Hello My name is Dr. Linda Lightbourne

Welcome to The Lightbourne Group. Here you will always find useful and useable information when you are looking for ways to help to improve ministry as we know it. Church is a business. We don’t like to think of it that way, but circumstances and our new normals are forcing us to re-examine the way we do Church.

Here in a non-denominational type forum we can discuss and share things that we do well and things that we need to improve. In so doing, maybe we can find ways to help each other rise above the growing tides of discontent and relevance.

Who Am I?

• I have been a Pastor’s wife for 40 years
• We have served Churches in the United Kingdom, the United States and presently, we are serving in the Bahamas
• I retired from my job/jobs to move across the Atlantic Ocean with my Pastor husband one more time!
• My background is in educational leadership and organizational leadership and many of the lessons I learned and the classes I took, and the experiences I gained along the way are transferable.
• I taught elementary level music and middle school music
• Also, I taught business courses as an Associate Professor at the local University in their Adult Education Programs. I taught at the Associate level, the Bachelors level and the Master’s level.

One thing that I have learned in Church life over the years, and across many denominations and countries is that 80% of Church leaders are flying in the airplane that they are trying to build. This makes everything tough and impossible and frustrating and dangerous!

Many Pastors are not willing to speak up for themselves. They are willing to speak up for everyone else and support the causes of others, but they are unwilling to make their needs known. Consequently, Pastors are at the mercy of Church Leaders, Church Boards etc., who are 100% volunteer, not seminary trained and have very few experiences outside of what has been garnered on their own over the years.

This is not said in a negative way. Please do not take it as such. I have been in Churches where bank managers and insurance brokers and other professional business people are on the Church Board, but somehow, they left all of their business acumen at their place of employment.

Thank You

For purchasing my book: 2 Things Leaders Can Do to Truly Value Their Pastor. I believe it will open necessary and valuable conversations that can bring about action and stability to any size congregation.