Church Leadership

Lovett Weems of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, provides for pastors and other church leaders many valuable thoughts on one of his life passions-leadership within the local congregation. This reader has found "Church Leadership" to be an excellent resource; it is both broad and theoretical while paying close attention to practical details; it encourages the pastor to grow personally while paying close attention to the cultural realities of the faith community; it summarizes the work of many others in the field, even while it presents these ideas in a relevant, unique way. The purpose of "Church Leadership" is "...that pastors and other church leaders will come to see that effective leadership is not only compatible with the faithful ministry, it is also essential to the fulfillment of the calling of God to which we have responded." (35). To that end, he begins by examining the concept of leadership. Like beauty and art, leadership cannot be sufficiently described nor can it be reduced to a mathematical formula, but one knows it when he sees it. We can observe various traits that seem to accompany leadership (it is often spiritual, chaotic, funny, etc.) but these things are not leadership itself. Rather than attempt to define and formulate leadership, Weems presents what leadership is not: it should not be confused with style, nor management, nor administration. Nevertheless even while the definition of leadership is difficult to grasp, Weems believes that four elements are essential for a church leader to develop: Vision, Team, Culture, and Integrity. The main section of the book treats these four vital areas of effective pastoral leadership: the proper creation and maintenance of a mission/Vision; Team-building; the analysis of and leadership role in Culture; and the concept of personal (and group) Integrity. As mentioned above, each section is not only hands-on and practical, but it also presents the theories behind these areas. The prose is highly readable and filled with useful quotes and examples. In all, while at times this reader felt overwhelmed by all the information and numerous "things to keep in mind" as I serve in my leadership role, the book is also highly optimistic. The end result is that I feel challenged, find myself holding a greater respect for the leadership role in a church, and better prepared to lead a congregation as a result of this book. Highly recommended for all those in church leadership positions.