What Should You Look For in a Ministry Consultant?
We understand that you want the right person for your people and your specific ministry situation when choosing a consultant to help with your specific ministry. The following qualities may help you determine if we’re the right group for you: (You can also download this guide for easy reference – PDF, 52k).

Christian character. As consultants who know Jesus Christ as personal Savior, we attempt to model Godly character in the consulting arena as well as spiritual discernment and ministry expertise. We’re convinced that lives marked by Christ likeness are critical to all that we accomplish. We understand that we model behavior for those with whom we minister, and we believe that it must be Christ like behavior. We like to have fun, and we enjoy the people that we work with. But this takes place in a context were our goal is to model Christ for those we work with (2 Cor. 11:1).

Proven competence. When considering a consultant, it’s critical that you select one that is most competent for your specific ministry need and area. Most are experts and are known for their work in just a few specific areas. We encourage you to look for one that is most competent in the area where you need him or her. Often, they’ll be known for those areas, and some have published in them. We believe that we are the leaders in the field when it comes to strategic, visionary direction. In fact, Dr. Malphurs has published extensively in this field.

Theological expertise. We live in a time when it’s popular to devalue good biblical and theological knowledge. At The Malphurs Group we have a good working knowledge of scripture and understand how to contextualize God’s Word with the challenges faced by the local church. Many of our team have seminary degrees and/or have extensive bible training.

Strong references. We would invite you to check with our references. We believe that “the proof of the pudding is in the tasting.”. We invite you to “touch base” with those who’ve employed us and check our references as you would in adding a new staff person, because to a certain extent that’s how we will function. We’d be happy to provide you a list of our current and most recent references at your request.

Special gifting. The gifts, talents, and abilities that we or any consultant brings to your ministry context are crucial. Ours are leadership, teaching, administration, wisdom and spiritual discernment mixed with lots of good, practical experience. We are passionate about the local church and helping it to accomplish its mission: The Great Commission. It’s our desire that this excitement “rubs off” on your people, and that they come away from our times together with a greater passion for their church and view it as the hope of the world.

Practical experience. It’s important that you discern how much experience the consultant has. Is he or she a novice? Are they just beginning to use their gifts and abilities in the consulting world? Has he ever pastored a church or worked with a parachurch organization?