The other option we have supported to
the best of our ability is 1-1 support via
email and the phone for pastors. I think
any pastor who is hesitant to pursue online
training should minimally avail themselves
of the person to person support from a
trusted mentor or advisor during these
difficult times.
Martin: The Church Network is a large
network of local groups, most of which
meet monthly and cover a topic of training
that affects the work on local congregation.
Our Certified Church Administrator (CCA)
designation training is available both virtual
and in person. Our national conference is held
each year and is a large training event with
a robust trade show of hundreds of suppliers
who support churches.
Over the next several years, which
areas of leadership development
do you expect to gain momentum
among pastors?
Manion: The environment for church
ministry in north America has been
changing for years, and this pandemic has
been an accelerant for that change. The
move to virtual ministry, live-streamed
services, and online giving as just a few
examples have all been happening for a
while, but now have become a necessity.
The context for ministry will only become
more complex in the next five to 10 years.
Church leaders must be able to assess and
understand the unique ministry needs in
their mission territory. They must be able to
shape and lead the culture of their churches
to fulfill that mission. They must become
agile learners who are willing to let people
fail quickly as they try new means and new
methods of sharing the Good News. We
will not return to church life the way it was
before COVID-19, any more than the early
disciples returned to life the way it was
before the Resurrection. Church leaders will
need to be able to discern the tenets of the
faith that have not changed from the forms
and rituals of their faith that need to adapt.
Martin: There’s no question that the
current pandemic will drive a movement to
look more at crisis planning.
Ricketson: I expect that leadership
development will be more follower-focused
than leader-focused. The current teaching
of ‘everything rises and falls on leadership’
has been interpreted by some as, ‘everything
rises and falls on the leader.’ This mantra is
patently false because the willingness of the
follower to follow a leader isn’t taken into
consideration. By concentrating for the last
50 years on leader training exclusively, a
division has unintentionally been created in
our churches between those in positions of
leading and those in positions of following.
The next generation of leaders don’t appear
to be enamored with ‘being the leader.’ It
appears they want relationships that work
together for kingdom purposes. Yes, certain
skills for certain positions will need to be
taught, but the overall focus will be to create
flat organizational structures that function
through meaningful relationships regardless
of position.
No matter what, there will be some
pastors who simply believe they
can't make leadership development
work for them. What would you say?
Martin: Time and money are always the
two pushbacks that keep a congregation from
supporting ongoing learning. Post-COVID
time, cost will become an even greater
barrier; for many churches staff development
is considered discretionary spending.
In reality, however, it’s as necessary as
payroll, buildings and mission. Balance is
critical for a congregation to have the best
possible leaders. Skills development needs
to move at such a great pace that no staff
member ever has all the training he or she
will need for the next decade.
Ricketson: My response to those pastors
is … don’t do leadership training. Leadership
is a process and an art, not a person. For
leadership to take place, you must have
people willing to lead and people willing to
follow. I’d concentrate on teaching followers
how to follow.
Hundreds of graduates from the MAL
program can attest that this ‘follower-first’
approach has revolutionized their own
approach to leading others and produced a
new spirit of cooperation within the church.
Manion: We have heard numerous
testimonies from pastors who signed up for
leadership development training reluctantly
or even against their desires. The common
sentiment at the end of the process is that,
“Wow, it turns out you can teach an old dog
new tricks.”
If we believe the life of a disciple of Christ
is one of ongoing conversion, we must
practice what we preach. Church leaders
need to be committed to their ongoing
development as Christians, as ministers, and
as leaders. I don’t know how a pastor could
fulfill their vocation without it.
— Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh
CLA
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EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL
Stephen Briggs
Associate Pastor of Administration
First Baptist Church | Hendersonville, NC
Denise Craig
Executive Pastor
Abba’s House | Hixson, TN
Mike Klockenbrink
Chief of Staff
Lakeside Church | Folsom, CA
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Faith Based Banking Division
Cass Commercial Bank | Des Peres, MO
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Executive Pastor
Pathways Church | Denver, CO
Sam S. Rainer III
Senior Pastor
West Bradenton Baptist Church | Bradenton, FL
Mark Simmons
Business Manager
Christ Community Church | Milpitas, CA
Eric Spacek
Senior Manager
GuideOne Insurance | West Des Moines, IA
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30 CHURCH EXECUTIVE | MAY / JUNE 2020