The Importance of Leadership Training Part 2

The Challenges in Leadership Development.

It is one thing to recognize the need, it is quite another to implement the program. While everyone would admit that the need for leadership training in the small church is acute, developing an effective training strategy remains one of the most difficult challenges the small church pastor faces. Even when there is the desire to implement the program, there are a number of obstacles that make leadership development particularly difficult.

1. The pastor lacks to time to effectively train leaders. Being a small church pastor is a time consuming task. Because the church does not have a staff to do support ministries, the small church pastor’s day is easily filled up with a variety of tasks and responsibilities. The pastor constantly faces the pressure to carve out enough study time to prepare for the messages and devotionals he must lead during the week. When he is not visiting or preparing sermons, he must take care of the church facilities, help out an elderly couple who are having trouble with their furnace, attend community functions and a host of other activities. The reality for many small church pastors is that at the end of the day they feel like they have accomplished little to empty the mythical in box on their desk. It is no wonder that many small church pastors feel stressed by the amount of work that is left undone at the end of the day. As a result, the development of a training program for the board continually get’s pushed aside. It is not that we see it as unimportant but the demands of the present cause us to push the project to next week’s priority list. However, the demands of the daily schedule repeats itself so that it always stays on the to do list, but never gets actively addressed. What we fail to realize is that the key to effectively leading the church and ministering to the needs of people is not working longer hours, but being more intentional in how we use our time. An essential part of expanding our ministry and the ministry of the church is training people to become involved in ministering to the needs of people. For training to occur we must make training a priority of our time and ministry.

2. The challenge of training leaders is further compounded the lack of time people have. This is especially true in rural areas where people a common work day is 12-14 hours and it is repeated six days a weak. Sunday remains a critical day for rest and spending time with the family. However, this is not just a rural problem, but an urban problem as well. More and more time is required to be spend on the job and the leisure time remaining is quickly evaporated as the demands of a being involved in the lives of the children, the upkeep of the home and the activities in church fill up a persons day timer. As a result most church boards are able to only meet once a month. With all the time required to deal with various issues, there is often no significant amount of time for training. Like the schedule of the pastor, so also with the board, the training continually gets pushed aside on the agenda. However, there are ways that the pastor and board can provide training even with a busy schedule. First, take at least 15 minutes each board meeting for training. While it may be a short time, like a savings program, a little training is better than no training and over the long haul can provide the comprehensive training needed for the board. Second, at least twice a year, devote the full time at the board meeting. By doing so a more substantial amount of time could be devoted to training. Third, conduct a weekend board retreat can provide a significant amount of time for prayer and training. While finding the necessary time to conduct the training will always be difficult, if the church is to become more mature it is necessary.

3. Small churches struggle to provide training for the board because of a lack of resources that are available. There are few resources available for effectively training the board and those that are available are often geared for larger churches with little application for the small congregation. Many of the resources for boards are based upon the organization side of the church and how to effective lead a larger congregation with multiple staff and programs. The staff is looked upon to provide the spiritual care while the board provides the oversight. Furthermore the larger congregations have a system of in house training that occurs before a person is placed on the board. In the small church, more often then not a person is placed on the board with little or no training. He is throne into the pool of leadership with the mandate to lead the church with no training how to swim. As a result they have no idea what is their biblical role and no resources available to provide the training. The problem is further compounded by the cost of the resources that are available. Many small churches struggle financially to pay the necessary expenses. Consequently, he small church further struggles because the available resources are often too expensive for the church to afford. They view the purchase of these resources as non-essential and thus it is pushed aside. The result is that the pastor often has to develop his own training material let lacks the time to do so.

4. The church struggles to develop leaders because of a lack of desire. Often people have a view that they already are sufficiently trained to be effective for leadership. They see leadership training as a waste of valuable time when they could be doing something else. This often springs forth from a misconception about leadership. For many people, the board is responsible for the physical and organizational running of the church. The board makes sure programs are operating correctly, the budget is being met, money is being wisely distributed and the facilities are being taken care of. The spiritual care and oversight of the church is given to the pastor. Since the organizational oversight of the church parallels what they already do in their farm or business, they feel that no training is needed. When someone brings up the need for training regarding the spiritual care of the congregation, they respond with, “That is the pastor’s responsibility not ours.” Consequently they resist training that moves into the arena of spiritual care for the church. However, when we examine the most critical need for training it is in the area of the biblical responsibility of the board that emphasizes the spiritual responsibility not only of caring for the church, but also making spiritual decisions that are governed by scripture rather than merely business management.

5. The small church struggles because often people are not avid readers. Any training program, but necessity, will require reading several books to address all the breath of the ministry. However, the pastor often get discouraged as he purchases books and assigns them to the board, only to find after months of prodding, the members still have not read the book. This is not to say they do not read—they do, but they tend to only read what they have an interest in. The key then is not to assign a book to read, but to instill an interest first in the responsibilities and tasks of the board before assigning the reading material.

The Importance of Leadership Development (Pt 1)

Since the inception of the church, it has faced the challenge of developing leaders who could guide and direct the church in spiritual transformation and maturity. In the initial establishment of the church it was the practice to appoint individuals to serve as shepherds and leaders for the church. In Acts 14:23 we find that as Paul and Barnabas established churches they “appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” The practice continued as the church grew and progressed into the second century of its existence. Clemet of Rome, writing towards the end of the first century, speaks of the practice of establishing elders and deacons to lead newly founded churches (S. Clemet of Rome, To the Corinthians, 42, The Apostolic Fathers, Clement Vol. 2 p. 293). However, they were not left without instruction. When Paul writes to Timothy and Titus he provides training and instruction for them regarding their responsibility as leaders within the church. Those who are appointed to be elders are not to rule arbitrarily but to follow carefully prescribed instructions that define their roles and responsibilities.

The need for leadership development continues today. This is especially critical in the small church where the pastor and the board often struggle to lead the people in the direction God intends. The task is further compounded by the plethora of literature that often gives confusing and even contradictory advice on what the board and leadership is to do. Through the fog of confusion we must delve deeply into scripture to develop a theology of biblical leadership that is not only biblically driven and theologically sound, but one that is relevant to the present struggles facing the church today.

The Crisis of Leadership

The small church continually faces the challenge of equipping its leaders to be effective. While the problem is not entirely unique to the small church, it is especially felt by the small church.

1. The church faces a crisis of leadership because of the vacuum of a biblical theology of leadership. Tragically, the church has neglected the formation of a comprehensive biblical theology of leadership. In the course of history it has carefully defined its theology of God, salvation, etc., but it has yet to develop a comprehensive theology of what it means to be a leader. When we study the theology of the church the focus is upon the spiritual and organizational nature of the church, but not upon the nature of its leadership. When attention is given, it is only in the area of the plurality and biblical terms used, but little is said regarding the nature and purpose of leadership. As a result a vacuum exists in our understanding. To fill this vacuum, the church has adopted secular model so that often there is little distinction between books written in the secular sector on leadership and those written within the circle of evangelicalism. While there is much that can and should be learned about leadership from those outside the church, it has still left the church feeling that something is tragically missing. The secular model has done much to help us understand leadership from an organizational perspective, but done nothing to help us understand the nature of biblically governed spiritual leadership.

2. The church faces a crisis of leadership because of the lack of training. More often than not, when someone is asked to serve on the board, there is no training provided in terms of their role and responsibility as a board member. As a result, they approach their position within the church like they would approach their role on the school board, community organization or how they would run their farm. The focus is upon attendance, budgets and programs rather than spiritual care, guidance and transformation. When the pastor brings up spiritual issues such as discipline, discipleship and prayer, the board responds, “That is your job, that is why you went to school.” Little do they realize that it is at the center of their job description. If we are to have a board that leads spiritually we must train them to be spiritual leaders.

3. The church faces a crisis of leadership because it has a limited pool of qualified leaders to fill leadership needs. The small church often does not have the luxury of having a surplus of individuals who are qualified and ready to step into leadership positions. While they may be qualified in terms of spiritual maturity, they lack the experience and knowledge to effectively lead the church. Pastors often respond to this shortage in one of two ways. Either they place people in leadership who are not qualified and then complain about the board’s lack of spiritual depth, or they leave positions unfilled which often results in the pastor functioning as a dictator rather than a team leader. However, there is a third alternative: train individuals to be more effective as spiritual leaderships. This training is often done best “on the job.” In other words, rather than restricting their involvement, we get people involved but in the process start to train them how to serve effectively. Barnabas provides an excellent example. When looking for someone to help him in his missionary journey he chose Paul, one who was ready but not equipped (Acts 11:15-16). This on the job training soon enabled Paul to become a prominent leader.

4. The church faces a crisis of leadership when it is organizationally effective but spiritually weak. The goal of the church is to transform people into the likeness of Christ (Col 1:28-29). Tragically, however, the church often has an efficiently running organization but has had little impact on the lives of people. Too often the church becomes merely a mirror to the outside world in which we live. It manifests superficial change but not the inward substantive change that God desires to accomplish. The church needs to train its leaders so that they are more concerned about the spiritual health of the church (character transformation) than they are about the organizational health (programs and numbers).

5. The church can face a crisis of leadership when there is a turnover of pastoral leadership. Small churches are plagued with short-term pastors. As a result often there is a lack of continuity of leadership that is necessary for the spiritual growth of the congregation. To offset this, the board plays a greater role, not only in the organizational health of the church, but also the spiritual healthy. If the church is to maintain its health even with the turnover of leadership, then its board must be both stable and involved in the spiritual care of the congregation. When pastors leave, it is the board that must provide stability for the congregation. If the board has been active in the leadership, when there is a change of leadership the church does not suffer for the “sheep still have shepherds who are caring for them.” The problem of the turnover of pastoral leadership can be further compounded by the burnout pastors experience because they lack support from the board. James E. Means rightly points out, “The reasons for brief pastoral ministries and burnout differ widely, and are sometimes complicated, but the fact that the typical church loses its pastors with remarkable regularity is compelling evidence that better leadership is needed throughout the church.” (Means, Leadership in Christian Ministry, 21). God never intended the leadership of the church to be placed on the shoulders of one individual. To do so will only result in both dysfunctional leadership and dysfunctional churches.
6. A crisis of leadership arises when powerbrokers within the church exert control but lack a genuine understanding of the purpose of the church. Many churches, especially the small church located in a rural community, will have individuals who exert significant influence over the rest of the congregation. When these individuals have a biblical understanding of the church and leadership, they can become a key asset for the pastor in leading the church towards the accomplishment of its biblical mission. However, at times they lack such an understanding and as a result they conflict with what the pastor is seeking to accomplish. Rather than become frustrated with their lack of support, the pastor needs to begin to train them so they become a valuable team member for the pastor. More often than not, when the power brokers in a church fail to support the programs of the pastor, it is not because they are carnal, but because they fail to understand what the pastor is seeking to accomplish.

7. The small church can face a crisis of leadership when the church no longer allows new people to be in leadership positions. One of the needs for leadership training is to prevent ingrown leadership. When new people are not being trained for leadership, the leadership can become stagnant where new people either are not available to serve or new people are not allowed to serve. The result is that the church lacks new ideas that can keep the church moving forward in ministry. The world in which we live is constantly changing and the needs and opportunities for ministry are constantly changing. This requires the church to adapt its ministry in order to reach a new generation. If the church does not adapt and change it will slowly die as it falls into the abyss of irrelevancy. Bringing new people into leadership positions brings fresh ideas and perspectives that enable it to remain relevant. One of the purposes for training new leaders is to provide qualified trained individuals who understand both the context of the past, the foundation of Biblical truth and the issues of the present.

8. The church often faces a struggle when there is a lack of ministry participation. Perhaps at no point in the history of the church has the church been so active and yet accomplishing so little in terms of genuine transformation. The problem is that we have reduced the church to a spectator sport, where the crowds come to cheer on (or criticize) the few who are actually doing the ministry. The result is people who become church hoppers. Driven by a consumer religious, they seek churches that only minister to their needs rather than become active participants in the church who exercise their spiritual gifts for the growth of the whole body. If the church is to be transformed into the vibrant and dynamic body of Christ that God intended where every member does its part (see 1 Corinthians 13), then it must begin with the leadership.

9. A lack of leadership results in a lack of effective ministry. James Means sadly points out the truth that should trouble leaders, “Numerous churches in every major city carry on feverish activity of all kinds, but have little that qualifies as authentic ministry. Many churches have no meaningful evangelistic outreach in their communities; outreach is relegated to a committee whose primary concern is sending dollars overseas. They lack true discipleship ministry. Genuine ministry involves comforting the bereaved, caring for the sick, disciplining the wayward, feeding the hungry, erecting support structures for the poor, preaching the Word, encouraging the aged, healing the wounded, strengthening the weak, sheltering the homeless, equipping the saints, developing spiritual gifts, and sending missionaries. Many churches conduct services and run programs that never touch these needs.” (Means, Leadership in Christian Ministry, 22). Often the reason is that the leadership has never been taught what is the purpose of the church. As a result they focus on perpetuating the past and present rather than dynamic ministry that ministers to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the people. They focus upon running programs rather than spiritually transforming people.

10. A crisis of leadership develops when conflicts are not resolved properly. Conflict is an inevitable part of ministry. The critical question is not how to avoid conflict, but how to handle it when it arises. If the board fails to function properly and provide necessary leadership, conflicts will devastate the church. A trained board not only will help prevent conflicts from arising, but when they do they will deal within appropriately so that it does not damage the overall health of the congregation.

11. The church faces a crisis of leadership when there is a lack of teamwork between the board and the pastor. Tragically the board and the pastor often develop an adversarial relationship. Forman, Jones and Miller write, “Some organizations that work with churches have identified tensions between the senior pastor and the governing board as one of the greatest hindrances to church unity and effectiveness (Forman, Jones, Miller, The Leadership Baton, p. 24). The pastor resents the intrusion of the board and the board suspects that he pastor is trying to take control of the church. The result is that there is a breakdown in the teamwork that should exist. The pastor fears training the board, thinking that if the board is trained they will become even more controlling. The board mistrusts the pastor because they often do not fully understand the purpose and ministry of the church and why the pastor is doing what he does. The more the board is trained, the more they will be able to work with the pastor to accomplish the purpose of the church.

12. Leadership training is needed because of the danger of lone-ranger ministry. The church was never meant to be the work of one individual. Yet often pastors become lone-rangers who are caring for the spiritual needs of people with little and no help for the board. While the board takes care of the organizational issues, it does little for the spiritual care of the congregation. The result is that the pastor becomes burned out and discouraged and the congregation becomes passive. Both the ministry and leadership of the church was never meant to be done by one person. God entrusted the ministry of the church and the spiritual care of the congregation to the whole board. When the whole board is working to minister to the needs of people, then the pastor is no longer a lone ranger but a member of a ministry team that strengths the church and transforms people.

If the small church is to remain effective in the future it needs to begin preparing its leaders in the present. While this remains no small task, it is vital for the ongoing health of the congregation.

Dealing with the Pressures of Ministry

Dealing with the Pressures of Ministry:

The numbers are staggering. Eighty percent of pastors feel discouraged in their role and fifty percent would leave the ministry if they had another way of making a living. The numbers are even higher for the spouse where eighty five percent struggle with depression and eighty percent wish their spouse would choose another profession. Such numbers are too profound to overlook. To enter ministry is to enter a world of pain, discouragement and frustration. This can be especially pronounced in a rural area where pastors are isolated and often lack a support network. How then can we regain our perspective?
The first step to regaining our perspective is to maintain a biblical view of ourselves and our ministry. In many ways our culture has placed unrealistic expectations on us and upon our role. We are pressured to lead the church to new heights of attendance and increase the number of programs within the church, all with little funds and little help from the congregation. Furthermore, our culture has instilled within us the expectation that life should be free from difficulties and hardships. While we decry the health and wealth doctrine as being unbiblical, in reality we have accepted it in our view of ministry. The scriptures warn us that to enter ministry is to enter a life of difficulty and struggles (2 Corinthians 7:5; 11:24-29). We are in the midst of a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12). While we may complain about the hardships we face, Paul saw it as a badge of honor to suffer for the cause of Christ (Colossians 1:24; see also Philippians 1:29 where the word “granted” is the Greek word referring to a graciously given gift). The reason he had this perspective is because he recognized that the strength from ministry comes not from ourselves or even our training, but from the hand of a sovereign and gracious God who empowers us to accomplish his purpose (Col 1:29).
The second step to regaining our perspective is to take care of ourselves and our family physically and emotionally. God recognized the importance of rest when he instituted the Sabbath day. This is equally true for us in ministry. Working seven days a week is a recipe for burnout in ministry and neglect of our spouse and family. We need to make sure that we take the time to be renewed and take the time to be with our family and spend time with our children. God makes it clear that he expects us first and foremost to care for the needs of our family so that the do not become the sacrificial lamb on the altar of ministry (1 Timothy 3:4-5).
The third step is we need to develop a network of individuals who can offer support, encouragement and perspective. Moses needed Aaron and Joshua, Paul needed Barnabas and Titus. Tragically seventy percent of pastors do not have a close friend, confidant, or mentor. We need to develop these relationships. It may be a fellow pastor in the community, it may be a fellow missionary, it may be a friend that we talk with once a week or month. If we do not have a close friend, then we need to start praying for one.
Fourth, we must seek help when we need it. Often there is a “pastoral pride” that exists that hinders us from seeking help. We feel the pressure to always have our act together and that it is somehow a sign of weakness to seek the help of others. We forget that we also are human beings struggling in a difficult ministry. There are times when we need to be “pastored.” There are times when we need the counsel and input of others. There is no shame it getting help. Proverbs states that it is the wise who seek the input of others. It is the fool who thinks that he does not need the assistance of others.
We need to realize that ministry has been, is, and always will be a difficult and painful calling. However, we must also realize that God’s grace is always sufficient and that where there is trouble there is also his sustaining hand.