Mission

We work together to:

Encourage pastors by providing biblical counseling, and by networking pastors with pastors.
Equip church leaders with coaching from experienced pastors, as well as by sharing material resources with one another.
Plant and replant churches in strategic cooperation.

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Vision

As a family of churches we:

• Support our pastors to minister from wholeness in Christ.

• Strengthen our churches to be biblically faithful.

• Strategically work together to grow the gospel.

Churches want to multiply. Whether you’re passionate about international or local missions, planting or replanting churches, or revitalizing, you want to obey the Great Commission to make disciples of Jesus. A flourishing church who multiplies is a church who is shaped by the gospel and shares the gospel. Flourishing churches are led by healthy pastors.

But none of us can do this alone, nor has God intended for us to do this alone; rather, togetherness characterizes the mission. Jesus gathered 12 disciples, and he sent them out two by two (Mark 6:7). The Apostle Paul planted churches in partnerships with other churches; for Paul, gospel partnership filled his prayers with joy (Phil 1:5).

Isolation is dangerous. It hurts us each in a unique way, and hinders our ministry. Think about its damage for the pastor. From where does the isolated pastor get care and encouragement? From where does the isolated pastor get sharpening conversation and help for growing in biblical faithfulness? The isolated pastor who has no care and encouragement, and no conversation partners is vulnerable to making foolish choices. Effective decision-making, learning, and growth happens in a community of wise thinkers.

We need each other. Books and conferences have their place; our association adds value to our churches because our pastors are committed to walking together with each other through the difficulties of pastoring. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 ESV)!

In other words, we are family, and family sticks together. God has given us each other as a gift. We devote ourselves to the ministry of paraklésis, which means “to call to one’s side; to summon, encourage, admonish, entreat” (1 Timothy 4:13). As a band of brothers we pray for each other, and hold each others’ arms up when the other is weary.

Do you remember the story in Exodus 17 of God’s people engaging in battle against their enemies? Exodus 17:11 reads, "So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed." Moses led them well, but he got tired and his arms began to droop.

Joshua and Hur rallied to his side and held his arms up, leading the Israelites to victory. Moses willingly accepted their help, and Joshua and Hur happily offered. This story illustrates how God has given us each other as a means of grace.

Togetherness is God’s plan for the church

Are you in need of friendship and encouragement? Nobody understands pastors like pastors. We convene pastors in groups close to where you serve on a regular basis so you can pray with and encourage other pastors.

Ministry is tough; yet thriving churches who multiply are led by healthy shepherds who serve their flocks in abundant joy. We want to help.

Togetherness is God’s plan for the church: not only does each individual church work together as a local body, but God intends for churches to work with churches and for pastors to support pastors.

The churches in our family understand that each local church who is intent on the Great Commission is in a different season. Some are multiplying quickly. Some are stuck, or even deathly sick. That’s why we meet each other where each one is, no matter how isolation might be undermining the mission.

Are you a healthy church looking to plant or replant in a strategic location? Our team of pastors passionate about planting convene regularly in order to saturate lostness with the gospel witness of a new church. We plant strategically in places that need the gospel the most.

Are you a pastor who feels stuck, or like you are just treading water? Our team of pastors passionate about coaching come alongside of you to help you figure out the next right answer to leading your church from flatline to flourishing.

Are you hurting, in need of spiritual and emotional healing? You are not alone. We sponsor our pastors to receive doctrinally faithful, gospel-centered biblical counseling that helps them pursue wholeness in Christ.

Nobody understands pastors like pastors.

Ministry is tough; yet thriving churches who multiply are led by healthy shepherds who serve their flocks in abundant joy. We want to help.

Our network is purely voluntary. This means that your church remains autonomous and you choose which parts of our partnership add the most value to you. Our network is also peer-driven, which means that we continually refine how we sharpen and invest in each other.

We are not a ministry gatekeeper. We are not the church, nor do we try to replicate the efforts of the church. The institution of the GDAB exists to serve the church. Much of our power is in convening with one another for the purposes of mutual encouragement and equipping, on our way to living out gospel realities in each of our unique communities.

At the most basic level, covenanting together as a family is a living out of John 17 unity. Being part of the GDAB family tells the world that we are one in Christ. We do things a little bit differently from one another, but the gospel of Jesus is the same.

Do you want to go from isolation and discouragement to community and collaboration? In the midst of a fallen world and sinful people, you may often feel like you’re on the front lines alone. Remember: God has made us one in Christ! The GDAB serves as a tangible reminder that God has not left us alone.

Rather, by design, we are in this together. Our unity in Christ prompts us to cultivate a community in which we guide each other and help each other develop plans that call us to action. The GDAB family helps each other avoid failure and achieve success. Not only will you be better with us, but we will be better with you. I hope you will consider joining hands together.

We affirm the underpinning values of:

Cooperative Autonomy—Associational Life is about unity and identity as much as it is about missions and fellowship.
Reciprocity—Our relationships with each other are mutually beneficial, and never one-sided. The economics of brotherly love necessitate mutual benefit.
Church Centrality—We exist not for ourselves as an institution, but for the sake of the church, God’s ordained means of proclaiming that Christ’s kingdom has come.
Relationships—Investing in people is our primary aim.
Doctrinal Unity—Baptist confessional documents (consistent with the Baptist Faith and Message, 2000) draw the doctrinal boundaries of membership to the GDAB.
Integrity—The foundation of trust is integrity; wholeness of Christ-like intentions and interactions glue us together in partnership.
Stewardship—God has entrusted us with precious relational and material resources that are to be leveraged for kingdom purposes.
Excellence—Our staff is committed to serving our pastors and churches with utmost excellence, and we expect each other to give our very best.

We seek to minimize:

Duplicated Denominational Efforts—Though not dependent on other organizations (NAMB, SCBO, etc.), we strive to work in tandem with the other entities of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Institution-First Mentality—The GDAB exists for the sake of the churches; the churches do not exist for the sake of the GDAB.
Autonomous Hierarchy—churches do not seek approval from the institution of the GDAB.

Would Your church like to join GDAb in its mission and vision?

Go to our joining page to see the process for joining the GDAB and for information on the benefits and responsibilities of membership.