Why Many Pastors are Frustrated

By Donald W. Raub

A variety of Christian magazines arrive at my mailbox each month. They range from being barely Christian to bordering on the fanatical edge of Christianity, yet most of them contain more articles on how man should control the Church than on how the Church can understand the will of God.

The emphasis on human leadership has gone to extremes. There are leadership conferences, leadership courses, and books on leadership which seem to dominate the market. Of course, good leadership is important and necessary to any congregation, but maybe, if we submitted the role of leadership to Jesus, the true Head of the Church, our churches would begin to thrive. Isn’t it His Spirit that started the Church in the first place?

The book of Acts clearly defines true leadership under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Did Jesus not say, “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18)? When Peter and Stephen preached simple messages of Christ, the cross, and the resurrection, was it not the Holy Spirit that convicted the hearts of the people? Neither of these godly men would likely meet the modern standard of a good leader, yet the Church grew tremendously—3,000 new members in a day is not bad.

What was the secret? Preachers of the early Church were followers, not leaders, yet they accomplished in days what few preachers do in a lifetime. They proved that the power of the Holy Spirit will do more than all the leadership training one could get.

When the emphasis is on proper leadership, it tends to pressurize an already overstressed position. At a recent pastors’ breakfast, I listened as one pastor after another revealed that the daily expectations were far beyond what they could effectively handle. What was recommended? More leadership training.

I say, “enough already!” This type of emphasis is not the solution. In fact, it creates an imbalance of power. It literally replaces the power of the Holy Spirit with the intellectual ability of an ordinary human being. This can only lead to disaster. The best of pastors cannot save a single soul, yet if membership declines, he is usually held accountable. Of course, this does not excuse haphazard, half-hearted, or ill-prepared leadership by the pastor.

Many years ago, the church I pastored was going through a “slump”. At the same time, hospital and shut-in visits were demanding more of my time than the actual worship services. My sermons seemed to bounce off the wall, while attendance remained low. In frustration, I called on the Lord, asking, “Should I stay, or instead look for greener pastures?” At that moment, God spoke to my heart with the words of Christ, “I will build my church.”

I had read that verse many times, but it never dawned on me that I have nothing to do with building the Church. My job is obedience; it is God’s job to add to the Church “those who are being saved” (Acts 2:47). At that moment, a heavy burden rolled away. All my anxieties were released as I threw off the leadership role by saying, “Lord, this is your church. If you want the doors to close, so be it.”

The very next Sunday, things began to change. New people began to attend. The “faithful” came out of the obvious depression; there was a spiritual “warmth” which was previously missing. Offers to help with visitation resulted in teams of two who would be responsible for visiting those who did not need pastoral counseling but did need caring people.

I learned that God builds the Church; leaders do not. Growth depends on several factors: 1) The presence and power of the Holy Spirit, 2) telling the simple story of Jesus and His loving compassion, and 3) direct teaching of God’s Word and the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. If these things are missing, then all the leadership training in the world is not worth five minutes of your time.