Church Leadership in the 21st Century

What characteristics are needed for the leader or pastor in the 21st century.  Depending on who you ask you may find a variety of answers.  Some would say the leader for the future will be technologically savvy.  Maybe some may say he needs to be relevant with the times.  Some have suggested, at least to reach the younger crowd, he must dress down.  Wear blue jeans and lose the tie.  The answers to that question are all over the map.  Call me crazy but I think that the answer to that question actually lies within the Bible.  Go figure?

I was recently at a training that we offered and heard a great presentation from Rev. Barry Whitworth, Team Leader for Church Planting for the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania and South Jersey.  He said that they look for a church planter to be AED.  As he described AED I realized that the characteristics they are looking for in a church planter are the same characteristics needed in pastors and leaders if they are going to lead their church into Kingdom work in the 21st Century.

Let me describe AED:
A is Apostolic.  Now what does that mean.  It means to have a mindset and life style of a Missionary.  (see Acts 17)  Pastors have viewed themselves as administrators, CEO's, and professionals to name a few titles.  We call ourselves senior pastors, lead pastors, teaching pastors etc . . .  While that is all OK.  What we really need to call ourselves is missionaries.  The Apostle Paul was always going where the people were and exposing them with the realities of the gospel.

E is Evangelistic.  (2 Timothy 4.1-8)  Why do we think our people will share their faith if we are not doing it?  We have a great excuse, "I don't know any lost people.  I am always dealing with church people."  The truth is we are too busy doing church stuff in our sanctuaries and offices that we haven't developed relationship with lost people.  We rarely have or take the opportunities to meet lost people.  (let me refer you back to A)

D is Discipleship.  Call it what you will, mentoring, discipleship, equipping.  Just do it!  I firmly believe the reason that 70-80 % of established evangelical churches are in decline or death is because we have not been discipling.  But what method do we use to do that?  Not the way we have been doing it!  Go back to the Scriptures.  Look at the example of Jesus, Paul, Barnabas and see Paul's instruction to Timothy (2 Timothy 2.2).  That will be a great place to start.

This is a great challenge to us but if we are to see revival, Pastor it will have to begin with us!

The Missing Link in Fulfilling our Mission

In my denomination, the SBC, we have come to grips with the fact that we are failing in our mission.  The mission of the church is the great commission (Matthew 28.19-20), which is to make disciples.  We have formed committees and commissions, made radical changes and have shaken up the "how we do it" across our denomination and churches.  Now I don't want to be a party pooper or a pessimist or anything but I fear it is to no avail.  Why do I say that, you might ask?  Because we have missed a very important leadership principle and a biblical truth.  I don't think it will matter what the denomination does.  Our mission boards, state conventions or Associations are not going to right this ship.  What they are doing will make little difference till the people in the churches decide to make a change.  And it must begin with us the leaders and pastors in our churches.

Henry Blackaby writes, "When God sets forth a requirement of His people, He most certianly demands it of the leaders."  And, "God had to make adjustments in the life of Moses before He would use him to lead His people.  Are you trying to serve God and yet ignore something He has told you to do?"  Now Dr. Blackaby is writing in the devotional (Experiencing God Day by Day, March 15) about holiness.  But the biblical truth he shares applies in many areas.  Leaders, we have ignored and made excuses why we are not doing what God has called us to do.  We preach to our people about evangelism but we are not doing it ourselves.  We speak passionately about evangelism, planting churches and making disciples but we are failing at the most elementary level in simply sharing the good news outside of our pulpits. The early church did not just preach the gospel they lived it day to day on the streets and in the market place.  It must begin first with the shepherds and leaders of the church and then the people in the pew will catch it as well.  Then you truly will see a resurgence of the great commission.