A Look at Church Leadership (Part 2)

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In the first part of this Your Next Triumph: A Look at Leadership post, avoiding ‘temptations’ and the traits of ‘high potential’ leaders (or future managers) were addressed.  That post dealt with all types of leaders.   In this post, the last part of this 2-part look at leadership, I focus specifically on Church Leadership. If you are a church leader, Pastor, or Minister, this post will give you some sense of what I, and two Pastors, feel separates effectual Church Leaders from ineffectual Church Leaders.   Great Pastors, like Dan Reed and my Pastor, are vital to the walk of those they minister to.

• In tribute to the 30th Anniversary of my Missionary Baptist Pastor (James A. Webster, shown in the picture above), I wrote a post (link) that offered three Pillars of Pastor Effectiveness.    My Pastor (at podium in photo) was chosen to do the Invocation for the 2012 North Carolina A&T Spring Commencement; yes that is First Lady Michelle Obama on the right, who gave the Keynote Address.
• In tribute to a fellow Pastor (Dan Reed) he holds in high regard, Andrew Schank wrote an insightful post which offers the “5 Qualities of a ‘Great Leader“.
• Dale Roach offers a great post of the “5 Leadership Styles and Strategies of Jesus Christ“.

Roach and Schank are both Baptist Ministers and Pastors.   My perspective, as shared in my prior post (S.E.A. a Good Pastor Lately?), is that of a lay member of a well-led Baptist church.   I hope looking at Effectual church leadership through these 2 distinct perspectives (pulpit-standing Pastor and pew-seated Church Member) is helpful to you – or a Minister or Church Leader you know.

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 5 Qualities Of A Great Leader (Andrew Schank)

Leading with an overview of Dr. Dan Reed, Pastor of Harvest Baptist Church of Acworth GA, Andrew Schank bases the five qualities of great Leadership on Acts 20.   What are those qualities?

• I. Humility
• II. Saying “What Needs To Be Said” (Courage)

“All the Bible is not salvation.   In fact, most of the Bible tells us how to live the Christian life.   In order for us to live properly we must be corrected and someone must have the courage to do that.”

• III. Courageous Actions (Courage “to do what has to be done”)

“The Spirit of God had moved Paul to go to Jerusalem but had also communicated to him that trouble awaited him there.    But Paul had to do what God told him to do no matter what it cost him.   A leader has to take the right course not knowing how some people will react to his decision.    A leader is not like some politician who takes the course of expediency; he must do what is right whether people understand him or not.”

• IV. Caring (Attitude)
• V. A Strong Will (Generally)

“If anybody had a strong will Paul did and it was exemplified in all that he did, even before he was saved.   All of us have a will; it is our driving force.   Leaders, strong leaders, generally speaking, are molded from men who have strong wills.   Spiritual leadership is when a man or woman’s strong will coincides with the will of God”

• His description of the nature and importance of each of these five qualities, in his January 2013 post (link) is a thoughtful, enlightening read.  Schank describes himself as ‘The Working Pastor’ and “an Independent Baptist Missionary/Pastor who loves to blog about  spiritual matters”.

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5 Leadership Styles and Strategies of Jesus Christ (Dale Roach)

Roach, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church (Manning SC), poignantly sets forth five Christ-like leadership “styles and strategies” based on Luke 10.   He states in the post (link):

Jesus Christ had a clear and direct strategy for his ministry.    Not only did Jesus teach powerful and clear parables, he also had a clear and direct plan for his disciples.  In the gospel according Luke the author records the leadership styles and strategies of Jesus as it applies to his ministry.

Roach describes Luke’s account of Christ’s teachings.   How did Jesus lead?   They were to be used, by Jesus’ disciples, “to teach about the Kingdom of God”.   The strategies Dale Roach offers are, namely:

• 1. Enter a new environment with a positive attitude.
• 2. Be thankful for what you are offered by those you will lead.
• 3. Make a commitment to those you are trying to lead.
• 4. Use your skills and gifts among people who welcome you.
• 5. Do not waste your time nor your skills on those who are unwilling to be taught.

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3 Pillars of Pastor Effectiveness (66 Assurance Way)

As I wrote in an April 27th post earlier this year on this blog (link to post), the following three questions address the critical issues in assessing a Pastor:

• Who wants a spiritually-wobbly Shepherd wannabe? (Spiritually-steadfast Shepherd).
• Who wants a mean, unempowered man who isn’t capable of informing and inspiring his flock to be Christian disciples? (Empathetic, Empowered Edifier).
• Who wants a Pastor who is an unanointed man with a shaky relationship with the Lord? (Anointed Agent of the Almighty)

To summarize, the Pillars of Pastor Effectiveness:

1. Spiritually-steadfast Shepherd
2. Empathetic, Empowered Edifier
3. Anointed Agent of the Almighty

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• Drawing on two chapters from the New Testament of the Bible (Luke 10 and Acts 20), and their own experiences as Pastors, Dale Roach and Andrew Schank offer spiritually-rooted insights into Church Leadership.   Based on reading their posts, and my own observations as a Baptist churchgoer since Fall 2007, I hope this post makes spotting mediocre Ministers or church leaders easier.
• For the record, I’m a MBA (earned in 1987) and have worked for a lot of good (and not do good) Bosses, Firms, and Organizations; the secular principles of leadership can be as helpful as Biblical principles in assessing Church Leaders I feel.  One of Pastor Webster’s degrees is, by the way, in Business Management.  A called man who is schooled in both Divinity and Business, and has the ‘right stuff’ in him (of course), can be a blessing to all in their congregation and community!

Is there another quality that you feel is embodied by effectual Pastors and Church Leaders?    If you are a good or great Leader of your church, God bless you!    Your work, serving the Lord and leading others, is amazing and appreciated.   To God be the glory!

 Greg Silverthorne, 66 Assurance Way

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