Pastoral Leadership

It is impossible to read the book of Acts without seeing the evident power of the Holy Spirit working through the first-century churches—not just in the miraculous sign gifts, but in the daily witness of the churches.

An unavoidable nail in the road, and a subsequent flat tire, forced me into an unplanned trip to the tire store. With the flat tire in the trunk and the spare tire providing a temporary replacement, Teri and I headed to the newly opened Hibdon Tire Store in my hometown of Owasso, Oklahoma.

Leadership—especially spiritual leadership—involves shepherding people. It involves connecting hearts with the life-changing truths of God’s Word. This requires a Spirit-filled leader with a heart large enough for people. It requires a leader who sees management as necessary to leadership but not defining of leadership.

I had the privilege to be saved and raised in independent Baptist churches. Having now served as the pastor of an unaffiliated Bible-based Baptist church for twenty-eight years, I’m deeply grateful for my heritage. Why? Because even though other groups do good works, the autonomous Baptists have generally believed in and practiced the ten traits below which are clearly emphasized in Scripture and are timeless in their effectiveness in local church ministry.

This year marks my twentieth year to pastor what researchers call a megachurch—a church averaging over two thousand people in weekly attendance. Statistics on pastoral tenure in churches suggest that for a pastor to remain twenty-eight years in the ministry, let alone in one church, is unusual—especially when twenty of those years are overflowing with the needs of a large congregation.

These statistics speak to the realities of stress, weariness, and emptiness that are part of serving people. But not every pastor falls by the wayside of statistics. So what is the difference between a pastor who becomes a statistic and a pastor who presses on through the struggles and completes his race still in the ministry?

The human occasion for the writing of Paul’s final epistle was a preacher’s tears. The preacher was Timothy, his “dearly beloved son” in the ministry and in the faith, whom he wrote during hard times “being mindful of thy tears.” The tears of Timothy are instructive to us, both because of their cause and their cure, and are put in the Bible to open our eyes to little-understood aspects of the Christian ministry.

The problem with myths is their sly way of embedding themselves into your assumptions. They just become part of your thinking without your realizing it. Some of the myths below are commonly-held pastoral beliefs that we pastors have held without comparing them to Scripture. Others are commonly-held beliefs that we would never give voice to, but nonetheless, we act as if we do indeed believe them.

It is vital to be aggressive and proactive in reaching people. And it is just as vital to minister to their needs after we reach them. Too often, churches who are good at reaching the lost flounder when it comes to caring for the needs of young Christians.

As younger leaders engage in the ministry, they bring a set of fresh questions and concerns. Questions are healthy and good—they prove a leader is thinking. Sometimes, however, I’ve watched older preachers blow off the questions of young men, responding with a spirit of pride, feeling offended that the younger generation would dare question our practices.

When people enter your church, do they sense a clear mission and direction? Is it immediately obvious that the church has a focus and goal behind its existence? The purpose of administration is to build a successful, thriving church centered on glorifying God to the very best of our abilities.

We often use the expression, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” And it does. Teamwork in ministry is essential—especially between the pastor and his staff. Most pastors and churches that are a little larger have the privilege of having staff who help in the ministry and serve alongside them.

Fifteen years ago, a story began to unfold in Northern San Diego County as Coastline Baptist Church opened its doors for the first time. Though circumstances were not ideal, it soon became evident that this story was a testimony of God’s power and provision.

I am often surprised at how many churches—and individuals—operate without a budget. They simply put the money into a pot, spend it as they need to (or wish to) and hope it all works out. To me, this is a little bit like driving to a previously unvisited destination without consulting the map first!

Serving people necessitates giving of ourselves. Paul put it well in 2 Corinthians 12:15: “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you.” We are not infinite, however. Every expenditure must be replenished, or eventually we run dry.

You’ve heard it said: In life there are two groups of people—givers and takers. The titles are self explanatory: givers invest, and takers seek to be invested in. Every Christian should be a giver, but those in the ministry should especially be givers. We should be investing our lives in others.

One of the most apparent truths about spiritual renewal is that it reorders our priorities. Simply put, God does not renew us to live for ourselves but to live for eternity.

Has God recently placed something new on your heart? Perhaps you’re feeling burdened to launch a new ministry or begin a new goal? There’s nothing that fuels my energy like dreaming for the future and planning action steps for a God-given vision! But before I begin something new, I always try to take a careful look at what foundation I am planning to build on.

If you are like me, you wake up one day and you’re thirty-five with five children, and you realize, “I am not young anymore.” I feel young. I may even look young. But I am not considered young anymore—at least not by the next generation.

On July 11, 1976, our nation’s bicentennial, Liberty Baptist Church held its first service at the South Coast Westin Hotel in Costa Mesa, California. Eighty-nine people attended that first service. Some came out of curiosity; others were already seeking a local church fellowship. Less than a year later, the young church relocated to the chapel of the Southern California College, now Vanguard University, allowing them to begin a graded Sunday school program and Wednesday evening prayer service.