Strong Leaders from Spiritual Weaklings

What do you do with the person who has great influence but little spiritual depth?

A gifted business leader once told me, “Monday through Saturday I’m challenged to the limit. I’m taking risks, I’m making deep commitments in my business. But when I go to church, I’m never challenged or asked to make deep commitments. I’m never asked to take a risk.”

That grieves me. Most churches have some wonderful leaders who are nominal spiritually because they’ve never been challenged. Yet it’s easier to bring people around spiritually than it is to raise them up in leadership.

People like that, though, must be developed on the side. They can’t be put immediately into leadership in the church; you never compromise the spiritual integrity of the congregation. I’d pour my life into such a leader by praying with him, teaching him to pray Scripture, getting him involved in some accountability group.

I also love to use a great leader as my adviser. I’ve asked business people, “You’re good at finances, so would you advise me?” As we relate, they get a heart for the things I have a heart for. Then, as they begin to show spiritual leadership, I put them over some project with a specific deadline-maybe looking for land for the church or planning a men’s retreat. Then I watch how they interact.

When did you realize the importance of developing leaders?

In my first church. When I went to Hilliham, Indiana, you could count the people on one hand. Over several years, I worked night and day, and the church grew to over three hundred. I really thought I had done something, not realizing that my self-reliance would break me. When I left that church, attendance dropped from three hundred to less than one hundred in just a few months. I realized I had failed. I had not prepared others to lead. I vowed, This will never happen again.

What makes developing leaders so hard?

It’s tough from the start, because people willing to be developed are pretty scarce. When you do find them, they’re usually already over-committed in other arenas of life. On top of that, it’s tough to build a team with leaders. You can’t herd cats, and you can’t herd leaders. They are strong-willed and usually have their own agenda. Then, if all this weren’t enough, strong leaders are hard to keep. They will be continually enticed with other opportunities that appear to be more exciting and meaningful.

Can a person who doesn’t feel like a strong leader develop others to be leaders?

Yes, if he or she is secure in turning over leadership to others, and is willing to develop also. Anyone who recognizes the importance of leadership can develop his or her skills. (In the case of the pastor) I’d suggest pulling together the gifted leaders in the church and letting them recruit and develop potential leaders. But that requires tremendous security within the pastor.

Tell about a time you saw a leader develop.

While Dan was a member at Skyline (Wesleyan Church in La Mesa, California, where John pastored 14 years), he felt called to ministry, and he went to seminary. He came back for a year of internship on our staff. Dan was smart, highly task-oriented, but also melancholic and non-relational.

His first week on the job, he walked right past me and seven or eight other people in the lobby. He never said hello or acknowledged our presence. With his briefcase in hand, face forward, he headed for his office, work on his mind. I thought, He didn’t even see us.

So I followed him into his office and said, “Dan, you just passed by your work.”

“What do you mean?”

“We were standing in the lobby, and you walked right by without speaking.”

“Man, I’d like to talk, but I’ve got work to do.”

“These people are our work, Dan,” I said. “We’re in the people business.”

What I love about Dan is that he saw a need to change, so he did. I began to teach people skills to him.

After five years, this person who had few people skills became my executive pastor and did nothing but people development and oversight. He told me the other day that 140 people are coming to his house for a holiday. He has become the Pied Piper.

The future of our ministry and our churches depends on developing others to lead.