Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird. Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work.
Referenced in: Church Leadership Strategies – Mergers
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is a one-of-a-kind and much needed book on church mergers. It synthesizes the best research on church mergers (listed in Appendix G) and offers specific, practical advice on how to think about and complete a successful merger. It is divided into three parts.
Part One is introductory
Here they describe the new context that actually encourages mergers, the networks available for community, how to look at merging as a way of kingdom dreaming, the reason mergers often fail (e.g. why three-congregation mergers work better than two coming together, why you need a new minister after the merger), etc. They also distinguish between the importance of a lead church and the joining church, where one always leads and the other follows. They also discuss four types of mergers: rebirth, adoption, marriage, and intensive care unit.
Part Two is informative (descriptive)
This explains the stages of a merger (preliminary, deliberation, postmerger), how to measure success, further observations on why mergers fail (broken down into each stage), financial and legal aspects of merging, and necessary personnel changes.
Part Three is instructional (prescriptive)
Here they discuss how to determine whether your church is a good merger candidate, how to start a merger conversation, a self-assessment for merger readiness, helpful beginning exercises, and how to manage pain and change.
Appendices include:
- Merger process checklist
- Examples of merger issues to resolve – theological beliefs, governance, affiliations, mission/vision/values, strategy, worship style, preaching, membership requirements, programs, budget, personnel expectations (senior pastor, boards and committees, staff, missionaries), legal aspects (church name, voting, propert and facility, assets and liabilities, debt, timeline)
- Frequently asked questions from several actual mergers
- Details on several dozen churches whose merger stories are described in the book.
- Merger Research
From the Publisher
Thousands of Protestant churches are perplexed by plateaued or declining enrollments, while other congregations nearby thrive. Is there a way for them to combine forces, drawing on both their strengths in ways that increase their missional impact?
Church merger consultant Jim Tomberlin and award-winning writer Warren Bird make the case that mergers today work best not with two struggling churches but with a vital, momentum-filled lead church partnering with one or more joining churches. Based on solid research and practical experience, the authors provide a hands-on guide so that lead churches and joining churches can each understand the issues, select an appropriate model, and develop strategies that will create a positive, healthy merger.
This much-needed resource describes the range of mergers for strong, stable, stuck, and struggling churches. While many congregations are motivated by survival, an increasing number identify “mission” as their primary impetus. No matter what type of merger a church may be considering, the authors address key questions about the process: How can a merger help a church go forward? How will a merger process unfold? Where can a declining church find another congregation to join? What are the pitfalls that both pastor and congregation should avoid? How can “better together” lead to more, rather than fewer, life-giving, high-impact, reproducing churches?
No matter what your motivation for merging your church with another—to begin a new church lifecycle, cross racial lines, reach more people for Christ, multiply your church’s impact, or better serve your local community—Better Together will give you the tools you need to create a thriving new entity.
About the Authors
Jim Tomberlin, Th.M., is an ordained minister who has served in a variety of ministries, including pioneering the multisite strategy at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. He is the founder of MultiSite Solutions, devoted to multisite and merger consultation.
Warren Bird, Ph.D., an ordained minister, is the research director at Leadership Network. He has conducted numerous interviews and surveys on topics of church restarts, church planting, multisites, and mergers, and is the coauthor of twenty-three books including Culture Shift, Viral Churches, and The Other 80 Percent, all from Jossey-Bass.
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