Your pastor may give the best sermons on this side of glory but is she/he an effective leader?  When your pastor steps out of the pulpit can you count on them to develop you as a leader or disciple?  Unfortunately in today’s society everyone with the title of Pastor cannot always be trusted with the role of developing leaders.  The scary thing is unless you decide to become involved in some aspect of ministry you may never see what type of leader your pastor is amongst her/his leadership team.  In order for a church to be a healthy functioning body, the leader must take on some aspects of Christ.  Below are 4 reasons your pastor may not be a good leader.  If these sound familiar to you, you may need to think carefully about who you are following.

1. New Leaders have to prove themselves versus being trained

Jesus trained disciples directly and worked to help mold and shape them.  We know Jesus instructed 72 and he worked directly with 12 for at least 3 years.  Although at times the 12 doubted him never did they have to prove they were worthy to be developed as leaders.  In many of today’s churches, there’s a sense that one must prove themselves for ministry.  If God has called you to any aspect of ministry from usher to minister, as a leader, if the pastor is modeling Christ they will be willing to work with you or point you in the direction of someone who can.

2. They hold grudges

The disciples asked Jesus how many time they should forgive (Matt 18:21-22; Luke 17:4).  Jesus replied to them by stating 77 times or 70×7 depending on the version of the Bible you read.   In the first century a number like 240 would have been unimaginable.  Disputes happen as a natural part of life and it is okay to be angry, hurt or even sad as a result of a dispute.  If your pastor is harboring these emotions though she/he is not living up to a standard of disciple leadership laid out by Jesus.

3. They lack vision (or it isn’t communicated to the community)

In Luke 4:18 Jesus clearly lays out his vision for his purpose.  In Mark 6:7-12, Jesus gives the disciple a clear vision for their mission.  Without a clear vision for the community, the community is bound to move around blindly or remain stagnant. The pastor should be moving the congregation towards wholeness, which may contain these following foundational aspects:

• Spiritual Health
• Financial Health
• Mental Health
• Emotional Health
• Physical Health
• Relational Health

4. They use their power and influence for personal gain

Pastors have a ton of influence and some take advantage of their power making them unethical leaders.  In the news we hear of pastors embezzling, on reality shows we see some flaunting their riches and we see male pastors taking advantage of female congregants.  A pastor who is holding a grudge may also use their influence to seek revenge.  One thing the bible shows us is Jesus never took advantage of his power.  In the beginning of his ministry Jesus was tempted by The Enemy.  During his temptation (Matt 4:8-9), Jesus was offered the world on a platter but did not accept it.  Instead, throughout the gospels, Jesus used his power for good, helping others in need.  If personal gain is your pastor’s main focus, run!

After looking at this list is there anything that you can add to it?  Have you experienced any of the above?  Share below.  Also hit the retweet, like and +1 buttons above to share this article.