Why a Senior Pastor should not be a jack of all trades 🃏

We all love to be needed. Everyone has a little bit of people-pleaser in them, or they once did.

Though pastors are called to care for and shepherd their congregation, that does not mean they should be at the beck and call of every member at any hour, rain or shine.

We’re not saying to avoid connecting with your flock. In fact, reining in overlapping roles and responsibilities can lead to better connections due to a better balance across roles. 

Don’t let yourself slip into the same predicament Moses found himself in after leading God's people out of Egypt.

Jethro and Moses: What their conversation about serving teaches us

Every conversation in the Bible is there for a reason. When Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came to him—as seen in Exodus 18—and witnessed all Moses was doing for God's people, he immediately recognized the problem.

He pulled Moses aside after seeing how grueling and unending his hours are listening and judging every dispute, problem, and question from the people and then relaying God’s decrees and instructions. No one was satisfied with that arrangement.

Jethro didn’t berate Moses for taking on more than he should.

Instead, he presented a solution: To appoint capable, wise men of God—who understand His laws and principles—to serve as judges for different groups of their community and for them to handle minor issues, while taking only the truly difficult matters to Moses. 

In this context, we see the importance of delegation in the church. 

No pastor should feel they must do it all or risk upsetting their congregation. You’re not called to do it all alone. Even Moses had help.

How staying accessible and overextending can affect church growth

Without clear role boundaries, your church cannot grow beyond your capacity to be highly available 24/7.

Pulling a Moses and being available from sun up to sun down may feel like you’re being a good shepherd and being obedient to God, but in the long run, it may stunt your church's growth and hinder the mission God has given you.

Don’t wait for a Jethro to help you see the importance of delegation—take preventive action to ensure the proper boundaries are in place from the beginning.

This also helps sidestep the risks of having to pull back later, as the community grows and readjust expectations. 

That doesn't mean a role or responsibility you delegated can never be back on your radar. This is a constantly evolving process that takes intentional internal and external check-ins.

Action Items: 

1. Be honest with yourself about your capacity

How have you been feeling about your role? Overwhelmed? Burnt out? Stressed emotionally and spiritually? 

If any of that rings true, it might be time to recognize something needs to change. If not, maybe there is someone on your board who feels this way and they need some support. There’s only one way to find out, which is to…

2. Check in with your board

Doing a pulse check is for more than Startups and corporations—they work on a church board, too. 

How does everyone feel about their responsibilities? Do they all have what they need to perform those responsibilities successfully? Does anyone feel like they’re in the wrong seat? 

You could be someone’s Jethro.

3. Don’t let your need to solve people’s problems get in the way of your calling

Pastors are called to be prophets of the Lord. If your need to be there for people 24/7 is hindering your calling to relay God’s decrees and instructions, an adjustment in boundaries may be in order. 

When you’re tempted to keep saying yes when you should be enforcing those boundaries, remember Moses and Jethro—you are not called to do it all alone.

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