Nov 1, 2020
by Rob Appel
From the SDB Vision Map: “We must develop and support new and existing leaders who will work through healthy local churches. Leaders include pastors, as well as people who have served, are serving, or desire to serve in local churches.”
Seventh Day Baptists decided many years ago that one of the aspects in our Vision Map was to identify, encourage, and nurture future leaders within our church community. This has been done within our Conference leadership as well the local church. Our Executive Director, the Rev. Carl Greene, was identified by his pastor, the Rev. Matt Olson, as a person with leadership abilities. The Conference then saw those leadership skills and placed him on one of the Committees in the Church Development area. That lead to the process of him being identified as our next leader of the SDB Conference! IT WORKS!
Leadership has been defined as the process by which an individual (Matt Olson) determines direction, influences, and directs a person (Carl Greene) or group (SDB General Council) towards a specific goal or mission. Leadership is simply a social process that involves identifying and influencing others towards a common goal.
The development of good leaders is fundamental to long-term church success—yet often our churches overlook it completely or undertake leadership development in a haphazard style. Thus, the reason for this article.
Effective Leaders…
…Communicate. Communication is the foundation of effective leadership. One of the most common complaints heard is that leaders do not communicate in an effective manner. This may mean that they do not communicate expectations clearly or that they circulate the information too late, causing people to react to it instead of plan for it. These leaders also recognize that communication cuts more than one way: it involves encouraging and listening to feedback.
…Inspire. Effective leaders inspire those around them. Their passion is contagious, and their energy is evident in everything they approach. Their dedication, commitment, and ability motivate others not just to do as their leaders do but also to believe that what they work toward is within their reach.
…Develop Relationships. Good leaders listen to others and recognize important issues in their lives.
…Monitor Church Climate. Simply put, effective leaders know what is happening in all of the ministry areas of the church. They are aware of the many relationships connecting families, teachers, committees, and staff members.
…Nurture. Effective leaders nurture others. They encourage leadership skills, both to ensure support in carrying out and sustaining change and to establish a network of rising leaders to fill future positions.
…Maintain Visibility. Effective leaders are visible on a regular basis; they are the face of the church team and need to be seen being involved.
…Diagnose. Effective leaders have a keen ability to sense what (or who) isn’t working and are able to analyze data to determine what needs to be fixed for improvement.
…Celebrate. Effective leaders find reasons to celebrate. They keep morale up by ensuring that victories and gains—no matter how small—are recognized in some form.
Leaders are not necessarily born; people can learn leadership behaviors. Yet some people are “born leaders,” and they are becoming ever more valuable. I was not aware that I was a leader until I was thrust into the role at a very early age. Even with that, I was reluctant to take on the role until some major influencers in my life did their job.
Then there are those that influence a leader even after they have taken on their role as a leader. These people are the “Barnabases” of our world; the encouragers!
Leadership is a behavior; it is not a position. Leadership is simply inspiring people to live the vision, mission, and values of the church.
Good leaders do not just tell people what to do.
Great leaders empower people to make decisions that support the goals and vision of the church and community. Their job is to inspire and coach others to help build a church community that is fully participating, both responsibly and accountably.
Rob is the past Executive Director of the SDB General Conference. He retired in October of 2019 after serving over 15 years. He lives in California with his wife Cheri.