Leading a church today requires more strategy and intentionality than ever before.
In order to maximize your impact in today’s context, you need a trusted partner who can provide the resources you need to reach new levels of health and vitality.
Founded in the 1990s, Dr. Aubrey Malphurs created our organization after numerous requests from churches and leaders asking for help applying the principles included in his books. To date, his church leadership books, including Advanced Strategic Planning, have sold over 300,000 copies- serving thousands of churches around the globe.
Since our early days, we have expanded our team and continue to produce a variety of resources all geared toward helping churches and the people who lead them.
Dr. Malphurs continues to champion our vision and author bestselling books that help churches become healthier and more effective.
At The Malphurs Group, we know the stakes for church leaders are high, and the consequences of failure cut deep.
Everything we do is designed to help church leaders like you overcome those obstacles and maximize their impact.
Looking back we are incredibly grateful to have played a part in thousands of churches taking measurable steps to get healthy again, and are excited to include your church in the next chapter of our story.
What Makes Us Different?
We’re a registered nonprofit. Our mission is helping churches like yours, not growing our bottom line.
We offer our services at a subsidized rate because you shouldn’t need a big budget to get help.
The last thing you need is a one-size-fits-all approach that ends in a three-ring binder filled with overwhelming to-do lists you have to then figure out on your own. Your church family needs a strategic plan that takes your context into account and a trusted partner to guide you through the execution process.
Recognized by GuideStar with the Gold Seal of Transparency, we take our work and your confidence in us seriously. We’re a group of church leaders who understand the church world and exist to help you succeed in yours.
Leadership Team
Dr. Aubrey Malphurs (1944-2022)
Founder
Aubrey planted his first church in 1972 and pastored two additional congregations in the Dallas area.
In addition to founding The Malphurs group, he spent over 35 years as a professor of leadership and pastoral ministry at Dallas Theological Seminary.
With titles focusing on strategic planning, leadership development, and organizational strategy, Dr. Malphurs is an award-winning author of more than 20 books.
His intentional focus on serving churches of all shapes and sizes has allowed him the opportunity to serve church leaders both in the United States and in numerous countries around the world.
Ron Donnini
CEO & Pastoral Coach
Ron attended the University of Miami where he studied architectural engineering and played baseball as a relief pitcher.
As a seasoned leader, Ron has a proven track record of empowering teams that lead to organizational growth, including growing one company’s revenue sixfold under his direction.
Ron leveraged his corporate experience to serve in ministry as an Executive Pastor and as an Elder. Ron has a specific passion for coaching church leaders, and helping them reach their full potential.
Ron resides in Arlington, Texas with his wife Shawn where he enjoys golfing and the occasional baseball game.
A.J. Mathieu
President
In addition to working with churches in North America, A.J. is an international conference speaker, and has traveled to work with church leaders in Africa and South America. He spent many years in his church teaching adult Sunday school, leadership and divine design classes. He has over 20 years of experience in small business technology consulting and spent five years in local elected office. He and his wife, Erika, have two boys and live near Fort Worth, Texas.
A.J. gets energized seeing the Holy Spirit work through churches as they work through envisioning their future. He also enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, home improvement projects, and camping with his boys in TrailLife USA, where he serves as a local troop Trail Guide and Chaplain.
Scott Ball
Vice President
Scott has served churches and denominational organizations all across the United States, helping them make disciples and grow leaders. He is passionate about strategic planning and leadership pipeline design. His efforts with the Malphurs Group are focused on the creation of tools, processes, and content that equip churches and leaders to grow and thrive. In addition to his direct consulting with churches and organizations, Scott speaks at conferences and events about how churches can get healthy and raise up the next generation of leaders.
Scott is a graduate of King University and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He served in church staff ministry for over a decade before he began consulting with churches from coast to coast full-time in 2015.
Scott resides in East Tennessee with his wife and two kids.
Strategic Envisioning Certified Guides
The Malphurs Group has a growing team of Certified Guides that partner with churches around the world and lead them through our Strategic Envisioning process.
Click below to see the directory of Certified Guides.
Meet our Board of Directors
Every organization should surround themselves with a team that makes them better. We’re honored to fill that role for churches around the globe and are grateful for the team that does this on our behalf.
Ron Donnini
Chairman of the Board
Arlington, TX
A.J. Mathieu
President
Joshua, TX
Patrick Butts
Secretary
Arlington, TX
Randy Frazee
Board Member
Kansas City, KS
Paul Patterson
Board Member
Arlington, TX
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you ever help churches implement the concepts you write about and train others to do?
Yes, the team at The Malphurs Group regularly consults with and trains leaders and their teams to implement the concepts presented in our resources.
Do you work with all denominations and groups?
The Malphurs Group is not denominationally affiliated but does hold to evangelical theology. We affirm the Lausanne Covenant as our Statement of Faith. You can read it here.
When you consult with churches, what do they request most often?
The majority of denominations want seminars and training on change and church revitalization. Churches typically want help with their core values, mission, vision, strategy, and growing a strong leadership pipeline.
Which of Aubrey Malphurs books has sold the most copies?
Advanced Strategic Planning has sold over 300,000 copies. It’s followed closely by Being Leaders and Planting Growing Churches in the 21st Century.
Can I find any of these books in other languages?
Yes! Several of his books have been published in Spanish, Chinese, French, Korean, and Ukrainian/Russian.
Do you accept guest articles for your blog?
Yes, we do! Please reach out to submit your topic.
How is Christianity faring in America?
Christianity is in decline in America. Estimates are that “66 to 75 percent of all congregations founded before 1960 are either plateaued or shrinking”. Thom Rainer writes, “Our recent research on the younger generation, the Bridgers (born 1977 to 1994), indicates that only four percent of the teenagers understand the gospel and have accepted Christ, even if they attend church.” He concludes, “America is clearly becoming less Christian, less evangelized, and less churched.”
What can we do about the decline of Christianity in America?
The Malphurs Group believes that the future of the Christianity lies in planting “Great Commission” churches and revitalizing established churches.