| In his book, Leveling the Church, my friend Micah Fries tells the story of his first pastorate. He took over a small, 100-year-old church and after a year as the pastor, things seemed to be going well. Attendance doubled, the budget grew, and church members were happy. But he knew there was a darker reality behind the success. “I exhausted myself trying to do everything,” he recalled. Instead of empowering others to do ministry, he was doing it all himself. And he quickly learned, “You can’t—and shouldn’t—do it all.” Indeed. Ministry can’t be a one-man (or one-woman) show. We might lionize do-it-all pastors, but ultimately, they hurt themselves and hold others back. This week on The Art of Pastoring podcast, Jared Wilson and Ronnie Martin warn pastors against becoming their church’s “functional savior.” The church only needs one Savior, and that role is already filled. Of course, in order not to do everything, you need to learn to delegate. To get an idea of whether you’re delegating enough, check out our Learning to Delegate assessment. It will help you when and how to pass along ministry work. |
