Life as a Christian Woman

When we think of church leadership, we automatically think of the pastor or priest. He is the face of the church, the one who stands before the people and delivers words that God has given him.

But we are all aware, or should be, that not all leaders are created equally. We should never follow blindly. If you remember from a prior post (What is a Church), the Greek word for church is “ekklesia,” which means the congregation or assembly, the people. In other words, we are the church. Not the building, not any specific denomination, and not the leadership. We are the church.

Every church needs leadership. But what makes a good leader, a good pastor or church administrator? God left us a road map for leadership in the Bible. He gave us examples of both good and bad leaders. Let’s take a look at what God says are the qualities of effective leaders.

Christian leaders should see themselves as servants. While worldly leaders can be self-centered and selfish in their desire to get to the top, Christian leaders should be the ones who serve best. Every Christian leader needs to have the heart of a servant, the heart of Christ. It is not about “Follow me, I know the way,” it should be “Let’s follow God’s path together, as brothers and sisters in Christ.” Christ led, but he also served those he led.

Christian leaders persevere in a Christian manner. Imagine the discouragement Moses must have felt. He was in charge of a bunch of ungrateful people! God answered prayer after prayer from the masses, but they turned away again and again. But while I’m sure Moses was tempted to say, “Get yourselves through the wilderness, I’m going home,” he didn’t. He led them as God directed. Sure, he got mad, smashed the first set of 10 Commandments. But he kept going. Christian leaders must put God’s love ahead of their own agendas, must keep a pure heart in order to lead the faithful.

Delegate…Then Appreciate. No one leader can do it all. But if a church is made of people, then the people must serve! A leader must use his staff and the people, he must allow them to spread their wings in their areas of expertise. A pastor must trust his staff, that God has brought them to the ministry, and let them fly. But he cannot stop at delegating. He must… MUST… appreciate those who serve, and let them know. Praise them, and thank God for them.

Moses inspected all their work and blessed them because it had been done as the Lord had commanded him. (Exodus 39:43)

Moses blessed those who had followed God’s direction. A good leader can do no less.

Recognize Personal Limitations. Everyone called to the ministry is gifted differently. Some are chosen to speak, some to administer, others to lead music or the children. But all must recognize their own limitations. They must ask for help, admit weaknesses and look for ways to share the load. God has gifted many within the body of the church, many who ache to use those gifts to His glory. How heartbreaking it must be to offer to use those gifts, only to be told, “Don’t worry, we got it covered.” A good leader will find a place for all who wish to serve.

And finally,

Be a Leader to All. A pastor who isolates himself from the congregation is doing a disservice to both the people and himself. While he may be an excellent orator, to focus solely on that aspect of his ministry would do more harm than good. A Christian leader must know his flock, those that God wants him to lead. If you don’t know your people, how can you lead them? A pastor with a closed-door policy will never be able to share fully in the joys and sorrows of his congregation. He will never be able to fully minister to those in need. Worse, he may begin to isolate himself from the realities of his church, he may lose touch with the needs of those he has been sent to serve. His passion for God may morph into an arrogance of leadership, a “Preacher Knows Best” mentality.

As the leader of the church, a pastor must give of himself completely. Demanding? Yes. Stress-filled? Absolutely. But if he has been called into the ministry, if he has accepted God’s calling, then he can do no less. The salvation of some may depend on it.