In this episode of the Backstage Pastors Podcast™️, hosts Phil and Tyler kick off the series by welcoming longtime executive pastor, author, and consultant Mike Bonem. The conversation centers on the origins and evolution of the executive pastor (XP) and second-chair leader role, drawing heavily from Mike’s seminal book Leading from the Second Chair and his more recent work Thriving in the Second Chair.

Our team at PlainJoe Studios is planning a really great event with The Unstuck Group to help churches think through their next building project. Sean Bublitz and I will have sessions on all aspects of your project such as…

Launching on January 21st, 2026.

More info on the way! Check out the Preview episode now and Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Check out my recent interview for Sean Bublitz at The Unstuck Group.

As your church grows, space can quickly become one of your biggest challenges. From crowded sanctuaries and overflowing kids’ areas to parking headaches, managing space issues well is key to sustaining healthy growth. This video features an exclusive interview with Phil Taylor from PlainJoe Studios. Phil shares practical strategies for:

In ministry, time is the most valuable—and most easily lost—resource. Every pastor on your team wants a moment with the lead pastor, but what happens when the calendar always says “no”? Join Phil Taylor and Chip Bernhard as they unpack how intentional time—shared lunches, walk-around moments, and hallway conversations—can transform a staff culture from transactional to relational. This isn’t about adding more meetings; it’s about making time for what truly builds trust, unity, and health in your team. Because sometimes, five minutes of presence can do more for your staff than fifty minutes of planning. TheChurchHub.org

I’m excited to be launching a 10 session cohort for Executive Pastors, starting on Nov. 5th, 2025.

This cohort is designed for Executive Pastors/Second Chair Leaders navigating the complex and often demanding intersection of vision implementation, operations, staff leadership, and church health.

In this practical, peer-driven learning experience, you’ll journey through the real-world challenges and opportunities faced by XPs, gaining tools, wisdom, and strategies to lead with clarity, confidence, and spiritual integrity.

The cohort will begin on November 5th at 2PM-3:30PM EST and continue every 1st and 3rd Wednesday for ten sessions finishing just a little bit before Easter 2026. I’ve set this up in such a way that it does not conflict with any holidays.

What to Expect:

Recently, I had the chance to sit with the team at the Unstuck Group for another podcast episode. This time, we talked about having “Better Communication With Outsiders”. Specifically, we looked at some best practices as we think about how our official communication, as well as our spaces and even our signage, can create or remove barriers between the church and those considering connecting with the church. Amy Anderson has done a great job leading The Unstuck Group after Tony Morgan’s unexpected passing. It’s so good to see them thriving after such a hard season. In full disclosure, PlainJoe Studios, where I work full-time, has a partnership with Unstuck.

Catch the full episode HERE.

Will you be at the Vineyard Conference in Cincinnati this year? Let’s connect! I’ll be there all week. If you’d like to get together to discuss your church building project, or you’d like to talk about how to fix an older building, I’d love to grab some time with you over coffee or just in the lobby. Send me an email at phil(at)storylandstudios.com.

I’m excited to be linking arms with the The Church Hub! We’ll be doing a cohort for Executive Pastors and ultimately launching a new podcast for XP’s as well. Beyond the XP world, the church hub is out to serve the whole staff. Check out this video below to get a little bit of an intro.

For many years, I’ve had the privilege of coaching Executive Pastors who were new to the role, or just needed a second set of eyes during a season of personal growth. I’ve also enjoyed coaching Lead Pastors who were not in a place where they could hire an Executive Pastor but needed that kind of guidance. I find that the Holy Spirit seems to continually line me up with people when they are in a season of transition in their work or personal life. I call those the “hinge points”. If you think of a hinge on a door, that’s where all the action is! I love meeting people at the hinge points of life. It would be my privilege in 2025 to help you grow in your ability to lead your church and staff well. Keep reading to understand what a coaching relationship looks like, and send additional questions or requests to backstagepastors@gmail.com. 

My good friend Ryan Walker asked me to preach at his church recently and I was glad to do so. You can check out the video below!

What does it look like to pastor people who share your passions?

One of my absolute favorite events every fall is when the giant IAAPA conference happens in Orlando. This is literally the biggest event of the year for anyone involved in designing, building, or servicing theme parks, themed entertainment, or any sort of themed attractions. Think everything from Disney World on down to your local Pirate’s Cove mini-golf or family entertainment center. It’s really kind of staggering just how massive this conference is. For almost a decade now, I’ve functioned in a sort of chaplain role for a prayer breakfast that brings together Christ-Followers and a few seekers for breakfast, some networking, and a guest speaker. (This year, we had Joe Pine, author of “The Experience Economy”).

My first year serving this group of creatives and executives involved about a dozen of us in a little conference room at the Orange Country Convention Center. This past year, we had nearly 300 people present. It’s been so fun to see this event become an encouragement to so many.

I heard someone say once to “Pastor your city and your city will become your church”. Our city here in Orlando is all about the theme park industry. So, pastoring this group of people has been a high calling and honor. I also happen to be a huge theme park nerd. So, getting to hang out with a lot of the people responsible for making the magic happen is kind of a dream come true.

Also, a few years ago I shifted from working directly at a church as a pastor, to working with churches all over the country in helping them tell their story through buildings and brands. Most people in the church world know the company I work for under the name- PlainJoe Studios. But actually, PlainJoe is under the larger umbrella of Storyland Studios which happens to be a big name in the theme entertainment industry. So, in a weird convergence of work and fun, I now find myself working for a company that designs churches . . . and theme parks. You would’nt think those two things would go together, but actually, when you realize that it’s all about good storytelling, it makes perfect sense. While PlainJoe almost exclusively focuses on churches, non-profits and Christian Schools, Storyland works with some of the biggest names in themed entertainment. But here’s the cool little secret-once you get through either of our front doors (PlainJoe or Storyland), it’s the same team. Which means you’ve got some really amazing talent designing a theme park one day, and a church the next day.

I generally keep to the PlainJoe side of the business since I have more experience working with pastors and churches. But since I live in Orlando, I jump in and help with the Storyland experience on the floor of IAAPA. And I continue to serve in a pastor/chaplain type role for the annual Themed Entertainment and Attractions Prayer Network event.

I want to encourage any pastors reading this to find ways to pastor the people who are passionate about the things you are passionate about. Are you into Disc Golf, or Harley’s, or pickleball, or crossfit, or video games, or bourbon tasting? Don’t just play with these people, flex those pastoral muscles when appropriate. Look for opportunities to be a normal person who happens to be a pastor, and you will find that when those people you have fun with need a pastor, they will turn to you because you are already in their lives.

And if you ever find yourself in Orlando in the third week of November, you are welcome to come see what we are up to at this annual prayer breakfast that has grown from a few dozen to a few hundred.

I love my friends in the Harbor Network, so I was excited to get a chance to go back for the second year in a row to this amazing conference in Louisville, KY. If you in the Harbor group, or just live in the Louisville area, I’d love to connect with you! Hope to see you there!

When I first became an Executive Pastor way back in 2005, one of the first resources I came across was David Fletcher’s website xpastor.org David’s annual XP Seminar is still the only significant XP conference that I’m aware of anywhere (please email me if I’m wrong!) I’ve spoken at the seminar several times since then. Just recently, David had me on his weekly show for a fast-paced interview and Q&A session with anyone who wanted to join in. As always, David is a fun guy to talk with and I had a great time sharing with him about the update to “Defining The Executive Pastor Role”. You can watch the interview here. Or subscribe to the podcast and find the audio that way.

I’m a huge fan and follower of the Vineyard Network. So, while my work at PlainJoe studios takes me to a lot of conferences these days, I’m particularly excited about this one. So, if you’ll be at the Vineyard National Conference East, in Cincinnati, Ohio in July, I’d love to grab some time with you!