Expanded FAQs
Updated: January 30, 2025
Through bylaw consultation calls and regional gatherings this past fall, we identified several frequently asked questions and important points of clarification. This expanded FAQ provides answers and additional details.
General
The current ordination and bylaws work was mandated by the former Executive Team of Vineyard USA at the culmination of the ReOrg process in 2021. The work of both ordination and bylaw updates further clarify what are and have been our guiding assumptions and the nature of our relationship:
- That our affiliation to Vineyard USA connects us to each other and to the national movement.
- That Vineyard USA has a role and responsibility to provide instruction and guidance to Vineyard churches.
No, it is aligned with who we are and who we have been as church-planting people of the Spirit. In a pastoral letter from 1993, John Wimber wrote:
As an organism, the Vineyard needs organization. Compare two life forms: an amoeba and a human body. Which can accomplish more? Certainly, the more highly structured human body, if it is alive. The key: life and relationship with God, not organization or lack thereof.
To father children and not take the responsibility of raising them is considered uncivilized. To make new converts and not set them into a church, is unthinkable. Likewise, to plant new churches, and not to band them together and mature them is irresponsible.
That’s why I’m for structured relationships among churches with a shared sense of calling. I’m proposing we introduce structures carefully, always aware that the organization is subservient to the organism. We must make alterations whenever the organization thwarts the growth of the organism.
The work we are doing now is a necessary next step for the movement as we steward what the Lord has given us and mature together as a body of believers. Wimber’s full letter is available here.
Churches are being asked to update their bylaws to formally state their affiliation to Vineyard USA and acknowledge the National Leadership Handbook. This can be done by adding an amendment to your current bylaws or by revising your bylaws utilizing a template provided by Vineyard USA.
Between September 2024 and May 1, 2025, all ordained Vineyard pastors are being asked to complete an ordination attestation form wherein their local church ordination is able to be endorsed by Vineyard USA. This is the grandfathering moment for all currently ordained Vineyard pastors. Going forward, ordination will continue to be done by local churches, and endorsement from Vineyard USA will be part of the regular ordination process.
For more details, see the video and ordination FAQ here.
National Leadership Handbook
The National Leadership Handbook supplements the Vineyard USA Bylaws. The Bylaws define the legal nature of the non-profit corporation that is Vineyard USA. The National Leadership Handbook is a new ecclesiastical document that will clarify the relationship between Vineyard USA, Vineyard pastors, and Vineyard churches.
The Handbook is available here. It is also in the Quick Links section at the top of the Ordination and Bylaws webpage.
The Trademark License Agreement, which is the document that currently outlines the nature of our relationship to each other and the National movement, while appropriate for the legal purpose of protection of the logo and trademark, insufficiently describes the nature of our relationship to one another. This document does not adequately provide guidance for the very many issues that local churches and our national Association face.
Version 1.0 of the National Leadership Handbook was ratified by the former Executive Team of Vineyard USA in December of 2021. Establishing new bylaws and the supplemental Handbook were important for the transition of leadership models.
Version 2.0 of the National Leadership Handbook was approved by the Trustees and ratified by unanimous vote on March 4, 2024, by the Leadership Council (Regional Leaders, Area Leaders, and Association Leaders). The Handbook was made available to all Lead Pastors on March 14, 2024.
You can listen to the audio recording of the Ratification Session here.
Version 2.0 of the National Leadership Handbook was ratified by unanimous vote in March 2024 by the Leadership Council (Regional Leaders, Area Leaders, and Association Leaders). Leadership Council members were explicitly encouraged to voice concerns and to vote according to their conscience, including voting no if necessary.
Here is the recording of the vote.
Per section 7.3 of the National Leadership Handbook, the Council is responsible for nominating and ratifying new members of the Vineyard USA Board of Trustees, ratifying changes to the Vineyard USA National Leadership Handbook, and ratifying changes to the Vineyard USA Statement of Faith.
The Leadership Council consists of Area Leaders, Regional Leaders, and Association Leaders. Because of its composition, the group will always include geographic representation from across the movement, as well as voices that are underrepresented in leadership.
The Regional Leader (RL) selection process involves a time of discernment , a writing project, personal and professional references, interviews conducted by a diverse team of translocal leaders and local pastors. This process results in a recommendation from the interview team. The final selection is made by the Super Regional Leader and the RL is appointed with the approval of the National Director.
Area Leaders are appointed by the corresponding region’s Regional Leader(s) and are approved by the designated Super Regional Leader and confirmed by the National Director. Factors considered include leadership experience, a sense of call, desire and willingness, peer recognition and geographic location/proximity.
Association Leaders are appointed by the Association’s Strategic Coordinator (newly titled Associations Director) and confirmed by the National Director. Each Association and its members have informed the appointment process as this new structure is implemented.
The ReOrg team presented several proposals to the previous Vineyard USA leadership. These proposals were carefully evaluated. In 2021, the Executive Team approved the final organizational structure, revised bylaws, and granted the Leadership Council ratification responsibilities. Historically, church voting within Vineyard USA leadership was utilized exclusively for the appointment of the National Director. The process outlined in the Handbook significantly increases participation, involving over eighty Vineyard pastors and leaders.
We recognize that no system is perfect and welcome constructive feedback. While future adjustments to the ratification process are possible, any changes would need to follow the current procedures outlined in the Vineyard USA Handbook
Vineyard USA plans to ratify its Handbook policies and procedures every two years during the annual Leadership Council Meeting. The Leadership Council is expected to vote on a Ratification Amendment to establish the process for reviewing amendments, clauses, or revisions prior to a ratification vote. Currently, Vineyard USA anticipates the amendment will include the following provisions:
- A review of proposed changes by Lead Pastors at least six months before the ratification vote.
- A ninety-day period for all Lead Pastors to provide input.
- Distribution of final revisions to all Lead Pastors no less than 45 days before the ratification vote.
- A three-quarters majority vote is required to approve any amendment, clause, or revision.
- A six-month implementation period following ratification before the updated Handbook takes effect.
A three-quarter affirmative majority is presently the proposed requirement required to pass any proposed amendment, clause, or revision. This is the highest “super majority” that allows for a process to actually work. Vineyard USA will work to seek the highest degree of unity a process can embody.
Churches are being asked to acknowledge the National Leadership Handbook in their bylaws now because our current guiding document, the Trademark License Agreement, falls short of fully describing the relational and organizational commitments we share as a movement. While the Trademark License Agreement is appropriate for protecting legal trademarks and logos, it does not capture the depth of our relational interdependence or provide adequate guidance for the complex issues faced by both local churches and our national association. The National Leadership Handbook addresses this gap by making explicit the commitments and organizational frameworks that have long been implicit in how we function together.
The National Leadership Handbook will be slowly and transparently developed over time, with the appropriate levels of view, voice, and vote outlined in the Handbook. However, as it stands right now, the Handbook contains essential organizational frameworks for our movement. Its sections describe the composition, qualifications, and functions of leadership bodies in the movement, and while, for example, the responsibilities of an Area Leader are not different than it was before the National Leadership Handbook existed, their being added to the National Leadership Handbook now is an important step of clarification. It not only affirms the unchanged responsibilities of Area Leaders, but because of the approval and ratification process for changes to the Handbook, it puts the future determination and confirmation of possible future responsibilities or adjustments to the Area Leader role in many hands and through a clear approval process.
In this way, the Handbook is incredibly valuable to the movement as it is right now. We are pursuing this slow work of adding to the Handbook together because how we add additional content, like the process for adopting into the Vineyard or the way in which one would transfer ordination credentials into the Vineyard, is just as important as what is added. For example, in the case of how to adopt into the Vineyard, what is added to the Handbook will be based on what has been our adoption process been for the last years, but instead of rushing to add this particular section, we will take what has been our process, ensure that the language is appropriate for the Handbook, speak with parties with recent lived experience of the adoption process, and then prepare draft language with input and that would go before all lead pastors a minimum of six months prior to intended ratification by the Leadership Council. This is an intentionally slow and deliberate process.
Current amendments to the Handbook being considered for 2026 include:
- The process of Ratifying an Amendment to the Handbook
- The process of Selecting a National Director
- The process of Planting (Starting) a Vineyard church or campus/site
- The process of Adopting into Vineyard USA
- The process of Closing a Vineyard church
- The process of Disassociating or Disaffiliating from Vineyard USA
- The process of Discipline and Restoration of ordained Vineyard pastors
- The process for Transferring of Ordination Credentials
Yes. It is changing from the process outlined in the Trademark License which requires a minimum of sixty-day written notice for disassociation (a church leaving the Vineyard USA) or disaffiliation (Vineyard USA removing a church from the movement) to a process that is expected to include the following:
- Written notification of intent to disassociate or disaffiliate a minimum of six months prior to disassociation or disaffiliation.
- A conversation between the Vineyard Super Regional Leaders (and/or other appropriate National Leadership Team representative) and the Lead Pastor(s).
- A conversation between the Vineyard Super Regional Leader (and/or other appropriate National Leadership Team representative) and the local church board.
The goal of this change is to ensure adequate and healthy communication with the Lead Pastor(s), board, and Vineyard USA, allowing for helpful and necessary clarifications and articulation of concerns, as applicable. Additionally, the modified process is expected to improve the experience for disassociating and disaffiliating churches, as it allows for additional time for the needed internal and external conversations and the requisite rebranding.
Vineyard USA is committed to cultivating a deeper and more meaningful relationship with our Statement of Faith. While the current Statement of Faith, adopted in 1994, has served us well, some of its language does not fully reflect faithful, historic, orthodox, evangelical readings of Scripture.
The preamble long associated with the Statement of Faith acknowledges this reality, explaining that the Statement represents “our best attempt to express what we believe, and how we are to live out that faith at this time.” It also recognizes the possibility of future growth, stating, “Upon further reflection, greater biblical insight, or increased wisdom through experience, these statements could be revised.” This preamble is available here.
Any theological work done to amend the Statement of Faith will happen in full view of Vineyard pastors through a broadly consultative and transparent process. Any change to the Statement of Faith will require the process of ratification, which requires a 75-percent affirmative vote from the Leadership Council (Area Leaders, Regional Leaders, and Association Leaders) and will follow the Ratification Process to be ratified into the Handbook Version 3.0.
Sure, although it should align with the Statement of Faith for Vineyard USA in the sense that the two documents should not contradict each other.
This work should be done thoughtfully and purposefully, and, if you plan to insert as additional content in your bylaws, reviewed for theological, ecclesiological, and legal impact. A Bylaw Review Service is available from the Church Law Center, a legal firm that specializes in church bylaws and is very familiar with the Vineyard. This review service is available for a flat $200 fee and may be initiated by contacting .
The Vineyard continues to hold its historic theological and social positions, which in previous eras were articulated through the occasional Position Paper, often drafted in response to a particular need or question of that moment. These previously published Position Papers remain in effect.
It is yet to be determined if the National Leadership Handbook will house current and future Position Papers. It is likely that the process by which a position becomes an official Vineyard Position will be outlined in a future version of the Handbook.
Bylaws
All Vineyard churches are asked to initiate and complete the bylaw update process in the spirit of mutual and affectionate cooperation. We hope that all churches will work diligently to accomplish this by May 1, 2025. We also recognize that for various legitimate reasons, some churches may not be able to meet this deadline.
If churches do not complete the bylaw update process but initiate the process, communicate with Vineyard USA their intention to complete the process as required, and establish a timeline by which they plan to complete the process, then they will be designated as “in-process.” Churches that remain “in-process” beyond their established good-faith timeline may be redesignated as “out-of-compliance.”
If churches that do not complete the bylaw update process, act in bad faith, are uncommunicative, uncooperative, or communicate that they have no intention of completing the process as required, then they will be designated as “out-of-compliance.” Churches that remain “out-of-compliance” will enter into a process that may result in dissociation or disaffiliation. Per the terms of the Trademark License Termination clause, which all Vineyard pastors have signed on behalf of their church, Vineyard USA has the authority to require this compliance.
Vineyard USA has been advised to require 100% participation and completion at this critical juncture in order to ensure that all Vineyard churches are making the same commitments to one another and to Vineyard USA. This will establish, in many ways for the first time, an Association of Vineyard Churches.
This form initiates the bylaw update process. In it, respondents are asked to identify their intended update pathway (it’s okay if they change their mind later!). The update options are revise (replace your current bylaws with a provided template), amend (add an amendment to your current bylaws), or discern (utilize provided resources to enter a formal discernment period before amending or revising your bylaws).
Churches are encouraged to take a bylaw consult call with Vineyard USA, which is offered in the form that initiates the bylaw update. Additionally, free administrative support is available through StartCHURCH, and churches may opt into a legal review of their draft bylaws from the Church Law Center for a flat fee of $200. Legal review is strongly encouraged for churches that take the amendment or edit a provided template beyond the places with built-in customization options.
Additional information is available here.
All of the provided pathways for updating church bylaws are acceptable. These include:
- Revise: Replace your current bylaws with a provided template.
- Amend: Add an amendment to your current bylaws.
- Discern: Utilize the provided resources to enter a formal discernment period before amending or revising your bylaws.
For many churches, revision using the template will likely be the simplest option. This is because:
- Many churches’ current bylaws do not align with best practices for church governance documents. The templates have been through an extensive legal review process.
- Adding an amendment to existing bylaws might create internal inconsistencies within the document, depending on the content of the current bylaws.
- As the National Leadership Handbook is added to, slowly and over time, churches that choose the amendment approach may need to revisit and update their bylaws more frequently to maintain alignment with the Handbook. Even simple, technical changes to the Handbook could necessitate additional updates to local church bylaws utilizing the amendment.
Each church is encouraged to carefully consider its current bylaw structure and determine the best pathway forward. All of the pathways are acceptable ways forward.
In general, churches are encouraged not to edit the templates beyond the areas with built-in customization options. This is because the templates have undergone an extensive legal review process and align with the National Leadership Handbook. However, excluding Section 1.01 of the bylaw templates, churches may make edits to the templates to address specific local needs.
Churches that choose to edit the templates are strongly encouraged to utilize the Bylaw Review Service from the Church Law Center, a legal firm that specializes in church bylaws and is very familiar with the Vineyard. This review service is available for a flat fee of $200 and may be initiated by contacting .
For churches with specific organizational provisions not addressed by the provided templates, the Church Law Center can provide an estimate for additional legal support. Depending on the nature of the modifications, this additional work may involve significant costs.
The templates don’t include more about theological positions and social issues because bylaws are legal documents intended for use in a court of law, where their interpretation is left to judges. Legal counsel has advised us to keep bylaws focused solely on what they need to say for legal clarity and function. Including theological positions and social issues in bylaws could put judges in the position of interpreting those positions—something that is not their role and could lead to unintended outcomes.
The bylaw templates are designed to provide a clear and lawful framework for our Vineyard churches, their governing bodies, and congregations. As legal documents, they must adhere to specific guidelines to ensure their effectiveness within the legal system. Including theological positions or social stances within these bylaws could inadvertently place the interpretation of our faith’s core beliefs in the hands of legal authorities. This is not only outside their purview but also carries the risk of unintended and potentially harmful consequences.
The Vineyard movement remains guided by its Statement of Faith and its historic Position Papers. Even as we take a slow, transparent, and deliberate approach to updating our Statement of Faith to better reflect faithful, historic, orthodox, and evangelical readings of Scripture—and as we consider how decades-old Position Papers written in response to specific, contextual needs may effectively relate to the National Leadership Handbook in the future—you’re covered now. These historic documents still provide guidance and guardrails for our movement. And what we build moving forward will be done carefully, collaboratively, and in alignment with who we have been.
Okay. There are two additional steps you might consider making. First, instead of adding additional theological and social positions in your bylaws, your board may consider adopting a statement of convictions. This document can provide an official reference point for addressing theological or social concerns without needing to include it in your bylaws. That way, you have something clear and actionable to lean on without creating unnecessary complications in your bylaw document.
Second, you can edit the bylaw templates in the way your board feels is necessary, including adding theological and social position content. Vineyard USA would advise that you be thoughtful about these changes and utilize the bylaw review service from the Church Law Center.
No. Membership is a common practice in Vineyard churches and affords certain benefits, but it is not a universal practice in all Vineyard churches.
If you are working with a bylaw template, that contains church membership, and you do not want church membership, make the necessary edits to the document to align with your local needs. To ensure that your edits are complete and sound, after you make your edits, you are encouraged to utilize the Bylaw Review Service from the Church Law Center, a legal firm that specializes in church bylaws and is very familiar with the Vineyard. This review service is available for a flat fee of $200. You can initiate this review at .
Bylaws are legal documents that describe the necessary and minimum framework needed for an organization to operate. However, the work of reviewing and preparing bylaws often prompts recognition of the need for particular policies or updated policies that support healthy operations.
In recognition of these needs, Vineyard USA is making available to every church the Vineyard Policy Pack, which are essential policies we recommend for adoption within the local church. Adoption of these policies, or not, is entirely optional. Please utilize them if they are helpful to you.
These policies have been reviewed by lawyers and professionals with subject-area expertise. However, you may need to update the draft policies to align with state-specific requirements, local regulations, and details specific to your local context. The policies, in both English and Spanish, are available here.
The Vineyard Policy Pack contains the following:
In addition to the Vineyard Policy Pack, available here, every church that works with StartCHURCH as part of their bylaw update process may choose to access StartCHURCH’s Policy Suite, which contains 55+ customizable policies your church may adopt now or later. Access to StartCHURCH’s Policy Suite is complimentary for Vineyard churches that desire it.
Ordination
In cooperation with VineyardUSA and local Vineyard churches, candidates for Ordination will:
- Complete an Application for Ordination
- Be recommended for ordination by the governing body of a local church or national ministry of Vineyard USA.
- Provide a written response from a selection of questions related to personal history, sense of call, training, experience, and education.
- Demonstrate a lifestyle consistent with biblical standards of Christian conduct.
- Demonstrate a clear call of God that is individually discerned and corporately affirmed by the local church and witnessed through a history of service to the local church.
- Demonstrate an acceptable level of biblical/theological training for ministry, whether formal and/or informal, as well as commitment to ongoing education and training in line with their calling.
- Provide written recommendations from the candidate’s spouse (if married), close family member and/or friend, and designated trustee of the recommending church or ministry.
- Demonstrate a cooperative spirit with the purposes of Vineyard USA and commitment to relational connection to Vineyard USA.
- Complete a background check.
The renewal process will be similar to attestation. Pastors who are currently endorsed will be asked to confirm their personal information and their ongoing affiliation with Vineyard USA to ensure our endorsements are accurate. A representative from a Vineyard church will be asked to confirm that the ordination credentials remain in good standing within a local church. The renewal process may also develop into a means by which ongoing training and continuing education efforts can be recorded
No. Theological training is acquired through formal and informal means. The standards of ordination will outline what a Vineyard pastor should be, know, and do. How one acquires those competencies will vary greatly.
In matters of faith and church governance, we must exercise restraint – saying only what we must with as few words as necessary. Our theological and ecclesiological positions will be developed and expressed with clarity and conviction, yet we must avoid unnecessary detail or specificity. By limiting our standards to the essentials, we create space for diversity in thought and practice amidst Vineyard churches. This approach fosters unity and avoids the pitfalls of legalistic rigidity, allowing the Spirit to guide and shape our understanding of God’s will for our congregation.
By the next Leadership Council meeting, in March 2025, a simple document outlining the standards of Be/Know/Do for Vineyard pastors will be circulated and discussed in that context. Shortly after that meeting, those standards with any needed revisions will be circulated to all Lead Pastors for review and input. Dialogue will be encouraged in Area Meetings accompanied by clear processes to provide documented input. The next ratification vote for the Handbook Version 3.0 is scheduled for March 2026 providing nearly one year of review, input, and revision as needed.
The Statement of Faith reflects the shared theological foundation of Vineyard pastors. While it serves as a guide for our beliefs and practices, we acknowledge that interpretations of Scripture within the bounds of historic, orthodox evangelicalism can vary. The current Statement of Faith is somewhat restrictive in its language, which may not fully accommodate these faithful historic, orthodox, and evangelical interpretations.
If you find yourself unable to affirm every aspect of the Statement of Faith, we encourage open and honest dialogue with your Lead Pastor and, if necessary, with Vineyard leadership. This conversation aims to understand your perspective and ensure alignment with the core theological direction of the Vineyard movement.
In cases where concerns persist after these discussions, you may be asked to submit a written explanation of your objection. This allows us to thoughtfully engage with your viewpoint while considering ways to navigate differences. If your theology remains aligned with the general intent and direction of the Statement of Faith and does not diminish our ability to maintain healthy fellowship, no further action will be required.
Vineyard USA has no formal role in licensing and commissioning, except in as much as it may overlap with an ordination discernment process in a local context.
Vineyard USA recommends that all local Vineyard churches develop processes for temporary Licensing and/or Commissioning that serve the local church and individuals pursuing a call to ministry. Among other things, a process for temporary Licensing and/or Commissioning establishes a formal window of time for training, testing, and discernment in the life of a potential Ordained pastor.
Church Autonomy
None. Nothing contained in the current National Leadership Handbook or planned for future Handbook amendments would impact the hiring decisions of local churches. It is not uncommon for a local church to contact a translocal leader for perspective on a hire, but this is at the initiation of the local church.
Nothing. Again, nothing contained in the current National Leadership Handbook or planned for future Handbook amendments would impact the hiring decisions of local churches. The standards for ordination in the Handbook will provide direction for training and equipping that a local church can use to support the call of pastors who they employ.
Vineyard USA has yet to establish the process by which it may revoke the endorsement of a pastor’s ordination. This process will be built into the National Leadership Handbook. As expressly described in the ordination process, the revocation process will also be articulated in the spirit of mutual and affectionate cooperation – out of love for Jesus, His church, and those He has set apart for ordained ministry.
While Vineyard USA holds the authority to revoke the national endorsement of a pastor’s ordination, it does not hold the authority to revoke the ordination credentials issued by the governing body of the local church. In this way, it is conceivable that for matters of theological divergence, an ordained pastor may lose their endorsement with Vineyard USA, but not have their ordination credential revoked by the local church. This ensures that the local church remains responsible for governing and holds the final authority in the affairs of the local church. In such a situation, one may expect that Vineyard USA and the local Vineyard church would initiate discussions related to the ongoing association.
As it relates to matters of misconduct, The Handbook does not yet outline the process of discipline that would offer guidance and instruction to all Vineyard churches and pastors. As described in the ordination process, any discipline process will also be developed in the spirit of mutual and affectionate cooperation – out of love for Jesus, His church, and those He has set apart for ordained ministry – along with those who may have been harmed by leadership misconduct.
The Handbook does not yet outline the process of discipline that would offer guidance and instruction to all Vineyard churches and pastors. Any Discipline process will also be developed in the spirit of mutual and affectionate cooperation – out of love for Jesus, His church, and those He has set apart for ordained ministry – along with those who may have been harmed by leadership misconduct.
A rigorous process was outlined for the National Team to ensure that the hiring team could make the best informed decisions for these positions. The process included:
- Application Review – Applicants had several weeks to apply for positions through an online system which included their resume to share past ministry experience, as well as a number of written questions to answer about their credentials and vision for the position.
- Projects – For applicants who made it to the next phase in the interview process, they were given a few weeks to complete a project specific to the role that they applied for. The projects were submitted by applicants and then ‘blinded’ by a third party to take out all distinguishing information about them before being reviewed by the Hiring Team.
- Zoom Interviews – After the Project Phase, each finalist was interviewed by a panel including the Hiring Team and Vineyard leaders and pastors with expertise in that specific ministry area from across the country. These panels gave an assessment regarding who they believed should move forward and these candidates were invited to complete Campion Assessments.
- Campion Assessments and Background Checks – Final candidates participated in a Campion assessment with their spouse, which is an extensive and time consuming third-party psychological evaluation. Additionally, if they had not completed a Vineyard USA background check in the past year, VUSA pulled a background check for them.
- Additional Interviews – For some roles, additional interviews and conversations with candidates were conducted, if necessary.
- Executive Team Ratification & Offers – In September 2021, the Executive Team received the final nominations for the National Team and unanimously ratified the National Team. All National Team members accepted their offers and began working as soon as October 1st, 2021.
The National Leadership Team and other national staff members are employees of Vineyard USA. The structures of supervision are reflected in the Organization Chart of Vineyard USA. This chart is being updated to reflect the functional needs that have emerged. The policies and procedures that govern the conduct of all employees are outlined in the Employee Handbook of Vineyard USA.
If you have a particular concern about the conduct of a staff person of Vineyard USA you may contact the appropriate supervisor. For allegations of abuse, you can contact Guidepost Solutions confidential reporting mechanism.
Yes. At present, two married couples work for Vineyard USA. The reporting structure and requirements outlined in the Nepotism Policy have been employed in each situation to ensure compliance.
