2 of 2

I asked her, "Katherine, why don't you do something other than sing in the services for a while? Maybe you could work the sound board or something like that."

She intuitively understood my concern.

"That's a super idea," she said. She gladly took a job out of the public eye.

After months of working in an obscure slot, she and her husband eventually became our worship leaders.

I no longer worry about Katherine's stage presence; I know she doesn't have to be front and center in worship.

A person isn't ready to lead until he or she is ready to disappear, to accept an obscure position and find fulfillment in that unseen role.

4. Are they flexible?
One of our associate pastors tended to overreact to people when he felt threatened. At times, his defensiveness would almost cross the line into belligerence. I had been patient with him for years, but by allowing him to be pushy with people, I risked communicating to our congregation: "It's okay to be brusque and rude with people if you're a spiritual leader."

The situation was complex, but as a direct result of this problem, I asked him to resign.

The rest of the story is that I asked the church leadership to participate in his restoration. We hired him back as soon as we fired him-but as an assistant pastor, not an associate. His secretary and some of his perks as an associate were taken away. Today, he's becoming more flexible and patient with those he serves.

5. Are they faithful in little?
Jesus said, "If you've been faithful in little, then you will be made master of much." I view readiness to lead as a process. It begins months and years earlier when people are asked to do something as simple as pass out bulletins. Once they're found faithful doing that, we move them to something more demanding.

I recently told a woman who works on our staff, "In my mind, I actually hired you about three years before you came on staff."

She looked at me quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"I decided to hire you after I watched you and your husband carry those big, silver coffeepots up and down the hallway week after week. No one else knew what you were doing, but I saw how eagerly you took on the task. That's when I decided you were someone we needed on our staff."

Daniel Brown is pastor of Coastlands Church in Aptos, California.

Bob Moeller is interim pastor of First Baptist Church in Elmhurst, Illinois.

Copyright 1997 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
Click here for reprint information onLeadership Journal.

More Bible Study Helps
Authentic Fellowship How is the church called to be different from the local social club? Use this ready-to-download Bible study to answer this question and to learn about genuine Christian community. Read more.	The Uncertain Leader You can't always be sure, but you'd better be clear. by Andy Stanley Uncertainty is a permanent part of the leadership landscape. It never goes away. Uncertainty is not an indication of poor leadership; it underscores the need for leadership. Read more.

first page |  2 of 2