In recent weeks I have been writing on successful pastors--what they are and what they know. Today, I’m commenting on what they have. These are the germinal ideas of the manuscript I am writing on the successful pastor.
What you are and what you possess are two different issues altogether. Here are the traits that I believe a successful pastor must possess. These are the qualities that are built upon what a person is.
1. A successful pastor has determination. He knows the call of God on his life and the arena of his ministry, and seeks with all his heart and might to fulfill the will of God in that local. Bill Cosby once said, "in order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure." The successful pastor is consumed with a determination to accomplish the will of God. In 2 Chronicles 2:1, "Solomon decided to build a house for the name of The Lord." He let nothing stop him. In Daniel 1:8, we are told that "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself." Here are two of many examples in Scripture of men with determination. They would succeed or die trying!
2. A successful pastor has compassion. This means he cares about the people he is called to shepherd and called to reach. Repeatedly, Scripture tells us that Jesus had compassion on the multitudes, on the hurting, on the hungry, on the poor, on the neglected, on the afflicted, and on the abused. He saw people as "sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). His cared about those whom the world wrote off. The successful pastor has that same heart!
3. A successful pastor has discernment. Besides being sensitive to the Spirit's leading, he brings a biblical perspective (wisdom) to bear on every situation. He has learned to ask appropriate questions. Moreover, he has learned to make critical distinctions. For example, he understands the difference between means and ends, principles and methods, and the temporal and the eternal. He looks at every situation with a discerning eye.
4. A successful pastor has vision. I am not writing about the distorted explanation of Proverbs 29:18, "where there is no vision the people perish" which in fact means "where there is no word from God, the people go unrestrained." I am addressing the simple skill where the pastor walks into a situation, assesses it, and knows what needs to be done. He sees with a set of spiritual eyes, he knows what God wants to accomplish and he communicates it clearly.
5. A successful pastor has composure. In Paul's magnificent explanation of how love expresses itself, he states that, "love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered..." If I can provide one summary word covering all of this, I would argue that with respect to the way he deals with uncomfortable circumstances, the pastor maintains his composure. In short, he is not easily rattled and he guards his words carefully. In the words of one of my heroes, Adrian Rogers, "you don't have to take back what you do not say."
6. A successful pastor has "grasp." This is a term popularized by General of the Armies John Pershing, who commanded the US Expeditionary Forces in World War One. He sought officers with "grasp," men who saw clearly the reality of a situation, who knew what needed to be done, and who did it. In popular terminology, they "got it." A successful pastor has grasp. He sees the reality of a situation, knows what needs to be done, and does it. He does not ask anyone's permission to do the will of God.
What do you see in successful pastors you observe?
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