If I could choose one more course for ministry training and
preparation, it would be “Courageous Leadership.” I hear from so many pastors
and staff who are trained well in the classical disciplines, but who are
ill-prepared for the real world of church ministry.
Though there have certainly been more difficult times in
the course of Church history for pastors, leading a church today is much
tougher than it was 20 and 30 years ago. There have been some demographic and
cultural shifts that reflect this reality. But some of the challenges can only
be understood in the context of spiritual warfare.
So, what are some of the specific reasons pastors and
church leaders must be more courageous today? Though my list is far from
exhaustive, allow me to name six of the key factors.
1.
There have been dramatic shifts in
culture, most of them adversarial to biblical Christianity. Church
leaders can no longer assume that biblical values are normative in culture
today. To the contrary, many of the cultural mores are antithetical to
Christian truth. The pastor must take a stand in this adversarial environment
while remaining pastoral and compassionate.
2.
The position of pastor is no longer held
in high esteem in many communities. When I was a pastor in
the 80s and 90s, I could count on some level of respect from community members
because of my vocation. That is not the case most of the time today.
3.
Church critics can be vicious. Have
you noticed that, throughout the Bible, the greatest harm to a believing
community comes from dissension among the believers? Opposition from the
outside is a challenge; dissension from within can be devastating. And church
critics today seem to have gone wild!
4.
Pastors must push against the “me”
mentality of many church members. For reasons I have noted for
years, many of our church members see church membership as tantamount to
country club membership. They pay their way and get their perks. Pastors who
push against this pervasive and unbiblical mentality often do so at great cost.
5.
Good church leaders must say “no” often. The
best church leaders say no to the good so they can say yes to the best. But
those who receive a “no” don’t often receive it well.
6.
Ultimately church leadership is spiritual
warfare. Paul leaves no doubt to this reality in
Ephesians 6:13: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the
tactics of the Devil.” Pastors and church leaders are truly engaged in
spiritual warfare. They must have courage, a courage that can only come from
God.
I am not certain about the mindset of Joshua before he led
the people of God into the Promised Land, but it seems like he needed an extra
dose of courage. Repeatedly in Joshua 1, God tells him: “Be strong and
courageous . . . “ (Joshua 1:6).
Church leaders need to be reminded of the need for courage
today. Serving as a pastor is an impossible job without the strength and
courage that comes only from God.
Church members: may I encourage you, even exhort you, to
pray that your pastors and church leaders will have the courage they need to
lead God’s churches? Let me hear from you.
By: Thom Rainer
No comments:
Post a Comment