Video venues and multi-sites work really well for what I call the overpowering communicator (OPC). The OPC is the person who is such a good communicator that no one else in the church, or maybe even in the geographical locale, can compete in the pulpit.

But given that there are roughly 375,000 Protestant churches in the country and probably no more than several hundred OPCs, I advocate for the use of preaching teams in many, if not most, congregations. Based on my observation and experience, preaching teams are an underutilized strategy for church growth, evangelistic outreach, and pastoral impact. Here's just one reason why.

Different styles of communication appeal to different people. If the pastor is not an OPC, chances are he or she is only going to attract a certain type of person. If others in leadership who have a teaching gift are allowed to preach regularly, it's likely that a new demographic will be attracted to the church.

A few years ago I helped lead a church plant in a suburb ...