Church Growth
Shirley Evans
MGT380: Leadership for Organizations
Instructor: Eboni Hill
June 30, 2014

Leadership is vital for effective functioning in a church’s organization. Effective transformational leadership in a church is employed when the ministry attempts to communicate and impart a vision to others. The nature of this leadership is in its influencing process and its resulting outcomes. The influence of a congregant can have a tremendous impact on church growth when church policies and procedures are disregarded. This paper will explain the purpose of the relationship theory as it pertains to the transformational leadership found within a Southern Baptist Church and the results affecting its growth.
Relationship theories, also known as transformational theories, focus upon the connections formed between leaders and followers. Transformational leaders motivate and inspire people by helping group members see the importance and higher good of the task. These leaders are focused on the performance of group members, but also want each person to fulfill his or her potential (Weiss, 2011). Leaders with this style often have high ethical and moral standards such as those found in a pastor of a Southern Baptist Church.
The leader of any Southern Baptist Church normally carries the title of Pastor; therefore, Pastor is the term used for the leader when he is discussed. The role of Pastor has steadily changed, and taken on different significance throughout the long history of the church. The model of a CEO is moving the way of local church leaders; recommending them to learn how to lead. Pastors can be trained to become teachers, nurturers and leaders; those are the ones who cause change and innovation.
Church leadership is distinctive from corporate leadership as souls, lives and eternal destinies are at stake. Lives may be impacted by decisions made in regards to how one responds to a disgruntled member, a visitor, or someone in need of assistance. Transformational leadership has an unusual appeal to church leaders who consider themselves transformational leaders in regards with the transformation of people. A church demonstrates effective leadership when it supports the process from an exchange of rewards-for-service towards the transformed and transforming community of individuals. In the church, the charisma of transformation leadership is often connected with an anointing from God in response to a person’s seeking His gifts. Church leaders seek gifts from God which will enhance transforming people resulting from the Pastor’s preaching. These gifts may include, but are not limited to, compassion and wisdom on how to minister to persons in need.
Effective Christian leadership helps a congregation in shaping his or her life to be faithful to Christ, and for what is appropriate to each congregant’s life, community, and resources. Effective church leadership focuses on the relationship between a Pastor and the congregation. There are four character traits found in positions of effective leadership. The first is character of the leader. A Pastor’s character produces trust on the part of the congregant (Fairholm, 1998). The second is conviction. When a Pastor possesses conviction, it helps the congregation recognize the purpose and vision of the church. The third is competency. When a Pastor is competent, it aids him in dealing with anxieties or conflicts with a congregant; allowing the congregant to function in a healthy and productive way. The final trait is within the union between the Pastor and congregation which enable them to work together in realizing God’s purposes. It is important to distinguish character traits. The four traits mentioned above are on the characteristics of a Pastor.
The effective church leader leads by example by possessing a high moral quality which is vital to the Pastor’s effectiveness. These qualities include honesty, integrity, fairness compassion, service to others, a