Leading Change Through Care and Challenge

District-level leadership in an church network or denomination can be tricky. Some words on how to lead well.

Those who lead the Church at a district, association or regional level have their own set of unique issues, simply because there are so many needs among the pastors and in the churches. As part of their stewardship of churches, such leaders have to bring change, or else why are they there?

I'm often asked to consult with such leaders—they are called "judicatory leaders" in church world. Recently, I was with a group of Pentecostal bishops about how to see change in their districts. I decided to write up this quick article after that talk, sharing here what I shared there.

For the sake of space, and I’m going to use “bishop” throughout this post to refer to these “pastor of the pastors.” Some denominations may call them district or associational leaders, but I’ll use bishop in this piece, though the advice is applicable to all who serve this way.

So, how do we lead change when the needs of a group of pastors and churches are already overwhelming. It is a huge commitment of time to lead a group of leaders, and the expectations are always high. You aren’t just there to keep an eye on those pastors, but also to lead them to a greater work.

If you are going to lead as a bishop, you have to make decisions about how you use your time. When looking at what it takes to be a change-agent leader, you need to recognize that there is a continuum.

On one side is pastoral care, which a bishop cares about deeply. A bishop by description and definition is someone who cares for and shepherds the pastors under their care.

But as a bishop, you must also challenge the pastors under your care. You need to help them move from where they are to where they should be. Today, most churches are plateaued or declining, so moving leaders out of their current experience is key. Keep reading

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