The significance of the senior pastor for change and growth

Abstract

This is a literature-based article on the importance of the pastor for change and growth in the local church. The article discusses five themes derived from a review of the research literature, namely the general leadership literature and the church leadership literature. The contribution of this article is its discussion of the church leadership literature on the role of the pastor, taking into account the general research on the role of a top leader. Six propositions on how the pastor contributes to change and growth in the church are derived: 1) The pastor, as the senior leader, is vital for team development, change, and growth. 2) The personality traits and gifts of the pastors are important. 3) To increase change and growth, the senior pastor must emphasize a change-promoting leadership role and style, moderated by the roles and styles of the leadership team members. 4) A change- and task-oriented style must be moderated and reinforced - probably more so than in other organizations - by a transformational and relational leadership style. 5) The pastor should build an influential top-leader team to create direction, strategy, and change. Diversity facilitates the necessary discussion within the team. A common goal and appealing vision contribute positively to cooperation within the team. 6) Leadership should not only be understood as what the leader or pastor does but also as a complex interaction with other actors and the context. Building trust and good relationships with subordinate leaders and coworkers is thus vital for change and growth. Finally, a model for understanding the connection between the pastor, change, and growth is outlined.