What Kind of Pastor Am I?

With the kind of changes going on at Anchor, part of my reaction has been deep introspection. What role have I played in the departure of so many Anchorites? What could have I done different? What did I do wrong? What did I do right?

The up side of this kind of introspection, in my case, is that it pushes me to continue to mature as a pastor, to hone my skills, and gain deeper perspective and wisdom about pastoring.

As I was working through some tough times in January, I filled out a nifty profile that looks something like this:

These five leadership characteristics are all essentials for an effective pastor.

Surprise, surprise, but my leadership comes primarily through my teaching. I love to teach, I love to learn, I love to gain understanding of the Scriptures, I love to help others understand the Scriptures, but more than that, I love helping others love living out the Scriptures.

The next three leadership characteristics are an interesting cluster: apostolic leadership is entrepreneurial in nature - looking to start new ventures that further the work of the church. Prophetic leadership questions the status quo - again, this is me to a T...and shepherding leadership reveals a deep desire to create an atmosphere where individuals can find healing and spiritual direction.

Evangelistic leadership is an emphasis on people who are not yet part of the church: the rating reveals my heart - people who are already "in" the church, yet are not yet "in Christ" - people who may already be interested in a different way of life, but who need to come to know Jesus as Christ.

It's easy for me as a pastor to focus on what I'm not that good at - and make that a focal point of improvement. This profile encourages me to keep pouring myself into the kind of teaching leadership that energizes me, energizes my congregation, and is energized by the way God wired me. I don't apologize for my apostolic and prophetic leadership styles: I'm learning to embrace it, use it constructively, and accept the consequences for how God has put me together to pastor Anchor.