So, Do You Want to be a Senior Pastor?
INTRODUCTION
“What do you do with all your free time?” This was the first question that a hairstylist asked me when she found out I was a pastor. Initially, I did not understand what she meant, so I asked her to explain her question while she kept cutting my hair. She then clarified, “After you are done with mass on Sunday, what do you do the rest of the week? What do you do with all your free time?” At that point I started laughing; in part confused, in part astonished—perhaps shocked. What free time? I thought.
What is pastoral leadership? What is the job description of a Senior Pastor? In my experience, the hairstylist is not the only person suffering from misconceptions about these questions. On the one hand, many seminary students graduate thinking that their main role is to preach on Sunday and teach Bible classes. Then, they get eaten alive by the human side of ministry demands and quit ministry altogether. They were expecting to spend a lot of time doing exegesis and writing books. They were not prepared to deal with conflict resolution, marriage counseling, and dysfunctional church politics. Other students seek pastoral ministry because they love helping people. Then they discover an ocean of organizational needs that not only consume their time but also their joy of ministry with it. They were expecting to spend time with people, rather than organizing programs, meeting with church boards, and dealing with IRS regulations for non-profits. On the other hand, church boards try to figure out the fair salary for the Senior Pastor. “What should we compare the job to?” they think. “Is it comparable to a public school teacher?” they wonder. This confusion may result in pastors feeling undercompensated and discouraged. This problem is magnified by the fact that most churches are not mega churches with a full team of associate pastors. Rather, most churches will have only one pastor—one pastor who is expected to do it all.
SUMMARY
Pastoral leadership is a complex topic because leadership is a complex topic. In Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice, editors Nitin Nohria and Rakesh Khurana present a collection of papers on leadership written by different scholars from a diversity of fields. The outcome is an insightful book that should be part of every leader’s library, not only because of the rich insights but also because of the extensive bibliographic information found in each chapter. The book asks, “What advice can scholars give leaders who are entrusted with the challenges of leading organizations and ensuring their continued viability and prosperity?” (3) The answer is 822 pages of scholarly advice; almost as thick as my Bible. The editors do not apologize for the immensity of the volume, because they have one underlying hope. They say, “the world is crying out for better leadership. We hope this volume improves the supply.” (24) This cry has been a personal one for me, because after thirteen years of ministry, I feel the need to get equipped to be a better leader. I can testify that this volume has indeed improved my understanding, which I hope will now help me supply better leadership to Ethnos Bible Church.
REFLECTION
The conversation with my hairstylist is a significant experience because it forced me to have to explain to somebody else what is the role of a Senior Pastor. Theologically speaking, the Bible summarizes the role of pastoral leadership by its three titles: Elder, Shepherd, and Overseer. Yet, these titles do not come accompanied by a comprehensive job description. They point out the functions of teaching/preaching, shepherding lives, and overseeing organizational health. However, in practice, there is a level of complexity in performing these roles that the Bible does not completely address in a comprehensive and prescriptive way.
Think of my case. After graduating from seminary, I started working as a Senior Pastor of a declining congregation that had seen their church decrease throughout the years from about four-hundred people to a crowd of twenty-five members in an increasingly multiethnic city. A fire destroyed our sanctuary and church offices during my fourth year. I was preaching, teaching, counseling, writing, mobilizing teams, leading a capital campaign, rebuilding the church after the fire, and doing outreach in the community. We brought some new pastors into the team, and took a training on strategic leadership. With our church leaders we developed our mission, vision, and values, which lead us to revise our entire ministry to create alignment. This process resulted in changing our church name, creating a new website, reengineering our leadership structure, and meeting with lawyers to change our legal identity and by-laws. That is the summary of thirteen years of ministry. As of today, we are still in this process. Consequently, I have felt for the past years that my ThM prepared me well as a theologian—to preach and teach—but I now need more training in organizational leadership in the context of globalization. As I have discovered, balancing the role of Elder, Shepherd, and Overseer is quite a challenge.
In light of my experience and in the midst of the many perceptions of pastoral leadership, I found chapter 16 of the book very insightful. The chapter is entitled “What is Leadership? The CEO’s Role in Large, Complex Organizations.” I was surprised to see how many parallels existed between senior pastoral leadership and the role of a CEO. The roles and challenges listed were exactly the roles and challenges that I faced. Just for fun, and to make the parallel more evident, let me change the word CEO in the following section with the word Pastor. Think of the role for a second. Michael Porter and Nitin Nohria point out that the role of a CEO is summarized in five key roles. Let me adapt them to my ministry. As Senior Pastor, I have to (1) provide 
direction and ensure aligned strategy for the church, (2) ensure that the organizational structure is aligned with the strategy, (3) recruit and develop senior leadership, (4) create an atmosphere that fosters commitment, (5) and implement organizational systems that ensure that goals are achieved in a timely manner. The goal is that the Senior Pastor will ensure alignment and adaptation in the church ministry. “Alignment means that choices in each area must be consistent with and reinforce others. Adaptation implies that these choices need to be reviewed and modified as internal and external conditions change.” (436) This is a challenging role because there is “too much to know, too much to do, and even too much to monitor.” (437) Newly appointed Pastors are often “surprised by the realities of the job and how different, not to mention more demanding, the Pastor’s job is from anything they have done previously.” (437) In order to mobilize the organization, Pastors need to learn to accomplish most of their work through others, rather than themselves, which means that they have to invest more time working with boards and leadership teams rather than doing things themselves. “Collectively, these activities take up what many Pastors experience as a surprisingly large fraction of their time and energy.” (438)
The challenges of a Senior Pastor are just like the ones of a CEO. Allow me to continue to exchange the word CEO for Senior Pastor in the following list. For instance, a Pastor’s “every word and action are followed and scrutinized closely…. Anything the Senior Pastor says or does is widely and extensively interpreted, and thus runs the risk of being amplified.” (440) The Senior Pastor is the face of the church to the point that “their personal lives (such as their families, their health, and their avocations) may well suffer. Putting everything into a job that demands every ounce of their energy, without losing themselves in the process, is the ultimate challenge of the Senior Pastor” (441). Pastors must think of the long-term goals to ensure that the church is “with better shape and with better prospects than when they took charge.” (441) Senior Pastors are expected to be proactive, to “set an agenda, develop plans, and drive action. They are expected to anticipate the future and plan for potential contingencies.” (442) Since there are always unexpected situations that demand the Pastor’s attention, these events “typically require urgent attention and can be enormously time consuming. The Pastor’s job thus requires a complex combination of proactive and reactive activities.” Consequently, Pastors are faced with the reality that “the demands of their time are endless. Everyone wants direct contact with the Pastor…. There are also rituals and events at which the Pastor’s presence is expected.” For all of these reasons, Pastors “often find themselves overcommitted, or spending time on things they regret.” (442) Thus, one of the most challenging realities of a Senior Pastor is “managing time—doing the things that are highest on the Pastor’s priority list, while still being responsive to the incessant flow of other demands.” I know well that despite the similarities, being a Senior Pastor is fundamentally different from being a CEO in that I am called to make disciples and
care for lives rather than profit. Yet, when looking at it from the organizational role of being an overseer, the similarities are clear.
So, what are the immediate implications of these obvious parallels? The book advises that “the CEO cannot perform even a small fraction of these functions personally. Inevitably, the CEO must principally harness the work of others.” (443) Based on my experience, I see how my role as Senior Pastor is evolving as the church grows. I believe that this change of role is not only a result of growth, but also an essential ingredient for growth. It demands a switch of investing time from doing to overseeing, from managing people to managing the organization, yet, without eliminating the personal connection. Consequently, there are three immediate implications for my ministry. First, I will need to start expanding and strengthening my leadership team so I can start delegating more. At this stage of my ministry, I must “pay close attention to the composition and development of a broader group of top talent” (446), improve the one-on-one reports, and harness the multiplier effect (456). Secondly, in light of the vast array of issues that demand my attention “and the impossibility of personally doing it all” (452), I must be disciplined to set a prioritized agenda for the use of my limited time. This is a “relative short list of major priorities that are ordered in terms of their time horizon.” (452) Finally, in order to enter into this transition, I must create certain venues that will improve communication and increase clarity, because “even in a moderately sized organization, it is virtually impossible for the CEO to directly communicate with everybody.” (454) This last point will require for me to start thinking in innovative ways, because “besides face-to-face or oral communication CEOs must also make effective use of other communication media such as organizational newsletters, annual reports, intranets, voice or video messages, e-mails, and blogs to get the message out.” (454) I hope that by taking intentional steps to expand my leadership team, maintain a clear personal agenda to manage my time, and by creating new venues to improve communication, I will be able to navigate this leadership transition in my Senior Pastoral role at Ethnos Bible Church.
In addition to these three implications, one question remains: What do I do with all my free time? If you are still wondering, please allow me this time to roll my eyes while I sigh.
About the Author
Pablo Morales
Pablo Morales serves as the Lead Pastor of Ethnos Bible Church in Texas. He is currently pursuing the Doctor of Ministry degree in Leadership and Global Perspectives at Portland Seminary in order to understand what it takes to develop a healthy multiethnic church.12 responses to “So, Do You Want to be a Senior Pastor?”
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Thanks Pablo,
I really enjoyed reading your blog, or should I say you journal entry as a senior pastor. Yes I agree the challenges of a Senior Pastor are just like the ones of a CEO; but also greater; because the Senior Pastor’s position innately requires that he be able to lead his pastoral staff effectively. Current—and potential—Senior Pastors often enter their ministry assignments with no specific preparation for leading a pastoral staff.
There is a great responsibility rests on the shoulders of the Senior Pastor to ensure the men working under him and with him are serving to their maximum capabilities. God deserves the best from His servants, and the Senior Pastor should see to it that the church’s ministerial staff is doing its part to further the kingdom.
The Leaders in the 21st century must use every strategy within its power to win souls into the kingdom of God. The strategy for reaching the unsaved in some charted territory is driven by Servanthood.
As always it was great reading your blog, may God bless you in your leadership role. Thanks Rose Maria
Rose, thanks for interacting with my blog. Your comments are always insightful! I do feel the need to grow in my skills as a leadership mentor, so my second semester in the DMin will be focused on researching leadership development. What a great sentence you wrote: “The strategy for reaching the unsaved in some charted territory is driven by Servanthood.” May my leadership be always characterized by that motto.
Thanks!
Pablo,
I laughed at loud with your conversation with your hair stylist! I too resonated with chapter 16. As well I agree whole-heartly that the role of a Sr. Pastor is very akin to a CEO. From the ministerial community at large, there has been a lot of push back with connecting a Sr. Pastor role to a CEO. Why do you think this is?
Aaron
Aaron,
Welcome back! I’m glad you had a great time in Israel!
Thank you for interacting with my blog.
You said, “From the ministerial community at large, there has been a lot of push back with connecting a Sr. Pastor role to a CEO. Why do you think this is?”
This hesitance that you mentioned maybe based on the fact that pastoral ministry has three dimensions: (1) Shepherd, (2) Teacher, (3) Overseer. The word CEO captures well the function of overseer, but it does not capture the shepherding and teaching role.
Also, CEO is a title that seems to embody the pursuit of success in business, in which size and profit tend to matter more than lives. In contrast, pastoral ministry should not be characterized by the love for money but by loving the sheep. So, perhaps comparing the title CEO to the title Pastor may result in conflicting values between the two.
Because we do not want to insinuate that the church is a business, I understand the hesitance of comparing a Senior Pastor to a CEO. Yet, it is clear to me that the role as an overseer is much like the role of a CEO. Organizational health is indeed a vital part of church ministry, and as pastors we must learn not only the art of preaching and shepherding, but also the art of mobilizing an organization that is united by one mission, one vision, and one set of common values. Only then we will be able to create the organizational alignment needed for a healthy church. So, after all, perhaps a pastor is a CEO—just a different kind—one called to Care-Equip-Oversee the church. Now, that’s the kind of CEO I want to be.
Pablo.
You have made the enormity of the tasks of a senior pastor abundantly clear, especially as it parallels to the responsibilities of a CEO in a large organization spelled out in the text. I like your understanding of your actual title of CEO as, “One called to Care-Equip-Oversee the church.”
Your perceptions are on the right track. As you said, “I will need to start expanding and strengthening my leadership team so I can start delegating more.” Along those lines, Michael Porter and Nitin Nohria note, “Organizations often innovate, evolve, and adapt based on the initiatives of individuals far removed from the CEO. Even for the decisions the CEO personally makes, he or she will inevitably need to rely on others for input and implementation. Therefore, what needs to be better understood is the allocation of responsibility for these functions and decisions among managers in an organization, and in particular, the specific role of the CEO.” (435).
Moses was advised that he needed to delegate more of his tremendous responsibilities. It is important to avoid “burn out” and not become weary in well-doing. Yours is a higher calling than any executive position that can be envisioned by the contributors of this Handbook. May God bless you and guide you in that endeavor.
Claire,
Thank you for the reminder that you so eloquently captured in your words: “Yours is a higher calling than any executive position that can be envisioned by the contributors of this Handbook.” Pastoral ministry is indeed a high calling with eternal repercussions. I’m reminded about the words of the apostle Peter who addressed the Elders and told them to care for the flock, because they will one day be accountable to the Shepherd of shepherds. I look forward to that day.
Thank you for your insights!
Pablo
Great read, Pablo! You make me want to add more pictures to my posts. The images you used draw us into the story and make us part of the dialogue.
I can completely understand. It’s always hilarious at Christmas time with all my relatives – the cousins go around the table and skip past me during discussion. They assume that my life is quite dull and without stress or purpose. They’ll moan and groan over their twenty-minute commute, and I’ll sit their silently rolling my eyes as I contemplate my crazy schedule for the week.
I did however experience an interesting scenario – I was the lead evangelist of a summer camp this past year and countless counselors and board members came up to me throughout the week in shock. They were shocked to see a pastor serving and filling up their days to minister to them. They had explained previous ministers who hid away in their rooms until it was time to give the message and expected others to be their personal servant.
I remember listening to the Rev’d Dean, Martyn Percy. He defined the role of a minister as one who is consumed with the things of God. Here was a man who was given a role of priority, yet he chose to give every moment to preferring others. As minister and leaders, how are we defined? Do people see us as leaders who serve or rulers consumed with superiority?
The authors suggest, “CEOs don’t need to be great orators, but they do need to be good communicators. They are the organization’s most critical spokesperson. And while others can help, the attention and credibility that the CEO uniquely commands means that this is a job that can never be full delegated” (Nohria, 455). We not only represent our organization; we represent the characteristics of Christ. We’re responsible for portraying our Savior through our communication, priorities and interactions.
Ministry is exhausting. It’s a 24/7 commitment of self to the submission of God. It’s a choice that places others before ourselves and seeks to serve and reveal Christ. In my opinion. Those who believe that pastors don’t do anything, don’t operate on assumption. They have this belief, out of experience. Part of our leadership responsibility is not only to give answers, but to clear up misnomers about ministry. We must lead and live a life that ministers; not just bears the title of minister.
Colleen,
Thank you for sharing about your experiences. I have also heard of similar experiences about guest speakers that want to be treated as Hollywood stars. That is sad. Perhaps, that is why many people hesitate to compare the role of a pastor to the one of a CEO.
I had the privilege of having my father preach at my ordination ceremony. He challenged me to be a shepherd who smelled like sheep. He meant that there are pastors who act like business executives and separate themselves from people. They are like shepherds who never touch the sheep, so they do not smell like sheep. Instead, the bests pastors are in close connection with the people under their care. They hold them in their arms to comfort them, to help them heal, and to help them grow. These are the shepherds who smell like the sheep. It was a memorable picture that I want to pursue in my ministry.
May the Lord continue to give you a heart that cares for his people. May you continue to smell like the sheep.
Pablo
Pablo,
Great blog. My parents have been in church all their life. They have been around ministry, but I have discovered that they struggle to know what I do all day. My mom asks me and it is tough to explain. With this type of role, do you see it essential for pastors (especially senior leaders) to surround themselves with other senior pastors as therapy?
Just curious your thoughts.
Jason
Jason, I think we are destined to be misunderstood (:
From all the ways church people introduce me, I must confess that being introduced as “the preacher” is the one I dislike the most. I much prefer when people say “He is my pastor.” Even in those simple labels I can tell how the person seems to perceive my role.
Absolutely! I think it is helpful to have other friends who are in pastoral ministry to whom you can relate. I frequently meet with another pastor who was my classmate in seminary. It is helpful because we can interact as persons who are serving as pastors. In any other relationship where people know me as the pastor, everything I say is perceived from that platform. So, it is refreshing (and even therapeutic) to have other people I can talk to who see me as a person first.
It is not easy to find those relationships. I hope you have people like that in your life too. If not, let’s make time for Starbucks!
Pablo
Pablo:
Thank you for the CEO/Senior Pastor analogy. It will be used again….trust me!
Free time? If you don’t create it, you will not have any. The average person does not understand the complex nature of our callings. It is 24/7 that has a changing environment, no “product” to produce that generates income, many times it is dealing with multi-generational, multi-socioeconomic, multi-cultural, and then throw in deaths, burials, and baby dedications.
How are you handling your time balance?
Phil
Phil, time balance is always a tough one (:
Right now, Tuesdays is my day off to be with my family. I learned not to check emails, Facebook, or check my cellphone on that day. I also learned to limit my marriage counseling to a maximum of three couples and keep those appointments only on Fridays. At least, those are some boundaries that I have created that have improved the balance. Yet, ministry is my passion, so I cannot turn it off. If I am reading, watching something, or having a conversation, I’m constantly thinking of how it relates to our ministry or how I can use it to teach or preach. I am like a singer who can limit performances but cannot stop singing throughout the day.
So far, life is somewhat balanced. Yet, I had this crazy idea of starting a doctoral degree… so, I’m re-learning what balance looks like. Thank you for asking!
Pablo