Church Leadership

Pitfalls in Church Planting: Leadership, Part 1

Barry Keldie

Continued from Pitfalls in Church Planting: Finances.

Leadership is one of the biggest pitfalls in church planting because the effects of leadership are so pronounced. Good leaders brighten your church-planting world. Good leaders can overcome a lack of resources, difficult situations or limited staffing. Similarly, bad leaders can’t win a fixed game. With bad leaders you can’t raise enough money or gather enough people to plant a strong church. Finding good leaders for every level of your church is key to planting well. Let’s take a look at two key levels: elders and staff.

Installing Elders

Every planter is frantically looking for teammates and help as he plants the church, but don’t install elders too quickly. This usually leads to hiring people who are not qualified or ready to lead, or giving authority to people who are not completely in sync with your mission and values. I know a church planter in North Carolina who hastily installed a group of elders who proceeded to fire him in their first elders’ meeting. Your first elders should be picked with almost as much care as your wife (unless you got married in Vegas)!

A Distinct Call

Your elders should feel a distinct call to pastor “your church,” not just “a church.” When you plant your church, it should be because you heard a distinct call from God to do so. Your elders should have had a similar experience. Lots of guys install their closest friends as elders, but don’t assume that someone else has experienced that call just because they like you and want to do ministry. Your best friend may not be called to your church, and he may not know it until he’s been there a year or so. If you’ve given him the title of elder, it will be a major ordeal if he needs to leave. Give him a staff role or a seat on the leadership team, but don’t give away the title of elder lightly.

Be slow to give power and authority, and be quick to take it away (1 Tim. 5:22). A man should be tested and approved in your church before you give the title of elder to him.