Point-of-View

The necessity of strong and focused evangelistic leadership is critical for the growth of the church. The church is not gaining ground and it is time to reclaim lost ground within our communities. Everything of the church centers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our ministry must be Christ—centered and Christ—honoring.

The Lord has chosen to use human vessels in the ministry of the Gospel. The ordination that the pastor accepted is to the Gospel ministry. The discharging of this responsibility is to dedicate your life to the glory of the Lord. The pastor is the God called and commissioned leader to focus the church on reaching the lost through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is biblically unacceptable and spiritually unethical if the pastor is not passionately leading his church in evangelism.

The setting forth of a clear direction for the church family cannot be stressed enough. The church desires to follow the pastor and the pastor needs to enable and empower the church in a focused path of ministry. The developing and revealing of the strategy of the church provides a framework for the total ministry of the congregation.

The celebrating of the success of the church in accomplishing the God-granted goals is important. People desire to be a part of the moving and the work of the Lord. The wise leader will encourage the church by reminding the church of the ways in which the Lord is at work with the Body. The rejoicing in the salvation and baptism of believers is a wonderful affirmation of the blessings of the Lord upon a church.

A church, no matter where it is located, has the call of ministry to reach the lost. The call is not to become frustrated in comparison with other churches. Not every church has the same opportunity of ministry but every church has opportunity for ministry. The responsibility of leading the church to grow through reaching the lost falls squarely upon the mantle of the pastor. I urge the pastor to lead the church in evangelism through an intentional plan of growth. The level of expectation and anticipation that is created through the leadership of the pastor will directly impact the results experienced by the church.

Leading a church is a privilege beyond compare and a responsibility of great magnitude. The church waits for the leader whose heart and mind embody the purposes of Christ and with love leads the church to impact the world. The pastor who believes that the church can change the world from where he is planted will change the community that God has given to him. I commit to do my part in the Kingdom and together we can capture a world for Christ.

J. Thomas Green is pastor, First Baptist Church, Brandon. This is the final article in a series examining the leader and leadership.