Leadership Part I: Leaders Who Last

How tough is the ministry? Dr. John Bisagno told the story of listing the over 100 young men called to the ministry when he started pastoring. Of those 100 plus friends and acquaintances, only four of them retired as Pastor. In a recent George Burns survey, 38% of pastors considered quitting the ministry over the past year.

When we are first called to ministry, many will admire you for your dedication and love for God. It reminds me of a young man joining the Armed Forces. Parents are so proud, people celebrate him for his sacrifice, then he goes into battle. He experiences the hardships, dangers and life-threatening situations, and the accolades of parents and friends seem like a distant past—another lifetime.

On a lesser scale, the young minister is congratulated and celebrated in his calling. Then, real life steps in with problems, budgets, buildings, sometimes poverty–the accolades seem to be but a whisper. There are two areas we speak of when we refer to longevity in the ministry: (1)The ministry as a whole (2)Longevity at a particular church.

Since I have just finished 31 years at the same church, I will concentrate more on the latter. Longevity at one church or ministry depends on two areas of the Pastor’s life:
(1)The inner life of the pastor.
(2)The relationship with the congregation.
 
The personal life of the pastor includes having:
(1)  A calling to ministry
(2) A mission with that calling
(3) A godly definition of success
(4) A disciplined life
(5) A willingness to change
(6) A security found in Christ

The relationship aspect, necessary for longevity includes:
(1)  Integrity
(2) Competency
(3) Trustworthiness
(4) Wisdom
(5) Consistent emotion
(6) Adding value to people’s lives

During the next few weeks, I want to look at each of these 12 principles.