The Leadership Crisis
I’ve been giving considerable thought to the topic of leadership over the last year. Let me explain…
From the time I was a little girl, I was told that I was a leader. To a child, that doesn’t mean much. As a teenager, it felt uncomfortable because everything feels uncomfortable during those years. As someone who struggled with massive identity issues well into adulthood, the label “leader” and its definition was elusive at best. One might say that I’ve been seeking to find my footing in the realm of leadership, a place that others saw that I belonged, but I never quite knew my place.
Enter the last year…
My husband Robert-my biggest support. Jim Le Shana encouraged me to attend Barclay. Not pictured is my mom, who has been my longest-standing cheerleader. God is good.
When I accepted my role with Evangelical Friends Church Planting (EFCP) in June 2024, it seemed the next right progression after completing my Master's in Missional Multiplication from Barclay College just two months earlier. It was as if I had found the mysterious ladder I had been chasing for years and started to climb its rungs. My arrival to “leadership” was imminent.
However, over the last 18 months in my role, I’ve had the opportunity to engage in conversations with church leaders from around the country. Some of these conversations have been within Evangelical Friends churches. Some have been with leaders outside of Friends circles. They all confirm what the stats say: there is a significant gap in leadership for the American Church. In fact, over 10 years ago, Barna pointed out that the leadership gap is bigger than the walls of our churches. Bottom line: we are in trouble if something doesn’t change.
So, how do we address the leadership gap so that we can empower more people to become lay leaders, pastors, missionaries, and, yes, even church planters?
I think part of the answer lies in taking apart the word “leadership.” Has this term fallen into some vague definition that we think we know it when we see it, but we don’t really know how to define it? Many of the words we know in the church fall into this same category: faithful, fellowship, quiet time, small group, hedge of protection…well, you get the idea. I certainly do not have all the answers to address the leadership crisis we face, but I can offer a few insights I’ve gleaned from conversations with others and my own experiences.
Leaders tend to have a growth mindset.
This is different than “Leaders are gifted with a driven personality.” When I asked a group of leaders recently, “What makes up a leader specifically?” one woman chimed in quickly. “Accountability in their life and relationship with God.” Leaders do tend to be quick to take accountability, don’t they? The narrative around our culture gives us plenty of excuses as to why we are the victims in our lives.
But then I consider the life of Joseph, who had every reason to feel sorry for himself. His brothers hated him enough to sell him into slavery. He had trumped-up charges against him for assault. He was imprisoned and forgotten about. But in every circumstance, he did the best he could with what he had. He became the head of Potipher’s household. He became second to the prison warden. Eventually, he became the second-in-command of Egypt. Even when he faced his brothers, in full power to hold vengeance against them, his response is convicting:
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20, NIV
A leader doesn’t see themselves as a victim. They only see obstacles to overcome to live as God has called them.
Leaders have been given the opportunity to fail.
As more and more pastors look to retire in the next few years, we must ask ourselves if we are prepared for a baton handoff in leadership. Are we providing an opportunity for the future leaders to “fail” in a safe environment? Are we free-handed with our pulpits and planning to give room for the voices that have been stifled for too long?
Admittedly, failure in ministry feels especially weighty. We are dealing with people’s souls. What if we fail and people fall away from God? What if I put someone in to lead and they aren’t ready yet? What if we plant a church and it “fails,” closing prematurely?
But if we constantly helicopter over the work others do, fixing before giving freedom, how will others ever find their calling? I think of Gamaliel in Acts 5. The religious leaders were gathered to discuss finding a way to end the spread of The Way. In steps Gamaliel:
“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:37-38, NIV
A leader is given room to follow God’s direction. Do you give space for others to follow God’s lead, even if it differs from your view?
Leaders eventually have to do the thing. Often before they are ready.
Leading our SHINE Women’s Retreat. Something I never thought I would do. Glory to God.
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve come across is to just start. This is the success of every business in America–someone came up with an idea and, long before they were ready, they just did the thing. They opened the storefront. They made their first dollar, then their second, and so the story goes.
I’m not saying that planting a church or developing a new ministry leader is exactly the same as starting a business. For sure, there must be space for prayer, discernment, and a strong foundation. But at some point, we must let someone else take the leap of faith that God is asking of them. Our job is to be present when they come back to process the wins and the struggles.
We think of all the greats of the Bible: Abraham, Esther, the Disciples, Moses, Mary, Nehemiah, David, and others. God asked really big things of them. If I thought I felt inadequate the first time I preached a message or taught a Sunday school lesson, I can only imagine what it was like to stand before the burning bush.
When God calls someone other than you to a new work or ministry, even if you don’t see them as ready, are you willing to be their Aaron or Mordecai?
Last Word
While skill mastery can and should be a part of any leader’s repertoire, sometimes we focus too much on this. We often get caught up in metrics like the number of books read, degrees achieved, and years of experience to gauge someone’s readiness to lead. While these factors can contribute to the development of a strong leader, I wonder if chasing these metrics over time has done more harm than good in creating viable, healthy leadership pipelines within the American Church.
I am confident, though, that with regular accountability, giving opportunities to fail (or succeed), and releasing others to do the thing, we might be able to turn the tide of leadership. Not only for the sake of the Church but for the sake of our country.
In the following posts, we’ll be peeling back the layers on some more specifics of how we can be developing leaders for the future, especially finding those who are called to plant churches.
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