What Seminary Never Taught About Leadership

Let me ask you an uncomfortable question: Can your church function without you? Many leaders would say, "No, my church needs my leadership." I say, if your church would fall apart without you, you're not leading like Jesus—you're leading like Atlas. And trust me, Atlas isn't a sustainable leadership model.

Think about it. Atlas was condemned to forever carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. No breaks. No help. No end in sight. Sound familiar? That's most pastors I know—carrying every ministry, every decision, every crisis on their shoulders while calling it faithfulness. But here's the truth: You're not being faithful. You're being Atlas. And eventually—Atlas breaks.

I know because I've been there. But after 28 years of pastoring the same church, I've discovered something most leadership experts don't want you to know—the greatest measure of leadership isn't how much your church needs you—it's how well it functions without you.

This isn't theory. I could step away from my church tomorrow, and not a single ministry would miss a beat. Not one decision would be delayed. Not one program would suffer. Not because I'm not valued. But because I've spent nearly three decades building something bigger than my own capacity.

Let that sink in for a minute.

What Jesus Really Did That We're Too Scared to Copy

Think about this. Jesus had three years to launch a movement that would change the world forever. What did He do? He spent most of his time with twelve ordinary guys, teaching them how to do what he did. Then—and this is the part we conveniently ignore—he left.

No backup plan. No emergency hotline to heaven. No quarterly check-ins. He trained them and trusted them completely.

"But that was Jesus!" you might say. Yeah, and he explicitly told us we'd do greater things than he did (John 14:12). When's the last time you heard that preached at a leadership conference?

THE TRUTH ABOUT WHY YOU'RE EXHAUSTED

Let me be brutally honest. Most pastors aren't burning out because they're doing too much ministry. They're burning out because they're doing the wrong kind of ministry.

You're running yourself ragged being the answer person, the decision maker, the final authority on everything from sanctuary carpet colors to spiritual warfare. And here's what nobody's telling you—that's not leadership. That's control dressed up in spiritual clothes.

I know because I've been there. Early in my ministry, I thought being needed was the same as being faithful. Man, was I wrong.

THE FOUR PHASES JESUS USED

Here's how Jesus did it, stripped of our religious glamorization:

Phase 1: Show Them (Years 1-2)

He didn't start with a leadership manual or a mission statement. He started with "Come and see." The disciples watched him do ministry. They saw how he handled difficult people, how he made decisions, how he dealt with opposition.

When a pastor tells me they can't find good leaders, my first question is, "When's the last time you let someone watch you lead?" Not from the pew—but up close in the messy reality of daily ministry.

Phase 2: Share It (Year 2-3)

Jesus didn't just delegate tasks—he shared authority. Big difference. He sent them out to do exactly what he'd been doing. And here's the kicker—they messed up—a lot. And he was okay with that.

You want to know why you don't have more leaders? Because you're not willing to let people fail. You're so concerned about everything being done "right" that you've created a culture of permission-asking instead of permission-giving.

Phase 3: Step Back (Final Months)

This is where it gets real. Jesus started preparing them for his absence. Not his death—his absence. He was literally teaching them how to function without him physically present.

When's the last time you intentionally didn't show up to something just to see if others would step up? If that thought terrifies you, we've found your growth edge.

Phase 4: Send Them (Post-Resurrection)

The final phase wasn't a gentle transition—it was a complete transfer of authority. "All authority has been given to Me... therefore, go and make disciples."

The Part That'll Make You Uncomfortable

Here's what I've learned in 34 years of ministry—your absence is as strategic as your presence.

When you stay too long in every decision, every meeting, every ministry, you're not being thorough—you're being a bottleneck. The hard truth? Sometimes your constant presence is stunting your church's growth.

I had to learn to ask myself: "Am I holding on because they're not ready, or because I'm not ready?"

WHAT REAL LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE

In our church, we don't hire our ministry done—we develop it. Our most effective ministries are led by volunteers who've been equipped, empowered, and then set free to lead.

When someone comes to me with a ministry idea, they already know my response: "Sounds great. When do you want to start?" Not, "Let me think about it" or "Let me do it for you."

THE LIBERATION NOBODY TALKS ABOUT

Want to know the most freeing thing about leading this way? You get to be human again. You don't have to be the hero. You don't have to have all the answers. You get to point to other capable leaders and say, "Ask them—they know more about this than I do."

And here's what's wild. The more I've embraced this, the more our church has grown. Not just in numbers, but in depth, in leadership capacity, in ministry effectiveness.

PRACTICAL STEPS

Months 1-3: Finding Your First Followers

Start small. Pick one ministry area where you're currently the bottleneck. Find someone who shows interest or aptitude. Then do the hardest thing—Let them in.

I mean really let them in. Let them see how you make decisions. Let them watch you handle difficult conversations. Let them see you wrestle with challenges.

Months 4-6: The Art of Letting God

This is where it gets real. Start giving away real authority, not just tasks. The difference? Tasks require check-backs. Authority includes the right to fail.

When someone comes to you for a decision, redirect them to the leader you're developing. Yes, it takes longer. Yes, it feels risky. That's the point.

Months 7-9: Building Real Confidence

By now, your emerging leaders should be making significant decisions without you. Your role? Be available but not invasive. When they come to you for advice, respond with questions instead of answers like, "What do you think you should do? Why?"

Months 10-12: The New Normal

This is where you establish the culture of multiplication. Your leaders should now be identifying and developing their own leaders. The pyramid becomes a pipeline.

Why This Is Harder Than It Sounds

Let's be honest. This way of leading isn't popular. The Christian leadership industry has built an empire of making pastors feel irreplaceable. Conferences, books, seminars—they all subtly reinforce the hero-pastor model.

Why? Because it's harder to sell books about becoming less needed.

YOUR NEXT STEPS

I'm not going to give you ten steps to implementation or a neat system to follow. Instead, I'm going to ask you one question: What's the next thing you need to give away?

Not delegate. Not oversee. Give away.

Your answer to that question is where your journey starts.

Ready to Break the Leadership Rules?

Look, what I'm suggesting isn't going to win you any popularity contests. It might even make some people uncomfortable. Good. Comfort is overrated. Impact is everything.

If you're ready to lead differently—to build something that lasts beyond your time in the spotlight—we should talk.

WE OFFER THREE WAYS TO HELP

Personal Coaching [LEARN MORE]

This is for pastors who are ready to make fundamental changes in how they lead. It's direct, it's personal, and it will challenge everything you think you know about pastoral leadership.

Pastor Cohorts [LEARN MORE]

Journey with other pastors who are tired of the hero model and ready to build something sustainable. Share the journey, learn from each other's successes and failures, and create momentum together.

Church Consulting [LEARN MORE]

Ready to change your entire church culture? We'll work with your whole team to implement these principles at every level. It's comprehensive, it's challenging, and it works.

Don't wait until burnout forces your hand. Don't wait until you're too tired to change. Choose to lead differently now.

Contact us when you're ready to join the quiet revolution of pastors who are choosing to lead like Jesus—by becoming unnecessary.

Remember, I'm not asking you to leave your church. I'm inviting you to lead it in a way that makes it stronger than any single person. Even you.

That's not just good leadership. That's good theology. ◼︎