Do Successful Churches = Great Pastors? Not Quite
Despite all the Bible says about faithfulness, the last being first, and pleasing God rather than men, it’s absolutely fascinating how enchanted we are with numbers. Check out the latest conferences, and most of the speakers are from the most attended churches. Look at the pastors on the best-seller lists, and once again, you’ll usually find pastors of the largest churches and ministries.
What is our intoxication with what the world views as success?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for growth and expansion. God called us to reach the world, which naturally means increase. Many of the clients of Cooke Media Group are large churches and ministries, and some of my closest friends are pastors of mega-churches and are brilliant leaders. Many pastors leading the most significant churches do it for a good reason – they know what they’re doing and are mentally, spiritually, and socially suitable for the job.
On the other hand, there are plenty of leaders of large churches and ministries who, frankly, aren’t that good at it.
I’m not being critical; I’m just stating facts. Today, pastoral ministry is a tough job – and it’s a complex job. There are many reasons why a pastor or ministry leader can actually be leading a vibrant and thriving church, even though he’s actually pretty weak.
Nepotism, timing, momentum, age, location, other strong leaders in the church, and more are good reasons. (I’d love to hear others.)
My point is that when you look at pastors to model, don’t forget some of the small guys out there. Men and women are leading small churches and ministries that are gifted, highly skilled, creative, and have a powerful calling in their lives. Just because thousands don’t show up on Sunday doesn’t mean they’re not good at what they do or don’t have something to say about leadership, ministry, and even media.
Find the strongest leaders in large churches and study them. They have a lot to share about leadership at the highest levels. But don’t think for a minute that big numbers automatically mean anointing, smarts, skill, or innovation.
And for the record, it’s the same in the corporate world.
Focus on significance and insight, not numbers and size.
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
