September 2024
It is not an uncommon scenario for a pastor to ask the question, “How can I find good leaders? We just cannot find the ones we need.”
My response is always two-fold: first, leaders come as a result of asking God to send them. “Lord, we need someone to lead music.” Or, “Father, send someone to teach the youth.” At Blackwater Baptist Church, we prayed one Sunday as a congregation for God to send a youth director; two Sundays later, she and her husband came to visit the church, not knowing we were looking for a youth director! Deacons, teachers, builders, small group leaders… I have seen God send all of these because of prayer. “Ask and it shall be given to you.” Jesus meant what He said!
Second, the best leaders are not “found,” they are “made.” They must be given the opportunity and the authority to lead so they can learn how to lead. If they are micro-managed or not trusted, their leadership skills will be limited, and they will not remain in the church. Let them lead and stay out of their way. Guide them if you see them making an irreversible mistake but support them and cheer for them and protect them from the nasty naysayers.
In his excellent book on leadership, Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win, Jocko Willink writes about the subject of decentralized command. “There is a crossroads that most leaders face at one time or another and the choice they make greatly impacts their ability to lead as well as the effectiveness of their team. That choice is whether the leader holds tight to their position and Influence, or whether they train, empower, and trust others to lead under them.”
A pastor or leader who cannot release their tight control on all details will never attract or build good leaders around them. Leadership in a congregation is not about controlling people but releasing people to find and implement their God-given gifts.
Dr. Lynn Hardaway
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