Episode 2326: OTHER-CENTERED LEADERSHIP: HOW TO TREAT MINISTRY COLLEAGUES by John R. Strubhar - a podcast by Ric Bratton

from 2021-12-09T17:39:37

:: ::

Other-Centered Leadership: How to Treat Ministry Colleagues by John R. Strubhar



Most books on leadership focus on what a leader is and what a leader can do to improve himself or herself as a leader. After 50 years of pastoral leadership in various capacities as a Lead Pastor, Executive Pastor, District Superintendent, Adjunct College and Seminary professor, Conference Speaker and Consultant I have come to the conclusion that the most important aspect of leadership is how the

leader engages and serves his/her ministry colleagues and the larger church constituency. Transformative leaders have the uncanny ability to relate well to all levels of leadership in the church, the staff, governing board, ministry leaders and congregational members. Most pastors are good theologians; many, however, suffer from a lack of knowing how to engage with others in a relational capacity that reflects the clear teaching of God’s word. They know and preach with their heads, but their hearts are unresponsive to the biblical and significantly practical truths that are essential for building a strong team of motivated colleagues.

In working with governing boards, pastoral staffs, and churches in trouble, I’ve discovered that many church leaders and pastors do not know how to put the interests and passions of their ministry colleagues before their own interests and passions. A lack of valuing the passions and gifts of other staff/lay leaders keeps pastors and churches from reaching their full potential. Improving the way we interact with one another as a ministry team may address the current crisis in many evangelical movements where more than 20 churches close every day, 15 pastors leave the ministry every day and 80-90 % of many long-established churches are plateaued or declining. Unfortunately, Covid 19 has exacerbated this downward trend. Other-centered Leadership is my attempt to call church leaders back to the biblical basics of leadership that many well-intentioned leaders tend to forget or worse yet, refuse to practice in their relationships with fellow team members. Our relationship with God and the way we treat our ministry colleagues is a mirror into our heart’s motivations and desires. My prayer is that these simple principles gleaned from God’s word and interaction with hundreds of leaders will stimulate a new generation of pastoral leaders who will “treat others better than themselves” for the glory of God.

Dr. Strubhar attended Westmont College and graduated from Fort Wayne Bible College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1969. He continued his theological education at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, receiving a Master of Divinity in 1973, a Master of Theology in Practical Theology in 1975 and a Doctor of Ministry in Administration and Church Revitalization in 1980. In his current role with Interim Pastor Ministries, he has facilitated the “turnaround” of a number of churches across denominational lines. His previous publications include Evangelistic Preaching: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pulpit Evangelism (co-author Lloyd Perry) published by Moody Press in 1979 and reprinted by Wipf & Stock in 2000; Life Worth Living: What the True Story of Jonah teaches us About God and Living on His Terms and In Pursuit of the Greatest Gift: What the Love Chapter Reveals About Godly Living, both published by Sermon to Book in 2018. Dr. Strubhar and his wife Sandy reside in Buckeye, AZ and have three grown adult children, eleven grandchildren and one great grandson.

https://www.amazon.com/Other-centered-Leadership-Treat-Ministry-Colleagues/dp/1973684489

http://www.bluefunkbroadcasting.com/root/twia/abt12921a.mp3   


Further episodes of This Week in America with Ric Bratton

Further podcasts by Ric Bratton

Website of Ric Bratton