The Lost Priority of Leadership Training

Evangelize, disciple, and train leaders—these are the priorities of missionaries serving in foreign countries.

Evangelize and disciple—these are the priorities of pastors serving in the U.S. If a new pastor is needed, the church rarely looks within, nor can they because no one is ready to step into the shepherding role. A local church must hire its next pastor from another church or out of seminary.

Why are missionaries abroad expected to train local men as future pastors, but pastors in the U.S. rarely prioritize preparing their church’s potential next pastor as a crucial part of their ministries? Should not the indigenous principle apply both at home and abroad?*

Biblical Examples of Leadership Training

In the first century, the church at Ephesus became a leader-training hub for the Roman province of Asia (modern-day western Turkey). Paul built leadership training into the DNA of the church. He taught the word of God daily for three years (Acts 19:9–10). He gathered and trained church leaders who would shepherd that church and plant churches in the surrounding cities (Acts 20:17–35). One such product of this leadership-training focus appears to have been Epaphras whom God raised up from within his hometown of nearby Colosse (Colossians 4:12–13).

Of course, Paul did send leaders trained elsewhere to serve in local churches. For example, Titus, a Greek probably from Syrian Antioch, served in Crete. Yet, a major focus of Titus’ ministry there was leadership training. Paul explained Titus’ mission: “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you” (Titus 1:5). Every city needed their own elders from within their own local churches. Titus did not go to Crete to substitute for local men but to stimulate their recruitment and training into qualified leaders.

A Modern Example of Leadership Training

A church I know in southern New Jersey once prioritized training men in this fashion. They evangelized their area, discipled believers, encouraged young men to consider the ministry, sent them to Bible college, provided internship opportunities, and even hired them for a few years after their graduation before commissioning them to plant or replant churches in the Northeast. I have spoken in many churches now pastored by men who went through this process. The pastor with this vision has since passed away, but many of the men he encouraged and helped to train continue faithfully leading local churches to this day.

Why don’t more pastors and churches prioritize ministry training initiatives like this? In the post-pandemic era, the opportunities for remote theological training have multiplied. A local church really could provide a pathway for men within their churches to serve part-time in their own church while they study for the ministry online. If needed, these growing leaders could supplement the web-based training with in-person modules at seminaries. Alternatively, likeminded churches in a region could band together to coordinate joint theological instruction. The possibilities for ministry training continue to grow. But where is the passion to prioritize pastoral training within the local church?

Is a Core Value Missing?

Local churches today must not rely too heavily on outside sources. Indeed, many such streams of trained men, like brick-and-mortar Bible colleges and seminaries, are drying up. We cannot count on them to produce the pastors and missionaries of the future. The local church must prioritize training men for ministry (2 Timothy 2:2).

Modern-day churches often list their core values. Where does training men for ministry rank in your church’s list? Is this key core value missing?

* I highlight some key principles for biblical leadership as well as the indigenous principle on Day 18 of my missions devotional, Daring Dependence.