By Joel Comiskey, Empowered to Pastor
Much of the literature on small group ministry still focuses on the individual leader. But in the New Testament, leadership is consistently plural.
A lead pastor who tries to carry the cell vision alone will eventually burn out, delegate it away, or watch the movement stall. But a lead pastor surrounded by a pastoral team—whether full-time staff or a volunteer team of seasoned cell leaders and coaches—multiplies the vision, shares the weight, and models for everyone below what team ministry actually looks like. What happens at the top sets the pattern for everyone else.
Jesus modeled this from the beginning. He sent his disciples out two by two (Luke 10:1), and even within the Twelve, he invested in a smaller team—Peter, James, and John. The early church followed the same pattern. Aquila and Priscilla ministered together so closely that Scripture treats them as a unit—their names even reversed in some passages to signal genuinely shared ministry (Acts 18:26; Rom. 16:3; 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Tim. 4:19). Paul never planted alone (Acts 12:25; 13:1; 15:39), and when he addressed the leaders at Ephesus, he spoke to the elders—plural—whom the Holy Spirit had made overseers of the flock (Acts 20:28). Team leadership in the New Testament isn’t the exception. It’s the norm.
So who belongs on this pastoral team? Those who are devoted to Jesus, walking in integrity, and fully committed to cell church ministry. In the early stages, that usually means those already leading cells. As the church grows, it should include those who have multiplied their groups. This aligns with the New Testament model, where elders were themselves leaders of house churches. Asking pastoral team members to lead a cell isn’t an extra requirement—it’s deeply biblical.
The role of the lead pastor is to minister to the team, who in turn minister to those under their care. Team life means praying together, sharing from God’s Word, and staying attuned to what the cell leaders are facing. Are the groups meeting regularly? Are leaders encouraged or discouraged? Where are the victories? Where are the challenges?
This is where clarity matters. Up-to-date information helps the team see what is really happening on the ground, so we can make timely, Spirit-led adjustments. I’ll be honest: I sense a growing weariness with lone-ranger leadership in the church—and a fresh hunger for something better.
Team leadership isn’t optional—it’s essential for fruitful small group ministry. Yes, shared authority means shared friction, and conflict will come. But the fruitfulness that flows from genuine team ministry far outweighs the difficulties. As Solomon wrote, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
During May, we’ll explore the power of the pastoral team over four weeks. Click here to receive these blogs in your email inbox. We’ll cover:
Week 1 (May 3–9): The Biblical Foundation. Jesus’ team of three, Paul’s apostolic bands, the plural elders of the New Testament—why team leadership is the scriptural norm, not a modern management strategy.
Week 2 (May 10–16): Building the Team. How lead pastors gather the right people—whether full-time staff or volunteer leaders raised up from within the cells—and what marks a healthy team: shared vision, prayer, passion, and mutual ownership.
Week 3 (May 17–23): Leading from the Pastoral Team. The role of the lead pastor in guarding the vision, modeling cell life, saying no to competing programs, and guiding the pilot group when transitioning a church.
Week 4 (May 24–30): Next Steps. For those aspiring to pastoral ministry: cultivate your relationship with Jesus and bear fruit in cell life before seeking leadership. For those already pastoring: reclaim the vision, model the life, and raise up the next team around you.