Leaders Are Influencers
Leadership revolves around the idea of influence, or as Peter Northouse puts it: “Influence is the sine qua non of leadership.”[1] The litmus test of our leadership is: Where are the followers? Effective leaders, across all spheres, are influencers, including in the church context.
Our focus in this issue of the Dynamic Steward is on leaders who have received an official call, without minimizing the influential power of individuals with no official assignment. Our interested category includes denominational workers and lay volunteers. Are they only called to occupy an honorific position? How meaningful is their relationship with church members? The Bible uses the word “shepherd” to capture the essence of the assignment of church leaders. Shepherds are responsible for leading their flock along a particular pathway to green and safe pastures with clear waters. Failing to seek the good for followers brings serious consequences: “Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves!” (Ezekiel 34:2, NIV).
It is common practice to explain members’ participation in giving by pointing to their personal income or the prevailing socioeconomic context, two crucial predisposing elements. Nonetheless, several studies have highlighted the influence of church leadership on members’ giving. After surveying religious giving, Dean R. Hoge and colleagues conclude: “In all the settings, the successful churches had participatory leadership, a sense of forward movement, a feeling of lay ownership, strong trust in leaders, and a full array of programs.”[2] Returning tithe, bringing offerings, and making donations do not happen in a vacuum; leadership impacts giving!
However, the most substantial evidence for the connection between giving and leadership comes from the inspired writer, who comments on how to reverse the slow progress of the work in New York:
When the church see that the ministers are all aglow with the spirit of the work, that they feel deeply the force of the truth, and are seeking to bring others to the knowledge of it, it will put new life and vigor into them. Their hearts will be stirred to do what they can to aid in the work. There is not a class of people in the world who are more willing to sacrifice of their means to advance the cause than are Seventh-day Adventists. If the ministers do not utterly discourage them by their indolence and inefficiency, and by their lack of spirituality, they will generally respond to any appeal that may be made that commends itself to their judgment and consciences. But they want to see fruit. And it is right that the brethren in New York should demand fruit of their ministers. What have they done? What are they doing?[3]
This statement affirms the availability of church finances while challenging me as a church leader. Members have already received the means and are inclined to give abundantly and faithfully when rightly instructed. However, their actual participation is influenced by their leaders’ spirituality and dedicated and effective involvement in the mission. Leadership holds the key to unleash the financial resources needed for an expanded mission.
In this issue, we invite you to enjoy an open and honest conversation with Pastor Chad Stuart as he tells his story of influencing members to give. Learn how a division’s leadership is improving the giving profile in their territory, one church at a time. Sharpen your ability to craft a road map for your ministry and appreciate the power of making appeals. Since leaders are critical to growing faithful stewards, acquire the skills to develop leaders through a coaching mindset and procedures.
References
[1] Peter G. Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, 8th ed. (Los Angeles: Sage, 2019), 6.
[2] Dean R. Hoge et al., Money Matters: Personal Giving in American Churches (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996), 127.
[3] Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3 (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1885), 49 (emphasis added).
