12 signs you’re trying to lead an organization instead of a local church …

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Many church leaders today have adopted a business model of leadership for themselves and business function for the local church they lead, although many of those same leaders try to deny they have done so.

Instead, it’s not uncommon for such pastors to vigorously argue why it’s “okay” to adopt “leadership insights” and ideas from the marketplace. I’m not saying all of that is wrong, but the truth is far too many have lost sight of what it is to be a spiritual leader in a local church rather than a business leader.

Here are just 12 signs you’re trying to lead an organization instead of leading a local church (actual things many pastors are doing today):

1. You identify yourself as a CEO or entrepreneur rather than a minister.

2. You’ve replaced elders and deacons with a “management team.”

3. You’ve changed the title of the “executive pastor” to COO (Chief Operating Officer) or Chief of Staff, and you’ve changed the title of the church treasurer to Chief Financial Officer.

4. You study and know more about “church growth” and marketing than you do evangelism and discipleship.

5. The conferences you attend have more business leaders as keynote speakers than they have ministers speaking.

6. Your “go to” for leadership principles are business books and business authors rather than the Bible.

7. You refer to visitors, and even church members, as “customers.”

8. You think of planning a Sunday service or church program as developing a “product”; you have a “production team” because you think of Sunday services as productions.

9. You spend more time on your website and developing a brand than you do calling on members or in personal or church evangelism.

10. You would rather spend your time with other “leaders” than shepherding your flock.

11. You regularly look to corporations like Apple, Google, and others as examples to learn from or emulate.

12. You insist on an attractional church model and have largely abandoned evangelism; your church doesn’t offer any kind of equipping in evangelism for church members.

Why are these not good things to do?

Because pastors are not CEOs.

The church is not a business.

Church members and visitors are not customers.

And church services and programs are not products or productions.

As long as that is NOT understood, the church will continue its steep decline.

Scotty