From the Pulpit to the Boardroom: How I Transitioned from a 20 Year Career in Ministry to the C-Suite in the Nonprofit Sector

Are you a faith leader feeling called to serve beyond the church walls but unsure how to take the next step? In From the Pulpit to the Boardroom, Matthew B. Scraper shares his deeply personal journey from a 20-year ministry career to thriving as a nonprofit leader, offering practical guidance for clergy grappling with this transition. Having faced numerous challenges before finding his place in nonprofit leadership, Scraper deeply understands the difficulty of reframing pastoral skills for a new audience. As a seasoned Chief Operating Officer, he demonstrates how ministry's core skills-strategic planning, community building, financial stewardship, and crisis management-translate seamlessly into the nonprofit world. In this insightful and encouraging guide, you'll discover: How to reframe your ministry experience to resonate with nonprofit hiring committees. Strategies for navigating setbacks and staying resilient during the transition process. Practical insights into nonprofit governance, operations, and financial management. Drawing from his leadership as the Chief Operating Officer at 501c3 and 501c4 organizations like Faith in Public Life and the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, one of the largest and most well-respected nonprofit associations in the United States, Scraper reveals how he combined faith, strategy, and operational expertise to build thriving organizations. His experiences developing governance structures, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, and aligning mission-driven teams offer a clear path for others seeking to make this leap. Whether you're contemplating the next phase of your calling or struggling to break into the nonprofit world, From the Pulpit to the Boardroom is your guide to unlocking new opportunities, reframing your skills, and answering your call to serve in bold, impactful ways. Part of a larger series on nonprofit excellence, this book complements Matthew B. Scraper's other works: How to Start a Nonprofit (and Actually Succeed!), Effective Nonprofit Board Governance, Policies and Procedures for Nonprofit Success, and The Nonprofit Operations Playbook.