Wesleyan Life - Spring 2009 Back to Wesleyan Life Home

The Secret to Paul’s Leadership

By Chris Conrad

The apostle Paul had a powerful ministry impact. He planted churches; he wrote letters to these churches, which became much of our New Testament; he helped define the look of Christianity by bringing a key case to the Jerusalem council; he maintained an authentic relationship with Christ that helped him to finish well. Obviously all this was done with the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, but his success is staggering nonetheless.

If you were to ask me the secret to Paul’s success, I would put his faithful walk with Christ at the top of my list; but a close second would be his passionate commitment to continually raise up leaders.

Leadership development is one of those “important/non-urgent” issues Stephen Covey talks about. In the 20+ years I’ve been in pastoral ministry, I can’t remember anyone ever asking me how many leaders I had raised up as a benchmark of my success. And yet it’s a key question to the health of any congregation.

Why Develop Leaders

Leadership allows the Kingdom of God to expand more rapidly. Look at the life of Paul: he was continually raising up leaders around him (Timothy, Titus, Pricilla, etc.) because he knew that the more people who were providing leadership, the more lives would ultimately be impacted by the gospel (2 Timothy 2:2).

It provides leaders for the church long after we’re gone. Developing leaders is an excellent way to invest in the long-term health and vitality of a church. If God calls a pastor to leave a church and move on to another phase of ministry, one of the greatest gifts he or she can give the new pastor is a group of leaders who have been raised up and are committed to join in leading the church into the future God has for them.

It inspires people to become all they were created by God to be. It is certainly true that some laypeople recognize the leadership ability/potential God has placed inside them and their responsibility to steward that well. But in most cases, leadership is drawn out of people. Some of the best leaders God has allowed me to help mentor have been reluctant at first but are now serving as high-capacity ministry leaders. They just needed someone to come alongside them and say, “I believe in you! I believe God has placed in you the leadership gift! If you’re willing to enter into some training I think a whole new world might open up to you.”

It allows the pastor more time to focus in on the specific gifts/talents/strengths God has given him or her. Pastors cannot and should not lead all the areas of the church; that would only stifle the full-redemptive potential of the congregation. Instead, when pastors intentionally take the time and make the effort to raise up others into key leadership positions—empowering and equipping them—it’s a win, win, win, win situation: The Kingdom wins, the ministry wins, the person being developed wins, and the pastor wins because he or she can now focus on “preaching and the ministry of the Word” (see Acts 6).

How to Develop Leaders

Challenge potential leaders directly. This would sound something like, “Mike/Michelle, I know you’ve got leadership ability that could go a long way in helping us fulfill what God has called us to do here through our church. Would you be willing to get together periodically to talk about how that leadership ability might be maximized in our church?” This meeting is more than a casual get-together. It doesn’t need to be intense, but it does need to be intentional. The pastor should come to this time prepared to talk about leadership skills that will help the layperson go to the next level in his or her leadership ability.

Work with proven leaders. People who are currently serving in leadership roles could be called together for monthly leadership gatherings, perhaps to study a book that deals with church vitality or leadership development. The church could periodically send leaders to leadership conferences/events.

I commend those of you who are already raising up leaders. Keep it up! Those of you who have not yet given this much thought, give it some of your best time. You’ll be so happy you did!

— Chris Conrad, Director of Church Planter Development in the Department of Evangelism and Church Growth

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