Pastors

They lead in their own power rather than God’s power. They may use the language of “God’s power,” but honesty would require them to say that they’re living in their own strength. They’re tackling very little that they could not do on their own.

The young minister was all smiles and oozing enthusiasm as we ordered our lunch at the restaurant. My goal wasn’t to steal his smile, but to help equip him for the realities of servant leadership.

Leaders are in charge—mostly. Being a leader means you have followers. Otherwise, you’re just taking a walk. The sheer presence of followers provides leaders two things we really, really love: power and authority.

There are two types of credibility. Both personal and professional credibility are essential for the leader. The former is about character and integrity. The latter is about execution and faithfully and skillfully doing one’s job.

The mantra taught to 21st century church leaders is that “leadership is influence.” There’s a lot of truth in that statement for business or secular leaders, but not for spiritual leaders.

I love my pastor, but I must admit, I don’t often express that I do. Shame on me. Allow me to take a few moments to articulate some of the reasons why I appreciate my pastor so much.

No church fire I’ve seen begins in full flame. Instead, it usually begins with a spark, a tiny glow that extends itself one flicker at a time until the flame is raging--a fire that might burn down your church.

A recent study found that the perceived credibility of pastors has been slipping in recent years. While pastors can't control everything, here are five things that are detrimental to their credibility.