A certain pastor was hired to just preach and do ministry in a church while the Elders and Deacons led and determined what happened. While the Pastor was enthusiastic and applied himself to the work with vigour, he soon found out that he cannot do much without the approval and influence of the Elders and Deacons.
After many frustrating months, he had to resign to fate and allowed things to drift, because the Elders have so much entrenched themselves in the church and make sure that nothing works without them. Any pastor that wants to succeed in that church must toe their line and answer to their beck and call.
Unfortunately, this is the general situation in almost every denominational, conservative, traditional, Baptist and Pentecostal churches. ‘The elder rules, the pastor do the ministry’ is the norm in most churches of today. However, is this what the Bible says?
A. Biblical Foundation – Jer. 3:15; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-2; Psalm 23:1-4.
Leadership is embedded in the very definition of what it means to be a pastor in the local church. Pastors are shepherds that must lead, feed, nurture, guide and discipline the sheep.
“A pastor is a man who is given charge of souls. He is not merely a nice, pleasant man who visits people and has an afternoon cup of tea with them, or passes the time of the day with them. He is the guardian, the custodian, the protector, the organizer, the director, the ruler of the flock”. The shepherd-leader is the biblical model.
a. Leadership is in the job profile of Pastors – Eph. 4:11-12. He is not merely to do ministry, but to equip, empower and enable people for ministry. “The hire a minister to do ministry” philosophy is deeply flawed because it is an unbiblical model.
b. Pastors will be held responsible as Leaders – Heb. 13:17. Pastors are responsible to lead, have been gifted by God to do so, and will give an account for the flock under their care.
B. Why Pastors don’t lead in Churches
In spite of the fact that the title of pastor is the most common in the last few years in Christendom, yet pastors don’t really lead in local churches due to these facts:-
- Administrative policies that place Elders and Deacons over Pastors.
- Spectator-sport’ church mentality that gives no support to Pastors.
- Lack of trust in Pastors that leads to responsibility without authority.
- Failure to build influence and trust with the people by Pastors.
- Constant transfer of Pastors that embolden Elders to take charge.
- Functioning more as a Station Manager than a Leader.
- Poor leadership skills and ability to lead well by Pastors.
- Shepherd, maintenance and status ‘quo mentality of most Pastors.
Because Pastors have allowed these factors to imit them, thereby failing abysmally to provide strong, visionary and spiritually dynamic leadership to churches, stagnation, crisis and downward spiral is starring many local churches in the face. Too many Pastors have wittingly or unwittingly surrendered leadership to lower forces in their churches and local churches are therefore reeling to and fro.
C. The Church and Pastoral Leadership
People are the greatest asset of any leader. The shepherd-leader must care for and nurture the sheep. As the Pastor goes, so goes the church. Check these out:-
- God doesn’t lead a church by Committee, but by one man supported by Committee.
- In every team, there must be a Captain that is respected and obeyed.
- God has limited what He will do in a church to the person of the Pastor.
- If people don’t allow the Pastor to lead, the church will continue to flounder.
- The church can only be effective to the degree the Pastor desires.
- The church faces a perilous future when Pastors find it hard to survive emotionally and spiritually in ministry.
- The Pastor is the king in the church and you don’t mess with his crown.
The church cannot rise higher than her Pastors. The church is strong because the Pastor is strong. The church is spiritual because the Pastor is spiritual. The church is growing because the Pastor is growing. The church is stagnant because the Pastor is stagnant. The church is prayerful because the Pastor is prayerful. And the church is barren, cursed, weak and worldly because the Pastors are barren, cursed, weak, dying and worldly.
The life of any Pastor penetrates, percolates, permeates and pervades the life and blood of any church. Therefore, Pastors must rise up to lead and be allowed, trusted and permitted to lead the church forward.
Recommended Reading
A PASTOR AFTER GOD’S HEART
Top Ten Lessons from the Life of Abraham
Christian Journey:Purpose Of Trials
D. Leading to Lift, Not Limit People
Unfortunately, in some cases where Pastors have been allowed to lead, they have rather done a poor job of it.
How can Pastors bring lifting to their church through their leadership?
- Model godly living, values, integrity and righteousness Your life is your leadership. Leadership is more caught than taught.
- Model God-given vision for the church – God has a vision for every local church to pursue. While your feet must be strong in your locality, your eyes must be in the world.
- Equip, empower and enable – Provide teaching, training and discipleship to people.
- Share the minist Raise people, recognize their gifts and allow them to thrive.
- Improve your leadership skill – Hone, sharpen and develop yourself and your ability to lead well and effectively.
- His Be a channel of His presence presence and power must be in open display in the church for transformations.
- Model sacrifice and love – Sacrifice for the vision, church and lead from a loving heart. Don’t lead from hurtful, bitter and vengeful heart.
- Build up your influence – Build your influence the ability to make people follow you without force or coercion.
Without steadfast Pastors, there can be no vital churches. When Pastors don’t lead well, or are not allowed to lead well, churches suffer on every side. With the model and foundation for church leadership being the way Jesus has served us, Pastors must not neglect their roles as leaders and churches must embrace their Pastors as their leaders.