Great Commission

Oct 14 2014

3 Vital Benefits Pastors Miss When They Are Isolated

While it is popularly believed that pastors are people persons, that isn’t always the truth. It is possible to make pastoral ministry, outside of Sunday morning, a solitary endeavor. It is possible for a pastor to become solitary by filling a week’s calendar with solitary events like study, reading, writing, and retreat. The truth is that the solitary pastor, and the church they lead, probably isn’t as effective as they could be at fulfilling the stated mission of the church. [Read more…] about 3 Vital Benefits Pastors Miss When They Are Isolated

Aug 19 2009

Courageous Leadership Needed

Let me state right here at the beginning that this is a rant. I believe that it is founded in fact and truth, but it is a rant nonetheless. The Christian Church in the U.S. is in need of more courageous leadership.

There was a time in the Church’s history in this country when it led the charge in many areas, both spiritually and culturally. For the most part, those times have passed. There are still ministries whose leaders are determined to stand with their integrity intact, while boldly advancing Christ’s mission and agenda. Sadly, the majority of Christian leaders are content to be cheap knock-offs of whatever leader or ministry seems to be the most popular at the time. This is not just sad, its dangerous.

Many of our burgeoning leaders are weaned in the vast wasteland of Christian television. Before you type in another web address and write me off, remember that this is a rant and hear me out. Not all Christian television is bad, but most only exemplifies the lack of courageous leadership that I am lamenting in this post.

Courageous leadership doesn’t follow the crowd, but stays on the path of righteousness. Courageous leadership has a clearly articulated set of beliefs to protect itself from being swayed by every wind of doctrine. Courageous leadership has God’s mission and vision as the only aim and measure of ministry success. Courageous leadership doesn’t equate the amassing of personal wealth, influence, or titles as the only measure of being in God’s will or favor. Courageous leadership is willing to make difficult decisions, to the detriment of oneself, to ensure the success of Christ’s mission.

I’m seeing too many clones of self-serving at best, heretical at worst leaders launching ministries these days. Glitz and glamour are not prerequisites to effectiveness in ministry. They may draw a crowd, but they won’t grow a people. A question that I asked many times prior to responding affirmatively to the urge to start a church was?”why does God need another Church?” What will the ministry of your church do differently from the thousands that exist, to advance his mission?

Some leaders need to find the courage to change and do ministry for God, not themselves. Some leaders need to find the courage to speak with the voice they feel inside, regardless of the crowd’s response. Some leaders need to find the courage to seek another vocation, and allow God to put a truly courageous leader in their place.

Stay blessed.

Sep 08 2008

A Formula for Leadership Success

We clearly live in a day and time where leadership is both cherished and scorned. It is cherished because we understand its value to the fulfilment of our corporate values, missions, visions, goals, and objectives. It is scorned because far too many claim the mantle of leader or leadership guru without the attendant understanding or calling. We literally elevate anyone who desires to be a leader to leadership positions, often with less than stellar consequences.

I believe that, in the arena of contemporary Christendom (as least as it is expressed in the Western church), these leadership failings are in part due to our fascination with media and the cult of personality. This fact is even more glaring as we observe the neo-Pentecostal, Apostolic, and charismatic movements in the West. We need only tune in to the plethora of “Christian” television networks to see that our “ideal” for contemporay Christian ministry is dominated by glitz, gloss, and glamour. It would appear that the bigger the stage, and the gaudier the set design, the more populated and popular the ministry.

The size of the stage is, in some cases, surpassed only by the flaws in theology and biblical interpretation that are espoused with regularity. The “felt needs” of the hurting, broken, and in need of salvation masses are pandered to with a rash of proof texts and “have it your way” platitudes. In many of these sad scenarios Jesus is cast as some sort of cosmic Santa Claus or genie in a bottle, ready to fulfill the desires and wishes of whoever believes and asks.

What is missing is the Christ that bids all who are weary and heavy laden to take His yoke upon themeselves. Missing is the Christ that calls men and women who would follow Him to consider the cost of discipleship. Where is the call to forsake all or to take up one’s own cross and deny self daily?

The current cult of personality has, in my opinion, exalted one element of successful leadership above the other. In fact, I would submit that they have made this one element the only one necessary for successful ministry leadership. The element that seems to matter most to the cadre of pulpiteers that litter our contemporary Christian landscape is inspiration.

Let me say that I believe that inspiration is indeed an important element to leadership success. A leader must be called and inspired by the Lord in order to successful accomplish the mission set before him or her. But we must know that inspiration is only one part of the formula for successful ministry leadership. The formula for successful ministry leadership should be written in this manner:

Inspiration + Formation + Operation = Leadership Success

In the next several posts, I will discuss the several elements of this formula for ministry leadership success. There has to be a change in the way we are selecting and preparing men and women for ministry leadership, if the current tide is going to be stemmed.

Some reading this may see no need to stem the current tide. You may say that churches are filling, networks are burgeoning, and the gospel is going forth. I would rebut that a crowd and a church are not the same thing. Everyone in the crowd that followed Christ was not a disciple. As I understand the Great Commission, we are called to make disciples of all nations. Our call isn’t to draw crowds. Additionally, I believe that Jesus was disappointed with the crowds that simply followed Him in order to receive more of the fishes and loaves. These failings do not rest upon the people in the pews ultimatley, but upon the people in the pulpit.