Biblical Leadership

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Biblical Leadership

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sh photo copy Greetings Southeast Family!

It seems like it wasn’t that long ago when I was a local elder in a small Adventist church wondering what our new pastor would bring to our church. Change can be difficult. Knowing what to expect each Sabbath is one of the reassuring comforts of belonging to a church. Whether we agree with everything or not, there aren’t many surprises. Unexpected feelings rise to the surface when we’re informed that there will be a change in leadership. The pastor has the unique ability to affect everyone involved. You’ve worked so hard to establish an identity and a routine. It’s suddenly in jeopardy.

Which brings us back to the question. Will this man come in and change everything? It’s been a while since Southeast has been on the rollercoaster of adjusting from one style of leadership to another. The thought of it can be exhausting.

The truth is that I don’t know what has to be changed. When I walk into a new church, I see more than just the nice people who greet me at the door and show me around. I see a cozy place of worship built by generations of faithful believers who went above and beyond to create a place where seekers may come to worship God. I see an incredible responsibility to do my part in making their prayers a reality. If anything, I’m overprotective of the congregation. I’ve stood in the pulpit and watched seniors write checks that would leave them in a deficit. Because I had a relationship with them, I knew that they didn’t have much money to spare. Yet, they willingly and cheerfully gave to causes that I presented to them. Many have gone out of their way to learn my shoe size, cook meals and discreetly hand me a card with cash in it (not required but this is what they do). I’ve stood over caskets of faithful believers who didn’t count it robbery to never fully realize the dream they worked so hard toward. Images like these will make a pastor cautious when dealing with God’s church.

I used to go storming into a church trying to make my mark and establish my authority early. This strategy would be welcomed by some but despised by others. Now that I’ve done this I few times, I understand that every church is unique. A culture already exists. Goals are already in place. My job is to learn about you and the district around the church. As I learn about you, you learn about me. We discover strengths and weaknesses in time. Hopefully, we love the Lord enough to appreciate each other.

Southeast is church number 7 for me. I’ve realized that changes must have a positive purpose. We don’t change things just to change them. As a sports fan, I understand that athletes and teams alike must be fit to fight. Nothing good can be accomplished in an unhealthy environment. The roles and duties of church members have been developed through six thousand years of experience. The best practices have become doctrine for a reason.

For now, my goal is to create a healthy atmosphere, where everyone is valued and the Holy Spirit can move. No one knows everything – including me. But together we can accomplish anything. I’m fully aware that this will take some time. Sometimes being a member of a church is like being in foster care. You feel like you’ve been shuffled from one temporary situation to another.

Today, you have an enormous advantage. You have a pastor who spent years in the pews experiencing change from your point of view. I promised the Lord that I would never forget to treat others the way that I want to be treated.

Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalm 1:1-4