| Church needs leaders with vision, influence BY ANDREW COONEY Leadership is a hot topic right now among pastors. Why the new buzz? Historically, the recent trend started with mega-churches and their pastors. These pastors, who started and grew our biggest churches, say that God needs leaders leading churches regardless of their size. The model these pastors are lifting up is different from the wounded-healer/chaplain model under which a lot of current pastors were trained. Those who use this model question if the church is just borrowing another business model. I dont think this is the case. There is significant biblical grounding for this newer way in Nehemiah, in the story of Moses, in Luke 10, in Acts 6 and all through Pauls ministry. So, what is the new model? God designed the church to function as a body, with different parts performing different functions based upon their spiritual gifts. Thus, the body should be led by leaders, taught by teachers and encouraged by encouragers. The new model also highlights the fact that many churches need a God-given vision of where they are going and a leader (led by the Holy Spirit) to help gbwc_superusere them there. Again, I think of Nehemiah, Moses, Jesus and Paul. Leaders are influencers, and godly leaders influence the church body to move toward a kingdom-based vision. Healthy churches dont choose between moving toward this vision and caring for their people. Ministry is a both/and opportunity; not an either/or proposition. But what are some practical elements of this leadership model? One key element is direction. Does the church have a direction in which it is headed? Can this be put in the form of goals that can be achieved in concrete ways? Moses direction was a God-given job to lead the people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Jesus direction was to head toward Jerusalem. Nehemiahs direction was to rebuild the wall. Many churches are program-driven. They plan events, but they are not headed in a particular direction. Does your church have a God-given picture of how it should be the body of Christ in your community? Is the pastor sharing that picture and laying the groundwork to move in that direction? Another key element of this model is equipping. Ephesians tells us that one of the God-given responsibilities is to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Sometimes it seems easier to do a job than train someone else to do it. In the long run this is a dead-end street. Do people in our churches know how to discern what God wants them to do? Is there someone there to mentor them into this work? Leaders train a person to do the work God calls them to do: to equip the saints for ministry. A third key element is teamwork. Our churches are used to committees, not teams. Jesus was big on team ministry. Committees are often run by a chairperson while others sit back and watch. Decisions are made, outside work is done, and the next meeting rolls around. A ministry team has a mission. It understands its purpose and place in the church and in Gods kingdom. It is staffed by people with different gifts and led by someone who wants to take advantage of those gifts. Teams rely on the energy and creativity of a group. They pray about what they are called to do, plan how to do it, and then call upon the church to participate with them. Teams also understand that the pastor has truly turned this area of ministry over to them. They may consult with the pastor and even have the pastor participate, but the team oversees and runs the ministry. These are just a few of the key elements of this model, and I have found that it works. Most importantly, I have found that it more clearly resembles a biblical model of the church. The Rev. Andrew Cooney heads the conference Board of Congregational Life leadership team and is pastor of First UMC in Berkeley Springs, W. Va. | 
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