Should the Pastor Dictate the Church Vision?
Note: You’re reading Part 5 in an RPM Ministries’ blog mini-series on local church mission/vision. Read Part 1: Not Your Father’s Vision Process. Read Part 2: Capturing Your Biblical Calling. Read Part 3: Discover Your Unique Ministry Purpose. Read Part 4: 7 Wrong Influences on Church Decision-Making.
I’ve developed this blog series from my book Equipping Counselors for Your Church.
Should the Pastor Dictate the Church Vision?
One of the major discussion points about the envisioning process relates to, “Who determines the vision?” In the 1980s and 90s, a major model in American Evangelical churches was the pastor-centered envisioning model. I happen to believe that this model is not the New Testament model. I came to this conviction as our elder leadership team at Uniontown Bible Church studied the Scriptures together.
We studied what the Bible teaches about how, in the church age, God makes His people aware of His purposes. Does He give His will directly to one visionary leader or does He call leaders to facilitate an envisioning process? While this wasn’t a “hill we would die on,” it did have practical ramifications.
Facilitate, Don’t Dictate and Don’t Abdicate
Since our understanding of mission focused on a biblical theology of God’s calling, since we believed in the equipping of the saints (Ephesians 4:11-16), since we believed in a team of equipped equippers (2 Timothy 2:2), and since we believed in the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Timothy 2:5), one elder spoke for us all. “God works through His Word to His people, not just through one individual, no matter how godly or learned.”
With Bibles opened, another elder quickly thumbed to Proverbs 15:22. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed,” he read for us all. “We need the combined wisdom of God’s people to discern jointly His will for our church,” he summarized.
Another elder read portions of the vital decision made by the church in Acts 15, including 15:22. “Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch…” “Clearly,” this elder stated, “the leaders facilitated a process that actively engaged the people of God.”
Yet another elder said, in his typical to-the-point style, “We don’t get to make this stuff up. God’s Word tells us how to function as a church.” He then read 1 Timothy 3:14-15. “I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God…” Our ever-frank elder continued, “Since the Bible is our authority, no one person can hoard the process of setting our ministry direction as a congregation.”
Based upon these principles and others, we determined together that we would engage in facilitative envisioning leadership. We would not abdicate our role of shepherding (1 Peter 5:1-5), guiding (1 Timothy 3:5; 1 Timothy 5:17), protecting (Acts 20:13-38), and equipping the flock (Ephesians 4:11-16), but neither would we rob from our flock the privilege of studying with us God’s mission, vision, passion, and commission for our church.
The Rest of the Story
Join us for Part 6 where we’ll answer the question, But Is Envisioning Biblical?
Join the Conversation
What do you think—should the pastor determine the church vision or should the church leadership facilitate a joint vision-catching process?
RPM Ministries: Equipping You to Change Lives with Christ’s Changeless Truth
Never had so much pressure as a pastor than to try to “set the vision” of the church. Went to conference after conference, read book after book, was told by many if I didn’t have the vision of the church I wasn’t called to pastor it. Uggh! Thank God for freeing me to be me, to live among the people not at their head, to shepherd by serving not lording, to working with the other mature saints (elders by some) to see God’s work among us, His direction for us and to walk circumspectly in it. Thank you for this word. It’s time has come, a long overdue correction and for some, and sigh of relief.
As shepherd of the local church it is my responsibility to equip the church for the work of the ministry. I am serving in a church that has rarely been challenged in the past to to put actions to their faith. They have not learned how to dream let alone establish a vision for the local family. I understand it is dangerous to solely set the vision for my people but helping them to see the need to move forward for Christ requires continually helping my people understand that our God can do the impossible, thus helping them dream a little.
Mike, I agree. There is a “balance” between dicating the vision and abdicating our role. That’s why I prefer the image of faciliative leadership. The pastoral leadership (pastors, elders, deacons, ministry leaders) are responsible to shepherd, guide, and equip the saints–empowering the saints for the work of ministry. Bob