All People Are Not Equal

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” So begins the first sentence of the second paragraph of our Declaration of Independence, a document that changed the course of history. The idea that all men are created equal has been a hallmark of the culture of the United States even though its meaning has significantly morphed over time. Over the centuries, what has been the meaning of “all men?” Did it include people in slavery – how were they “equal?” Did it include women – how has their status as “equals” changed over time? And what exactly does “equal” mean? 

The vagaries of any language (and, I think, English in particular) can create myths that seem to be true but actually are not. Scripture teaches that all humans are of equal worth to God and that church leaders should not show favoritism (James 2:1-11). But it does not teach that leaders should not get any special attention needed for them to grow in their leadership capabilities and wisdom so that they can more effectively lead the congregation in accomplishing the mission of the church. Everybody needs to be continuously discipled, but leaders also need to be continuously trained and developed in their responsibilities as leaders.

I believe the author John Maxwell is right when he says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”[1] Leaders are different from followers and need specialized attention. Compared to the masses, they have outsized impacts upon the people and organizations they lead, and this includes churches. Leaders are responsible for the direction and the outcomes of the people and organizations that they lead. Shouldn’t we invest at least differently into our church leaders than we do into the general membership?

In my work with churches and with their leaders I have found that most churches fail to significantly invest in the growth and development of their leaders, including staff and board members. There are some churches that notably go against this norm, and they tend to outperform the churches that do not. Churches need skilled and gifted leaders. How to develop them is something to talk about.

“Wait!” you might think – “what do you mean by “outperform?” What I mean is that they outperform others in the effectiveness of their leadership because they are typically more knowledgeable and skillful leaders than those lacking ongoing development. So, they lead more effectively.

 Here are some ideas for starting a conversation about focusing more energy upon developing the leaders in your church.

1.    What training do we provide for our church leadership community? How often do we do so? Have we ever defined who comprises our “church leadership community?” Do we provide continuous, ongoing training for leadership or basic training and no more?

2.    Make a list of training resources used during the past five years. Do we utilize outside training/development resources or in-house only? Have we done any significant training for our leaders?

3.    Oftentimes the lead pastor is the only one providing training for church leaders. Who else in our church has leadership experience and insights that might be of value?

4.    Have we asked our church’s leaders what kind of leadership training/development they think they need or want?

5.    Attending a conference as a team (or as a group from a team) is an excellent strategy for developing internal relationships and engaging in some “iron sharpening iron” conversations within leadership or staff teams. When did we last learn or experience something together?

6.    Have we checked with district denominational staff about what kinds of training might be useful and available for your leaders and its availability?

7.    Have we considered hosting a leadership development retreat or daylong workshop for the church’s wider leadership community? Why or why not?

8.    Are leadership growth opportunities something that we proactively put on the yearly calendar or merely ad hoc responses to some kind of problem?

9.    Make a list of areas of leadership strength and weakness in leadership skill, knowledge, execution, and effectiveness among your team. What can we do to address those weak areas?

One of the things I have learned over the years is that hoping doesn’t accomplish anything, and church leaders need to accomplish things. Let’s move from hoping to intentionality by creating growth opportunities to equip our church leaders. The future of our churches and the health of our congregations depend upon it. And it’s something we should be talking about.

The EFCA West team is available to help you and your team develop a plan to train and equip your leaders in many different areas. Check us out at www.efcawest.org. 

Let us know if we can help and how your conversation goes. Contact Bob Osborne by e-mail at bob.osborne@efca.org. 

This is one of a series of articles intended to facilitate and guide church leaders’ conversations about significant issues that often are not talked about among pastors, boards, and church leadership teams. Visit the EFCA West website to see prior Something to Talk About articles.