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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
  • Clay Scroggins on How to Lead When You're Not in Charge

    Clay Scroggins on How to Lead When You're Not in Charge
    Apr 15 2026
    Phil Taylor interviews Clay Scroggins, former leader at North Point Community Church and author of How to Lead When You're Not in Charge. Clay shares his journey from engineering student to pastor, his experience serving in multi-site church leadership, and his transition into speaking and consulting.The conversation centers on leadership without authority—particularly relevant for executive pastors and second-chair leaders. Clay unpacks the myth that leadership requires a title and emphasizes influence as the true currency of leadership. He shares practical examples from both church and corporate environments, highlighting the importance of relational influence, emotional intelligence, and patience.They also discuss navigating organizational limitations, creating “pockets of greatness,” and leading oneself when broader change isn’t possible. Clay addresses the tension of ambition in ministry, distinguishing between selfish ambition and healthy, God-honoring drive.The episode also explores challenges like leading change in resistant environments, working under well-known leaders like Andy Stanley, and discerning when it’s time to stay or leave a role. The conversation is both practical and deeply reflective, offering encouragement and wisdom for leaders serving behind the scenes.Mentioned EventThe XP Summit. Phil Taylor will be presenting at this year’s XP Summit. You can get your tickets at: xpsummit.orgGuest Resources🗣️Follow Clay 📕How to Lead When You're Not in Charge by Clay Scroggins💻clayscroggins.com💻“Should I Stay or Should I Go?” (audio resource by Clay Scroggins)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.com⁠The best way to support this podcast is to like, subscribe and share it with a friend.LIKE & SUBSCRIBE📹 ⁠Youtube⁠🍏 ⁠Apple⁠🎤 ⁠SpotifyCHAPTERS[04:00] – Clay’s Ministry Journey[11:00] – The Myth of Leadership Titles[17:20] – Authority vs. Influence[25:18] – Creating a Pocket of Greatness[29:00] – When to Stay or Leave a Role[33:00] – Healthy vs. Unhealthy Ambition[39:00] – Leading Change Without Authority[43:00] – Working Under a High-Profile Leader[47:00] – Final Encouragement & Resources– –Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co. Backstage Pastors™️ is a Registered Trademark
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    53 mins
  • Kadi Cole on the Women’s XP Group and Developing Female Leaders

    Kadi Cole on the Women’s XP Group and Developing Female Leaders
    Apr 2 2026
    In this episode, Kadi Cole joins the Backstage Pastors™️ to discuss her unexpected journey into ministry and her passion for developing female leaders in the church. She shares how her experience as often the only woman in leadership led to the creation of the Women Executive Pastor (WXP) Network, now supporting hundreds of women in executive roles.Kadi explains the importance of mentorship, coaching, and especially sponsorship—highlighting how women are often overlooked in leadership development due to systemic habits rather than theology. She challenges male leaders to rethink how they view and support female leaders, emphasizing equal access to development resources and opportunities.The conversation also explores the unique challenges women face in leadership, including isolation, lack of role models, and navigating expectations. Kadi encourages churches to intentionally create pathways for women to grow and remain in ministry long-term.Resources Mentioned🗣️Follow Kadi📕Developing Female Leaders by Kadi Cole💻wxpastors.com (Women Executive Pastor Network)💻https://kadicole.com💻https://femalechurchleaders.com🎙️Female Church Leaders Podcast 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.com⁠The best way to support this podcast is to like, subscribe and share it with a friend.LIKE & SUBSCRIBE📹 ⁠Youtube⁠🍏 ⁠Apple⁠🎤 ⁠SpotifyCHAPTERS[00:45] Introducing Kadi Cole[02:00] An Unlikely Ministry Journey[04:00] Birth of Women Executive Pastors Network[06:00] The Power of Female Community[09:20] Why Women Need Dedicated Spaces[12:40] Supporting Women in Leadership Growth[17:00] Mentorship, Coaching & Sponsorship[24:00] What Male Leaders Often Miss[31:20] Encouragement to Stay in the Calling– –Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co.
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    37 mins
  • David Fletcher on Pastoral Compensation

    David Fletcher on Pastoral Compensation
    Mar 18 2026
    In this episode of Backstage Pastors™️ Phil and Tyler sit down with David Fletcher, founder of XPastor.org, one of the most comprehensive resource hubs for executive pastors. David shares the origin story of his work, which began out of a lack of available research and has grown into a platform with thousands of resources and hundreds of thousands of annual users.The conversation explores practical tools available to executive pastors, including free courses, weekly webinars, and a robust salary database built from billions of dollars of church compensation data. David explains how churches can leverage this data for better, more objective compensation decisions and discusses the value of independent compensation studies.David is a wealth of knowledge gleaned from years of serving executive pastors — and from being one.Resources Mentioned💻 ⁠⁠⁠XPastor.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💲⁠Salary ForecasterFrom 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🎤⁠⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠⁠CHAPTERS01:34 Introducing David Fletcher & XPastor.org07:29 The Origin Story of XPastor10:00 Free Resources for Executive Pastors12:00 Courses, Webinars & Getting Started14:11 Compensation Data & Salary Forecaster17:00 Why Churches Need Compensation Studies23:41 Benefits, Trends & Staffing Insights27:39 The Retirement Crisis for Pastors29:13 Innovation, AI & Leadership Mindset– –Editing and Support by ⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠
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    38 mins
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