Do Leaders Have A Shelf-Life?

February 2008

Robert was a well-respected senior pastor at a highly esteemed church. When I met him, he had just decided to leave his position. At the time, he didn’t have another job offer and wasn’t sure what he was going to do next. But he realized he was not the leader the church needed for the next stage in its lifespan.

Robert had come to a realization that I have been observing over the last few years: it is rare that a single pastor is a fit for all churches or situations.

Personally, I ascribe to the old paradigm that a pastor should ideally make a commitment to the church ‘til death do them part’. I believe a pastor should arrive at any church with that mindset. However, many don’t. It may not be realistic or ideal in today’s culture for us to expect that of a pastor. In fact, many churches might be better served to realize that it’s perfectly acceptable that some leader’s effectiveness may lessen after a certain point.

The office of pastor requires not just shepherding and preaching skills, but also leadership skills. The church of today, no matter its size, is a complex organization. As it matures, it requires different kinds of leadership. Some pastor-leaders do well at adapting to and enjoying each stage, but others are best suited and gifted for a more time-limited role. This raises the question; do leaders have a shelf-life?

Having a shelf-life is not the same as bailing out every time ministry gets tough. Quite the opposite, leaders who know their shelf-life may often relish the challenges that come with a particular stage of ministry.

So, how do you know your shelf-life, or whether you have one? Unfortunately, unlike milk and bread, leaders are not stamped with a “sell-by” date after which we go sour or stale and possibly taint the products around us. Still, there are signs that your ministry may be going south.

The more obvious signs are passion and energy, which are tied to your individual strengths. If you find yourself dreading the majority of your job, you may have drifted too far from your leadership sweet spot.

You can also look at your ministry history. Do you see any patterns in your leadership effectiveness? You also need to ask yourself hard questions about your current situation. If your church’s effectiveness has plateaued, you must be willing to consider whether your leadership ability or lack thereof, is one of the reasons.

Once you realize your own limitations, you have several options. One is that you can study and work to overcome them. A commitment to lifelong learning will help you stay “fresh” much longer. Or you may realize that you just need to move to a different shelf. If this is the case, it does not mean that you no longer love the people. It does mean that it is crucial for you to leave well.

That means being honest and forthright about your limitations and reasons for making a change. At the same time, churches must be able to release pastor-leaders who have discovered that they are the reasons for a church’s declining situation, without judging them for recognizing their own limitations.

The more confident you are of your unique gifts and calling as a leader, the less you will be tempted to make a change because you assume that bigger is automatically better. This is not always the case, and to stay beyond your effectiveness because it’s comfortable for you, even while it’s detrimental to your church is just as bad.

If you find yourself questioning your effectiveness, and have allowed someone to hold you accountable as a leader, then explain your quest and ask them to be “brutally” honest with you. If you haven’t allowed someone to hold you accountable as a leader, seek out someone you respect, explain your motivation and the discovery you seek, and then grant them permission to speak into your life.

Don’t fear the assessment, rather, ask God to help you understand and grow from your experience. Your greatest challenge is not in discovery, but in surrendering any shortfalls in your leadership ability to God. For most of us, our first reaction will be denial, followed by arguments to justify shortcomings.

The reality of spiritual renewal is that it begins at intimacy with Jesus and only happens after we go to our knees in total surrender.

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