Have you ever saw an appealing billboard advertisement that caused your mouth to water for that delicious T-BONE STEAK? I am sure you have. What if you went to the restaurant which advertised that steak and found the business to be shabby, run down, smelly from neglect, and providing awful service? Without question, you would be disappointed, and very upset! What’s worse, is many people have visited a church that looked good on the outside, but was absolutely horrible on the inside. Many times this sickening sight was allowed to mature because of poor pastoral leadership.

Even though there are churches who have proper doctrine and such, their image, practice and vision is in the proverbial “toilet”. When one finds a great local assembly with the right teachings, vision and practice, it makes an even starker contrast with the others we have described. It is so refreshing to find a church who KNOWS who they are, where they came from, where they are going, and how they are planning to get there. This does not happen by accident. It is borne along by exceptional pastoral leadership.

“Everything rises and falls on leadership!” the late Dr. Lee Roberson

4 Necessary Ingredients To Exceptional Pastoral Leadership

Vision

Vision should come from the leadership of a church. It is born in the heart of the pastor, or should be! Without controversy, Nehemiah was a great leader of men. A vision was propagated from a burden he received when he heard of the condition of his homeland. Nehemiah 1:1-4

Every pastor should have a vision of what God wants his church to be. If you do not know what it is as a pastor, then you had better be finding out or resign from the church as pastor!

Goals

You find in the first chapter of Nehemiah that he began to pray about the need of Jerusalem. As a result of this praying, God gave direction. Not only was direction provided, but the means to get the job done was miraculously given as well. God pays for what he orders!

The same principles hold true today! When you pray over your God-given vision, then plan or set goals to accomplish. Every goal should be centered upon glorifying Christ. Share these goals with your inner circle. Remember, if you aim at nothing, then you will hit it every time!

Commitment

People will commit to help accomplish a vision. It was true in Nehemiah’s day. If the leadership is committed, then the people will be committed. This done not mean the absence of problems, but does mean that the goals can be carried out. Nehemiah 2:18 records the answer to Nehemiah: “Let us rise up and build”.

Character 

Character is what you are on the inside. It is all “pie in the sky” if their is no perceived character in pastoral leadership. How quickly the walls crumble by lack of character! It takes time to gain the trust and respect of people.  Be sure that you are right with God as a leader because what you are on the inside will eventually show up on the outside!

Conclusion

What the church is lacking today is not money, talent, and provision, but a lack of morality, character and integrity in leadership; including the pastoral staff. May God revive the desire to live above reproach for the sake and honor of Christ.

Would you consider purchasing…

Why Revival Tarries

By Leonard Ravenhill / Bethany House

Leonard Ravenhill’s call to revival is as timely now as it was when first published over forty years ago. The message is fearless and often radical as he expounds on the disparity between the New Testament church and the church today. This book contains the heart of his message, A.W. Tozer called Ravenhill “a man sent from God” who “appeared at (a) critical moment in history,” just as the Old Testament prophets did. Included are questions for group and individual study.