Backstage Pastors Episode 16: From Executive Pastor to The Gospel Coalition w/ Zach Cochran

Zach Cochran, Vice President of Operations at The Gospel Coalition, joins Phil and Tyler to discuss his transition from executive pastor to nonprofit second-chair leadership, the importance of operational leaders in the church, and TGC’s work helping Christians navigate artificial intelligence.

He also shares practical wisdom for XPs considering a ministry transition and explains why healthy church leadership often requires patience with the slow, relational nature of ministry.

Mentioned Resources

🗣️Follow The Gospel Coalition

💻The Gospel Coalition Articles

💻TGC AI Policy

🎙️Silicon Spiritualities Podcast

From Our Partners

💻 The Church Hub: The Church Hub serves pastors, ministry leaders, and their spouses through equipping and training resources.

Connect with Phil Taylor

✉️ Get Phil’s Newsletter

✉️ phil@backstagepastors.org

🗣️ @philtaylorxp

📚 Books by Phil

💻 backstagepastors.org

💻 plainjoestudios.com

Connect with Tyler Drewitz

✉️ tyler@myxp.church

🗣️ @tylerdrewitz

💻 myxp.church

💻 ridgelineprinting.com

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CHAPTERS

[02:00] – Zach’s Journey from College Athletics to Ministry Operations

[05:12] – Sojourn, Multisite Ministry, and the Executive Pastor Role

[06:52] – Moving from Executive Pastor to TGC

[12:15] – Inside The Gospel Coalition’s Ministry and Resources

[15:00] – AI, Theology, and the Church

[21:28] – What XPs Should Know Before Changing Roles

[27:00] – Unifying the Church and Equipping Pastors

[30:12] – Resources for Executive Pastors and Second-Chair Leaders

[32:24] – AI, “Slop Scanning,” and Closing Thoughts

Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co.
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