Managerial and professional pastors

Classic Bill Easum:

Managerial and professional types take their cues from the last fifty years of modernity and function more like CEO’s or COO’s than transformational leaders. They take great care in running the church, managing the organization, often to the point of micromanaging the church. Procedure and proper theology occupy most of their attention. Pastors place great emphasis on their education and official role as the ordained leader of the church. Laity enjoy playing the church game – sitting on committees and applying Robert’s Rules of Order… At their best, managerial and professionals are spiritual infants; at their worst, they are controlling Pharisees or little more than career-oriented ladder climbers…I have not seen any leadership capacity in the church served well by this style. It is one of the most destructive forms of leadership in the church today… If you fall into this category, do yourself and the kingdom a favor and either grow up spiritually, find another profession, or get out of the church.

Update: Stephen Shields reacts to Easum: “…we can, in fact, have both spiritual life in community that expresses itself missionally and organizational excellence . But – at the same time – we must never confuse organizational excellence with real spiritual life or see one as leading to the other.” Stephen is right, of course. I think Easum is taking on those pastors who are playing the church game. The real question is how to manage the church without that becoming the point. It can be done.