Barriers to Leadership in the Church
Front Porch Partnership exists to equip leaders to succeed in their calling context. We have a foundational belief that the health of churches is in many ways directly tied to the health of its leaders. Our goal is not to tell you how to do ministry or organize the church, but rather to develop you as a leader where you can fulfill your calling to the best of your ability.
One of the reasons we stepped into this space was because we were seeing indifference or a lack of developing leaders in the church.
Shouldn’t identifying and raising up new leaders be an emphasis of the church?
The Apostle Paul seems to think so in Galatians 4:12 when he notes one of the main roles of church leaders is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry”.
Notice the emphasis on the saints. Paul did not encourage processes, pipelines, or programs. He said it was people that needed to be built up to do the work ministry, for the good of the church!
So we asked ourselves, what is getting in the way?
There Are Other Things to Focus On
There are many different components that make up a church. From Sunday morning worship and kids ministry to small groups and outreach there is a lot to oversee and manage. Here are a few ways that all of these aspects take our eyes off developing leaders.
The Sunday Deadline: Church is very unique in that there is a hard deadline for an event that occurs every week! Sunday is coming and every week can bring a new set of needs and challenges that have to be addressed. It can often be easier just to focus on what needs to be done to pull Sunday morning worship together, rather than picking up our heads to think beyond Sunday and the greater needs of the church at large. Leaders need to be developed to help facilitate Sunday but also help the church move forward.
Structures Over People: Sometimes when we have a structure like a Bible study or a ministry we believe that the structure itself is all that we need. We figure out the details of when and where, develop some content or curriculum, and establish a process to carry out. Then we just need someone to do it. We need to spend just as much time considering who can lead and what character, information, and skills we need to impart to them for them to have clarity and confidence to lead.
Overburdened Leaders: It could just be the case that we are doing too much. If too many programs and ministries exist at the same time, there is going to be a huge demand on your leader's time. It may be helpful to consider consolidating programs, scaling back certain events, and finding natural breaks and rhythms of rest for leaders.
Fear
Another reality that will undermine developing leaders in the church is fear. Fear can come in many forms but may look like:
Overwhelmed Pastors: The amount of hats and roles that a pastor takes on in a given week is staggering. They are preaching, teaching, counseling, visiting, praying, planning, and the list goes on and on. It may be incredibly difficult for them to find the margin to also develop others. Maybe they are afraid they will burn out. Maybe they are afraid they will do a poor job or scare people away. While it is hard to find the time, it is a worthwhile endeavor to develop others who will serve alongside them in the long run.
Giving Up Control: One of the ways you develop leaders is providing them with opportunities to actually lead ministry. But that can come at a cost. It will probably take extra time to walk with a leader as they learn. They will likely make mistakes and get frustrated. Once developed they may even want to do things differently. Are we ok with that? We need to develop leaders in such a way where we establish the knowledge, skills, and standard, but also release them with trust to actually lead.
Leadership is Unspiritual: Isn’t the Bible all we need? Shouldn’t the church be about spiritual development and theological training? Absolutely! But there is no lack of sacredness in developing leaders in the church. You see examples everywhere in the Bible, from Moses and Jethro, to Elijah and Elisha, to Paul and Timothy, and even Jesus and His disciples! It is a godly work to develop leaders in ministry.
Lack of Direction
Often pastors acknowledge the need to develop leaders, but are not clear how to move forward or what knowledge and skills need to be passed on to future leaders. Some common problems are:
Warm Body Syndrome: We have all been in a position where we have a group or team that needs leadership and we pick the first person that is willing. Often this sets people up for frustration or failure. Our leaders can’t simply be the warm bodies that are willing to volunteer. We need to think through who we want to lead and what qualities they should possess for success.
Relational Investment: Playing off of the point above, we need to be very intentional about who we want to develop as leaders. This means not only teaching them all the “stuff” they need to know or do, but also developing a relationship with them. It is here where you assess and build character and chemistry, to crucial components of building trust in leadership.
Ask and You Shall Receive: One of the biggest barriers to developing leaders is we don’t ask people. We often think we are asking but we need to be more direct. We need to build a culture where we are often explicitly asking and encouraging people to consider leadership, while also helping them assess their God given gifts and callings. We also need to clearly communicate a compelling vision. They need to know how their leadership builds the kingdom of God, rather than just making someone else’s life easier.
Developing leaders in the church is of the utmost importance. It will take time, effort, and intentionality but it is a worthwhile endeavor that allows the church to grow and thrive. Just as the Apostle Paul did with Timothy, we must develop our people and entrust them with the knowledge and opportunities to lead for the good of the church.