The Baptist Continuity Playbook

The reality every AME pastor knows

Every Baptist church eventually faces
this Sunday.

The pastor announces retirement, or accepts a call elsewhere, or hands in a resignation letter. One Sunday the pulpit is vacant, and the responsibility for what happens next belongs to the congregation itself. No bishop assigns a replacement. No convention sends an interim. Your Deacon Board carries the weight.

The passwords walk out the door.

Church email, Facebook, giving platform, bank login. All in the pastor's phone. Recovering a locked Facebook page can take months, and pulpit vacancies typically last twelve to twenty-four months.

The vendor relationships evaporate.

The boiler guy, the lawn crew, the AC company. The new pastor spends six months reinventing what should have been documented.

The records disappear into filing cabinets.

Sacramental records, bylaws, insurance policies, the 501(c)(3) letter. "somewhere in the office" is the same as gone.

The Deaconess Ministry's knowledge is scattered.

The women who have carried the pastoral care rhythm through decades often hold operational memory no one wrote down. Without documentation, when they step back, so does it.

What you get inside

A working playbook,
not a devotional.

Three parts, twelve chapters, three print-and-fill worksheets. Written in Baptist vocabulary. Designed for the Deacon Board table.

The Baptist Operating System

Understand your machine before you optimize it.

Who does what. From Pastor to Deacon Board to Trustees
Honest audit of what breaks in an unprepared pulpit vacancy

The O.R.D.E.R.™ Framework

The five pillars of ministry continuity, applied to Baptist structure.

Organize · Reach · Document · Equip · Retain
What to do this week for each

III

The practical execution guide.

The Twelve-Item Continuity Audit
Records That Must Survive
The 18-Month Pulpit Vacancy Protocol
Financial Continuity · Legacy Conversation

Take a look inside

Every device. Every context.

Read it on your laptop in the office. Open it on your iPad in the Deacon Board meeting. Reference it on your phone during a call. Print it for the deacons.

Fillable Records Inventory Worksheet on iPad — Fillable on your iPad

Complete the Records Inventory in your Deacon Board meeting

18-Month Pulpit Vacancy Protocol on laptop — Study on your laptop

Full branded web version, sticky chapter nav, one-click print

O.R.D.E.R.™ Framework chapter on iPad — Reference on your iPad

The O.R.D.E.R.™ framework, chapter by chapter

Table of Contents on laptop — Navigate the whole playbook

Every section, every worksheet, one click away

All 58 pages. Three fillable worksheets. Note pages after every chapter. Delivered as PDF for print and as a branded web experience for study.

Why leaders throw this playbook on the Deacon Board table

Built for the way your ministry actually runs.

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PDF + Branded Web Version

Read the beautifully designed web experience with fillable worksheets and sticky navigation. Or download the print-ready PDF. You get both, delivered instantly.

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Written in Baptist language

Deacon Board, Trustees, Church Clerk, pulpit committee, business meeting, associational connection. No generic "church" material. This is your polity.

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Three fillable worksheets

Records Inventory, Twelve-Item Continuity Audit, and Pulpit Committee Formation Checklist. Type into the web version or print for the Deacon Board.

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The 18-month pulpit vacancy protocol

The exact eighteen-month roadmap your Deacon Board and Pulpit Committee can execute from the day the pastor announces to the day the new pastor is installed.

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Scripture as backbone

1 Corinthians 14:40, let all things be done decently and in order. The biblical foundation woven throughout the O.R.D.E.R.™ framework.

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Written by a Black Baptist insider

Jessica Shunta was elected Church Clerk of her Baptist congregation at eighteen. She has lived through the vacancies, the pulpit committees, and the business meetings. This is not consultant-speak.

What church leaders are saying

Real reactions from the live training this playbook is built on.

These are unedited quotes from pastors, church administrators, and lay leaders in the live webinars where the O.R.D.E.R.™ framework has been taught to hundreds across 25+ states.

“

I'm all about organization and this is superb. Phenomenal job and certainly your calling.

Tanya S.

Church Administrator · North Carolina

“

You brought things to my attention we hadn't even thought of.

Erica

Church Leader

“

As a church admin, I could cry. Thank you.

Fata A.

Church Administrator

“

This system would bridge everything together within the church.

Dr. Elizabeth R. S.

Senior Leader

“

You are going to be a blessing to many mid-sized churches. Thank God for you.

Ms. Ross

Ministry Leader

“

These systems are necessary. You solved all of my issues in this webinar. Thank you.

Pamela

Church Leader · Florida

Reactions collected from the live O.R.D.E.R.™ trainings, March through July 2026. Hundreds of leaders across 25+ states. Attribution softened for privacy.

Common questions

Answers before you buy

What format is the playbook?

Two formats, delivered together. You get a downloadable PDF (60 pages, print-ready, in the JSFS brand system) AND a branded web version with sticky chapter navigation, fillable worksheets, and one-click print. Read on your phone, print for the Deacon Board, or fill in the worksheets live in your browser.

Is this specific to Black Baptist churches, or does it apply to all Baptists?

It is written for Baptist congregational polity. Deacon Board, Trustees, Church Clerk, pulpit committee, business meeting, associational affiliation. The content applies to National Baptist, Progressive National Baptist, National Missionary Baptist, Independent, and Southern Baptist congregations. Other denominational playbooks are available in separate volumes of the series.

Do I need to be tech-savvy?

Not at all. The playbook is written for lay leaders. Where technology is discussed (password vaults, cloud storage, digital records), instructions are plain-language and include vendor recommendations. Nothing requires a background in IT.

Can I share this with my Deacon Board?

Yes. Your purchase includes rights to share within your congregation and its lay boards. Print copies for every Steward and Trustee if you like. Please do not redistribute publicly or resell.

What if I want more help implementing it?

The Church Continuity Platform™ is the full 30-day guided install. We work alongside your Deacon Board and Trustees to build every system in the playbook, tailored to your congregation. Details are in the playbook itself, or reach out at info@jessicashunta.com to book a no-obligation Continuity Conversation.

How is this delivered?

Instantly. After checkout you receive an email with the PDF download link and the private URL for the branded web version. Both are yours to keep.

Terms of Sale · Read before purchase

Digital Delivery. The Baptist Continuity Playbook is delivered as a downloadable PDF and a private branded web-version URL, both sent to the email address provided at checkout within minutes of purchase. Delivery is instantaneous and complete upon transmission of the download link and web-version URL.

License Scope. Your purchase grants a non-exclusive, non-transferable license for use by ONE congregation. Deacon Board, Trustees, staff, and lay leaders of the purchasing congregation may print, share, and reference the playbook internally. The playbook may NOT be resold, redistributed, uploaded to public file-sharing services, adapted into paid derivative works, or shared beyond the purchasing congregation without written permission from Jessica Shunta Financial Services.

Copyright and Trademarks. All content, design, and layout of The Baptist Continuity Playbook is copyright © Jessica Shunta Financial Services. "Church Continuity Platform™" and "O.R.D.E.R.™" are trademarks of Jessica Shunta Financial Services and may not be used commercially by any other party.

Refund Policy. This playbook is a digital product delivered instantly upon purchase and is non-refundable. If within thirty days of purchase you are not satisfied, you may request a complimentary 30-Day Continuity Conversation Guarantee: a private 30-minute call with Jessica Shunta to walk through your ministry's specific situation and ensure you have what you need to apply the framework. Request the call by emailing info@jessicashunta.com within thirty days of your purchase date. Chargebacks initiated without first requesting a Continuity Conversation may result in permanent revocation of access to all Jessica Shunta Financial Services products.

Warranty Disclaimer. The playbook is provided "as is," for educational and organizational purposes. It is not legal, tax, accounting, or theological advice. It does not substitute for professional counsel from a licensed attorney, accountant, denominational official, or trained pastoral advisor. Any decisions your congregation makes based on the playbook remain your responsibility.

Limitation of Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the liability of Jessica Shunta Financial Services in connection with the playbook is limited to the purchase price paid. Jessica Shunta Financial Services shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages arising from use or inability to use the playbook.

Governing Law. These terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the state of residence of Jessica Shunta Financial Services, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute arising from this purchase shall first be addressed through good-faith communication with Jessica Shunta before any other action is taken.

Contact. Questions about these terms or the refund policy: info@jessicashunta.com.

Effective date: 2026-07-22. Jessica Shunta Financial Services reserves the right to update these terms; the version in effect at the time of your purchase governs your transaction.

The BaptistContinuity Playbook