Pastoral Leadership in the Missional Church

I used to think the measure of leadership was tied to your ability to do things. Great leaders did great things--not so great leaders did not so great things. I was impacted by my Western individualistic narcissistic super stardom culture. In the past, being a "great preacher" or "building" a big building or "doing" something worthy of mention meant a person was a great leader. Drucker got it early on--it had to be more than "charismatic" leadership. He drew examples from Stalin and Hitler who he called, perhaps, the two most charismatic leaders of the 20^th century!

Leadership, particularly that of a pastor, is really not tied to their ability to do great things but to mobilize people to in the context of community to do more than they could have done alone--more than they ever could have dreamed possible.

Several of us were in a meeting recently and there were many exceptional leaders around the room. We want to change the world. It’s this thing God puts inside all of us. I challenged them that we must be leaders that are bold like lions and gifted like 10’s, but have the ability to be as quiet and as unassuming as a fly on the wall. If we can do that, we’ll lead incredibly well and may just have a shot at it.

Pastors that I’ve been experiencing and teaching for a good while, now, are mobilizers of the body of Christ to help every part engage society where they touch it. I’ve been thinking of metaphors of leadership. I think the one I like the most is that of a conduit, or a connector. Our job is nothing less than to know God’s Word, our context, people, opportunities and to connect them. I believe the more we connect them, the more flows through us. This is the only explanation of why God has put me where He has connected me in so many domains of society and the world. The principle of "faithful in small" and "faithful in much" is the visible expression of connecting. Connecting is so unassuming--just an outlet that others can pass through.

Resources and people and opportunities are like cords flopping on the floor just waiting to be connected--that’s the job of a pastor.