Myth: Lead pastors need to be available to everyone.
When I first took a course on pastoral theology in Bible school, my professor taught us the conventional model of church ministry. The called, paid pastor was supposed to do the work of the ministry. He was available for everyone and everything.
Some pastors fit right into this model. They entered the pastorate to preach, marry, bury, counsel, and to be available to those with needs. They love to teach large groups of people—anyone who is willing to come, sit, and listen. These pastors live for the celebration service. They feel worthwhile when preaching to a group of people.
When someone walks into the church for counseling, they are ready to receive him or her, even when others are available to counsel the person.
Some pastors simply don’t have the vision to delegate and mentor other leaders to do the work of the ministry. Rather, they prefer to do it all themselves.
Truth: Effective cell church leaders delegate.
Jethro’s advice to Moses was to choose leaders to care for groups of tens, fifties, and hundreds, so that he would not have to carry the load by himself. Jethro summed up the problem succinctly, “You are wearying yourself and also those who hear you” (Exodus 18:18). Moses tried to be a responsible leader, but it was too much for him to do alone.
Cell church ministry requires delegation. Cell church pastors who make it over the long haul empower the members to do the work of the ministry. They pastor the flock through others. Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”
Except for visionary leadership, effective cell pastors delegate almost everything else to others. Not all pastors are able to do this. Perhaps they don’t know how. Or maybe they don’t want to. After all, there’s a certain power in being the “go to” person. I personally know some pastors who like to take every counseling appointment that comes through the church. Members begin to expect the pastor to do all the work of the ministry.
I’ve done numerous seminars with Mario Vega, the senior pastor of Elim San Salvador, one of the largest churches in the world. Pastor Vega has learned to stay focused. He concentrates on caring for the top level cell pastors who care for others. He participates by directing the top leadership to make cells work every day.
Effective cell church pastors make sure the vision is fulfilled through delegating the work to others. Moses didn’t have to do everything, but he did need to make sure things were accomplished. He did need to oversee the ultimate delegation of responsibility. Jethro’s advice to Moses freed Moses up from having to stand and listen to the entire nation all day and night. It also helped the people under his care to go away satisfied.
