Megachurch Research 3 - Reflections from Ted Traylor
Dr. Ted Traylor is pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. I mentioned him in my article called "The Missional Megachurch."
Ted even has a blog!
Here, he shares some thoughts on pastoring a megachurch.
You lead a church that has over 3000 weekly attendees. How can you lead such a church to engage its community in missional ways?
Keeping the vision and task before the people in corporate worship is essential. Dr. Homer Lindsey told me years ago that a church will naturally drift toward fellowship and you must take it/lead it toward evangelism. A key for mission in a large church is to talk about it often. Allowing those involved in life transformation to tell their story is a powerful tool. And then I find it key to have a group of leaders around you that you can pray with and flesh out the vision as you take it to the church. This includes staff, but lay leaders are key. In our context, the deacons are "big-time sellers" of the vision to the church family. That was a part of the DNA of Olive that I inherited in 1990. It works for us and I am grateful for men who come alongside of me to help in the missional task.
2. Your church is known for many things, but one of them is your approach to cross cultural ministry in Pensacola. How are you doing that and why is that important?
In the past few years we have started Hispanic, Russian and Chinese missions on our campus. We also had a Korean group and they are now standing on their own in the city in their own building. Less than two years ago we called Dr. Leo Day to be our new Minister of Music. Having a black leader up front weekly has helped us bridge a racial gap. All of these things are important because of the changing ethnic and racial make up of America. Everyone talks about these issues and action is not easy. However, if we are going to be serious about reaching America the church cannot continue to just look like me.
3. Some mega church pastors have struggled with their personal spiritual journey. Is the job really too much for one person? How do you keep your leadership role with your people from hurting your spiritual relationship with God?
I sense that in the past 10-15 years we have moved to an out-of-balance emphasis on leadership in training and equipping church leaders to the detriment of spiritual formation in the man of God. "Everything rises and falls on leadership" is the phrase I hear over and over. And while I am appreciative of this teaching and have gained great help from many who stress leadership training, it seems to me the church rises and falls on Christ in me the Hope of Glory.
If one masters great leadership principles without Jesus mastering him, that leader is in for a troubled ride, for we will reap what we sow. As a young preacher I heard Dr. W. A. Criswell say to keep your mornings for God. I have done that on a consistent basis. In my first church with 44 in attendance I kept my mornings for God. I have done that in the county seat church and in the suburban church. There are times when crisis calls me out, but not very often. Now I have staff who handles those things that come at us on a daily basis. I explained this to my people up front and they have honored my request to have my mornings for the Master.
This is my way and it is not the way for everyone. But all of must take time to deal with the inner man so it is renewed day by day. Only then can we be the leader God has called us to be.
4. You led an established church to reach its community. Would you recommend church planting or leading an established church?
Both are certainly needed. Each person must determine the call of God, gifts they are given and the passion they possess. As a seminary student at Southwestern I considered planting a church in the state of Washington. It just was not for me.
I have pastored three churches since my days in Ft. Worth. All have been established churches. I have found my place. Church planters are servants with greater courage and more entrepreneurial skills than I possess. I have found that I fit best in the established church helping her see the future and make the changes that are required to walk into the next generation with effectiveness. I also enjoy helping those that want to plant a church get it done. We are currently partnering in Cleveland and San Diego with men who are planting new churches. We pray, send working teams and provide consistent cash investment.
I am a trustee at NAMB and have learned much in the past few years from that relationship about how I can best aid in church planting as the pastor of an established church that was planted by 12 people from south Alabama in 1894.
5. What advice would you give to pastors?
I am frequently invited to speak to classes of preachers in Baptist colleges and seminaries. My advice to them is...
1) Guard the inner man--this is our walk with Jesus. It is essential. Learn to pray and be a good Bible student.
2) Be yourself--I am from rural Pisgah, Alabama. I am an only child. My roots are important. Some of them I have learned from and moved away from, but I never forgot who I am. People are turned off by a show and teenagers are the first to repel hypocrisy in leaders.
3) Contextualize--You can only do ministry where you are planted. I am in the Panhandle of Florida. We have more in common with Alabama than Orlando. We are in different time zones and cultural zones. Work hard to know the times and the season of your ministry.
4) Love your wife and kids-- Liz shares my call. Our children are 25 and 21. Our churches have been good to our family. I asked the deacons to move the night of meetings when my son was a junior varsity football player. They did it gladly. They wanted me to come and I would have been absent!
5) Be a man of vision--Ask God to show you the path of the mission for your church. Be humble as you boldly lead and God will raise up followers.
Feel free to comment on Ted's thoughts in the comments below.
The Exchange is a part of CT's
Blog Forum. Support the work of CT.
Subscribe and get one year free.
The views of the blogger do not necessarily reflect those of Christianity Today.
