Holding a clipboard directing the servants
Recently, I saw an TV show that demonstrated the difference in leadership – that is, between the leaders of this world and the leaders in God’s kingdom. (see Matthew 20:25-28, Mark 10:42-45, Luke 22:25-27)
In this show, a lady was coming to a work site to help someone out. As she approached the site, there was a man with a clipboard directing other people as they hurried about doing their work. The lady walked up to the man with the clipboard, asking what she should do.
In this world’s way of looking at things, the man with the clipboard directing the others is the leader.
But, in God’s way of looking at things, the ones who were working the hardest serving others were the leaders.
In the world’s way of looking at things, the woman correctly picked the leader. She asked the leader what to do, and he directed her actions.
In God’s way of looking at things, the woman should have looked for the hardest workers and start following their example, serving as they serve.
In other words, for the church, the leader is not the one holding the clipboard directing the activities of others. Instead, the leaders are the ones working the hardest to serve other people.
Who are we following?
How do you find the time?
I was recently reminded of a couple of posts that I wrote called “How do you find the time?” and “How do you find the time to pastor?” I thought I wrote these last year, but apparently it’s been two years since I wrote them! So, I thought I would republish the posts together.
It looks like a few things have changed in those the past two years. I’m not teaching adjunctively for Southeastern College at Wake Forest (now the College at Wake Forest). I am not working with FullThrottle Development and teaching Latin for high school level homeschoolers. Finally, I’m not longer taking seminars in the PhD program at Southeastern Seminary. Now I’m working on my dissertation.
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I’m often asked how I find the time to do the things that I do. For example, a couple of days ago, Bert asked the following in a comment:
How do you find time to pastor, work full time, work on your PhD, and blog meaningful posts regularly? I have often said that there is no such thing as a part-time pastor so where did you find the extra hours in the day?
In this blog post, I’m going to discuss everything except pastoring. I’ll discuss pastoring in another post later.
To start with, like everyone else, I am only given 24 hours each day. And, while I try to be a good steward of my time, I will admit that I often waste time doing unproductive things. Also, you should know that I read and write quickly. I am not trying to brag, its just a fact of life. My wife would be the first to tell you. I also try to plan ahead, especially for school work. If I know that I have a paper due, I start it very early to give myself plenty of time to do the research and to write the paper.
First, I work full time as a web developer for the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. I’ve been working in this capacity for just over 5 years, and I love it! Not only do I get to work with awesome people, they are also very flexible with my work hours which allows me to take classes. One thing that helps with my time management on the job is that I take a very short lunch break. I almost always bring my lunch from home, and I have found that it does not take me an hour to eat my lunch. So, that saves me alot of time each week.
Second, I teach adjunctively for Southeastern College at Wake Forest, which is associated with the seminary. In fact, my class is located about 100 yards from my office – very convenient. I only teach one class – New Testament Greek – for 3 hours per week. I have also set aside one day per week when I meet with students for a coffee break for about 30 minutes. Besides this time, my students know that I’m always available outside of class, and I have even given them my home and cell phone numbers.
Third, I am a Ph.D. student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. I’m currently taking two seminars – one in the Gospel of John and the other in Old Testament Theology. These seminars meet for a total of 5 hours each week. We also have a heavy reading and writing load to go along with these seminars. This semester, my writing load is shifted to the second half of the semester, so I have not started writing yet. Most of my reading will be finished by the time I start writing. Like I said, I read and write fast. This takes me less time that most people think, but it still takes alot of time.
Fourth, I am a husband and a father. I probably should have put this first – it would have been more spiritual. I always try to set aside time for my family, and Margaret, my wife, helps me with this. We usually eat dinner together at night, and occasionally, Margaret and I will have lunch together during the day. I try to do very little school work on the weekends in order to set that time aside for family. (Although, sometimes I have to read and write at night.) Also, I choose to read and write at home instead of at the library. I realize that there are probably more distractions at home, but those distractions are my life. The distractions are more important than my studies. I can fail at school and remain obedient to God, but I cannot fail in my marriage and as a father and remain obedient to God.
Finally, I blog. I have been blogging here at The Assembling of the Church for almost two years. I’ve talked to several people in person about the way that I blog, and it seems to be unique. I rarely, if ever, write a blog post in one sitting. I always keep a long list of “draft” blogs that I’m working on. (Currently, I have 15 blog posts in “draft” mode that are in various stages of completion.) I work on these “draft” posts 10 or 15 minutes at a time whenever I have time. For example, I will often work on blog posts when I’m taking a break from reading or writing. When I publish a blog post, I probably started writing it several days – sometimes several months – before I finally publish it. Sometimes, as with this post, I write on specific posts in order to finish them, but usually I don’t care when I finish a post. (Even this post, which I wanted to finish quickly, took me several days of writing in small increments of time.) The exception would be when I’m writing a series. I’m usually 75-100% finished writing a series before I publish the first post. So, blogging takes a very small amount of time for me.
There are several aspects of my life that allow me to do the things that I do, the most important being the grace of God. The graciousness and concern of my family also plays a huge role in allowing me to work, go to school, and publish this blog (which I consider to be part of my studies and discipleship). Also, the fact that I work, teach, and attend classes on the same campus saves me alot of commuting time. Finally, my ability to read and write fast makes it look as if I spend much more time reading and blogging than most people realize. This routine works for me and my family for now. Things may change, and if they do, I can promise you that my family will not be left out of my schedule.
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How do you find the time to pastor?
A few days ago, Bert asked a question that I’m often asked:
How do you find time to pastor, work full time, work on your PhD, and blog meaningful posts regularly? I have often said that there is no such thing as a part-time pastor so where did you find the extra hours in the day?
I answered most of his question in a blog post called “How do you find the time?” (above) But, in this post, I hope to answer his question about pastoring. How do I find the time to pastor while working a full time job, working on my Ph.D., being a husband and father, and maintaining a blog?
One of the reasons that I wanted to answer the question about pastoring separately is that my understanding of what it means to be a pastor is not the traditional understanding. So, I want to take the time to explain what I think it means to be a pastor. A few years ago I was asked to be an elder/pastor for Messiah Baptist Church. I would be one of four pastors. This was a very serious decision for me, so I spent a long time reading Scripture and books about what it means to be a pastor.
At first, I did not want to accept the responsibilities and duties that come along with being a pastor. I did not think that I would have the time to pastor as well as be a husband and father, a full time employee, and a student. As I studied what it means to be a pastor and as I considered this decision, I noticed something: the scriptural description of an elder/pastor is not what we usually mean when we call someone “pastor” or “elder”.
Elders/pastors spend much of their time with administrative duties: maintaining buildings, planning, organizing, recruiting, and financing. These types of activities are not the scriptural responsibilities of pastors. It is not wrong for elders/pastors to do these things, but the activities should not be seen as “pastoring”. Also, elders/pastors are often considered to be the only or primary teachers, preachers, visitors, counselors, ministers, and leaders. While Scripture certainly indicates that pastors/elders should do these things, these are also the responsibilities of all believers.
While pastors/elders are very busy people, many times the “busyness” is related more the expectations of other people instead of the responsibilities that God gives to elders through Scripture. In fact, a few years ago, a good friend of mine who is a pastor at a mega-church told me that he has to schedule one hour a week to spend with a discipleship group, otherwise he would have not time to actually disciple people. Why? Because his time was spent doing other things – things that were required of him by his job description, the people on his staff, and the people in the church, but things that were not required by Scripture.
So, how do I find time to pastor? I find time to pastor by recognizing that discipleship is my primary responsibility as a pastor, just as discipleship is every believer’s primary responsibility. I spend time with people, caring for people, listening to people, teaching people – sometimes one on one, sometimes in small groups, sometimes in large groups – through email, instant messaging, phone, and face-to-face meetings. I do not set office hours, but instead I spend as much time as possible with people.
However, I recognize that I am not the extent of the discipling that goes on around me. Therefore, I encourage others to spend time with people, and I encourage people to seek help through already existing relationships. If someone has a problem, they can call me or another pastor, but they do not have to call a pastor. Instead, they can call a friend or a neighbor. Many times when people are helped, I know nothing about it until later. Praise God! I do not have to have my hand in everything. God is perfectly capable of taking care of his children without me.
What about organizing, planning, recruiting, etc.? Again, God is perfectly capable of taking care of these things through his people – not just through the pastors/elders. I do not spend time thinking up programs, planning how to carry them out, asking people to take part, and making sure the programs run well. Instead, I encourage people to serve as God gifts them and as he gives them a passion for that service. Then, I – along with the church – help them in whatever ways they need help. We do not have set programs as a church, but it is amazing the amount of ministry that is going on through the members of the church, because they have been freed to serve as God has gifted them.
What about teaching and preaching? In this case, the pastors do take on more of a responsibility. While I would love for people to show up at a church meeting having prepared a teaching, our church is not ready for this yet. (THIS HAS CHANGED IN TWO YEARS!!!) Therefore, the pastors have taken on the responsibility of providing someone to teach each Sunday. That does not mean that we teach every Sunday, but we teach more often. We also ask other people to teach, and we help them as they study Scripture and prepare to teach. I’ve also decided to study along with whoever is teaching that week. So, even though I am not teaching next Sunday, I am continuing to study as if I were going to teach next Sunday. It may be that God wants me to say something, even though I am not scheduled to preach.
By the way, except for helping to make the preaching schedule, there is very little that I do now that I would stop doing if I were no longer an elder/pastor. Why? Because I do not serve because of an office or position. I serve because God has gifted me and provided me opportunities to serve. I was doing all of these things before I was a pastor, and I will continue doing them if at some point I am no longer recognized as a pastor.
It takes much less time to focus on people than to focus on the organization. God’s heart is with people, and that’s where my heart should be as well. When I find myself started to yield to the expectations that other people or that the system places on me, then I may no longer be doing the things that God wants me to do. That’s when I must check my focus, and return to loving and caring and teaching and leading people, which I think is the responsibility of the pastor as well as all followers of Jesus Christ. (See my series on elders that starts with “Elders (Part 1) – Introduction“.)
So, how do I find the time to pastor? Because I am a pastor, but not that kind of pastor.
Should pastors/elders be paid a salary?
Dave Black linked to a good article called “Should Pastors Be Salaried?” The author of the article (Darryl Merkel) covers all of the related passages of Scripture, even some that are not normally considered. He concludes that Scripture does not support paying a salary to a pastor/elder.
Since I agree with his position, I won’t say that I think he interprets the Scriptures well. 😉
However, I do think he does a good job pointing out that the “honor,” “respect,” “sharing,” etc. that we see in Scripture is not synonymous with “paying a salary.”
Also, this is a very important point that is often overlooked in these discussions:
If our churches truly implemented New Testament patterns of ministry, one wonders whether there would be any real need to support one, full-time pastor? If the local church had a functioning priesthood (as opposed to the passive, spectator event that is the mark of most churches) and an equally shared eldership, there simply would not be the urgency or necessity to hire someone on a full-time basis. This is because (1) leadership responsibilities would be shared; (2) one man and his gifts would not become the focal-point of the meeting; (3) corporate teaching would be shared and not left to one sole pastor; and (4) each member would actively participate and contribute to the meeting.
By the way, the paragraph above is absolutely true. I’ve seen it in practice.
What do you think about the article?
F.F. Bruce on 1 Thessalonians 5:11-14
I came across an interesting quote concerning the following passage in 1 Thessalonians:
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. (1 Thessalonians 5:11-14 ESV)
F.F. Bruce wrote the following concerning 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (the instructions for “brothers and sisters” to “admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, etc.”):
The various forms of service enjoined in the words that follow [in 1 Thess 5:14] are certainly a special responsibility of leaders, but not their exclusive responsibility: they are ways in which all the members of the community can fulfill the direction of v 11 to encourage and strengthen one another. (F. F. Bruce, 1&2 Thessalonians (WBC 45; Waco: Word Books, 1982),122)
I think the church would be stronger and healthier if all believers would understand and function in this manner. Yes, leaders are to teach, shepherd, admonish, etc. It is their special responsibility, but not their exclusive responsibility. In fact, leaders alone cannot do what is necessary for the maturity of the church. (Ephesians 4:16)
Keeping watch over your souls
I like this passage from Matthew McDill’s dissertation “The Authority of Church Elders in this New Testament” where he discusses the meaning of the phrase “keeping watch over your souls” from Hebrews 13:17:
Not only is this the reason given for the believers to submit to them, it describes the sphere in which they provided leadership (cf. 1 Thess 5:12, “those who lead you in the Lordâ€). Several helpful parallels may be observed in Acts 20:28–32 and 1 Pet 5:1–4. The elders in Acts and 1 Peter are responsible for caring for (ποιμαίνω) and watching over (á¼Ï€Î¯ÏƒÎºÎ¿Ï€Î¿Ï‚, á¼Ï€Î¹ÏƒÎºÎ¿Ï€Îω) God’s people. Jesus is the shepherd (ποιμηÌν) and overseer (á¼Ï€Î¯ÏƒÎºÎ¿Ï€Î¿Ï‚) “of your souls†(τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν) (1 Pet 2:25) and is the chief shepherd who will appear and reward the elders for their shepherding (1 Pet 5:4). Believers were entrusted into the care (κλῆÏος) of the elders (1 Pet 5:3). Caring for the church is not merely a charismatic function but is the specific responsibility and purpose of the Spirit’s appointment (Acts 20:28). That this is an assigned responsibility is also confirmed by the requirement to give an account (Heb 13:17; 1 Pet 5:4).
So, if I understand Matthew, then he is saying that the phrase “keeping watch over your souls” is simply another way of saying “shepherding” or “caring for.”
It’s interesting that the author of Hebrews doesn’t mention “elders.” Perhaps all leaders, and even all believers, were to care for one another?
Transforming leadership is mutual leadership
In my research on the topic of mutuality, I’ve recently come across an article by Mary Miller called “Transformational Leadership and Mutuality.” (Transformation 24.3-4 (July-October 2007), 180-92) This is the abstract of her article:
What does leadership research and literature have to say about the mutuality of transforming leaders, and is being transforming synonymous with being charismatic? Transforming leadership and charismatic leadership are two distinct and different theories in the field of leadership research, so understanding the distinctive between these theories is essential. Importantly, the definition of ‘charismatic’ leaders within a church context is completely different from use of the term within leadership research. The discussion thus identifies the conceptual basis for the term ‘charismatic’ leadership within leadership research. The conceptual basis of transforming leadership within theory provides a frame from which mutuality between the leader and others can be understood. (p. 180)
There are a few definitions that are important to understand. For example, leadership research uses the term “charismatic leadership”, but the term “charismatic” does not indicate spiritual giftedness as it often does in theological discussions. Miller describes “charismatic leadership” as follows:
Charismatic leader takes time to enhance how they are perceived so they receive recognition from followers. This is because the charismatic leader is seeking for an emotional appeal, so his or her aura is the deciding factor of being a charismatic leader. It is through and from the use of emphasizing their personhood and their gifts that the charismatic leader has impact on the follower….
Central to the definition of charismatic leadership is the perception that the leader is exceptional in some way, and the charismatic leader has the ability to make followers believe in them. The belief in the charismatic leader is the main means of impact and influence on the follower….
The charismatic leader’s focus is on their own abilities as a charismatic leader to formulate, articulate, and motivate followers to join with him or her in fulfilling the vision. (p. 182)
What about “transforming leadership”? This is the way Miller describes “transforming leadership” from leadership research:
Transforming leadership was conceived… as leaders who valued a learning process, specifically leaders who were able to learn from others. The fact that the leader seeks to receive from the follower, in Burns’s definition, profiles the transformational leader as a learner, not the one who has all the answers. It is this modelling of learning that impacts the follower to perceive that they, as followers, are also learners and as such can enter into a free exchange with the leader.
The emphasis on mutuality [in transforming leadership] allows the follower to help frame her/his own vision as part of the overall vision setting process, as well as impacting the leader to further develop the vision. (p. 185)
Next, Miller compares and contrasts “charismatic leadership” and “transforming leadership”:
The process that is used by charismatic and transformational leader also has substantive differences. The charismatic leader is the ‘head of the show’, ultimately responsible to not only articulate his/her vision clearly, but also gain agreement and commitment to that specific vision. The transforming leader has openness to follower input and impact of the vision, which involves power sharing and participation….
The charismatic leader is responsible for ‘buy in’ of followers for the vision that s/he establishes. The dynamic in this type of process is leader focused. It is the leader’s responsibility to continue to stimulate and envision. In contrast, the transforming leader operates on the assumption that followers have vision and need to be able to have a context where that vision is allowed to come forward. There is respect towards the follower’s contribution to articulating the vision. (p. 185-86)
Don’t let the nomenclature become confusing. All leaders in the church have some type of charism and charisma, and all leaders desire to see lives transformed. But, that is not the point of the article above. Notice the definitions and distinctions between “charismatic leaders” and “transformational leaders” described above.
I can see how these different understandings of “leadership” come to play in our interpretation of Scripture. If the apostles, prophets, evangelists, elders, teachers, and other leaders in Scripture are to be “charismatic leaders” (as described above), then their leadership styles and methods and processes and goals will be different than if they are to be “transformational leaders” (as described above).
As far as I can tell, in order to determine how leaders in the church are to acts (i.e. as “charismatic leaders” or “transformational leaders”) we must answer the following question: Is the leadership that we see modelled and taught in Scripture a sole leadership style or a mutual leadership style?
According to Miller, transforming leadership is mutual leadership. If the Scriptures indicate a mutual leadership style (and I think they do), then we should see more of the “transformational leadership” style as described above. However, I think we primarily see the “charismatic leadership” style (as described above).
If you agree that we primarily see the “charismatic leadership” style, but should see the “transformational leadership” style, what suggestions would you have for churches to begin to see more “transformational leadership”?
If you primarily experience “transformational leadership,” share how leadership is mutual in the church.
If you disagree, and think that the “charismatic leadership” style is right for churches (that leadership should not be mutual), what brings you to this conclusion?
Mutual Shepherding Required
Dave Black posted this on his blog this afternoon (Monday, February 15, 2010 at 3:10 pm – emphasis in original):
Pastor friend: You can’t care for the flock yourself. The demands are too many. The needs are too diverse.
Pastor friends (note the plural; I am referring to a church that has multiple elders/pastors): You can’t care for the flock yourselves. The demands are too many. The needs are too diverse.
Whether your church has a single pastor or several, the message is the same: Every-member ministry will begin when you start to accept the limitations of your love, energy, and giftedness.
AMEN! Jesus shepherds the church through the whole church! Should elders shepherd? Yes, of course. But then, all believers are called to shepherd (care for) one another.
A couple of things to think about
The church is not a place for people to hear the gospel, but a people who have been changed by the gospel.
If a pastor (or other leader) is “doing the work of 2-3 people,” then others are not doing their part, and the church will not grow as it should (regardless of how great the pastor or leader may be at doing stuff). The growth of the church is not dependent on pastors doing everything (or even most things) great, but on all believers doing their part.
If you are not spending time (intimately) with people taking care of their needs and helping them grow in maturity, then you are not a pastor, regardless of what your title may be. If you are spending time (intimately) with people taking care of their needs and helping them grow in maturity, then you are a pastor, regardless of what your title may not be.
Is submitting the same as being subjected?
Matthew recently provided his full PhD dissertation on his website. The title of his dissertation is “The Authority of Church Elders in the New Testament.” I’m still reading through the dissertation, hoping to better understand Matthew’s position on elders and authority. But, I came across this very exciting conclusion from Hebrews 13:17:
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17 ESV)
(By the way, Matthew also thinks that “Follow” is a better translation than “Obey.”)
Matthew says:
That the recipients of this letter were to choose to follow their leaders with understanding and conviction, having been persuaded, is confirmed by the exhortation itself. The author did not urge the leaders to bring the congregation into submission, which would imply they had some power to do so. These instructions were given to the congregation; they had the freedom and responsibility to follow their leaders. The author provided several reasons to persuade them to follow their leaders. (157-58)
Yes! Exactly! There is no passage of Scripture in which leaders are told to exercise authority over others. None. Every passage that is usually used to teach elders and other leaders to “exercise authority” are actually directed toward others in order to encourage them to respect or give honor to or submit to their leaders. (see also 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 and 1 Timothy 5:17)
In other words, submitting is not the same as being subjected. We are to offer our respect and follow our leaders. Leaders are never to exert authority or force others into submission.
Lionel wants to follow someone’s example
Lionel at “A Better Covenant” has written a great post full of thought-provoking ideas called “You Need A Leader And God Has Called Me To Be Yours.” The entire post is about a desire to follow a leader’s example (his life) and not following because of his position.
This is Lionel’s conclusion:
Everyone wants someone to submit to them, but nobody wants to serve. Everyone is called (I am not saying this calling is true only affirming the common mindset) to be a leader and says you should submit to them but again leadership begins with service. Leadership begins with reputation, practice, living it out amongst a group of believers. We love leadership here in America because it costs you nothing yet gains you everything. Man want to eat the fruit of being apostles but are [not] living like them. So you can miss (miss means to bypass in the urban vernacular) Lionel Woods. I don’t believe in submitting to positions in the body of Christ. I believe in submitting to people who have lived a life worthy of imitating. Self-recognized men who call themselves leaders and then require others to submit to them based off of some wrong biblical interpretation won’t work. I will submit to all believers as I see the work of the Lord Jesus in their lives and as the Spirit speaks through them. All that other stuff, is just stuff and titles and positions and at the end of the day it looks more like a Franchise than a family!
I wonder how many more people would be willing to follow a Christ-honoring, serving example. I wonder how many “leaders” would be willing to step down off the platform and start serving people on their hands and knees.