One Thousand Bosses

by Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader

Church leadership is like any other kind of leadership; business, political, educational, military, non-profit and corporate. Yes… and not really. Church leadership includes some dynamics present in each of these contexts, plus. Church leadership is a unique blend of influences and dynamics that is peculiar unto itself, so to speak.

While interacting with pastors recently, this phrase in this article’s title came up again. Pastors and church staff persons often describe this dynamic of church leadership; the awareness that many in churches feel like they have a direct line to the pastors and staff team, giving clear input on what they believe should happen. The visceral experience on the receiving end is feeling like one has a huge number of supervisors or bosses. Of course this is not literally true, while it does accurately express what it’s like to be in these roles.

How do we know this? Well, I’ve served as a pastor in multiple churches and coach numerous pastors and church staff persons every week. Beyond this, I’ve listened to several younger pastors recently (up to around age 40) who regularly question whether it’s worth it… whether the fruit or outcomes of their ministry is worth the sacrifices and challenges (giving up weekends, sacrificing aspects of family life, being on call 24/7, regularly receiving unsolicited feedback about job performance, low-security vocations, etc.). While often their answers are affirmative, their frequent soul-searching serves as another indicator that pastoral and church staff ministry is often rich in spiritual fulfillment while a rigorous way to live one’s vocation.

So, for those who are called, who can’t escape the awareness they are called to serve in God’s Church, giving their life energy to this vocation… they (we) better have ourselves sorted out. In other words, the pastoral and church staff vocation requires much of us. In order to exist in this space, while keeping and strengthening our personal relationships and well-being, we will need self-management expertise. No one in our churches can do that for us. No personnel committee, mutual ministry committee, staff parish relations committee, or even peer group can do this for us. WE, YOU AND I, will have to become skilled and competent in self-management to exist, survive, and especially flourish in ministerial vocations.

Fortunately, there are many of us who invest ourselves in discovering what makes for pastoral and church staff lives well-lived. Allow me to describe where we at Pinnacle are regarding this. This is our Churchcraft Pastoral Leadership Paradigm.

Churchcraft is a new word describing how ministry leadership is a craft, an interactive combination of natural abilities, personal strengths, and Holy Spirit given gifts. Effective ministry leadership develops over time through intentional growth and effort, as well as through gifts for service from God. There are hard and soft skills to learn, yet effective ministry leaders combine skills, competencies, faith, and personhood, forming our churchcraft leadership. The following four areas of life combine together to form a powerful and effective way to be in sustained pastoral and church staff ministry.

Enlivened Faith

Caught up in the Way of Jesus… perhaps this phrase captures what we mean by enlivened faith. Certainly we all experience seasons of dryness along the way; this is normal and expected. At the same time, it’s hard to imagine effective church leadership which is not enlivened by an animated, living faith, centered in Christ. In Churchcraft training and coaching we pursue four faith dynamics which often enliven our spirits.

Personal Maturity

Vocational ministry is one of those callings wherein who we are as people, our very selves, directly influences our vocations. There is no way around this dynamic, given the very public nature of church leadership. Given this, effective churchcraft includes intentionally investing in personal growth which cultivates maturity over time. Churchcraft training and coaching explores four contributors to personal maturity.

Leadership Acumen

“What does this church need from its leadership at this time in this place in order to live into its mission more fully?” Pastors and church staff persons with leadership acumen regularly ask this question. They actively hone their ability to understand the congregational system, equipping them to lead in relevant and mission-congruent ways. Churchcraft training and coaching engages three dynamics contributing to leadership acumen for pastors and church staff persons.

Contextual Awareness

All ministry is contextual; located in a specific place and time. Churchcraft includes growing one’s understanding about the historical journey of the church, of the key events which shaped its identity. Beyond this, effective leaders know the community dynamics well, informing their leadership. Family Systems Theory and Practice is an excellent lens through which to raise awareness about the church system itself, providing insight into leadership moves which resonate with the church and its mission.

We share these four aspects of our Churchcraft Pastoral Leadership Paradigm in hopes this may give guidance to those who sense a need to raise their self-management while serving as pastors or church staff persons. May God encourage the courage within each of us for pursuing greater levels of churchcraft, living and serving with passion and purpose, in sustainable and fulfilling ways.