TOP TEN MISTAKES THAT CHURCH LEADERS MAKE

TOP TEN MISTAKES THAT CHURCH LEADERS MAKE

As it is in workplaces, so it is in all other organizations, even religious places. Mistakes are made by leaders, and most times they are not even aware that they are making such mistakes until these are pointed out to them, or they do some introspection to find out what they are doing right or wrong. As it concerns our places of worship, these are some of the mistakes that are commonly observed, some of them similar to the ones committed in the workplaces.

1.     Running the ministry on human wisdom rather than God’s instruction

When it has to do with the work of the ministry – the commission of God, it has to be done with the wisdom of the Lord. The Called has to spend adequate time with the Caller to understand the call and the intent and direction thereof. What we find most times however is that, the called receives the call, and takes it over from there forgetting that there must be a pattern that the One who called him wants him to adopt. He must not necessarily pattern after others.

2.     Not paying attention to the loud silence of the followers

Most church leaders are too busy talking – teaching/preaching to the members that they do not hear when the members are saying “we are bored.” The most easily identifiable attribute with a lot of church leaders is that they always want to unbundle their knowledge to their followers, and expect that the followers only do one thing – listen. Sometimes, the followers have something to say too, but they do not find room or forum for expressing their thoughts. And if listening is all they do, I can assure you my friend, that listening can be boring most times.

3.     Measuring impact from self-angle, not necessarily from the followers’ perspective

What we find most times in an assembly of people is that, the leader thinks he is making so much impact when he always has a lot to say to the people, and not necessarily the result that he should have been looking out for in the lives of the people. Too much preaching does not really mean too much impact.

4.     Not keeping to time

At the airport sometimes ago, a Nigerian diplomat to Vietnam engaged me in a discussion, and top on the list of what we talked about was his experience with churches which advertise service times, and refuse to close when the time expires. Sincerely, after the allotted service time, in most cases, it is only the preacher taking extra time who is enjoying himself, a lot of people would have logged out of the service. When you say service starts at 6pm and ends at 8pm, please keep it so. Discipline, even to time, should not be scarce in God’s house.

5.     Fixing church meetings on public holidays

Hey, just before you shoot at me on this point, just remember that these are observations. And like I was saying, too many church leaders deny their members the use of their holidays. Whenever the window for a public holiday opens up, you’ll find that church leaders quickly bombard that day with so many activities, which in a way, are also compulsory for members, and those who don’t attend are perceived in a particular light.

We actually do spend less time in churches these days than we ought, but so do we with families. Modern types of work separate between families, and such public breaks are the real time most families have together. To deny them the holidays by making church meetings compulsory is not very okay. I’ll compromise a little though. While church meetings may be fixed on holidays, it should not be that the leader takes advantage of every holiday available.

6.     Not being able to separate greed from need

I’ll like to say kudos to leaders who depend on God to supply their needs whichever way He chooses to. A lot of churches, sadly so, are started solely because of the greed of the leader. Most leaders assemble people and have their eye firmly fixed on Sunday tithes and offerings. Is it possible somehow that leaders have other sources of income and don’t have to depend as it were on Sunday income? If that were so, we would save ourselves a lot of embarrassment. The reverse of this point is that, some leaders do not teach their followers that act of giving because they want to appear pious. When followers learn to give, it is for their own benefit. God replenishes. And that is what they lack when they don’t give.

7.     Calling for contributions towards particular projects and not executing such projects

This is similar to the point above in a way, but not exactly the same. When people are asked to contribute towards a church project, maybe building, vehicle, needy people or power-generating project or any other project as the case may be, it follows that, the people want to see the project coming to life. By seeing that their money is producing results, they are more willing and committed to seeing to the completion of such projects. But if they contribute towards a project, and they always have to contribute towards the same project every other time without meaningful results, they become weary.

It is possible that things came up within the life of the project that halt the continuity, in such cases, the leader should be gracious enough to carry the people along, let them in on happenings, and he will still retain their confidence.

8.     Becoming inaccessible

It is very difficult to understand how some leaders are even able to do some of these things. I am not saying that, your doors must be thrown open to everyone at every time, but you must not also disappear only to appear on Sundays. People must be able to reach their leaders if not physically but at least via mails, sms, calls, some kind of way sha… Granted that a leader’s schedule could really become so busy, but at least the few times when you are around, do not let your bodyguards bully everyone that come around you. There could be some day when you are available in the office or people can reach you.

And please leaders try and return calls and messages when the window opens. It is important.

9.     Distrust

This is actually wide whichever way we want to look at it, but let’s just say that, the leader needs to allow the people whom he puts in charge of functions to use their initiatives. Most leaders put people in charge of functions, departments or even branches, but hardly let those people carry out their responsibilities. Every now and then, the leader is not yet detached from the assigned job, he wants the minutest detail, and that kind of bores the assignee who feels he should be trusted enough to carry out the duty with his initiative. I’ll leave that there.

10.                        Not making resources available for an assigned task

Most leaders expect results from their followers when, a lot of times, they do not give followers the resources with which they should get the results. Authority must be allotted Responsibilities. No one works well without the other. If the resources are meager, which is the case most times, the assignee must be made to realize what’s obtainable and how that a lot is laid on him to source resources to deliver, but, don’t, as a leader, make the assignee feel incapable for not delivering when you did not empower him.