this book to be a necessary addition to my biblical leadership library.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2023
    I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time. Most books on elder ship (there aren’t many) are good at looking at biblical texts and explaining the “what” but are not very helpful in the practical stuff.

    Harvey is. He brings decades of experience into this conversation and gives some very helpful and practical reasons for why a plural elder ship is important and how it can practically work.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2022
    Harvey has written a captivating and easily consumed book advocating shared leadership in a church. Though not written as an academic tome, it is biblically insightful and immediately applicable to every church leader, whether layman or professional. I highly recommend it.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2023
    Dave Harvey has roughly three decades of experience in pastoral ministry and he reflects on those experiences often throughout his book. Dave communicates well and I found his book to be highly accessible. He structured the book in two parts (Part 1: Building a Plurality & Part 2: Thriving as a Plurality) and stated his premise very clearly in the introduction: "The quality of your elder plurality determines the health of your church."

    If you've read any articles or books on eldership or plurality then I'm not sure you'll uncover any revolutionary contributions from this book. Dave provides a more practical approach based on personal ministry experience rather than a deep theological study (he mentions there is no Scripture to support role of senior pastor before he proceeds to make his case for such).

    However, if you do want to read an argument for a senior pastor then you may find it here in this book. In fact, this might be one of my biggest frustrations with the book. While Dave stresses the importance of plural eldership, he spends a large percentage of his book making a case for a senior pastor (half the chapters in the first part "building a plurality" are about the senior pastor). Dave also says he has no problem with a distinction between pastor/elder (see footnote on page 27). In the end, I think there is still great value in Dave's contribution here - especially because, as Dave writes, someone still needs to lead.

    A better title for this book might well be "The Senior Pastor & the Elders"
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2023
    First book I have read that expresses my thoughts on elders, or very close on most issues. Excellent biblical and practical advice.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2021
    I remember reading the seed form of this book several years ago. The plant is even more helpful. I’m looking forward to the fruit it will produce in many lives. Super helpful. Accessible. Practical. Pastoral. I’ll be recommending this book.
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2021
    I read Harvey's The Plurality Principle as an unpaid elder at my church and therefore this review is based on my own experiences and perceptions as an elder, not a senior / lead pastor.

    I appreciate and agree with Harvey's central premise: the quality of your elder plurality determines the health of your church. I've seen both unhealthy elder boards and healthy elder boards, and I've witnessed the fallout from counterfeit pluralities that Harvey warns about in chapter four. Harvey provides several great suggestions on how an elder plurality can thrive in chapters 5 and 7.

    The chapters that lack clarity about leadership, however, are chapters 2, 3, and 6. Chapter 2 is "The Case for a 'First among Equals.'" In this chapter, Harvey advocates for a golden mean approach to primus inter pares leadership. While I agree that extremes are to be avoided, I'm not convinced biblically that the senior / lead pastor is such a unique role that the plurality of elders "must create space for the lead pastor to actually use his gifts and lead." By creating space, Harvey means the plurality should grant to the lead pastor appropriate autonomy, and be adaptable and congenial to his leadership. Shouldn't this be true for all elders in the plurality. Shouldn't all elders be given space and appropriate autonomy to exercise their gifts?

    In chapter 3, "Dressing for Leadership Storms," Harvey states, "a plurality is not an egalitarian enterprise that denies individual gifting, removes roles, or demands equality in function or outcomes. Even among equals, there must be leadership." Okay. But, why "must" the lead pastor be the one responsible for the five hats Harvey goes on to describe? Can these hats not be worn by the other elders in the plurality? If not, why not?

    Finally, in chapter 6, "Acknowledging and Sharing Power," Harvey describes the reasons that lead pastors should share power and authority with their unpaid elders and other church leaders. However, he doesn't really describe what shared power and authority looks like except for allowing other men to preach. This was the most frustrating chapter in Harvey's book. He talks about the need for a healthy plurality, he insists that the lead pastor be given "space" and autonomy to lead, he details the roles that the lead pastor must fill, but he doesn't provide much guidance or clarity on what shared power and authority means within elder plurality.

    I appreciate this book by Dave Harvey. He seeks to correct the excesses in pastoral leadership that have recently shipwrecked many pastors and harmed many churches. However, Dave still advocates for the lead pastor to be a strong, visionary leader over "his team" of elders. In my opinion, more should have been written about how leadership is shared amongst the elder plurality in order to build and maintain a thriving church leadership team. The lead pastor is just one leader amongst a plurality of leaders.
    10 people found this helpful
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