Pastoral Leadership in a Small Church

Dennis Alexander, our Urban and Ethnic Ministries Staff for the Minnesota Annual Conference, recently interviewed Bob Farr of the Missouri Annual Conference on their discoveries concerning effective pastoral leadership in small churches. Here are a few notes which may be instructive to our pastors and lay church leadership. As a matter of personal observation on our district, I think that the most effective pastors we have in such small church settings plainly demonstrate each of these characteristics, and to the degree that their ministries could be enhanced, it's also mostly through these characteristics.

What are the skill sets necessary for a pastor to lead a small congregation to become vital, healthy, and growing?

1. The ability to preach well, such that sermons connect with the people.

2. The crafting and execution of meaningful worship: inspiring, passionate, hopeful, participatory, joyful -- “an awesome experience of God.”

3. Quality pastoral care of the people within the congregation. Pastors aren’t going to be allowed to do anything new if they haven’t built trust among the resident congregation. Key first question: “Who are the five key people I need to visit regularly?”

4. The ability to relate to the people in your mission field. Do you enjoy your community?
Are you known by name by community leaders? Do you hang out at the café, at businesses?
Are you “one of the locals”? Name your mission field and work it!
Have holy conversations where you make yourself known and make contacts.
Don’t “hold down the fort” – Instead, spend 10 hours a week or more working your field (20% of your time).
Become the community pastor – “Call me, if I can help in any way.”

5. Bring in the next five new people into the faith community. (There are many doors!)
The first one will be the challenge. After the first, others will follow.
Demonstrate what you expect your congregation to do, but you must be the first to invite and bring.

What Pastoral leadership styles are needed in a small congregation?
Answer: Preacher, Team Builder, Shepherd, Evangelist (Mission Field), Visionary, Administration (Manager) – not so much the Chaplain or the CEO. These styles are for other ministries.