Intentionality in Leadership Development, Part 1

By Paul Barreca

“And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2Ti 2:2)

How does the church train the “faithful men” destined to be the next generation of pastors, evangelists, elders, deacons, and ministry leaders? It will require more than asking men to attend church services. There must be intentionality if church leaders want to see new generations of godly leaders equipped for ministry.

The commitment to train leaders was impressed upon me at the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis. I was blessed to visit with a friend who was an Annapolis graduate and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He shared in-depth insights into this magnificent institu­tion. My appreciation for the military grew, and I learned some of the cherished traditions of the USNA. Upon graduation, these young officers demonstrate leadership, discipline, courage, and decision-making skills. They are among the most capable military officers in the world. The small group of warriors at Annapolis and the other U.S. service academies lead the forces that defend liberty and secure peace. Such results do not happen by coincidence or good fortune. Every aspect of a military officer’s training is carefully planned. From the beginning of the application process until graduation, there is intentionality.

Today, an equally intentional strategy to develop men for ministry is more vital than ever. Contemporary culture widely rejects masculinity and male leadership. Secularists wrongly claim that male leadership in the home and the church is a remnant from a bygone era. Even some Christians who claim to adhere to a literal inter­pretation of the Bible reject the plain reading of Scripture when it comes to male leadership in the home and the church. It is no wonder that the church is adrift, and that our nation is in perilous need of godly leaders. Like the psalm­ist, we cry for divine assistance: “Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be, For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men” (Ps 12:1).

Training men for ministry in a culture that diminishes the role of male leadership will require planning and commitment. At Fellowship International Mission (FIM) we help missionaries become intentional about their ministries by helping them develop a ministry plan. Missionaries learn the value of articulating their ministry vision and strategy. The plan then serves as a framework to evaluate and expand future ministry. Pastors and church leaders should create a ministry plan specifically focused on developing men for ministry in the church.

The components of such a plan should include the following:

• Goals, such as the number of pastors, mission­aries, and elders to be placed in ministry.
• A timeline of when these men will be needed.
• The desired character of the leaders who are to be trained for ministry.
• A description of how existing church lead­ers will identify the “faithful men” given in 2 Timothy 2:2.
• The strategies to be used to teach doctrinal truth and personal godliness to men being trained for ministry.
• Tools to measure progress toward training men for ministry, and a means by which church lead­ers can adjust their strategies to improve impact.

A plan to train men for ministry is a sub­set of a broader biblical strategy for the home and for the church. There is little need to convince readers of this publication that every home and church must be Word-centered, submitted to God, dependent on his Spirit, and dedicated to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. The suggestions below are for those committed to a biblical, life-changing ministry that glorifies God and makes disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). They form the central elements of a plan to train men for ministry. These concepts relate to discipling others by utilizing the methods that Jesus used to train his disciples, and are outlined in greater detail in my book, Follow the Master: How Jesus Made Disciples.¹

Family First

Training future ministry lead­ers begins in our own homes. Ministry leaders should remember that life as a “PK” or an “MK” (preacher’s kid or mis­sionary kid) can be difficult. Pastors and missionaries should not worsen this by neglecting their children for the sake of the ministries in which they serve. Pastors, involve your children with you in ministry. Provide meaningful oppor­tunities for them to serve. If you are in full-time ministry, be sure that your children know that they come first. Don’t just tell them, show them. Let them know by your actions. Participate in activities that are important to them and spend meaningful time together as a family apart from church activities.

Start Young

The time to begin training men for ministry is while they are young and teachable. Like many other pastors, I recognized God’s call when I was a youth. Pastor Robert Hibbard asked me to join a couple of other boys and preach for the Teens Involved night at our church. He invited me to study with him to develop a sermon, which I was glad to do. I owe a debt of gratitude to pastor Hibbard for mentoring me and other young men, and to the church for joyfully receiving the music, messages, and ministry from their young people! God instrumentally used that sermon to help me recognize his call in my life.

Many in ministry share a similar experience. Dave Meyers writes,

Most people in ministry were impacted by someone during their youth whom God used to bring a sensitivity to God’s call on their life. ‘This means that most of the future leaders of the church are the same ones who fill our Sunday Schools and student ministries today.’ Indeed, eighty percent of our pastors and church leaders trusted Christ by age fifteen. Ninety percent of those serving as full-time cross-cultural missionaries trusted Christ by that same age.²

A church plan to train up men for ministry should begin with young men who demonstrate godly character and interest in proclaim­ing God’s Word.

Life-on-Life Discipleship

Formal education almost always occurs in classroom settings. This style of education is so deeply ingrained that it is hard to consider any other method. Although the classroom is a convenient way to impart a large amount of infor­mation in a short amount of time, other methods of pedagogy are essential to train men for ministry. Classrooms were available in the time of Jesus, yet he chose life-on-life discipleship to train his disciples. Jesus molded his dis­ciples by spending time with them in the routines of life. Jesus and the dis­ciples attended weddings, took part in funerals, and walked throughout Judea and Samaria. They ate together, cele­brated feasts, and attended synagogue. His illustrations centered on common elements of first-century life in Judea. Jesus talked about vineyards, shepherds, mustard seeds, fields of grain, fish, seasons, birds, and wildlife. He commu­nicated spiritual truths through relatable, earthbound illustrations. When he com­manded his disciples to “go and make disciples” (Mt 28:19), he did not provide further instruction. He didn’t have to. They understood by his example how to train future disciples. They would follow Jesus’ example of highly personalized, small group, and individual discipleship by traveling with other Christ-followers, sharing life and ministry, and growing to be more like the Master.

Training men for ministry will require more than a Bible study course on lead­ership. It will require that godly leaders connect with those who sense God’s call into ministry. This kind of life-on-life dis­cipleship takes place on church workdays, camping trips, ministry within the com­munity, travel, sports, and other routines of modern life. To follow the example of Jesus, spiritual leaders must model godli­ness for younger men and walk the paths of life together. That is where they will find the greatest opportunities for devel­oping character and instilling a love for people and for God’s Word.

Read Part 2.