The Pastor as a Developer of Leaders

Posted By Guest on Dec 19, 2016 | 4 comments

by Aaron Pierce

There is no shortage of material on how to be successful in the ministry and as a pastor. The modern church seems preoccupied with celebrity pastors and the next big breakthrough in how to be a relevant pastor. However, pastoral ministry is difficult and it’s certainly not made easier by the constant pressure and changing ideas as to what being successful in ministry looks like.

In all the confusion and dialogue about how to be an effective pastor, one of the simplest yet most profound theological principles from Scripture seems glaringly absent in much of the discussion. This principle is that the pastor is not only a teacher, but also a developer of leaders.

This role is ignored when an unhealthy focus is placed on pragmatic quick fixes to growing a large church, or when the pastor’s role is reduced merely to preaching sermons. Undoubtedly the ability to preach God’s Word is one of the central functions of a pastor (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:5-9), but it is not the only one. Many times, in a sincere effort to preach God’s Word to the best of their abilities, pastors neglect their biblically prescribed shepherding role of making disciples and developing leaders. Regardless of why this aspect of pastoral ministry is neglected in many churches, developing leaders is a biblical and practical necessity in creating a healthy and vibrant church.

The Biblical Mandate to Develop Leaders

Numerous passages both prescribe and illustrate the mandate for pastors to function as developers of leaders within a local church. For the purpose of this essay, though, I will examine one that clearly states the issue. Ephesians 4:11-16 states,

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.[1]

Paul urges his readers to see the role of “shepherds and teachers” (pastor) not only to teach the Word of God, but also to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry.”[2] In other words, pastors should not do the entire ministry themselves within a local church but should instead structure their churches in such a way that they empower their people to do the ministry, too. This allows the pastor the freedom to shepherd his entire flock without the impossible task of mentoring every church member individually.

Ephesians 4 speaks generally of equipping all saints for the work of the ministry, not exclusively church leaders. However, a pastor alone should not carry out this process of equipping the saints by himself. Leaders must first be equipped so that the pastor and lay leaders work together to help equip the saints. Just as Jesus equipped twelve apostles who equipped many more leaders, so, too, pastors must first identify and equip leaders who can help train other members of the congregation.

Paul also explains that by equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry, the local church matures, unifies, grows deeper in “the fullness of Christ,” and helps each part of the body to work properly and grow. This, then, helps the church to be less susceptible to false teaching, discord, spiritual immaturity, and dysfunctionality within the body. Grudem argues that creating an atmosphere where church members display this level of maturity does not happen by accident but is instead “symptomatic of churches” led by pastors who function properly.[3] Clearly, Paul believed that part of the reason churches would attain a Spirit-empowered vibrancy and health within their congregations was directly related to whether their pastors were equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.

The Consequences of Failing to Develop Leaders

The idea of pastors empowering their people for the work of the ministry and developing leaders is almost the complete opposite of the way that popular, successful churches today are presented. Nonetheless, failing to equip leaders comes with a cost. If a pastor functions more like a celebrity whose personality draws large crowds and less like an equipper of the saints, then his church will become a church of consumers whose spiritual lives depend on their pastor and not on God. J.D. Greear argues that this model is completely antithetical to what Jesus had in mind for His church: “Long-term movements are not built by swelling crowds. . . . They come only as we take the time to replicate our faith in someone else’s heart.”[4] In other words, success is not defined by how large the crowds are, but rather by members equipped by their pastor and willing to do the work of the ministry.

Failing to develop leaders not only creates a consumer-driven church dependent on the pastor for spiritual development, but it also creates a misunderstanding of church members’ roles within the body of Christ. To this point John Piper argues, “God is not looking for people to work for Him but people who let Him work mightily in and through them.”[5] In essence, when pastors fail to empower their people for the work of the ministry, people become confused about their purpose within the body, which leads to disunity, disharmony, contention, self-serving ministries, or even ministries that have no biblical or theological value. What if people’s frustratingly selfish ambitions in church are not the result of their being difficult but are instead ultimately reflective of a church culture that fails to invest and empower its people? Paul clearly ties failure of pastors to equip the saints to do the ministry to numerous divisive, unhealthy, and spiritually stunting problems within a church.

A final problem that is pervasive in churches today because of pastors failing to develop leaders is equating volunteers with ministry empowerment. Greear states the problem well: “Congregants are not to be merely gathered, counted, organized, and assigned volunteer positions as cogs in our ministry machines. They are to be empowered into their own ministries.”[6] There is a huge difference between getting people in churches to fill slots within ministries and equipping and developing leaders. The former is only seeking volunteers either out of desperation or placing people into ministries that may not match their spiritual gifts, whereas the latter involves helping people unlock God’s unique, Spirit-empowered design for their lives so that they use the gifts and passions God has given them to lead ministries.

Operating this way will allow people to take ownership of ministries and the mission of God rather than merely being assigned to positions that they may not feel burdened to fulfill. Greear also writes, “Volunteers serve as cogs in a machine. . . . Leaders generate their own ideas, and usually want to build their own machines.”[7] Greear is not downplaying the obvious need for volunteers, but rather is arguing that when pastors begin equipping their people, they are allowing the body to function properly through its Spirit-empowered members rather than relying on the pastor to dictate every move, both in ministry and in their walks with God.

Creating a Culture of Leadership Development

 To begin the process of developing leaders, every pastor can take the following two steps. First, he must realize that equipping the saints for the work of the ministry is ultimately the work of the Spirit, not solely the result of any individual’s effort. Jesus promises His disciples in John 14:12 that through the power of the Spirit “whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do.” This powerful promise from Jesus should remind every pastor that, to equip and develop leaders, pastors need simply to point people to Jesus, help them grow deeper in Him, and watch as their identity in the power of the gospel takes root and the Holy Spirit unleashes their potential in ministry within the church.

Second, pastors must be intentional. Just as both Paul and Jesus modeled the necessity of mentoring key potential leaders, so, too, must pastors do the same in their own congregations. This can happen when a pastor simply begins working with a few people by pouring into them, rooting them in Christ, challenging them to grow, and helping them to replicate this process with others. This will begin the slow but incredibly fruitful process of creating a church culture where leaders are developed and saints are equipped. Though this process takes time, learning to equip and develop leaders, as Ephesians 4:11-16 suggests, will lead to a more biblical, ultimately healthier, and more vibrant church.

Aaron Pierce serves as the Discipleship Pastor at Peace Church in Wilson, North Carolina. He holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies and Pastoral Ministry from Welch College, and is currently pursuing his M.Div. at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He has been married for four years to his wife Courtney. His interests include historical theology, ecclesiology, and discipleship.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, all uses of Bible verses are from the English Standard Version (Wheaton: Crossway Bibles, 2001).

[2] Though some debate transpires as to whether Paul is referring specifically to the pastoral office or to another office (such as apostle), I believe that he is talking about the pastoral office. For a fuller explanation of this view, see Robert E. Picirilli, Teacher, Leader, Shepherd: The New Testament Pastor (Nashville: Randall House, 2007), 66-69.

[3] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Leicester: InterVarsity, 2000), 922.

[4] J.D. Greear, Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches That Send (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015), 36.

[5] John Piper, Brothers We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry (Nashville: B&H, 2013), 56.

[6] Greear, 109.

[7] Ibid.

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