LEADERSHIP COVENANT

Stay at the Table Leadership Covenant

Under the Authority of Jesus Christ

Stay at the Table exists to help Christians seek truth, practice reconciliation, understand one another, and unite faithfully under Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ—not the founder, a board, a pastor, a denomination, a donor, or a majority—is the head and highest authority of this ministry. All human leadership remains accountable to him and subject to correction by Scripture.

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

—1 Corinthians 3:11

Those entrusted with significant authority, influence, teaching, finances, moderation, technology, or access to private information must affirm this covenant.

This covenant applies equally to every leader, including the founder. No title, contribution, reputation, relationship, or length of service places anyone above accountability.

1. What “Above Reproach” Means

Scripture teaches that a Christian leader must be “above reproach” (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6–7).

Being above reproach does not mean being sinless, never making a mistake, or never being criticized. Jesus alone is without sin. It means that a leader’s life is marked by integrity, self-control, faithfulness, humility, repentance, and submission to Christ.

A leader must not knowingly maintain a pattern of serious misconduct while refusing truth, correction, repentance, or accountability.

The standards in this covenant are drawn principally from 1 Timothy 3:1–13 and Titus 1:5–9 and are supported throughout Scripture.

2. Devotion to Christ and Scripture

A leader will:

• Confess Jesus Christ as Lord and seek to follow him faithfully.
• Receive Scripture as the authoritative written witness governing the ministry’s beliefs, conduct, and decisions.
• Handle Scripture honestly rather than twisting it to gain power or defend a preferred outcome.
• Hold firmly to trustworthy Christian teaching and be able to distinguish essential Christian convictions from secondary disagreements.
• Pray for wisdom and remain willing to discover that they may be mistaken.
• Refuse to claim that personal desires, private revelation, institutional interests, or political loyalties outrank the teaching of Christ.

See Titus 1:9; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16–17; James 1:5; 3:1.

3. Personal Character

A leader will pursue:

• Faithfulness in marriage and sexual integrity.
• Sobriety, sound judgment, and self-control.
• Honesty in words, actions, and promises.
• Gentleness rather than intimidation, violence, or cruelty.
• Patience rather than uncontrolled anger or quarrelsomeness.
• Contentment rather than greed, exploitation, or love of money.
• Hospitality, compassion, and concern for people who are overlooked.
• Humility rather than pride, celebrity, or entitlement.
• A good reputation among people inside and outside the ministry.
• Responsible care for their household and existing commitments.
• Conduct that does not bring avoidable disgrace upon Christ or the ministry.

See 1 Timothy 3:2–7; Titus 1:6–8; Galatians 5:22–23.

4. Truthfulness and Transparency

A leader will not knowingly:

• Lie, hide important facts, or misrepresent another person.
• Manipulate quotations, Scripture, statistics, records, or voting procedures.
• Present assumptions as established facts.
• Spread accusations that have not been responsibly examined.
• Use private information for retaliation, embarrassment, control, or personal advantage.
• Hide personal interests or relationships that could influence their judgment.
• Create the appearance of unanimous Christian support when genuine disagreement exists.

Leaders will clearly distinguish verified facts, personal interpretations, unresolved questions, and matters about which the ministry remains uncertain.

See Exodus 20:16; Proverbs 12:22; Ephesians 4:25; 2 Corinthians 8:20–21.

5. Use of Authority

Leadership at Stay at the Table is stewardship, not ownership.

A leader will:

• Serve rather than dominate.
• Listen before deciding.
• Protect sincere questions and faithful disagreement.
• Avoid coercion, threats, spiritual manipulation, retaliation, favoritism, and shunning.
• Never use Scripture or spiritual language to silence legitimate concerns.
• Never demand personal loyalty in place of faithfulness to Christ.
• Refrain from making important decisions alone when shared discernment is reasonably possible.
• Use access to technology, moderation systems, finances, communications, and personal information responsibly in service of the ministry.
• Give an honest account of decisions made under their authority.

No founder, executive, pastor, board member, donor, moderator, technical administrator, or denominational representative may exercise unchecked control over the ministry.

See Mark 10:42–45; John 13:12–17; 1 Peter 5:2–3.

6. Treatment of People and Christian Traditions

A leader will treat every person as someone made in the image of God.

Leaders will:

• Speak truth with love.
• Represent Christian traditions fairly, including traditions with which they disagree.
• Permit people to explain their own convictions before those convictions are characterized publicly.
• Seek reconciliation without pretending serious differences do not exist.
• Protect people from personal attacks, humiliation, harassment, and dehumanizing language.
• Show particular care toward children, vulnerable adults, abuse survivors, and people with limited power.
• Refuse partiality based on wealth, influence, social status, race, ethnicity, disability, nationality, or denominational identity.
• Remember that unity in Christ does not require dishonesty, forced agreement, or surrender of conscience.

See Genesis 1:27; James 2:1–9; Ephesians 4:15; Romans 14:1–4; 15:7.

7. Financial Integrity

Anyone entrusted with the ministry’s money or resources will:

• Maintain accurate and reviewable records.
• Be open about personal interests that could influence financial decisions.
• Use ministry resources honestly and for their intended purpose.
• Never offer donors control over doctrine, moderation, leadership appointments, or editorial conclusions.
• Use reasonable independent oversight for significant financial decisions.
• Provide meaningful financial transparency appropriate to the ministry’s size.

See Luke 16:10–13; 1 Timothy 3:3; 6:9–10; 2 Corinthians 8:20–21.

8. Accountability and Correction

Every leader must remain teachable and accountable.

When concerns arise, leaders should listen with humility, speak honestly, and seek reconciliation in the spirit of Matthew 18:15–17.

Everyone involved should have an opportunity to be heard. Wise and fair-minded Christians should help when a concern cannot be resolved together.

Leaders should take concerns seriously, avoid gossip and favoritism, and welcome correction without turning against the person who raised the concern.

No leader should be set aside merely for asking a sincere question, expressing a faithful disagreement, or becoming unpopular.

See Matthew 18:15–17; 1 Timothy 5:19–21; Galatians 6:1.

9. Repentance and Restoration

Accountability should lead us toward truth, repentance, healing, and restored relationships. Correction should be offered with gentleness and received with humility.

When a leader sins, they should acknowledge it honestly, seek forgiveness, make things right where possible, and show repentance through their actions over time.

Forgiveness does not always mean an immediate return to leadership. Rebuilding trust may take time, and stepping back can be part of faithful repentance.

A leader who continues in serious wrongdoing and refuses biblical correction should step away from leadership.

See Psalm 51; Luke 3:8; Galatians 6:1; 1 Timothy 5:20.

10. Shared Stewardship

Leadership responsibilities should be shared so that no individual or group controls every part of the ministry.

Leaders should share responsibility for:

• Organizational oversight.
• Biblical and theological discernment.
• Editorial decisions.
• Community moderation.
• Financial stewardship.
• Technology and data access.
• Listening to concerns and helping resolve disagreements.

Leaders will make room for others to serve, be honest about personal interests, and step back from decisions when those interests could cloud their judgment.

Major decisions about beliefs, leadership, money, or the ministry’s purpose should be made through prayer, thoughtful discussion, and broad agreement among those entrusted to serve.

The founder, too, will share leadership and make room for others to serve.

See Proverbs 11:14; 15:22; Acts 15:1–29; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27.

11. Protecting the Mission

Leaders may not use Stay at the Table to:

• Build a personal following or personality-centered ministry.
• Serve as the political instrument of a party, candidate, denomination, donor, or private interest.
• Punish personal enemies or keep personal disputes alive.
• Claim authority belonging properly to local churches or the universal Church.
• Replace the place of pastors, congregations, or families in people’s lives.
• Manufacture agreement or portray the ministry as speaking for all Christians.

Stay at the Table may encourage Christians toward shared understanding and faithful action, but it must remain honest about whom it represents and where Christians continue to disagree.

12. Continuing Growth

This covenant is a commitment to a way of life. Leaders should return to it regularly, reflect prayerfully on their example, and invite honest feedback from others.

Each leader should keep growing in biblical understanding, service, and care for people, while making time for rest and life beyond their leadership responsibilities.

Leaders should welcome the wisdom of others when their own conduct or decisions need correction.

13. Leadership Promise

Before God and those served by Stay at the Table, I promise to exercise authority as a servant of Jesus Christ.

I will seek truth rather than victory, faithfulness rather than influence, service rather than control, and reconciliation rather than retaliation.

I will submit my conduct, teaching, decisions, and use of authority to Scripture and appropriate accountability. I will be honest about my own interests, receive correction, care for the vulnerable, and tell the truth even when doing so costs me personally.

I will not treat this ministry as my possession. I acknowledge that every position of leadership is temporary and that the mission belongs to Christ.

If I fall short of these standards, I will listen, seek forgiveness, and accept correction, including stepping back from leadership when needed. If I see another leader struggling, I will respond with honesty, fairness, and a desire for restoration.

With God’s help, I will strive to remain above reproach and to lead in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Foundational Scriptures

• 1 Timothy 3:1–13
• Titus 1:5–9
• Matthew 18:15–17
• Mark 10:42–45
• Acts 15:1–29
• Romans 12:3–18
• 1 Corinthians 12:12–27
• Galatians 5:22–23; 6:1
• Ephesians 4:1–16, 25
• 1 Peter 5:1–4
• James 3:1–18