There is more to a church leader than just standing in front of a congregation preaching the gospel on a Sunday morning. There is a much broader definition of what it means to be a church leader.

But before we delve deeper into the topic of church leadership, who exactly are the church leaders in the congregation?

Leadership Roles in the Church

To serve the congregation, a church needs various leadership roles in place to manage the different aspects of the church. Here are a few common leadership roles in a church setting. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list as leadership roles change and varies depending on the size and structure of the church.

• Pastors and Priests: As the backbone of the church, pastors and priests hold their congregation together. They provide spiritual leadership and governance to the church, guiding, directing, and supporting individual members of the congregation as well as the whole organization. Apart from preaching and administering the sacraments, they also make sure that the church’s visions and direction are adhered to.
• Elders/Deacons: As the second-in-charge, elders/deacons can assume many responsibilities of the pastor or priest but they mostly support the work that the pastor or priest performs.
• Church Boards: As elected or appointed group of individuals, the church board’s task is to oversee the various aspects of the church’s operations.
• Ministry Coordinators: Ministry coordinators are responsible for different church operations like worship, discipleship, outreach, and youth programs.

Why Does the Church’s Leadership Matter?

It is the church’s leadership that holds the organization together. It is the glue that ensures everything is functioning smoothly and effectively. Church leaders devote their lives to guiding and taking care of the congregation, steering the organization in the right direction as it forward into the future. The church leaders give the church its direction and impetus to move toward their divine purpose

Effective Church Leadership

Effective church leaders do more than just manage the day-to-day operations of the church. Effective leaders live the values and teachings of the church in every decision they make. According to Kristine Ensor of Donorbox, a leader needs qualities that influence and morally support the congregation. These qualities include moral trustworthiness, social aptitude, empathy, pastoral care, and much more.

Effective church leadership entails forward thinking as it sets goals and makes plans for the future of the organization. It doesn’t stop there, of course, as an effective church leader will guide the church toward the fulfillment of its mission and goals.

When church leadership is effective, the whole congregation are inspired, active, involved, and, more importantly, living their faith in real and tangible ways.

Character-Driven Leaders

According to Jeff Edmonds of Key Principles, a leader’s effectiveness is a function of their character more than their personality. Here are eleven character traits for excellent church leadership according to Kristine Ensor:

• Servant of God: A church leader must be a servant to God before he can be a servant to the church members. Jesus Christ is the best example of this type of leader. His actions and teachings show how leaders must act and treat their followers.
• Excellent listener: When a true leader listens to the needs of their congregation, it is with the intention to serve. This is selfless listening.
• Empathetic: A leader will feel the pain and grief of his church members and is one with their problems and struggles.
• Healer: A primary role of leader, he or she uses their gifts to connect and help their members heal from their grief and hurts whenever possible. The church leader is also responsible for the whole church, making sure that the church is healthy and whole.
• Self-aware: Being self-aware helps the church leader mitigates the feelings that could overwhelm their actions when faced with difficulty.
• Persuasive: Jesus used his words and actions to persuade people. An effective leader uses persuasion over authority to reach to the congregation.
• Follows the big picture: The day-to-day grind can be overwhelming and makes us lose faith of the future. It is the role of the church leader not to lose focus of the end goals or the bigger picture. The should be able to managing their present issues while leading them in the right direction.
• Experience: A church leader must have the experience and knowledge to steer the congregation on the right path. A church leader having the experience has more confidence and assurance, which can gain the trust of the members.
• Stewards others: A church leader must be able to steward your flock and lead by example so that others may follow.
• Committed to people: A leader is committed to helping the entire congregation reach their destiny. This means he will guide and direct his church members in the right way.
• Builds a community: A church leader creates a community within the church and enables others to take leadership roles and connect with others in your community.

In the realm of church leadership, character is the foundation upon which lasting influence is built on.  With character-driven leadership, the church becomes a community of hope and faith.

Sources:

Cashan, Kevin. “Character-Driven Leadership.” Last modified March 17, 2015. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevincashman/2015/03/17/character-driven-leadership/.

Ensor, Kristine. “A Comprehensive Guide on Church Leadership.” Last modified May 22, 2024. https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/church-leadership#.

Paybee. “Building Community Leaders with Effective Church Leadership” Last modified June 4, 2024. https://w.paybee.io/post/church-leadership.

Smith, Kathy. “Leadership in Times of Change.” Last modified April 6, 2011. https://worship.calvin.edu/resources/resource-library/leadership-in-times-of-change/.