Thank God for the great leadership training opportunities that are available for Church of God pastors today, leadership development is important and beneficial.  In fact, during my Organizational Leadership Master’s program at Colorado State University, I was inundated with hundreds of leadership styles and organizational paradigms that are being implemented across the globe to lead in these chaotic days.  As pastors we should study leadership programs, principles, and paradigms, but should these concepts form our core competencies for ministry? There is a notion being advanced by some that declares a deficiency in leadership skill and technique among pastors is keeping our churches small and killing our movement. Is this an accurate assumption?

To answer these questions, we must first and foremost look at what the Bible says to pastors and about pastors.  For instance:  

The language of Scripture seems to be focused on a more relational aspect of pastoral ministry as its fundamental reality; the relationship of a shepherd to his flock.  Dr. H. Lynn Stone in his book, Cost and Calling emphatically states,

“The designated mission of a pastor never changes. Their calling as a pastor – their designated mission – is to shepherd sheep. In the Bible the Greek word for “pastor” always means a shepherd. In the English-speaking world today, the word “pastor” most often is used in a different manner. It is used primarily in a professional sense simply to designate the leader of a church congregation. Its usage tends to emphasize leadership and leadership-principles, rather than the oversight work of taking care of a flock. In many ways this is unfortunate.”

Lee Eclov, an adjunct professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School writes, “When God calls pastors, He endows us with a certain spiritual instinct for the work, a shepherd’s heart.” The work of the pastor is spiritual and takes place among the flock of God which is unlike any other organization on earth.  Pastors must be directed by the chief Shepherd in order to fulfill their confirmed assignment and each pastor’s assignment is distinct. However, as a shepherd feeds, protects, and guides the sheep; the pastor feeds, protects, and guides the flock of God that the Father has entrusted into their care. These three cardinal duties form a foundation from which all pastoral ministry flows. 

Caring for a flock is not attractive.  There are no frills, no thrills, and no accolades; but it is what we are called to do.  Creating relationships with people that are broken, hurting, scattered, confused, angry, self-centered, carnal, sinful, and sometimes mean is difficult and demanding; but it is through these relationships that God restores and redeems fallen humanity.  For this reason, we must be careful to shepherd the flock of God as we lead them to green pastures. For a pastor, leading must come from a shepherd’s heart. In the book, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, John Piper warns of the danger of replacing the spiritual nature of pastoral ministry with professionalism.  Piper does not deny that ministry can be enhanced from education and professional training. However, he cautions that nothing should supersede the spiritual nature of the work of the pastor. 

Ministry is professional in those areas of competency where the life of faith and the life of unbelief overlap. Which means two things. First, that overlapping area can never be central. Therefore, professionalism should always be marginal, not central; optional, not crucial. And second, the pursuit of professionalism will push the supernatural center more and more into the corner while ministry becomes a set of secular competencies with a religious veneer.” 

In our world today people are not just looking for someone to follow, they are searching for someone to care for them and somewhere they can belong.  Take advantage of all the leadership training you can, but never forget the calling to be a shepherd.