Category Archives: Leadership Philosophy

No comments

One Of A Pastor’s Greatest Needs

  By

Pastor Andrew SchankBy Biblical definition a pastor is a leader. He is to lead others in the ways of God and in the will of God; even during the worst of times. Any man, who has ever been in a pastoral position, knows that this responsibility is a great weight and burden to carry. In view of this fact we can surmise that one of a pastor’s greatest needs is for God to LEAD him each day. It is so comforting to know that the pastor does not have to carry out ministry alone. God’s Holy Spirit is there to lead and guide each step of the way.

In this post we want to demonstrate four reasons a pastor needs to be led as a leader. We find these four reasons in the Old Testament book of Psalms. Consider the following…

#1 – A Pastor Needs To Be Led Because Of The Enemy

(Psalms 5:8) “Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.”  (KJV)

(Psalms 27:11) “Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.”  (KJV)

The pastor faces spiritual opposition every day. The level is usually much greater in scope than the average pew warmer faces. Though pastors do not look for sympathy, they still need God to lead them because of this formidable foe. The enemy may put up a good fight, but God is able to direct the pastor through every battle.

#2 – A Pastor Needs To Be Led Because Of Testimony

(Psalms 25:5) “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”  (KJV)

(Psalms 139:23-24) “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  (KJV)

(Psalms 143:10) “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”  (KJV)

With so much temptation out there, every man of God needs direction to stay in the right pathway. Pastors should seek God’s face daily for leadership to stay close to the Lord. Testimonies are strengthened every moment, but can be destroyed in an instant.

#3 – A Pastor Needs To Be Led Because Of Discouragement

(Psalms 61:1-2) “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”  (KJV)

While pastoring a church you have your good days and bad days. Sometimes discouragement can set in and beat you to death. It is in times like these that a pastor must seek God’s face for help and leadership! It will be the ONLY thing that will get him through the valley of dismay!

#4 – A Pastor Needs To Be Led Because Of Direction

(Psalms 31:3) “For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.”  (KJV)

(Psalms 43:3) “O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.”  (KJV)

Pastors need clear leadership when making decisions and guiding the flock which they oversee. It is certain that God wants to direct and lead the pastor and for sure the pastor wants to be led. The only issue is maintaining a brokenness for this Heavenly leading.

Conclusion

It is a difficult thing to be a leader with no clear sense of direction yourself. Leaders need to be led! For pastors and spiritual leaders it is essential to be led by God and not self, Satan or the world’s sensuality. May each soul, who reads this post, get up from their computer chair with more of a hunger to be led by God!

Related articles
__________________________

Would you consider purchasing…

29056: Why Revival Tarries Why Revival Tarries

By Leonard Ravenhill / Bethany House

Leonard Ravenhill’s call to revival is as timely now as it was when first published over forty years ago. The message is fearless and often radical as he expounds on the disparity between the New Testament church and the church today. This book contains the heart of his message, A.W. Tozer called Ravenhill “a man sent from God” who “appeared at (a) critical moment in history,” just as the Old Testament prophets did. Included are questions for group and individual study.

Enhanced by Zemanta
No comments

Pastor, Who Controls The Church?

  By

Pastor Andrew SchankThe local church is the visible, practical manifestation or representation of the Body of Christ on earth. With that stated, it is a serious matter to contemplate and to speak about. We find in the blessed pages of the New Testament Scripture how the church should be functioning so as to efficiently carry out the Great Commission. One of the most fundamental questions that we have in regard to this gleaning is WHO CONTROLS THE CHURCH? Pondering this question is crucial to a healthy congregation. We have to put feelings aside, previous experience on the shelf, and chatter from friends and colleagues behind us if we are to truly grasp this principle.

Christ Is HEAD!

Upon serious examination of the epistle to the saints at Ephesus, for example, we clearly discern that Jesus Christ is the head of the CHURCH! (Ephesians 1: 20-23 & Ephesians 5:23-24)  To misconstrue this axiom is to monkey around with the decrees of God! Almighty God has made it clear that His Only-Begotten Son is the head of His church. No two legged, depraved human being, regenerated or not, has any business setting himself up as Potentate of the local assembly of baptized believers.

God Empowers Men!

God The Holy Spirit empowers saved men to function in two capacities to help lead the local New Testament Church. These two offices are Pastor And Deacon. The [intlink id=”12″ type=”post”]pastor[/intlink] is referred two in three different terms: Bishop – meaning overseer; Elder – meaning a spiritually mature man; Pastor – meaning a shepherd. When you couple these terms together you get a spiritually mature overseer who feeds and nurtures God’s sheep as Christ, who is the Chief Shepherd, would so direct him. Deacons, who are servants of the church, come [intlink id=”213″ type=”post”]alongside the pastor[/intlink] to help him carry out the performance of the tasks that Christ would have him to accomplish. (Refer to 1 Timothy chapter 3, Titus chapter 1 and 1 Peter chapter 5 for more info)

Harmony Can Be Achieved!

God has ordained a balance of powers in His church which are subordinate to Christ as HEAD. They are: the pastor; the deacon(s); the congregation. This trio can work in harmony so long as they each respect Christ as HEAD and each other in their respective capacities. On this note it behooves us to consider Paul Jackson’s thoughts on this issue…

THE DIVINE DESIGN

It is evident, therefore, that the Lord has designed the church with internal, interlocking powers and responsibilities. The church is to be subject to the pastor. Yet the pastor is subject to the church, in another sense, for he is called by them and may be disciplined by them.

There is no problem here except for those who will not be subject to the Head of the church. It is not difficult for a Bible-taught church to be subject to the overseer or pastor that God has sent. Neither is it difficult for a faithful pastor to be sensitive to the will of God’s people. What a lovely and delightful relationship exists between pastor, deacon, and people when all are subject to Christ the Head.

It is vital that this happy relationship should always be evident in each church. When there is jealousy, bitterness, self-seeking and strife, the testimony of the Lord suffers, saints and sinners are caused to stumble, and the church loses its power to be  a blessing because the Holy Spirit is grieved. Pastor and people must both recognize that the honor of the Lord and the welfare of His church must take precedence over personal differences. Let s suffer wrong. Let us “lose face.” But the Lord must not be dishonored, His church be divided, or sinners be offended.

- from page 43 of The Doctrine and Administration of the Church by Paul R. Jackson (ISBN: 0-87227-013-0)

Conclusion

It is unfortunate that many pastors and congregations have not been taught right concerning this matter. When direction is sought in connection with coming to a decision on a particular issue, Christ’s Will is what matters. It is ALL about Him anyway, isn’t it? Let us seek to “find out which way God is going and go with HIM!”

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
482279: Spiritual Leadership: A Commitment to Excellence for Every Believer Spiritual Leadership: A Commitment to Excellence for Every Believer

By J. Oswald Sanders / Moody Publishers

Charles Colson called it “the best book on Christian leadership I’ve read.” Discover why this timeless classic continues to equip tomorrow’s ministers—and challenges today’s shepherds—toward greater effectiveness! Revised and updated, Sanders’s hard-hitting study explores the essential qualities of a godly leader—and offers sterling examples from Scripture and Christian history. Includes study guide.In these pages, J. Oswald Sanders presents the key principles of leadership in both the temporal and spiritual realms, illustrating his points with examples from Scriptures and the biographies of emenent men of God.

No comments

How A Pastor Can Be A Better Administrator

  By
A church must be operated “decently and in order” (I Corinthians 14:40). If this is to happen, then there must be administration. Church administration is that of managing the affairs of the church by working with and through people to get the work done. It is not a “one man show“! Indeed, it is a team effort, but there must be ONE leader in charge. Of course, this ONE leader in charge is the pastor.


We derive this responsibility from the Bible term, “BISHOP“. This word means overseer, and refers to a pastor’s practical, God given responsibility. The pastor operates and leads his congregation from this standpoint. If the pastor does not assume this role, then someone else will. One way we can understand the idea behind the word “BISHOP“, is that of a term we use a lot today… “ADMINISTRATOR”.

Listed below are 6 helpful suggestions to help a pastor become a better administrator. I am sure that everyone who reads this post will know these things, but it does not hurt to be reminded!

MARKS OF A GOOD ADMINISTRATOR

#1 – A Mark Of A Good Administrator Is That He Loves The People He Works With!

Love makes all the difference when making decisions and working with other people. Hostility and anger will hinder an administrator in more ways than he may realize.

#2 – A Mark Of A Good Administrator Is That He Has The Ability To Delegate Necessary Tasks!

A suggestion was made to me years ago by a great and well known preacher. He said someone told him to make a list of everything that needed to be done that day. Everything that only he could do is what he should do. If someone else could do it and was available, then let the other person do it. Of course, if there is no person to help, then train someone. (Important Reminder: laziness and the shirking of responsibility is not a reason to delegate! Exodus chapter 18 is a great passage on delegating responsibility)

#3 – A Mark Of A Good Administrator Is That He Has The Ability To Motivate People!

Inspiring people to do something is not in our power alone to do. God must burden people to do a particular task, but we can use everything within our grasp to help as well. The pastor was given to the church for many reasons. One of the purposes is the training of others. Training involves motivation!

#4 – A Mark Of A Good Administrator Is That He Is Efficient And Carefully Plans!

Impulsiveness, and spontaneity will reveal a lack of vision… at times. A good administrator will take time to count the cost and be sure to weigh all options. Consider Luke 14:28-32

#5 – A Mark Of A Good Administrator Is That He Makes Proper Use Of Time!

Time management can mean the difference in tasks accomplished, tasks done half way, or tasks left undone. An administrator must make wise use of time, talent and treasure. If he wastes time, then work will not get done. This can leave a bad testimony with the people he works with.

#6 – A Mark Of A Good Administrator Is That He Is A “GENERAL PRACTITIONER” Rather Than A “SPECIALIST”!

An administrator must know how to do many things well. This is so he can train people and have a working knowledge of how things are to be accomplished. When someone spends all their time specializing in one area, then there is the likelihood that the overall ability to lead will be hindered.

Conclusion

There is a big difference in a “preacher” and a “pastor”. Part of being a good pastor is being a great administrator. If one would endeavor to work on improving administrative skills, then I am sure it would help the functionality of the church as a whole.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
_____________________



Would you consider purchasing…

6016X: Whatever Happened to Worship? Whatever Happened to Worship?

By A.W. Tozer / Wingspread Publishers

Decrying much of contemporary worship as entertainment, Tozer says, “When we are worshipping…if the love of God is in us and the Spirit of God is breathing praise within us, all the musical instruments in heaven are suddenly playing in full support.” Originally preached as sermons at Avenue Road Alliance Church in Toronto, the chapters of Whatever Happened to Worshipconvey Tozer’s attitude and thoughts on Christian worship.

  • join our mailing list
    * indicates required

    Powered by MailChimp