PASTORAL THEOLOGY
LECTURE 26
LEADERSHIP II
The following are excerpts of lessons from different
authors dealing with key principles of
leadership for the pastor
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lessons On Church Leadership
From Lyle Schaller
A good leader ‘causes things to happen’, but isn’t necessarily the one that is actually doing the ‘happening’ ( or at least isn’t the only one doing it).
"The best strategy for the new ministry facing a passive congregation is to identify, affirm, and build on the complementary strengths of both the pastor and the congregation."
"The probability of failure in an organization (system) decreases exponentially as redundancy factors [in communication] are increased."
"Innovation is basically the adding of something new, rather than the reform or replacement of an existing element…. The effective innovator, therefore, emphasizes that what he is proposing is change by addition, not change by alteration, or change by subtraction."
"The effective innovator is the person who is willing to share the credit generously for successes, and to carry gracefully by himself the blame for the failures."
1 Cor 9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
"[Do not] mistake politeness for agreement. People have a natural tendency to avoid disagreement or unpleasantness and nowhere is this more prevalent than in the local church."
"Everyone naturally turns to look to the past for guidance. This is normal and natural, since a person knows the past with greater certainty than he knows the future."
"As pastors move away from the old pattern of trying to live up to some idealized model of ministry…and begin to identify, affirm, and build on their own strengths, they tend to develop a leadership style that not only is compatible with a potentialities-based planning model, but they also begin to develop an aptitude for identifying, affirming, and building on the strengths and potentialities of individual members of the congregation."
"The greater the lay control in any size congregation, the less likely it is that the congregation will begin and maintain significant numerical growth."
Prov 24:6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
"Looking backward and second-guessing the past…tends to be one of the most fertile sources of passivity."
"Since the first year of a new pastorate is the critical period in combating passivity in a congregation….the evidence strongly suggests that in the majority of cases the newly arrived ministry should accept a more active leadership role…..The most common exception is the severely divided congregation [or the sudden termination of the predecessor]."
"The longer the average tenure of the members, (a) the more difficult it is for a recently arrived minister to win the allegiance of the members, (b) the easier it is to launch a movement to seek the pastor’s resignation, (c) the higher the level of financial support by the members, especially in emergencies, (d) the greater the probability that the membership roster includes the names of several alienated and angry older ex-leaders who are dissatisfied with today’s state of affairs, (e) the stronger the resistance to change, (f) the less likely that the congregation will be able to reach, attract and assimilate new members, (g) the stronger the attachment to that meeting place; and (h) the more likely the congregation will display several of the characteristics of passivity…."
"One of the most effective means of undermining the trust level within a congregation, of lowering morale, of increasing passivity, and of creating disharmony is to create a situation that causes members to believe they cannot trust the financial accountability system of that church….Once something has happened to create this distrust, the best response is full disclosure."
"The larger the congregation, the more important it is to build a staff that complements and reinforces the priorities of the senior minister."
"In the smaller congregations the role of the patriarch, or tribal chief, usually is filled by an older lay person. The minister is the visit medicine man. Tribal identity is in the laity, not in the pastor. By contrast, in congregations with a multiple staff, and especially the mega churches, the role of the tribal chief is filled by the senior ministry. Frequently the corporate identity of the very large church is in the personality of the senior ministry who has served that congregation for a decade or longer."
1 Cor 9:2-4 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, Have we not power to eat and to drink?
The greatest measurable difference that distinguishes congregations is whether they are accumulating capital or living off the accumulated capital.
"Very few chapters in an effective pastorate extend beyond three or four years."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leading--And Growing--The Small Church
Archie Luper, Director
Church Planning
Too many good leaders are gravitating towards the bigger churches while our smaller churches are suffering from a tremendous lack of leadership.
John Maxwell states, "You've got to be ready to lead on the inside before a church will be great on the outside."
If the leaders have a desire to see their church family grow there's a good chance that will happen. If the leaders are satisfied with the status quo and have the attitude, "We like things like they are", there's not much hope for that church to grow no matter what God's desires may be.
John Maxwell says that the number one issue facing small church leaders today is mature and contributing Christians. I agree. Our members may be mature in age but not mature spirituality.
Go with what you've got and God will give you more. Sometimes God doesn't give us more because we haven't used what we already have. Don't get discouraged by what you don't have, focus on what you do have.
Developing a boldness about giving is non-negotiable for a growing church. John Maxwell states that you need to have a boldness based upon: (1) Biblical Truth: The Bible is clear that all we have is the Lord's; (2) Personal Conviction: You have to believe that generous giving will make a difference in their lives; (3) Personal Generosity: You yourself have to take the lead in giving. People do what people see. (4) An understanding that people want to give to that which they believe in.
The church may be small on the outside but on the inside of the leader it should be growing and dynamic. Every church grows first within the leader.
Most small churches have limited influence in their community not because of the size of the church but because they are ingrown. Most small churches have the attitude "Us four and no more". They are inward thinking instead of outward thinking. You've got to change their thinking in that area.
Cultivating an attitude of expectancy is essential. For too many churches the expectorant of the people has expired! When small churches are small for a long time, most often it is because of the thinking of the congregation. As the leader you've got to stretch the faith of your members.
Most members don't wake up in the morning and say, "Let's grow!" or "Let's get out and evangelize our community!". If they did they wouldn't need you. That's why you're the leader. Equipping is what we're suppose to be doing.
Imagine seeing someone standing with an electric power cord in their hands and saying, "Hmmm. Why won't this light work?" We do that all the time in the church. We ask, "Why aren't we growing? Why is there no life and vitality in our church? Why does it seem like God is not blessing our church?" For heaven's sake leaders, get the cord plugged back into the power source!
Remember this: if you build it they will come. The main point here is that you have to begin thinking and acting like a 200 member church if you want to become a 200 member church.
For more information about the Strategic Church Planning, Leadership Development, and Member Assimilation & Involvement retreats and seminars offered by The ChurchPlanning Ministry, visit our website at www.churchplanning.com.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are those aspects of leadership that can derail your influence and impact?
Here are deadly leadership sins that can shatter your effectiveness as a leader:
Many ‘Servant-Leaders’ (as they are now being called) have some huge character flaws that will ruin them as being an effective leader: haughtiness, disdain, and prominence.
Haughtiness is when you're high on yourself and low on others. It displays an attitude of superiority, which looks with condescension on others and their accomplishments. It is an attitude of insolence that thinks no one else has the ideas or insights that you do. It is similar to arrogance and pride.
1 Cor 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
D.L. Moody observed, "God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves."
“The fool is confident and rageth….”
Disdain compares yourself with others in a derogatory way. It looks down its nose with scorn on those around you and belittles the accomplishments of others. It is the worst form of arrogance. A pastor can, sadly, learn to have disdain for the very ones he is suppose to greatly care for. A pastor may say to himself: “Why can’t they all be as good as I am?! They are all just plain pathetic!”
Prominance is a natural flesh reaction for senior leaders. It is the desire to always be in the ‘limelight’; they are not every satisfied unless they are the main focus of attention. They stick their noses in every body’s business just so they can maintain that ‘prominance’. Who does the enemy shoot at first? The most prominent; the one that sticks out the most.
All of these leadership snares center on a self-motivated ego. Conceit and arrogance will kill effective leadership. If we allow it to take hold, we end up focusing on ourselves, not on others. That’s not leading others, but promoting your self.
Jose Cubero was one of Spain's most brilliant matadors. He had enjoyed a spectacular career before he died at the age of 21 after a tragic mistake. Cubero thrust his sword a final time into a bleeding, delirious bull, which then collapsed. Considering the struggle finished, Jose turned to acknowledge the crowd's applause.
The bull, however, was not dead. It rose and lunged at the unsuspecting matador, its horn piercing his back and puncturing his heart. Just when we think we've won the battle and we turn to accept the congratulations of the crowd, pride stabs us in the back.
Prov 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Lessons For Leadership Decision-Making:
Pastoral Reflections on Thomas R. Horton's, The CEO Paradox:
The Privilege and Accountability of Leadership.
Effective pastoring demands special qualities. You must be willing to be accountable. You must be able to let others "run with the ball." Sometimes you have to even let them "call the shots." The hardest thing is to trust them. But that is effective pastoral leadership. It involves delegation; Jesus Christ did this often. You have to put some trust in them (but not blindly).
Each person is created with a different personality, a different temperament, a different level of ability. Don’t try and copy someone else’s style…be yourself. Lead how you feel most comfortable leading; lead like you would want someone to lead you. Let your own personality and character come out (in a godly fashion, of course).
Learn from your mistakes. You don’t start off a perfect leader when you enter the pastorate. There is a lifetime of learning ahead of you in the area of leadership. Be willing to admit when you ‘mess up’ and learn from it and become a better leader. Don’t ever figure that you have reached a satisfactory level of ability in leadership.
Prov 14:16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
Now that you've made it to the "top", remember who you are. People may take more note of you. They may treat you as if you have a special spiritual "aura." Remember who you are. That's why you don't have a limousine and executive trappings. Remember the words of Tom Watson, Jr., former CEO of IBM, "I think a sense of humility is vital to running [IBM]...well," he said, "and the more humility the better."
You need to all the more show humility, because your followers will naturally lift you up higher and higher; you must not allow yourself to let it go to your head!
The good leading you do will go basically unnoticed by the congregation, but if you mess up at all, then that becomes shouted from the rooftops and you’ll never live it down. So, do your best not to ever ‘mess up’ as a leader; you are watched under a microscope; you must be beyond reproach or you’ll eventually ‘smart for it’.
Prov 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.