Many churches struggle because they expect the pastor to do what he is called not to do. Your leader’s role is not to do all the ministry required but to equip the membership to meet all needs together.
If your church can only accomplish what its pastor can do, your church will be tragically limited. That’s not saying anything wrong about your leader or the whole staff, but one person can only do so much. While a few staff members accomplish more significant things, the most competent and hard-working team is limited.
If they try to do everything, they are insufficient and disobedient. Church leaders aren’t called to do all the work; their work is to equip others so that all the work can be done.
11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Ephesians 4:11-13
These unique leadership roles should have a priority task to fulfill God’s calling on their lives, and that is to see the whole church fulfilling their special calls on their individual lives.
Christ expects ministry leaders to prioritize the equipping for ministry to all believers within a local body (Eph. 4:12). This task of intentional empowerment multiplies the ministers and helps fulfill the Great Commission.
Jesus did not give the job to a spiritually elite few, but He called out leaders to raise all members to do their part. In this process, it calls for all of us to mature. As we step up to be used by God, we all experience spiritual development, and we reach more people with the hope of the gospel (Eph. 4:13).
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
