About The Episode
In this episode of The Unfair Advantage, host David Hibiske sits down with Brian Beauford, Executive Pastor of Grace Church in Boston, to explore the unique dynamics of second-chair leadership in church planting. Brian shares his journey from stepping into church planting as a college student to helping launch and grow Grace Church into a thriving multi-campus ministry. He unpacks lessons on finding the right second-chair leader, building trust with your senior pastor, and why understanding personality wiring through tools like Predictive Index can be a game-changer for leadership teams. Whether you’re a planter or a second-chair leader, Brian’s story offers encouragement and practical insights for building healthy, mission-driven teams.
Welcome to Episode 042 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with David Hibiske.
Insights From Brian
- Calling often comes before clarity.
Brian didn’t know much about church planting when he first felt called to Boston. What he did know was that his spiritually disconnected friends needed a church community. Sometimes, the first step in leadership is simply saying “yes” to where God is leading—even before you understand all the details. - The second chair is a calling, not a consolation prize.
Brian embraced his role alongside Lead Pastor Sean Sears without expectation of pay or title for nearly 10 years. His story reminds leaders that serving in the second chair is just as critical to the mission as leading from the first chair. - Similar mission, different wiring.
Brian and Sean work well together because they share the same drive to reach the lost. Their wiring is different enough to complement each other, but not so opposite that they’re constantly in conflict. Finding alignment in mission is more important than finding an “opposite personality.” - Predictive Index helps translate vision into action.
As a certified partner with Predictive Index, Brian explains how this tool reveals team wiring and helps leaders better understand themselves and their staff. For him, it’s been invaluable in bridging high-level vision with the practical details teams need. - Freedom builds trust with entrepreneurial leaders.
Brian credits Sean’s non-micromanaging leadership style as key to their long-term success. Highly driven, entrepreneurial leaders thrive when given freedom to innovate while pursuing the same mission. - Developing your team takes consistency.
Brian urges planters to meet with their staff weekly, not monthly. Every team meeting is a leadership development opportunity. With consistent rhythms, you can iterate, improve, and aim to get “1% better every week.”
Episode Links
Do ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Check out the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/
Who Is Brian Beauford?
After graduating from college, I married my college sweetheart, who initially saw me as just a friend during our school years. Now we have 3 awesome kids and a crazy dog, I think I broke her with a laser pointer.
During my time at college in Boston, I developed a passion for church planting. This led me to help start a church my junior year.
Now, 18 years later, I serve as the executive pastor of that same church. It has grown to encompass 4 locations, and we’ve been instrumental in planting 7 other local churches.
Sponsors
Thanks to our sponsor: Generis.
A generous church is a healthy, growing church. So, if you’re ready to advance your mission, visit Generis.com/getstarted today!
Our goal with the Ascent Leader and our church planting cohorts is to help church planters win early and finish strong. We want to resource you so that you can avoid common pitfalls and simple mistakes. Being involved in a community of leaders like our church planting cohorts is one of the best ways to wrestle through these questions. We’re here to help you, if we can be of assistance to you please feel free to reach out.
Contact our team: ops@theascentleader.org
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