A Leader’s Ladder
The other day I had a conversation with a man who, as a part of his job description, regularly has to place—and sometimes remove—pastors. It was interesting to talk to this leader of shepherds and realize the challenge involved in helping to discern a ministry fit or misfit.
Most of the time this assessment and/or re-assignment had to do with the position of lead pastor. In many congregations, serving as the Senior Pastor represents the “highest rung on the ladder”. In fact, in a large percentage of churches in our denomination, if you want to fulfill a full-time vocational calling in a way that will provide for your family, being a Senior Pastor is your only option.
However, financial incentive isn’t the only reason people aspire to that position. Some like the idea that there are churches where the “man (or woman) of God” is highly respected and honored. Others like the idea of being in control of an agenda, a system, a strategy, or worse, they want a group of people they can control.
None of these are good reasons to desire leadership over a congregation. There should be no leadership ladder in the Kingdom of God; Jesus was pretty clear about this. If you want to be a leader, you have to become the slave of all and get after washing other people’s feet. In other words, if you want to be a shepherd, you need to be ready to (how shall I put it nicely?) get your boots messy.
Often folks want the benefits of leadership, but not the burdens. They like the idea of climbing a ladder because they think it will help them be seen and somehow be more important. What they don’t realize is that if there is a ladder, the pastor is the one at the bottom holding it steady so that others can climb to the heights to which God has called them.
A close friend of mine is currently considering becoming a lead pastor because after many years of faithful ministry he has been recognized as a true servant with the right attitude and accompanying actions. He’s a little bit hesitant about the whole thing, and feels that if he does this it will be only by God’s grace that He can accomplish it.
I’d like to see more of that: Humble people who are faithfully serving—not “climbing a ministry ladder”—in whom others notice gifts and capacities to help congregations and communities discover their destinies in Christ.