A pastor friend mentioned that he disagrees with the model of "CEO as pastor." It's a phrase that is common among seminary types. But what does it mean? At first glance, it's a critique of running church like a business, but it's tossed around by people who have no business experience. Seems to me that is both a pro and a con.
Pro: Sometimes people inside of a discipline can't see the way their thinking has gone off the rails (true in both business and in church).
Con: With no experience in a discipline, people have no framework of reference for what is happening, and can misjudge or misunderstand the value of a suggestion.
The idea of the church having "pastors" comes from the New Testament. Specifically, from the Latin word "pastor," which means "shepherd." Obviously, that is a metaphor. So what was a shepherd in the ancient near east? Someone who led, cared for, guarded, and protected a flock of sheep. So what is a "pastor" (maybe we should always put "pastor" in quotes to remind us that it's just the Latin word for shepherd)? That's about as descriptive as the New Testament writers get. They don't say that a church can have only one pastor, or even that a church has to have a pastor to lead it. Simply that some people are pastors.
Put this way, my friend is right—"pastor as CEO" isn't a good model. A CEO is a person who runs a complex organization. A pastor is someone who tends a group of sheep. Most pastors aren't CEOs. They aren't even in the C-suite. I bet most "pastors" have just one or two people in their flock. They might be their children, or a friend, or someone at work. But to the extent that someone cares for and guides them, they are being a pastor.
On the flip side, a church can be a complex organization, as complex as any business. When that is the case, the pastor better have the skills of a chief executive officer. If they don't, they will not be a good leader for the organization. So while most pastors aren't CEOs of large organizations, if you are a pastor who leads a church, you need the skills and knowledge of an executive!
Pro: Sometimes people inside of a discipline can't see the way their thinking has gone off the rails (true in both business and in church).
Con: With no experience in a discipline, people have no framework of reference for what is happening, and can misjudge or misunderstand the value of a suggestion.
The idea of the church having "pastors" comes from the New Testament. Specifically, from the Latin word "pastor," which means "shepherd." Obviously, that is a metaphor. So what was a shepherd in the ancient near east? Someone who led, cared for, guarded, and protected a flock of sheep. So what is a "pastor" (maybe we should always put "pastor" in quotes to remind us that it's just the Latin word for shepherd)? That's about as descriptive as the New Testament writers get. They don't say that a church can have only one pastor, or even that a church has to have a pastor to lead it. Simply that some people are pastors.
Put this way, my friend is right—"pastor as CEO" isn't a good model. A CEO is a person who runs a complex organization. A pastor is someone who tends a group of sheep. Most pastors aren't CEOs. They aren't even in the C-suite. I bet most "pastors" have just one or two people in their flock. They might be their children, or a friend, or someone at work. But to the extent that someone cares for and guides them, they are being a pastor.
On the flip side, a church can be a complex organization, as complex as any business. When that is the case, the pastor better have the skills of a chief executive officer. If they don't, they will not be a good leader for the organization. So while most pastors aren't CEOs of large organizations, if you are a pastor who leads a church, you need the skills and knowledge of an executive!
RSS Feed
