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 they read about 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.

Our team continues to champion Dr. Malphurs’ work to help churches become healthier and more effective.

Dr. Aubrey Malphurs (1944-2022)

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 was an award-winning author of more than 25 books. His intentional focus on serving churches of all sizes allowed him the opportunity to serve church leaders both in the United States and in numerous countries around the world. Read more about Aubrey’s legacy here.

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.

Leadership Team

Ron Donnini

Ron Donnini

CEO

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

A.J. Mathieu

President

A.J. Mathieu has over 25 years of experience as a business owner — consulting on technology for clients in a variety of sectors. He spent five years as an elected official serving local and regional constituencies in north Texas, gaining a wealth of experience in leadership, negotiations, and projects as he focused on public safety, transportation, and economic development – all secondary to the ministry of the Gospel and Christian integrity in government.

In 2014 A.J. joined The Malphurs Group through divine appointment. Now serving as TMG’s President, he co-hosts the Church Revitalization Podcast with Vice-President Scott Ball and continues innovating TMG’s services. A.J. continues to lead the Strategic Envisioning process in the United States with a limited number of churches each year but spends most of his time on TMG’s international efforts to strengthen churches and build leaders worldwide. He is an international conference speaker and has worked with church leaders in Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia.

A.J. and Erika, his wife of 22 years, have two boys and live just outside of Fort Worth, Texas. A.J. has a long history of teaching and leading leaders in his church. He gets energized seeing the Holy Spirit work through churches as they envision their future. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, doing home improvement projects, hiking, and camping.

Scott Ball

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.

To learn more about becoming a Certified Guide, click here.

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.

E

Ron Donnini

CEO & Chairman of the Board

Arlington, TX

E

A.J. Mathieu

President

Joshua, TX

E

Randy Frazee

Board Member

Kansas City, KS

E

Patrick Butts

Secretary

Arlington, TX

E

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.