Who's The Boss?

Leadership is everywhere. From book clubs to corporate boardrooms, leaders are in every room. They may not have titles or name tags, but they lead. What happens when there is no clearly defined leadership? -- At best inactivity and plateau -- At worst chaos and confusion. Usually, the leadership vacuum pulls someone into the seat, willingly or unwillingly. But make no mistake about it - someone will lead.

The local church is no different; leaders abound. However, scripture clearly defines the roles of leadership within the body and also provides guidelines for leaders to follow. While polity among churches may differ because of denomination or leadership styles, some things are indisputable elements of the local church order. For example, God places the pastor in leadership, but how is he called to lead?

Let’s look briefly at the role of a pastor in Ephesians 4.

Ephesians 4:11 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

It’s easy to misunderstand God’s intended order for His church. The Apostle Paul identifies the primary responsibilities of the pastor in verse 12. He is called to equip and edify, but verses 13-16 expand his role to unifier and doctrinal overseer as well. The word for “pastor” in Ephesians 4:11 is poimen in the Greek, which means shepherd. What was the job of a shepherd in biblical times?

 “The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were: - to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep - to defend the sheep from attackers - to heal the wounded and sick sheep - to find and save lost or trapped sheep - to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.” (www.biblestudytools.com)

With all of these responsibilities in mind, how can a pastor make sure he leads well and is found faithful in his calling?

1. The pastor must lead in humility.

Jesus lays out some clear leadership imperatives for all Christians in Matthew 20:25. “25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

People will naturally resist following a self-serving – arrogant leader, but they will willingly sacrifice for one they trust. It’s been said many times and in many different ways: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” A pastor must not elevate himself to some hierarchical level of superiority over the people. While the pastor is the under-shepherd of the flock, he is not to be a dictator.

The pastor must turn the org chart on its side. Most churches draw their staff chart in the form of a traditional pyramid where the Senior/Lead Pastor is at the top. While this may communicate who reports to whom, it leaves much to be desired. Pastors must be team builders if they hope to equip and edify the body effectively. Pastors do not lord over their flock; they lead out front. Pastors run point, navigating the terrain and prayerfully stepping in the direction God leads. They cast vision and call the body to action. This understanding of structure naturally requires that the pastor be an example to those who follow him.

2. The pastor must lead by example.

A pastor should never ask anyone to do something he is not willing to do himself. Listen to what 1 Peter 5:3 says, “nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” This may seem more challenging for a pastor in a larger context of ministry because of an increased number of specialized staff, but the heart of the matter is always transferable. People should never feel that the pastor is “above” doing anything. He is the chief servant, and he must lead from his knees. Pastors should find creative ways to demonstrate this before the people, but not in a fraudulent manner. A true demonstration of service must come from his heart.

3. The pastor must lead honestly.

Every believer should be aware of his/her gifts, but especially a minister. Every pastor should be honest about what he is good at, but he should also be ready to admit what he is NOT good at. This is why polity differs from church to church. While the pastor is always called to lead as shepherd, the specific systems of a church should depend in large part on the leaders of that congregation. We should make intentional efforts to discover, develop, and deploy our unique gifts.

This requires leadership to be open and aware of personal weaknesses, surrounding themselves with people who offset their deficiencies. This must be taken into consideration with every new hire, understanding the team’s success will be determined in large part by how compatible and complementary each leader is to the other. Strong leaders don’t just pursue candidates who are easily managed. Pastors must build a team of people who are strong in their areas of weakness.

Finally, the pastor must give members of his team permission to speak into the conversation. Team members can’t be made to feel like villains for disagreeing with the Lead Pastor. Good leaders do not want “yes men” on their team. They don’t just want to BE right; they want to make the right decisions.

Who’s the boss? In short, GOD! He is the one we follow. The calling of a pastor is to lead, but he leads not from a position of “right” but “responsibility.” God has given him this calling, and he must not abuse it.