The #1 Mistake Church Leaders Make
Church leadership can be a tricky issue. There are two sides to consider, the business/corporate side and the spiritual family side. One requires management skills to deal with staffing, buildings, budgets, etc. and the other requires a pastoral heart that loves and cares for a congregation like a spiritual family. Often the number #1 mistake church leadership will make is to misunderstand this necessary balance and default to one side or the other, causing multiple problems.
Below are 2 key indicators when your church leadership is out of balance:
1. The “Corporate” Imbalance
This approach to leadership can seem very fiscally and organizationally responsible because it is bottom-line driven. By that, I mean it focuses on a “can we afford it?” approach to leadership. Of course, this must be considered for the financial stability of a church, but when it becomes the primary focus, the congregation will not operate by faith nor learn to trust God for the future. Staffing, ministries decisions, and care for one another will be measured by their cost/benefit to the church. It will fail to consider how people are emotionally or spiritually connected and relating to one another. As a result, the church will feel like a business, congregants will feel like numbers, loving well is diminished, and financial power plays will tend to occur.
2. The “Spiritual Family” Imbalance
This approach to leadership can feel very biblical and godly because it emphasizes relationships and care for one another. It says, “we are a spiritual family” and tends to focus on forgiveness, encouragement, and unconditional love. Sounds godly, right? Here is the problem! This approach to leadership can tend to enable people, operate from a place of fear, and not hold others accountable for irresponsible behavior. It defaults to people-pleasing and avoiding conflict because it “doesn’t feel loving”. Over time, church congregants won’t feel protected by this politically correct approach to leadership. They will lose respect for those in charge and ultimately struggle trusting them to make godly decisions.
The Solution: Unless a balanced approach to church leadership is achieved, the damage to church congregants can be significant, causing frustration, division, and confusion.
We are here to help!! Please don’t hesitate to contact Revive Consulting for a free consultation to discuss how we can provide assistance and support for your current leadership challenge.