Should Your Next Hire Be a Discipleship Pastor?
- Darrell Stetler II
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Church staffing is no small task. Whether you're preparing for growth or trying to revitalize your ministry, every hire matters. One question many church leaders overlook is this:
Should your next hire be a Discipleship Pastor? (aka Spiritual Formation Pastor)
It’s easy to focus on the most immediate needs—filling a pulpit, hiring a youth pastor, or even adding administrative support. But a Discipleship Pastor can transform your church in ways that impact every aspect of ministry. Let’s explore why this role might be the key to unlocking the next season of health and growth in your church.
1. Discipleship helps close the "back door" of your church.
Churches often prioritize the front door—attracting new members. But what about the back door? Without a strong pathway for discipleship, people can slip away just as quickly as they come in.
A dedicated Discipleship Pastor ensures your church has a clear plan to nurture spiritual growth. This person can design systems that help new believers become fully committed followers of Christ. They’ll focus on the critical work of connecting people to your church’s vision, building community, and equipping members for ministry.
In short, discipleship ministry isn’t just another program. It’s the engine that drives long-term spiritual and numerical growth.
2. Healthy Discipleship Shapes Healthy Staff
A Discipleship Pastor doesn’t just impact the congregation; they influence your staff too. When discipleship becomes a core focus of your church, it changes the culture. Leaders grow stronger spiritually and relationally, and your staff begins to embody the kind of Christlike leadership that filters down to the rest of the church.
Hiring someone with a passion for creating a strong pathway for discipleship can bring clarity and alignment to your church’s broader mission. They’ll help integrate discipleship values into all ministry areas—worship, youth, outreach, and beyond.
3. Discipleship Prepares Leaders for the Future
Every pastor dreams of raising up new leaders within their church. A Discipleship Pastor is uniquely positioned to make that dream a reality. By equipping members with biblical training and leadership skills, they’ll help you develop a pipeline of future leaders.
Imagine your church filled with people who understand their role in God’s mission, have a firm grasp of Scripture, and are eager to step into ministry. That’s the kind of fruit a strong discipleship ministry produces. It’s also the kind of work that ensures your church is prepared for challenges and opportunities in the years to come.
4. Discipleship Fuels Church Growth Through Spiritual Depth
Discipleship isn’t just "maintaining." Properly understood, it’s a catalyst for growth.
The Scripture is clear: when people are deeply rooted in Christ and equipped to serve, they naturally attract others to the faith. This pattern is seen throughout the book of Acts, where the early church grew not just through preaching, but through disciple-making:
In Acts 2:42–47, we see a snapshot of a discipled community: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship… and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The spiritual depth of the early believers was expressed through teaching, prayer, generosity, and community. And, it was so compelling that it led to daily conversions.
Later, in Acts 6, when the apostles appointed leaders to oversee ministry to widows, it wasn’t just a move for better organization and prevention of exhausted leaders. It was discipleship in action. As spiritual leadership was multiplied, the result was clear: “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly” (Acts 6:7).
Churches that prioritize discipleship create a spiritually vibrant environment that draws people in. When members are growing, serving, and living out the gospel, others notice—and want to be part of it.
What Is the Salary of a Discipleship Pastor?
Salaries for Discipleship Pastors can vary widely depending on church size, region, and experience. In a small church, a Discipleship Pastor may be part-time or bivocational. In a larger church, the role may demand full-time hours with compensation similar to that of an Associate Pastor or Ministry Director.
On average, salaries range from $40,000 to $75,000 annually, though this can be higher in urban areas or multi-campus churches. It’s important to weigh this cost not just in terms of dollars, but in terms of the long-term value this role brings to your church’s spiritual health and leadership pipeline.
For a deeper look at what affects salary and how to budget for a Discipleship Pastor, click here to read the full post on Discipleship Pastor salaries.
You can also download a free template for a discipleship pastor job description right here.
What If I Can’t Afford a Discipleship Pastor?
If hiring a full-time Discipleship Pastor isn’t realistic for your church right now, don’t give up on discipleship altogether until you can. Thankfully, you have options. First, you could recruit a volunteer discipleship leader.
But I want to share one other possibility:
NewStart Discipleship offers a ready-to-use discipleship pathway that equips your church to disciple new believers and raise up leaders without the need for additional staff. You get access to practical, plug-and-play tools that work in small churches and large ones alike.
Even better—the price is fixed for life. Once you subscribe, you’ll never pay more, no matter how many resources we add or how your church grows.
Discipleship is too important to postpone. With NewStart Discipleship, you don’t have to wait until you can afford another staff member to start making disciples.
You can download the first step of the pathway free right here:
Is a Discipleship Pastor Right for Your Church?
Not every church needs to hire a full-time Discipleship Pastor immediately. But if your church struggles to retain members, lacks a clear discipleship plan, or feels disconnected from its mission, it may be time to prioritize this role.
Here are some questions to consider as you evaluate your next hire:
Do we have a clear pathway for discipleship in place?
Are we effectively equipping members to grow and serve?
How well does our church staff reflect discipleship values?
Are we seeing a pipeline of leaders develop in our congregation?
If the answers leave you unsure, a Discipleship Pastor could be the key to helping your church move forward.
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