Wow! A week has gone by already so I want to finish what I started last week. The topic is the leadership shortage that is often called to my attention by pastors. Last week I began to address this ubiquitous challenge and included the first three levels of a leadership progression, noting that there were two additional levels to consider. So, here goes.
Level 4: Leadership in the Community – I frequently make a case, no I pound my training and consulting pulpit, for the primary purpose of the church being the gathering of God’s harvest of people into His eternal family. Far too much ministry is focused on ministering to the found while the lost remain lost, in my opinion. So, then, it follows that I would consider moving from leadership in the church to leadership in the community as an upward progression in levels in leadership. Leaders in the community have visibility and influence, and if they are among the faithful, they give visibility to Jesus and carry His influence into the market place.
This is one way of describing the calling for us to be salt and light. For the mature and seasoned church leader to move from leading in the church to leading in the community not only places a stronger witness in the community, but creates headroom for new leaders to emerge in the church, expanding that church’s ministry capacity. However, often I find that church leaders are far too busy with church leadership demands to have time to serve in the community.
Level 5: Leadership Beyond Leadership – I have several concerns that I want to unravel here. Church folks seem to think that reaching the level of positional leadership in the church is reaching the top rung of the leadership ladder. I’ve come to see this differently and I’d like to suggest that such leadership is perhaps the next to the top rung of the ladder. At some point, those who have held these leadership positions need to vacate those positions to move to a higher level of servant leadership. This ties in a bit with Level 4 – Leadership in the Community – but more specifically speaks to the need for older, seasoned leaders to pass the baton to younger leaders, while continuing to be engaged through mentoring, training and coaching those younger leaders.
A corollary to this concept is the baby boomer juggernaut that currently dominates church leadership. The young baby boomer wanted the builder generation to move out of church leadership and give the reins over to the boomers, but now it’s the aging boomer who won’t turn the reins over to the next generation, and boomers are likely to live a really long time. In my view it’s time for boomers in positional leadership to plan an exit strategy into leading beyond leadership while a new generation takes on the authority and responsibility of decision-making and direction-setting for the church. I see this as an urgent issue that, if properly addressed, could keep the visible church from losing the next generation or two of potential leaders.
Is it scary? Yes! Is it risky? Yes! Is it necessary? Yes! Is it biblical? Yes! What are we waiting for?
