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The Backstage Pastors Podcast

The Backstage Pastors Podcast

By: Phil Taylor and Tyler Drewitz
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The Backstage Pastors Podcast is dedicated to the unique challenges and opportunities facing executive pastors and second-chair leaders in churches and nonprofits. Hosts Phil Taylor and Tyler Drewitz share hard-earned insights and introduce listeners to diverse leaders doing meaningful work behind the scenes. Together, they offer practical, actionable conversations designed to strengthen the ministries and people they quietly support.Phil Taylor and Tyler Drewitz Christianity Spirituality
Episodes
  • Rich Birch on Building Churches that Keep Growing

    Rich Birch on Building Churches that Keep Growing
    Jul 1 2026
    Rich Birch joins Phil and Tyler for a wide-ranging conversation about church growth, executive leadership, and helping churches remove barriers that prevent people from encountering Jesus. Drawing from decades of executive pastor experience and hundreds of conversations through the UnSeminary Podcast, Rich shares the mission behind his work and the insights he's gathered from one of the largest ongoing executive pastor surveys.The conversation explores what today's executive pastors are experiencing, including an encouraging sense of optimism alongside widespread staff exhaustion. Rich discusses why people—not finances or facilities—remain the greatest concern for executive pastors and offers practical ideas for improving staff health and leadership development.Rich also challenges a common assumption about church growth by arguing that many churches don't actually have a "back door" problem—they have a "front door" problem. He explains why churches should become obsessed with the guest experience, simplify every step of the first-time visitor journey, and intentionally build systems that help newcomers connect. Rich explains why personal invitations continue to be the single greatest driver of church growth and offers practical ways churches can equip and encourage their people to invite others consistently. Mentioned Resources🗣️Follow Rich 🗣️Follow UnSeminenary 💻UnSeminenary Website💻 Executive Pastor Direct Survey   📕Unlocking Your Church's Invite Culture by Rich Birch📕Church Growth Flywheel by Rich Birch⛪️ Connexus ChurchFrom Our Partners💻 ⁠The Church Hub⁠: The Church Hub serves pastors, ministry leaders, and their spouses through equipping and training resources. Learn more at https://thechurchhub.org Connect with Phil Taylor✉️ ⁠Get Phil's Newsletter⁠✉️ ⁠⁠phil@backstagepastors.org⁠⁠🗣️ ⁠⁠@philtaylorxp⁠⁠ 📚 ⁠Books by Phil⁠💻 ⁠backstagepastors.org⁠💻⁠plainjoestudios.com⁠ Connect with Tyler Drewitz✉️ ⁠⁠tyler@myxp.church⁠⁠🗣️ ⁠⁠@tylerdrewitz⁠⁠💻 ⁠myxp.church⁠💻⁠ridgelineprinting.com⁠The best way to support this podcast is to like, subscribe and share it with a friend.LIKE & SUBSCRIBE📹 ⁠Youtube⁠🍏 ⁠Apple⁠🎤 ⁠SpotifyCHAPTERS 07:55 – Rich's Mission and the Story Behind UnSeminary11:20 – Executive Pastor Survey: Hopeful but Tired20:40 – Why People Are Every Executive Pastor's Biggest Challenge27:20 – The Front Door Problem: Helping First-Time Guests Connect39:30 – Seeing Church Through the Eyes of a First-Time Visitor42:00 – Building an Invite Culture That Fuels Growth50:25 – Encouragement for Executive Pastors– –Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co. Backstage Pastors™️ is a Registered Trademark
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    55 mins
  • Dan Reiland on Four Decades of XP Ministry

    Dan Reiland on Four Decades of XP Ministry
    Jun 17 2026

    Phil and Tyler sit down with longtime executive pastor, author, coach, and leadership mentor Dan Reiland. Dan reflects on his ministry journey, beginning as John Maxwell’s second intern and eventually becoming one of the pioneering executive pastors in the modern church movement. He shares stories from his years at Skyline Church, the Enjoy ministry, and his 25-year tenure at 12Stone Church.

    The conversation explores how the executive pastor role has evolved over the decades, the challenges and opportunities of church growth, and the importance of balancing organizational leadership with spiritual leadership. Dan offers a behind-the-scenes look at 12Stone’s decision to launch five campuses in a single Sunday, including lessons learned from rapid growth and the importance of strong systems.

    Dan also discusses the calling and partnership between senior pastors and executive pastors, recounting the remarkable story of how God led him and Kevin Myers into ministry together. The conversation turns to leadership development, mentoring, generational learning, and the growing challenge of helping leaders interpret culture in a rapidly changing world.

    Dan’s strongest leadership conviction after four decades in ministry is:prayer is not preparation for the work—it is the work.


    Mentioned Resources

    • 🗣️Follow Dan
    • 💻Dan’s Website
    • 📕Shoulder to Shoulder: Strengthening the Church by Supporting Your Pastor by Dan Reiland
    • 📕Amplified Leadership: Five Practices to Establish Influence, Build People, and Impact Others by Dan Reiland
    • ⛪️12Stone Church
    • ⛪️ Skyline Church


    From Our Partners

    💻 ⁠The Church Hub⁠: The Church Hub serves pastors, ministry leaders, and their spouses through equipping and training resources. Learn more at https://thechurchhub.org


    Connect with Phil Taylor

    ✉️ ⁠Get Phil's Newsletter⁠

    ✉️ ⁠⁠phil@backstagepastors.org⁠⁠

    🗣️ ⁠⁠@philtaylorxp⁠⁠

    📚 ⁠Books by Phil⁠

    💻 ⁠backstagepastors.org⁠

    💻⁠plainjoestudios.com⁠


    Connect with Tyler Drewitz

    ✉️ ⁠⁠tyler@myxp.church⁠⁠

    🗣️ ⁠⁠@tylerdrewitz⁠⁠

    💻 ⁠myxp.church⁠

    💻⁠ridgelineprinting.com⁠

    The best way to support this podcast is to like, subscribe and share it with a friend.


    LIKE & SUBSCRIBE

    📹 ⁠Youtube⁠

    🍏 ⁠Apple⁠

    🎤 ⁠Spotify

    CHAPTERS

    03:50 – From John Maxwell’s Intern to Executive Pastor

    08:26 – How the Executive Pastor Role Has Evolved

    12:02 – Launching Five Campuses in One Sunday

    19:00 – Supporting and Strengthening Senior Pastors

    21:00 – God’s Calling to Partner with Kevin Myers

    27:16 – Mentoring Leaders and Interpreting Culture

    31:00 – Addressing Anxiety in Today’s Generation

    32:05 – Prayer as the Foundation of Church Growth

    35:03 – Developing One More Leader

    – –

    Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co.

    Backstage Pastors™️ is a Registered Trademark
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    42 mins
  • The Accidental Executive Pastor with Becca Knudsen

    The Accidental Executive Pastor with Becca Knudsen
    Jun 3 2026
    In Episode 10 of Backstage Pastors™️, Phil and Tyler sit down with Becca Knudsen, Executive Pastor at Arvada Vineyard Church, to discuss her unique ministry journey, leading alongside a nationally influential lead pastor, and navigating major organizational transitions. Becca shares how an unexpected path—from Young Life leader to opera student to church administrator—ultimately led her into executive pastoral leadership.The conversation explores the realities of serving at a church whose lead pastor, Jay Pathak, also serves as the national director of Vineyard USA. Becca reflects on the spiritual, organizational, and personal challenges that accompanied that transition, including increased responsibility, leadership development, and organizational growing pains.She also provides an inside look at Arvada Vineyard’s decision to move away from a multi-site model and transition campuses into independent churches. Becca explains the discernment process, lessons learned, and why the church would still choose to plant churches in the future—while intentionally building toward eventual independence.Mentioned Resources⛪️ Arvada Vineyard Church💻 Learn more about the Vineyard movement📅 Check out the Vineyard Gatherings📅The Church Hub CohortsFrom Our Partners💻 ⁠The Church Hub⁠: The Church Hub serves pastors, ministry leaders, and their spouses through equipping and training resources. Learn more at https://thechurchhub.org Connect with Phil Taylor✉️ ⁠Get Phil's Newsletter⁠✉️ ⁠⁠phil@backstagepastors.org⁠⁠🗣️ ⁠⁠@philtaylorxp⁠⁠ 📚 ⁠Books by Phil⁠💻 ⁠backstagepastors.org⁠💻⁠plainjoestudios.com⁠ Connect with Tyler Drewitz✉️ ⁠⁠tyler@myxp.church⁠⁠🗣️ ⁠⁠@tylerdrewitz⁠⁠💻 ⁠myxp.church⁠💻⁠ridgelineprinting.com⁠The best way to support this podcast is to like, subscribe and share it with a friend.LIKE & SUBSCRIBE📹 ⁠Youtube⁠🍏 ⁠Apple⁠🎤 ⁠SpotifyCHAPTERS 03:47 – Becca’s Unconventional Journey into Ministry Leadership13:18 – Leading Alongside the National Director of Vineyard USA20:16 – The Challenges of Organizational Change and Staff Transitions22:45 – Why Arvada Vineyard Reconsidered the Multi-Site Model27:00 – Discernment, Independence, and Church Planting Strategy35:00 – How the Congregation Experienced the Transition37:32 – Building a Staff Rule of Life42:00 – Sabbath, Solitude, Friendship, and Sustainable Ministry46:00 – Final Leadership Reflections and Closing Thoughts– –Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co. Backstage Pastors™️ is a Registered Trademark
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    51 mins
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