Missing ingrediant in leadership development…

We talk alot about leadership development in the local church.  As I think back on my seminary education, it was discussed often there as well.  Yet, when I look through my notes and the seminars that I have attended I noticed that almost all the training that I recieved was on teaching theology and developing leadership skills.  For many years, this is what I implemented in my ministry.  Certainly knowing God’s Word is important and how can we diminish the importance of leadership skills?  However, there was an important piece that was being missed in the process.  It is obvious to me now, but I was blind to it in the past.  I wish someone would have helped me earlier in my ministry to understand what I was missing.I was missing the most important part of leadership development as I was not focusing on building the person into a disciple of Jesus.  I wonder how many people are leaders, schooled in theology and competent in ministry skills, but are struggling in simply owning the values of Jesus as their own?  Leadership development must get to the heart issues.  It must deal with hopes and dreams, motivation, character, and obedience to the Word in the vast sphere of life.  I believe the core issue in leadership development is discipleship.

When pastors meet with their staff, how much time is given over to discipleship verses management?  You might respond, “They shouldn’t need discipleship at this stage in their life.”  I can only answer that question in the context of my own life right now.  I serve as District Superintendent and have been a pastor for 28 years.  I should have my life in order by now.  Indeed, at times I feel like things are humming along and my life’s priorities “appear” to line up with Christ.  This summer helped me to remember that the sanctified life is not a straight line growth pattern.  Life hit us this summer in a way that challenged my disciplines.  What was once a steady pattern suddenly became a challenge.  Responsibilities were thrust upon me that I did not ask for.  We said good bye to my father in law when he died suddenly in July.  Now we have a struggling mom who needs more than we can give.  Life is like that.  Now I have to find Jesus in it all.  To that end, I need to be discipled.  Our staff need supervision – yes.  But what they also need is to be discipled.  They need to wrestle with their hopes and dreams with someone who cares for them.  They need someone to listen and speak into their lives.  When a staff person is given priority time by their senior pastor to be developed as a disciple, not only does that person grow in maturity, but that person moves from being an employee that was hired to get a job done, to a team member this is highly valued.  Coaching is a tool that can assist us in this process, especially when the coaching of staff is not directed at the tasks of ministry, but at their relationship with Christ and the implications for daily living.  Let’s build each other up in the faith!  This same principle applies to our elders and other leaders.