We are dedicated to enhancing the spiritual, organizational, and emotional well-being of congregations and ministers. This commitment includes cultivating a clear vision and strategic focus for the congregation’s future, addressing complex challenges, improving communication, identifying growth opportunities, and fostering the development of a resilient community with a healthy culture. This forms the cornerstone of our consulting and coaching work.
Our unwavering belief in the church, its mission, and its untapped potential propels our commitment.
Our Mission
Enhancing the spiritual, organizational, financial, and emotional well-being of churches and ministers is our mission. We foster hope and well-being in the spirit of Christ.
Our Vision
Through congregational coaching and consulting, we help churches and clergy encounter spiritual discernment and guidance as they seek to be faithful to their call.
Core Values
Church First
We put the Church first, helping in every possible way we can, including our financial model.
Hopeful Spirit
We are hopeful about the Church and what it can be and do despite the challenges we face.
Humble Expertise
Our team is experienced and capable, and part of that is our ability to listen to the Churches we serve.
Innovative Mindset
Change is part of what it takes to thrive. Our team is good at helping churches innovate.
History
Center for Healthy Churches
The Center for Healthy Churches was founded on January 1, 2014, amidst the significant shifts impacting the Church in North America. In response to these seismic changes, CHC emerged as a guiding force, offering expertise and innovation to congregations striving to navigate and adapt.
In a landscape where churches, clergy, and religious organizations are inundated with assistance from individuals lacking practical experience in daily congregational life, CHC stands out. Our commitment lies in bringing integrity and wisdom to the discourse, leveraging a team of seasoned practitioners with a genuine passion for aiding the 21st-century church.
CHC distinguishes itself by maintaining low overhead costs and harnessing a national network of skilled contract consultants and coaches. This approach allows us to deliver exceptional services at rates below those of many other organizations. With representation spanning multiple denominations and residing in diverse communities nationwide, we bring a broad perspective to our work.
Dr. Bill Wilson founded the Center for Healthy Churches, assuming the director role from 2014 to 2022. Following Dr. Wilson’s retirement in September 2022, Dr. Matt Cook took on the position of Director. Despite stepping down from the directorship, Dr. Wilson remains involved with the Center for Healthy Churches, contributing as a consultant and coach.
PneuMatrix
PneuMatrix was founded in 2011 in the secular, post-Christendom context of northern California, where it was already clear that congregations faced significant adaptive challenges. While we initially focused on helping churches engage those adaptive challenges, we soon realized we needed to broaden our range of services to serve churches’ needs.
The name PneuMatrix comes from a combination of the Greek pneuma, often translated as “spirit “in the New Testament, and “matrix,” a term for an array of data points. We are “roll up your sleeves” consultants who believe every church has options for its faithful future and that the Holy Spirit will help us discern which options they are being called to pursue. We have a diverse group of consultants who are more interested in serving the church than making a profit, so we offer lower fees than many of our competitors. Our consultants bring a wide range of skills, allowing us to offer carefully tailored services to the congregations who engage us.
Rev. Dr. Deborah Wright and Rev. Jim Kitchens established PneuMatrix in 2011 and served as the exclusive leaders until 2023. That year, Rev. Michelle Snyder was appointed as the director of PneuMatrix. Dr. Wright and Rev. Kitchens continue to consult and coach congregations and clergy.
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Endorsements
PneuMatrix has supported Pinnacle Presbyterian Church on three pastoral searches, two associate pastor positions and a Senior Pastor (HOS) search. Jim Kitchens and the PneuMatrix process of setting expectations, identifying, and vetting candidates was invaluable in our search for two associate pastors. After our Senior Pastor announced his intent to retire in early 2024, we immediately contacted PneuMatrix and again Jim Kitchens and Michelle Snyder provided excellent counseling and vetting throughout our search. The Senior Pastor search resulted in an excellent slate of candidates and was brought to closure in a timeframe that eliminated the need to hire an interim pastor.
– Chuck Goldthwaite and David LeMoine Co-chairs, Pinnacle Presbyterian PNC, Scottsdale, AZ
The Center for Healthy Churches and our consultant, Bill Wilson, played an instrumental role in helping our search committee find a new pastor. They encouraged us to be patient and wait on the Lord. They took the time to listen to the search committee members and understand the DNA of our church and its members. They helped us to use objective standards in evaluating candidates.
Crucially, they understood how to advocate for candidates prior to the interview process. And most importantly, they used their contacts and interviews to find us the person God had chosen for our new pastor. God selected our new pastor, but He used Bill Wilson and the Center for Healthy Churches to make it happen.
CHARLES OVERBY, CO-CHAIR FBC NASHVILLE SEARCH COMMITTEE
Upon the announcement of our pastor’s retirement after over 40 years of service, our leadership agreed wholeheartedly that guidance would be needed to navigate the ensuing transition. The Center for Healthy Churches helped us make the most of the transition time. We studied our church and documented our strengths, our needs, and our dreams for the future. Being able to define the qualities needed in our new pastor through facilitated churchwide conversations provided clarity and focus to the search committee as we sought the pastor our church needed. The Center for Health Churches provided just the right amount of support through each step of our journey. Beginning with the congregational conversations and working through the advance search, we gained the interest of top candidates. We are now in the First 100 Days of coaching with our new pastor, Rev. Kristen Tucker. She has been received with enthusiasm and is already positively impacting the lives of our church family! We appreciate the support and thought partnership provided by CHC during this pivotal time.
Highly recommend! PneuMatrix worked with a dozen congregations in our Presbytery. These congregations were struggling with buildings too big for the membership to support, with neighborhoods changing and congregations being disconnected, with no clear path forward for the leading of God’s Spirit. PneuMatrix led and trained local leaders, bringing clarity, direction, and hope for ministry and mission.
– Jay Wilkins, retired General Presbyter, Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley
I attended a session CHC led at one of the National conferences for The Church Network on staff conflict and succession planning. From there, we were blessed to engage The Center for Healthy Churches in a visioning process for our church. Through Covid-19, Bill and his team have helped shepherd churches like ours through the pandemic with weekly webinars that have been impactful and relevant.
-Gerry McShane Church Administrator, Westminster Presbyterian Church, West Chester, PA
The CHC process helped our church determine what kind of leader we needed to be, the church we aspired to be in the decades ahead. Our church's discussions helped us identify key elements of our history, mission, and vision that continue to shape who we are becoming and the courageous leaders we need at Greystone. It wasn't an easy process - but growth often emerges from a willingness to be vulnerable, embrace dialogue, and honor our past while embracing a new future. As a search team leader, I was grateful to have Bill Wilson's support all along the way, and I'm thankful for the lessons we learned and the pastor we called in the process.
-Annie Hardison-Moody, Chair of Search Committee, Greystone Baptist Church, Raleigh NC
Re-envision. Re-invention. Re-invigoration for continuing ministry! Thank you, CHC, for bringing your experience and wisdom into our processes to keep our ministries vital and relevant in today’s world. You are a friend to the future we all need for times like these!
-Dr. Bill White, Christ Journey Church, Coral Gables FL
In our over twenty years of pastoral ministry, one truth we have learned to rely on is… When we need help, call CHC! They have been a friend for many years, and the work of the Center for Healthy Churches has been invaluable to us. On multiple occasions, the CHC has provided the wisdom, vision, experience, and energy we, and our church leadership, have needed. Whether related to finance, personnel, capital, or church vision, we have come to trust the counsel of the CHC. You can, too."
-Russ Dean, Park Road Baptist Church, Charlotte NC
The challenge of being the pastor of a local church or the leader of a church-focused ministry is that you have to be a jack of all trades. The problem is that no one person can be an expert in all these trades. That's why I look to the Center for Healthy Churches. If they don't know the answer, they know someone who does. We are fortunate to have a multi-disciplinary, deeply experienced and committed organization such as the Center for Healthy Churches to support and encourage during these challenging times."
-Dr. Michael Glenn, Former Pastor, Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood TN
The coaching our search team received was invaluable. Much has changed since our last transition period, so understanding the current trends and methods was critical to our success. As chairman, I learned the perspective and expectations of candidates, how best to approach prospective pastors, and ways to communicate our vision effectively. CHC guided the entire search process, from our initial research phase to “call weekend” and beyond.
-Michael Kirk, Chairman, Pastor Search Committee, First Baptist Huntsville, AL
The process that the Center for Healthy Churches used to help our church enter into meaningful intergenerational conversation, discern common values and congregational identity, and communicate our needs with candidates was invaluable. Our church had the uniquely challenging experience of entering the COVID-19 pandemic in the middle of our pastor search process, and I don't know what we would've done without the guidance of our CHC transitional pastor during that time. Their organization represents decades of collective wisdom and experience, and their guidance was reassuring and beneficial as we watched God work alongside us through the process.
-Cindy Sullivan, Search Committee, First Baptist Church, Murfreesboro TN
I write to thank you for the tremendous job you did supporting the PNC of Pinnacle Presbyterian Church. For the third time (out of three), you successfully guided one of their PNCs toward a pastor who is the right fit for their ministry and mission. Because this was the third time for the head of staff position, I had a bit more hands-on work with your process. I am impressed with your support; the discernment questions you asked the PNC to answer at the beginning of the process were more thorough and insightful than our COM ordinarily requires and led to stunning results. The six candidates you recommended were all outstanding.
– Brad Munroe, executive, Grand Canyon Presbytery
The Center for Healthy Churches' search process to guide our committee through a significant pastor search enabled us to move that work from a tedious and anxiety-producing time to one of excitement and discovery. We learned things about our church as well as the candidates during that time that enabled us to be confident in our selection and for that person to quickly be accepted by and engaged in our congregation. I know that we would not have achieved the effectiveness and professionalism recognized and acknowledged by many of our candidates during and after our work.
-Dr. Thomas Hallman, FBC Aiken SC
Our church just concluded a 10-month search for a new senior pastor, most of which was done on ZOOM during a pandemic. Dr. Bill Wilson and the Center for Healthy Churches were a "God-send" for us. They were thorough, professional, and attentive. After detailed training sessions with the CHC, we were ready. All candidates the CHC sent to our committee were very qualified. We followed the recommended process, and the seven of us were 100% in agreement when it came to final decision time. I fully endorse the CHC
-Frank Mayo, co-chair, Pastor Search Committee, First Baptist Church, Burlington, NC
In September of 2022, our church began a search for a co-pastor to work alongside our existing senior pastor and head of staff. That December, we engaged PneuMatrix to assist in that search. That engagement energized and focused our search, and it gave our pastoral nominating committee and our congregation confidence that we would identify and interact with a strong, diverse, and nationwide pool of candidates. In addition to that exceptional candidate pool, our PneuMatrix consultant walked our committee through a process designed to identify the key qualities and characteristics that we sought in our new pastor. Our church is thrilled with the outcome of that search, and we think that the focus, guidance, and ongoing consultations provided by our PneuMatrix consultant played a critical role in that successful outcome!
- First Presbyterian Church, Lake Forest, IL
What impresses me most about The Center for Healthy Churches is how the consultants and coaches use their understanding of pastors and churches to help congregations see better, bigger, more Christlike possibilities than they saw before. When church leaders seek advice, I recommend they talk with Bill Wilson, the best guidance I can give.
-Dr. Brett Younger, Senior Minister, Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, NY
Our Presbytery hired PneuMatrix to evaluate our current leadership/staffing structures and help us make appropriate compensation recommendations as we move into this “new normal.” Additionally, PneuMatrix worked with some of our smaller congregations to think about new designs, structures, and opportunities, as many of our congregations’ attendance and membership numbers are dwindling. I would highly recommend PneuMatrix, as they bring a wealth of information and experience with many different congregations.
– Ariel Mink, Associate Presbyter and Stated Clerk of Redwoods Presbytery
The Center for Healthy Churches (CHC) has a great process for helping churches find the pastor God has chosen for them. They were fully engaged with our Transition Team and Pastor Search Team every step of the way, helping us identify the character traits our church was looking for in a pastor, and then sent us high-quality candidates who possessed those characteristics. As we interacted with the candidates, the CHC coached us through the vetting process with as much (or as little) assistance as we wanted. Our team is extremely grateful for the CHC and how God used them to help our church find our next pastor!
-Steve Carmical, Chancellor Baptist Church, Fredericksburg VA, Co-Chair, Pastor search team
I want to thank PneuMatix for excellently supporting the Pinnacle Presbyterian Church’s PNC in their search for two associate pastors. They expedited the search timeline while correctly discerning the needs of the congregation. Early returns suggest rave reviews across the board!
- Dave LeMoine, co-chair, Pinnacle Presbyterian Church PNC
As co-chair of the First Baptist Church of Princeton, WV, I can not express how helpful the Center for Healthy churches was in aiding us in finding a pastor, especially in trying times. In the very worst of the COVID pandemic, their guidance in the self-study of our church and our needs and their proven program of searching for a pastor, not based on who needed a job but who would fit the needs of our church, was outstanding.
We were able to review and do initial interviews without ever leaving our church. We did these via Zoom sessions. We had a group of highly qualified prospects, none of whom were looking to leave their church, but all were willing to follow God's guidance and at least speak with us.
The time NOT spent pouring over resumes of pastors who were dissatisfied for one reason or another saved our committee weeks and possibly months. The guidance in the types of questions we needed to ask, based on a survey of our church members was invaluable.
I highly recommend their services and their help. It is obvious to me that they are Spirit-led and guided by prayer in all they do
-Scott Stephenson, Co-Chair of Search Team, First Baptist Church Princeton WVA
In addition to your friendship during these past months, your expertise, experience, and caring for First Baptist Church, Burlington, has certainly been a blessing. We experienced firsthand how The Center for Healthy Churches fills a need for churches during a very important time in the life of a church.
Thanks to your leadership, we learned so much about ourselves as you guided us through our transition. Our team came together, and we are all thankful that your thoughtful approach helped us avoid the pitfalls we could have encountered. Our God works in marvelous and mysterious ways.
Your recommendation of David Hull was no small blessing for us. We can't thank you enough for leading us to Dr Hull.
-Dr. Ralph Harwood, Chair of the Transition Team, First Baptist Church Burlington NC
Using the Center for Healthy Churches to help our search team identify a new senior pastor gave us access to a professional consultant in Bill Owen who led our congregation in three listening sessions, guided our team in creating a Congregational Profile and Senior Pastor Profile, and showed us the how-tos on corresponding with and interviewing potential candidates. This assistance with the mechanics of the process freed up our search team to spend more time in prayer, seeking God's will for our church, as God did an amazing work over 18 months in the lives of the10 people that served on our team and within our congregation. Generally, after this process, you have the chance to reflect on what God has done, but especially in the latter stages of our search, I felt that God invited me along to watch as he knocked down barriers and blessed our plans and dreams. It was an amazing experience.
-Kathy Rosenbalm, Search Committee Chair, Central Baptist Church of Fountain City, Knoxville TN
We were very blessed to have chosen the Center for Healthy Churches to lead our congregation in a visioning process. Bill’s deep understanding of “church,” coupled with his winsome way, led members of the congregation in several engaging conversations and guided them as THEY began to dream new dreams and see visions for the future. We clearly ended up with the CONGREGATION’S vision – not Bill’s, not just the staff’s – and continue to be energized by where it has taken us. I have strongly recommended Bill and his team to numerous congregations.
-Dr. Don Lincoln, Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church, West Chester PA
Our presbytery began a relationship with PneuMatrix in June of 2022, asking them to lead mission study discernment processes for five of our congregations. We’ve been very pleased with the congregation's ownership of the process and resulting mission study. In addition, PneuMatrix is supporting mission and ministry discernment conversations between congregations that may lead to mergers. We feel that all the consultants we’ve worked with, PMX are professional and pastoral and do a good job keeping the presbytery in the loop. I would highly recommend their services.
- Debby Brincivalli, Executive Presbyter, Presbytery For Southern New Jersey
"Several years ago, when the leadership team at Mountain Brook Baptist Church felt led to consider God’s vision for our fellowship as we approached a new decade, we approached the Center for Healthy Churches for assistance. Our experience was a most productive one. CHC worked with us to identify our ministry assets and then to leverage them in ways that might enable us to reach our greatest level of faithfulness. What resulted was something purposeful, contextual, and applicable. We continue to be blessed by the initiatives that came from our work with the CHC, and without them, managing this present pandemic would be an even greater challenge."
-Dr. Doug Dortch, Pastor, Mountain Brook Baptist Church, Birmingham AL
The Center for Healthy Churches describes itself as having an ecumenical, innovative, and entrepreneurial spirit; I have certainly found that accurate. In two churches where I have served, CHC helped immensely by using his deep knowledge about the church to help us develop a vision and clarify our mission and purpose. I often refer to and share with others the definition CHC uses to define a healthy church, which is “a community of Jesus followers with shared vision, thriving ministry, and trusted leadership”. I firmly believe, and as my very positive experiences with The Center for Healthy Churches have shown me, that when parish ministry is approached this way, it brings a renewed sense of purpose and meaning to a congregation.
-The Rev. David Hodges, Rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, St. Louis, Missouri
PneuMatrix has supported Pinnacle Presbyterian Church on three pastoral searches, two associate pastor positions and a Senior Pastor (HOS) search. Jim Kitchens and the PneuMatrix process of setting expectations, identifying, and vetting candidates was invaluable in our search for two associate pastors. After our Senior Pastor announced his intent to retire in early 2024, we immediately contacted PneuMatrix and again Jim Kitchens and Michelle Snyder provided excellent counseling and vetting throughout our search. The Senior Pastor search resulted in an excellent slate of candidates and was brought to closure in a timeframe that eliminated the need to hire an interim pastor.
– Chuck Goldthwaite and David LeMoine Co-chairs, Pinnacle Presbyterian PNC, Scottsdale, AZ
In October of 2021, Pinnacle Presbyterian Church engaged PneuMatrix and Jim Kitchens to assist in our search for two pastors - an Executive Pastor and a Family Ministries and Congregational Life Associate Pastor. These positions required distinctly different skills and background experience. Through Jim's leadership and counsel, the search committee identified the key position skill requirements and defined the methodology for the interview and evaluation processes. Once these processes were clearly defined, Jim assembled and vetted candidates for both positions that met our established criteria through his contacts throughout the country and personal relationships. At this writing, we have filled both positions with truly experienced and capable pastors who will help Pinnacle Presbyterian Church achieve its dreams for the future. The search committee believes the success of the search was largely due to the guidance and support of Jim Kitchens and PneuMatrix.
Long before the challenges of COVID, the CHC guided our church through the cultural shifts that have changed the church landscape. Charting a course for the next decade was a positive experience as we looked at strengths and ways to build upon them. As our leadership team heard about this new terrain and road for ministry, they understood, like Dorothy, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” The planning process that Bill Wilson led us through gave birth to the HOPE CENTER. It is a $6 million project downtown to minister to the working poor and homeless, a counseling center, affordable childcare, and to create a network of non-profits.
-Dr. Phil Christopher, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Abilene TX
Jim and the team at Pneumatrix led us through an incredibly challenging but necessary staff reorganization. Jim diligently learned about our organization and listened to our staff and lay leaders in order to assess what kind of staffing structure would be needed in the future while still honoring our past. His organizational expertise, coupled with his pastoral sensibility, made him the perfect person to guide our church through this daunting task. As the head of staff, I never felt alone in this process and couldn’t have asked for a better partner during this time.
– The Rev. Dr. Charlene Han Powell Senior Pastor | Head of Staff, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley
I’ve worked with Deborah Wright, a PneuMatrix principal, in a couple of different capacities… our Presbytery hired her as a consultant to evaluate our current leadership/staffing structures and to help us with making appropriate compensation recommendations as we move into this “new normal”. Additionally, I worked with her and some of our smaller congregations as part of a grant to think about new designs, structures, and opportunities, as many of our congregations’ attendance and membership numbers are dwindling. I would highly recommend Deborah to you – she is very insightful. She has a wealth of information and experience with many different congregations in various settings, and coupling that with her organizational design and change management expertise, she brings a lot to the table.
– Ariel Mink, Associate Presbyter and Stated Clerk of Redwoods Presbytery
The need was clear, but not the path. The desire was there, but not the unity. The attitude was prevalent - "We did this before, and nothing changed." CHC was the answer we needed. Four big dreams! Hundreds of members engaged. Our "Game Plan" was created and implemented. The process worked!
-Wade Bibb, Senior Pastor, Central Baptist Church of Bearden, Knoxville
