Leadership structures and struggles (Part 1)
Leadership struggles are common in all churches. If you ask who is supposed to lead the local church, you will get a lot of different answers.
Some will say that the pastor, or leader of the staff, is the leader of the church. Others say that it is the elders who lead the church. (We’ll discuss how this dynamic came to be in a bit.) Still others will say that those who lead in a denominational office are the ones who hold authority over the church. In some cases, there will be those who believe that the church functions more like a democracy, in which everyone gets a vote on the needs of the church.
All of these ways of thinking about leadership are based on a worldly hierarchy of power and authority that looks like a pyramid. The pyramid has someone on the top, and others on the bottom. Those at the top of the pyramid have power and authority. Those at the bottom of the pyramid must submit to and follow the power and authority of those above them. Here are three common leadership structures.
Three common models of church leadership
Triangle 1: Lead pastor as boss/CEO model
The first pyramid demonstrates the senior/lead pastor, whatever their title may be, as the primary leader for the church. The senior pastor tends to make most of the decisions, cast the vision for the church, then has the expectation that others follow his decisions and visions. Then the board or elders, unless they have a major reason to disagree, make sure that things are done the way the main leader wants them done. In the worst cases, this seems like a committee of “yes men” who simply give approval to the lead pastor. In some churches, the staff may have more authority to make decisions without the oversight of the elders. This means that staff often function much like the senior pastor, above the elders most of the time. Then volunteer leaders and the congregation are expected to go along with whatever has been decided. The most common danger of this model is that it usually leads to a kind of dictatorship, where what one leader wants is what is going to happen.
Triangle 2: Board eldership model
The second leadership structure example shows the board/elders in authority over the lead/senior pastor. The elders are responsible for making sure that the paid staff are accomplishing what the elders believe is expected of them. The staff are then held accountable to the expectations of the elders. The staff are given some freedom to lead others as long as it meets the desired results of the eldership. The most common danger of this model is that it tends toward micromanagement or disempowerment. It often treats the paid pastors like employees, and enforces consequences on them if they don’t “do their job.”
Triangle 3: Customer service model
The last major leadership structure is very rarely intentionally put in place. Almost no one would say that their church is run by the people. However, this model of leadership is often functioning even if people are unaware of it. While the elders may look as if they are the ones who are leading, it is really the people of the congregation who are leading. If someone doesn’t like a certain program, or is upset with a paid pastor, that person approaches the elders and expect that the elders deal with their complaints. It’s like going to a restaurant, not liking the seasoning on the burger, and then talking to the manager. “Fix my problem, or I’m not doing business with you anymore.” The dangers in this model are abundant. People often want something that is not best for them. Leaders enable people to avoid having hard conversations by themselves. There ends up being no clear direction, because everyone is pushing for their own preferred way of doing ministry.
Variations on the pyramid
There are various versions of these same models. Some will have different layers of the pyramid depending on factors like if a church even has an eldership, or if there is only a single paid pastor. In the Dominican Republic, for example, most pastors are not paid by their congregation. In some of those congregations, the pastor is the CEO, yet isn’t paid.
The truth is, there will always be a struggle with church leadership, because we are all sinful and want to have our own way. We all want to be at the top of the pyramid. We all struggle with being led, even by God. Additionally, there will always be a danger for people to become passive and expect others to do things for them. So, what is the answer? Is there a way of looking at leadership in the local church that is less prone to abuse? Let’s go back to the Bible to see what God has revealed to us about his desire for leadership.
Let’s take a look at two major solutions to this problem in the next two articles.
