Beyond the Pulpit
The effectiveness of a leader is not determined by the way they present on a stage, or how many they have in the audience, but on the consistency of their character. The impact of their lives is seen in the relationships with others and the care for the broken, lost, and hurting. The effective leader is the same person in private meetings, small groups, friends, strangers, on or off stage. This does not mean in different settings there will not be differences in communication styles and levels of vulnerability, wisdom is necessary to know how much information to entrust to a group the details of the leader’s life. For a pastor who desires to become not only a good communicator, but also a good leader, he or she will continue to press into becoming like Jesus in every interaction.
For pastors, the opportunities to make a life-changing impact on a congregation will not be confined to the weekend sermon. It will be in managing the details of the other days of the week. Pride must stay in check as the pastor rests on the grace of God to equip him or her to serve. The pastor is just one small piece of the church that comes together to be on mission for God. Pastors demonstrate the need to be servants, humbled by the grace given by God to preach and lead. “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power” (NIV, 2011, Ephesians 3:7). As the congregation watches the attitude of pride or humility in the pastor, they are encouraged to become more Christlike. Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (NIV, 1 Corinthians 11:1).Coming alongside the congregation as a student of Jesus, rather than the expert, is the proper heart position of an effective pastor. In the past, congregations desired for the preacher to be perfect. The public reputation of pastors began dropping during “the crisis of sex abuse by Catholic priests in the early 2000s, when positive ratings fell from 64 percent to 52 percent. They’ve steadily declined since” (Shellnut, 2024). To regain trust, humility is key. A preacher can show they do not always get life decisions right by sharing openly about struggles, without the glorification of the struggle. Many of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time, the Pharisees, had the act of keeping all the laws, but did not have a heart change. Their public ministry was stunted by their actions in-between the times in the spotlight. Jesus called them “blind guides” (NIV, Matthew 15:14). The leaders Jesus chose for himself were not the ones with the answers, but the ones with the hunger to follow him. The evidence of the disciples’ lives went beyond the earthly ministry of Jesus. With the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, they continued with bold humility to live the Gospel. “When [the rulers, the elders, and the teachers of law] saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (NIV, Acts 4:13).
After the congregation has gone home and there are no witnesses, the preacher who desires to be an effective leader will spend time with Jesus. What is done in secret will be rewarded. The submission to the Holy Spirit and spiritual disciplines will hold the pastor to continued growth. Although not a perfect example, Centered Set Christianity is the idea everyone is always moving closer or further from Christ (Brisco, 2019). This concept includes Christians in leadership roles. Following Jesus requires a daily decision to surrender to him. There will be days when the pastor will neglect beneficial practices such as reflecting on Scripture, but this is the exception. Daily, the wise leader submits mind, will, and soul to the Holy Spirit. As Paul encouraged the church in Corinth to pursue Christ as an athlete pursues the crown, “No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (NIV, 1 Corinthians 9:27).
The pastor or Christian leader, who does not want to lose their effectiveness in ministry will take steps to evaluate his or her walk with God and take steps to improve. There are many ways the spiritual disciplines slide and compromises over time can lead to a crisis. The first step in self-evaluation is to spend time with the Holy Spirit in prayer. As the prayer life goes, so does the conviction of sin (John 16:8). The second step to self-evaluation, is to not depend on “self” for the evaluation. Leaders who desire to be more like Christ will include two or three trusted advisors to speak words of wisdom. As the wise book says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (NIV, Proverbs 15:22). A third step in self-evaluation is the clear understanding of boundaries. Leaders who cannot step away from their roles, or keep maintaining a heavy load, may carry pride in their abilities or an addiction to work. Longevity in ministry requires self-discipline, wise counsel, and limiting boundaries.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say a pastor or Christian leader should have a large ministry, but Scripture is clear they should be faithful (Luke 12:42-44, 1 Corinthians 4:2). Improving as a leader means a greater dependence on God, an honest admittance of weakness, and the grace of God to guide and provide. As the leader, whether of a small number of people, or a platform ministering to others, continuing the good work of humility, grace, and forgiveness will yield the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The example is Jesus Christ, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (NIV, Phil. 2:6-7).
References
Brisco, B. (2019, December 21). Deb Hirsch Centralized Little Rock, AR. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIAHDvBr2-U&t=2s
Pei, A. (2023, April 4). Why Great Preachers Are Not Always Great Leaders. Church
Leaders.com.
Shellnutt, K. (2024, January 25). Above Reproach? Fewer Americans See Pastors as Ethical.
Christianity Today.
Originally posted for Ministry Capstone Project, 02/26/2024
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