Fewer Titles, More Towels
Rethinking Church Leadership
The modern church doesn’t need more leaders with titles.
It needs more leaders with towels.
Let’s unpack the problem.
You’ve probably seen this.
A staff meeting where:
The org chart looks more like a pyramid than a team.
Everyone (including volunteers) has a title, but no one knows who’s doing what.
People are managing people, but not managing results.
Churches are adopting corporate-style structures with layers of leadership, but they’re missing something critical: Output.
The Outcome?
Layered org charts with minimal output.
Everyone has a fancy title, but the fruit is missing.Everyone’s in charge, but no one is getting things done.
Decisions get delayed. Projects stall. Ministry suffers.Confusion over roles and responsibilities.
Staff don’t know their lane. Volunteers don’t know who to follow.
People spend more time clarifying roles than carrying out the mission.
This isn't just inefficient and ineffective.
It’s unbiblical.
The Culture of Titles
Let’s call it what it is: Title addiction.
Somewhere along the way, ministry leadership became more about recognition than responsibility.
We want to be seen as leaders instead of serving as leaders.
And we justify it with phrases like:
“I need a seat at the table.”
“I should be part of that decision.”
“I’ve earned the right to lead.”
But the reality is:
You don’t need a title to lead.
You need a heart to serve.
What Jesus Modeled
Jesus didn’t build an org chart.
He built a team.
He didn’t hand out titles.
He handed out towels.
The upper room moment in John 13 wasn’t just an act of humility.
It was a blueprint for leadership.
"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet." – John 13:14
He made it clear:
Leadership is service.
Authority is earned through action, not assumed by a role.
Greatness is proven at the bottom, not at the top.
What Happens When You Build Culture on Titles
1. Silos form.
Each titleholder becomes a gatekeeper instead of a team player.
2. Ministry slows.
Decision-making bottlenecks. People wait for permission instead of pursuing the mission.
3. Vision fractures.
Departments prioritize personal wins over church-wide goals.
4. Volunteers disengage.
When they see confusion at the top, they check out at the bottom.
Your church doesn’t need a hierarchy.
It needs clarity, collaboration, and calling.
What Servant Culture Looks Like
Build or rebuild the culture your church needs.
Instead of more titles, build more teamwork.
Instead of more roles, build more responsibility.
Let’s unpack this:
1. Fewer Titles, More Teamwork
You don’t need 12 different coordinators.
You need 12 committed contributors.
Ask these direct questions:
What are we trying to accomplish?
Who can take ownership?
How can we support each other?
What are we missing?
Who are we missing?
The goal is ministry momentum, not ministry management.
2. Clear Lanes, Shared Goals
Teamwork without clarity is chaos.
Clarify three things for every team member:
Role: What’s your function?
Lane: What are you responsible for?
Goal: What does success look like?
When everyone knows what they're doing and why it matters, the mission moves forward.
3. Empowered Leaders, Not Entitled Leaders
Drop the entitlement.
Raise the expectation.
Train your team to:
Own outcomes.
Share the spotlight.
Serve first, speak second.
Servant leaders don’t wait to be asked.
They jump in where they’re needed most.
4. One Team, One Mission
The church is one body. Departments, not divisions.
Start talking like it:
“How can we serve each other?”
“What’s best for the mission, not just my ministry?”
“How do we win together, not compete separately?”
“What do we need to know?”
“What do we need to do?”
When departments collaborate, the church celebrates.
Break the Title Trap
Here’s how to shift your culture in 3 steps:
Step 1: Audit the Org Chart
Ask:
Do we have more titles than responsibilities?
Are people clear on their roles?
Are we focused on control or contribution?
If your chart is top-heavy, it’s time to flatten it.
Step 2: Clarify Wins for Every Role
Title or not, every person should know:
What they’re doing.
Why it matters.
How it supports the vision.
Don’t assume clarity—build it.
Step 3: Teach the Towel, Not the Title
Make this your leadership mantra:
“We don’t climb ladders here. We carry towels.”
Reward servanthood.
Celebrate behind-the-scenes faithfulness.
Model humility from the top down.
This one culture shift will do more for your church than 10 strategic plans.
The church isn’t short on leaders.
It’s short on servants.
If you want to see your church move from busy to effective, from confused to aligned, from slow to strong—
You don’t need another title.
You need another towel.
And they allow people to work from wholeness—not obligation.
If This Hit a Nerve...
You might be a church leader trying to rebuild culture, re-clarify roles, or reset expectations.
Let’s talk.
I coach pastors and executive teams on how to:
Build servant-led cultures
Eliminate org chart confusion
Create systems that produce real ministry results
Schedule a free discovery call and let’s build a culture that serves.
Visit ericvhampton.com to start the conversation.
See you next Saturday!
Eric V Hampton
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
Pew Patterns. My new book helps leaders like you make sense of the shifting spiritual landscape and build churches where people don’t just attend… they belong.
The Healthy Church Leader Annual Review. My annual review guides you from celebration (remembering past wins) to expectation (planning future wins) as you pursue your Christ-centered mission.
The Real MVP. I wrote and designed this book to invest in your leadership. Become a person of mission, vision, and purpose in 60 minutes.