Leader's Insight: Pastoral Ambition (Part 2)

Recently in this column, pastor Kent Carlson made a confession. His ambition for success caused his church to grow, but at a high price. We posted Kent’s essay at our blog, and invited our readers to comment. We received a lot of comment. Here are some highlights.

Terry commented: My own feelings of ambition sometimes make me wonder: “Why did Pastor X, with fewer years experience than me, get such a large jump on the ladder?” “Why have I been overlooked?” In its rawest form, this is ambition raising its ugly head in my life and Satan’s way of messing with me for a few weeks until I get over the “supposed” slight and get back to doing what I have been called to do—minister to the flock to which I am assigned.

Scott commented: The problem isn’t just the fact that pastors have bought into the “success = a big church” mentality. The lay leadership and members of most churches have, too. I currently pastor a new church that is doing well and experiencing consistent growth. There is a lot of expectation and pressure from the church leadership to be a big, thriving church. So I constantly find myself looking at the numbers to measure our level of success and my own personal leadership abilities. Let’s face it: if a church doesn’t experience continual upward growth, then it will usually be interpreted as ineffective pastoral leadership.

Sherman commented: Anyone who has been identified as a “model” by their peers will tell you that at the end of the day the work of ministry still needs to be done by the ones who have been called to do that ministry. Nothing reminds one more of this truth than returning home as the Keynote Speaker for some international conference to the cry of a child who needs a diaper change, a senior saint who needs a meal, a drug-addicted man who needs to be confronted or a worship center that needs vacuuming.

Deane commented: Resolution to the problem of ambition needs to be more fully developed. The word, as the much-maligned word “money,” is neutral. However, the wrong use of it can be very evil. The enemy of the soul was driven by his ambition to supplant God. In 2 Timothy 2:26, Paul talks about someone being ensnared to do the evil one’s will. We must, truly, guard our hearts and minds (Jer. 17:9-10), allowing the Holy Spirit’s constant scrutiny and revealing any distortion to be brought to light and confession.

Michelle commented: I’ve been a member of a couple of churches that had leadership in love with narcissistic “success.” These leaders were very willing to do what they had to do to motivate (or guilt) people into serving them so they could build their empire. If ambition is in the DNA of the church, it doesn’t just stay at the top of the org chart. It trickles down to most all of the ministries—and doesn’t create a very healthy church culture, though it does create a “successful looking” one.

Rob commented: Ambition is not only common, it’s insidious. After all, most of the praise that tickles our ears is offered in genuine gratitude by others. That is precisely why we must remain vigilant in watching for signs of ambition in our own hearts.

Henriet commented: My upbringing enforced the fact that ego and ambition are “bad” and don’t belong to a person of good character. However, without some ego and ambition it is hard to answer God’s call to go out and make disciples of all nations. Therein lies the dilemma … I want to change the world because I desire to change the world for Jesus—contributing to what ultimately is God’s will: “to bring everything under the Lordship of Jesus” (Eph. 1:10). I’m afraid that will look and sound like ambition. I still have to answer the call.

Michael commented: How does one measure character or spirituality when speaking to other pastors? To speak of a church that is strong spiritually rather than big numerically is considered by the market leaders as an excuse for ineffective ministry. So, numbers, speaking engagements, club memberships, and money become the language of success.

Michael Y. commented: I wonder how much we listen to Jesus, who said that he is the only Teacher we have (Matthew 23:8-12). He taught that anyone who had ambition should be a servant and a slave (Matthew 20:25-28) and should take the lowest rank (Luke 22:25-26). And he practiced what He preached: “I am among you as one who serves.”

Tony commented: Unfortunately, this mentality is indoctrinated into those preparing for ministry. I recall a number of years ago when I was a seminary student, twice a week every week, we attended chapel services on the campus of one of our denomination’s most respected seminaries. The speaker was always the pastor of First Largest Church of Some City, USA. In the past year his church had grown from 400 members to 14,000, had given $$$$$ to missions, and had baptized 2,500. I never heard from the bi-vocational pastor of Teeny Weeny Baptist Church of Tiny Town, USA, who knew all of his members—and their pets—by name, whose annual budget was less than the local mom-and-pop grocery store took in each week, and whose ministry was characterized by a genuine love for his parishioners. His ministry was not successful enough to warrant an invitation to speak at a chapel service at one of the seminaries his church’s offerings help support.

Mike commented: When I started out in ministry, I was five miles from a megachurch. The small church of 70 (on a good day) would consistently lose people to this bigger venue and it would frustrate me. For years, I thought I was selfish for being upset at this. But then a mentor of mine helped me realize that the most successful ministry ever was with a guy who had a church of 12!

Jon commented: I just spoke with a good friend who is exiting ministry, mostly because in ‘productive’ terms, his church has done more decline than incline. The psychological dark side of a declining ministry has taken its toll. The numbers game has more victims than victors … I think I am learning that whether my church grows or not is really not a direct indicator of my spiritual status. My churches have grown when I have been sucking wind spiritually and my churches have declined when I have been spiritually stout.

Paul commented: Young, gifted men desperately need the counsel and support of older pastors. My job looked appealing from the outside but it was very stressful. I could have used some encouragement to hang in there. Today, I work very hard to recognize giftedness in young minister and try to help them grow spiritually and professionally. We need to help each other to advance the kingdom according to our gifts and place where God has put us. But, you can’t help someone if you’re competing with them in your heart.

D.W. commented: The paradigms for a 50, 500, and 5,000 attendance church are all different as they are for business sizes. There will always be a place for mega, large, mid-size, small, and smaller churches because each meets a need of the community.

Mike B. commented: As an African-American ministry shaped by the Civil Rights Era, I am disgusted with the success model that mirrors the “BLING-BLING Gangsta Rap World.” I choose to not segregate myself from the world and started three Alternative Schools in rural Georgia. In Nov. ’05, I stood over the grave of one of my former students and his brothers who were killed in a home invasion related to drugs. I was never able to get the church community to help me reach this un-churched community because time and time again I was told “these types are a drag on our vision for growth.” I am totally angry that we want “Favor” and not a “Fight with Satan.”

Matt commented: In Scripture those who were popular with God were actually not so popular with many people. Look at the persecution of the prophets and apostles. Jeremiah was basically alone in his quest to get Jerusalem to listen to God’s Word. On and on the list could go. Let’s just be God-centered and let the rest fall into place.

To read all the comments to Kent Carlson’s post dated October 3, 2006 , visit our blog, Out Of Ur .