This article is designed to help pastors and other ministry leaders grow in their leadership effectiveness. It begins by clarifying the importance and biblical mandate of church leadership while also exploring two common obstacles that hinder leaders from improving in this area. The article introduces the key components of Transformational Leadership Theory (TLT), which will serve as a foundation for future articles. Because TLT will be a recurring theme, its four core factors are briefly explained here. The article concludes with practical action steps and reflection questions to encourage deeper personal growth and application.
Pastors are Called to Equip
Pastors and church leaders have many important responsibilities. However, Paul clearly communicated the seminal purpose of church leadership when he wrote, “And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness (Eph 4:11-13, CSB). A pastor’s biblical imperative is to equip members to be engaged in ministry and how to effectively serve Christ’s body, the church.
Akin and Pace (2017) emphasized that the foundational purpose of church leadership is to prepare believers for ministry. This article examines some of the obstacles and struggles church leaders face, then begins examining some components of leadership. Admittedly, the section about transformational leadership is brief and stuffy. However, this section will become a reference point for future articles and I will also expand practical applications of its principles.
Pulpiteers Get The Glory
Let’s be honest, most pastors want to preach sermons that cause our listeners to lose track of time. We want people to lean in because God’s Word is intersecting with their lives. We want people to be transformed by our sermons, whether that be through conviction and repentance, or encouragement and deeper faith. Yet, let’s be truthful about something else. Good sermons can lead to personal glory.
A pithy phrase can help people remember a specific sermon point, or to post it on their social media feeds. Ask most pastors what other pastor has influenced them the most and the majority of answers will likely be connected to another pastor’s preaching skills. Good oratory skills cause us to remember what was said.
I am NOT advocating for dull and lifeless sermons that people forget before Sunday lunch. Biblical information without context and relevant application leaves people unmoved. I agree with Tim Keller’s statement, “Preaching is not only explaining the text, but using the text to engage the heart” (Keller, 2015). I am reminding Christian leaders that good communication skills are more likely to result in personal recognition than training people for ministry. Yet, the biblical mandate for pastors and local church leaders is to equip people for ministry.
Preaching or communicating in a large group setting is undoubtedly a form of equipping people. But, it’s only one method of training. Members who are solely equipped through listening to a sermon in a large group setting are poorly equipped. Subsequently, it ignores how Jesus equipped His followers to impact the world around them. This article is not about preaching or to minimize the importance of good preaching. Rather, it is about the relationship between leadership and equipping people for ministry. I write as a fellow struggler who strives to be a better leader. My quest to learn about leadership led me to complete a PhD in Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands. My research examined The Correlation Between Transformational Leadership Behaviors of Church Leaders and Volunteer Satisfaction in a Local Church.
We are not going to solve all leadership problems in one article. We can, however, create an environment where we learn, discuss, and grow together as we become better leaders. The purpose of this site is to provide such an environment. Additionally, the purpose of the site is to provide practical resources to help people become better leaders. For pastors and ministry leaders, better leadership results in more people being equipped to do the work of ministry.
Who Equips the Equipper
I do not know who coined the phrase, “Who pastors the pastor?”, but it is a thought provoking statement. I borrow from the same thought with a similar question, “Who equips the equipper?” (I’ll take credit for this question!) The fact is, many pastors feel prepared to preach, teach, counsel, and care for members. However, they feel unprepared to lead people (White Smith, 2020).
My personal experience is that college and graduate school offered many courses on theology, bible, preaching, and counseling. Yet, there was not a single class about leadership. This gap is not unique. Research shows that many pastors who did not attend seminary often assume they have an education deficit regarding the topic of leaderhip. In reality, there has been a wide-spread deficiency in leadership development. Consequently, many church leaders, regardless of formal education, struggle to understand their role as a leader and to develop the necessary skills to lead effectively. Church leaders often step into a position simply expecting to meet the spiritual needs of their members, only to discover that their members expect them to lead. Sadly, many of these leaders feel unprepared or equipped to lead. Even worse, they frequently lack accessible resources or support systems to help them grow in their leadership capacity. Thankfully, some seminaries and colleges are beginning to recognize the vital role of leadership in ministry and are now incorporating it into their training programs. This new frontier reflects the current reality that church leaders from all educational backgrounds and church sizes feel unprepared to lead people. Church leaders desire to be better leaders, but feel they have limited resources to turn to for practical help. My prayer is that this site becomes a space that provides practical help, and helps equip the equipper.
Transformational Leadership Theory
Multiple leadership theories exist and there are many common elements between the leadership theories. Peter Northouse’s Leadership: Theory and Practice (Northouse, 2019) is the best-selling academic textbook on leadership. Northouse does an excellent job of concisely examining the components of each theory, while also discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each individual theory.
It is easy for Christian leaders to quickly adopt transformational leadership theory (TLT) because they resonate with the title. However, it is important to note that TLT does not claim to be a Christian leadership theory. The apostle Paul uses “transformation” to describe a change that results in a person becoming more like Christ. Transformational leadership views transformation as a process when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that raises the followers to higher levels of motivation. I chose this leadership theory as my field of research because of its emphasis on follower development as well as achieving organizational success. Transformational leadership focuses heavily on the relationship between leader and follower while other leadership theories, though unspoken, view followers as a means for accomplishing goal
Brief introduction to Transformational Leadership Theory (TLT). Transformational leadership theory (TLT) is a well-established and widely researched leadership theory. The roots of TLT can be traced back to the work of James MacGregor Burns, who first introduced the concept of transformational leadership in his book Leadership (Burns, 1978). Burns identified two types of leadership: transactional and transformational. Transactional leadership involves a transaction or exchange between the leader and follower, where the leader provides rewards and punishments based on the follower’s performance. In contrast, transformational leadership focuses on the leader’s ability to inspire and motivate followers to achieve shared goals. Burns believed that transformational leaders could inspire followers to achieve significant outcomes without the carrot-and-stick leadership style often associated with transactional leadership.
Bernard Bass and others later refined TLT and clarified the four factors of transformational leadership.
1. Idealized Influence (Strong role model who walks the talk.)
2. Inspirational Motivation (Communicates high expectations and a shared vision that inspires and motivates people to become committed to the vision.)
3. Intellectual Stimulation (Encourages and empowers followers to be creative and innovative as they develop new ways of dealing with organizational problems.)
4. Individual Consideration (Learning about the needs of followers, and acting as coaches and advisers while leading followers to grow their impact on the organization.)
(I know what you’re thinking. Bass’s use of alliteration may have been influence by a pastor!)
More recent writers have adapted some of the terminolgy of TLT. Yet, the core principles of TLT are as Bass describes them. There is encouraging news regarding leadership that is supported by research. People can learn to become better leaders. There are two essential elements to becoming a better leader. First, all leaders need to recognize they have areas where they need to grow. Regardless of where a leader currently is on the leadership spectrum, one of these four leadership components will be a leader’s strongest area while one component will be the weakest. Second, everyone can learn to be a better leader. Leaders can take actions that increases their ability to motivate followers to achieve shared goals. Specifically, pastors and ministry leaders can increase their ability to equip members for effective ministry.
Questions for Reflection
- What is your current strategy for training/equipping members to become effective ministers where they work and live?
- What would it look like in your context if more people were effectively ministering to the world around them?
- Which of the four components of leadership is your strongest area? Which component is your weakest area?
- What current area/circumstance/event are your followers needing you to demonstrate better leadership?
- As you reflect on this article, consider taking a moment to prayerfully process these questions:
- What is one specific area where you need to ask for God’s help?
- Is there something you need to repent of in regards to your leadership?
- What is something you can thank God for in your leadership journey?
Action Steps
Consider taking the following action steps this week
- Define what “ministry” looks like for your members. Your understanding of “ministry” will shape how you help people become better ministers.
- Brainstorm a list of ways you can train people to minister. (Just brainstorm for now!)
- Make a list of two to three actions you need to take this week to improve your weakest area of leadership.
- Make a list of two to three actions you need to take this week to leverage your strongest area of leadership.
References
Akin, D. L., & Pace, R. S. (2017). Pastoral theology: Theological foundations for who a pastor is and what he does. B&H Academic.
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership (1st ed). Harper & Row.
Keller, T. (2015). Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism. Penguin Publishing Group.
Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and practice (Eighth Edition). SAGE Publications.
White Smith, D. (2020). Ministerial Training on Consumer Culture and Volunteer Management May Prevent Burnout for Small-Church Clergy. Pastoral Psychology, 69(3), 225–248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-020-00905-6