Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 3-102 (Leadership Issues)

A Pastors/Leaders Survival Guide [6]

2-3 STAGES OF MINISTRY

By Rowland Croucher

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Continuing our series on Pastors’/Leaders’ ministry-survival. The full text of these chapters can be found on the John Mark Ministries’ Website – http://jmm.org.au/articles/8658.htm

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2-3 STAGES OF MINISTRY

George Barna’s book Leaders on Leadership is a compilation of articles by various authors (Jack Hayford, Kenneth Gangel, Gene Getz, Leighton Ford, et al.) on a variety of topics like ‘The Character of a Leader’, ‘Being Tough, but Tender’, and ‘Conflict: The Refining Fire of Leadership’.

Chapter Eight is about ‘The Life Cycle of a Leader’. J. Robert Clinton and Richard W. Clinton, describe a general pastor’s development time line. Given that gender, ministry setting and situation and other factors may cause slight deviations, such a time line is quite revealing. The Clintons’ rationale: ‘On the whole, the same general kinds of things happen because God is in the business of developing leaders. And he is consistent. And certain things must be there – like character, spiritual authority, relationship and giftedness’ (p. 158).

The following is a summary of these five stages:

* Stage One: Ministry Foundations (Age 16-26). Character Shaping Phase: Basic character formation, underlying values, growing awareness of God, beginnings of spiritual formation are developed.

* Stage Two: Early Ministry (5-12 years in ministry). Ministry Formation Phase: Leadership character and commitment to leadership role are formed on the basis of early experiences (eg. conflict, crises, etc). Experimentation and awareness of ministry giftedness emerges, spiritual formation and ministry formation become priorities.

* Stage Three: Middle Ministry (8-14 years in ministry). Spiritual Formation Phase: Life purpose, giftedness, and major roles in ministry are clarified. Insights for empowering people in ministry are learned. Authority and conflict issues are faced, perhaps in the setting of a leadership ‘backlash.’ Challenges emerge requiring special attention and growth.

* Stage Four: Latter Ministry (12+ years). Strategic Formation Phase: Acting on one’s specific life purpose and calling in ministry as one’s ultimate areas of contribution clarify. Ministry becomes more efficient and effective at this ministry peak. Spiritual warfare and spiritual formation become greater foci as the ministry engages in ‘deep processing’.

* Stage Five: Finishing Well. Fulfilment Phase. Ultimate contributions continue to be developed, consolidation of a lifetime of ministry achievements and experiences, important values are passed on to other generations of leaders, perception of ‘destiny fulfilment’.

I have frankly found paradigms like this to be fairly generalised, and sometimes not helpful. I regularly counsel pastors who don’t fit into such neat categories. For some, their mid-life crisis comes in their early-to-mid 30’s. Some pastors grow quickly – others, to use a sad phrase, ‘have one year’s experience thirty times’. Others seem to have a remarkably mature ‘gift of wisdom’ all their ministry-careers. And others battle in this area, frequently alienating parishioners unnecessarily. Another variable is the age at which most pastors enter parish ministry: the entry- age is getting later, with, it is assumed, more life-experience beforehand.

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Shalom!

Rowland Croucher http://jmm.org.au/index.htm