What congregations want

In the past eight years I've had the opportunity to assist a number of churches in my Area as they sought new pastoral leadership. One of my first questions to them is "What do you want or need in your next pastor?" Almost always I am told they want a pastor who can grow their church, reach out to the youth in the community, and help them become a strong, healthy church. That's what they say, but then I have the search committee distribute a survey to the congregation that will identify the ministry giftedness they believe their next pastor will need. Virtually every time they identify gifts and skills that are designed to maintain the church as it is. They may claim they want a pastor who can grow the church, but the reality is they do not want that growth to come at the expense of the current membership. They want a pastor who will maintain their current status quo. It is not surprising that I recently ran across this assessment of a research into what churches want from their pastor.

"What the churches want in a minister is essentially a successful salesman for their enterprise. A striking feature of the analysis of the ministerial qualifications desired, is the virtual absence from them of any doctrinal specifications. Still more significant is the fact that the actual demand for ministers virtually assumes the maintenance of the status quo. It is leadership in things as they are, an adaptability to conditions as they stand, rather than innovative or prophetic leadership that is demanded."

This report does not surprise me at all. What does surprise me is that it was written in 1935! Is it any wonder the church today is in the shape it is when the church has spent the last 74 years looking for pastoral leadership who will not rock the boat, introduce any changes, or do anything that will threaten the current status of the church? Oh yeah, plus the churches are not concerned about doctrinal integrity either, so we should not be surprised at the lack of biblical and doctrinal knowledge of those within the churches. They don't want to hear that stuff; they just want a pastor to keep things as they are and tend to their personal needs.

Is this the church Jesus Christ died for? We must find ways to help churches demand more from their pastors, and we must do a better job of preparing ministers to provide more. Maintenance ministry is killing our churches and destroying any opportunity we may have to influence our world for Jesus Christ. Pastor, what will be the legacy you leave behind when you leave your current position? What will your legacy be when you finish your life? Lay leaders, what legacy are you creating in your church? What needs to change?