Ministry Leadership

According to John Maxwell, an authority on leadership, the success of any endeavor or organization rises and falls on leadership (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Thomas Nelson, 2007).  It is because leaders have tremendous influence over their organizations and their decisions, whether large or small, will often have a significant impact. That impact can either be positive or negative, depending upon the nature of each decision.  So in order for leaders to be effective it is important for them to lead wisely.  This is also true for pastors and leaders in churches and ministries.

I believe that there are 5 keys to effective ministry leadership, and each one is important to grow and sustain a ministry. Let’s look at each key individually:

#1. Leaders Use Influence, Not Authority

Leadership is about influence and the ability to motivate others to achieve a goal.  Influence is earned by building up trust and respect and results in others willingly following the leader. Authority, on the other hand, is about power and control, and generally comes from the person’s title or position in an organization. It is the ability of the person in charge to enforce their will on others. According to Romans 13:1, “There is no authority except that which God has established.” In other words, it is God who really gives leaders their authority.  Furthermore, He says there are two ways in which they are to use it.  First, they must use it to teach others (Titus 2:1 & 15).  Second, they must use it to serve others (1 Peter 5:2). So the true use of authority should be to teach and to serve others.  It is also always better to lead with influence than authority, because it means that the followers willingly follow their leader.  Sometimes leaders will have to use their authority, but just know that when they do they run the risk of creating opposition as not everyone will always agree with them.

#2. Leaders Have a Vision

Proverbs 29:18 says “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint.” This means that without a vision people will often do what seems best to them.  The Book of Judges pretty well describes what happens when there is no leadership!  An effective leader has a vision of where he is going and where he is taking his followers. Without a vision a ministry has no direction and simply wanders about with no real purpose.  This often leads to stagnation or decline.  A strong vision enables everyone in a ministry to work towards a common goal. It must also be quantifiable so that it can be measured in order for the ministry to know when the goal has been achieved. Please note that a vision is not the same as a mission.  The mission defines what you do.  The vision defines the goal you are trying to achieve. A vision for any ministry must come from God.  So it is important for a leader to pray for a vision and to think BIG so he or she can allow God to display His power through them.

#3.  Leaders Have a Plan

If a leader has a vision then a leader must also have a plan.  A goal without a corresponding plan is just wishful thinking.  Without a plan a leader is unlikely to achieve the vision.  The plan is the vehicle by which the leader organizes the resources God has provided (people, money, time, information, etc.) to achieve the vision God has give them. In other words, the leader manages God’s resources for God’s vision.  God expects the leader to invest wisely and to produce a return on His investment in them (Parable of the Ten Talents – Matthew 25:14-30).  A leader’s job, therefore, it to plan the work and then work the plan.  But also note that a good plan is flexible and allows for changes. It is not set in concrete but changes as circumstances change.

#4.  Leaders Develop People

John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Similarly, leadership is not about telling others what they can do for you, but how leaders can develop their followers to achieve more for the ministry.  When you become a ministry leader you accept responsibility for your followers.  That means that leaders must serve them and develop them to their fullest potential.  First and foremost, leaders must make disciples of their followers.  This is true whether the leader is a pastor, worship leader, youth minister, or any other ministry leadership position. This is the sole reason the ministry exists. Second, leaders must train and equip others for ministry. Every believer is a minister of the  gospel (1 Peter 2:9) and leaders must help them find their role in the ministry of the church. Finally, leaders must develop other leaders in order to grow, expand and perpetuate their ministry.

#5.  Leaders Focus on Accomplishment

Effective leaders focus on achieving goals and producing results for the ministry.  Romans 14:12 says “So then, each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”  Leaders will be held accountable for what they did with what God gave them.  Consequently, effective leaders strive towards the vision and measure success by the results that are achieved. Effective leaders also focus on areas of greatest return for the ministry and abandon ministries that are not producing any fruit. They also understand that activity is not accomplishment.  Just because a church is busy and active does not necessarily mean it is effective or accomplishing anything.

I believe that if ministry leaders concentrate on these 5 keys they will be more effective in their ministries and produce more disciples for the Kingdom!