Leaders as a barrier

Leadership in the church is both an immense privilege and a great responsibility, as the pastoral letters and James makes very clear. So can leaders be a barrier to growth?

I think the answer is yes, and they can do so in a number of ways, but one of teh most fundamental is this. Tim 2:2 calls on leaders to be training up other leaders; "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others." In other words Timothy train up new leaders, make yourself dispensible.

I'm not sure that we readily buy into that model of leadership. How many people are you working alongside to train up to replace you in what you are doing? As a youth leader are you training up someone to entrust the gospel and youth ministry to? As a pastor am I training up others to share the responsibility of teaching God's word to others? As home group leaders are we training up other leaders to take some of the group to plant a new group?

There are all sorts of excuses not to do it; I'm too busy to train someone up, there is nobody capable (isn't that the nature of training provided they have the character) and so on...

You can evaluate someones leadership on what they leave behind them. If it is a yawning chasm then they haven't done a very good job, if the transition is seemless then they have been a good leader.

Whilst on the subject it may be worth saying that I'm not sure our transient society helps with church growth. It takes years to build meaningful relationships which are capable of gospel purposes both in the church and outside the church. Yet so often we aren't around years. Would churches grow more if their pastor and other leaders were to serve there twenty years, or a whole ministry rather than 3-7 years? What if its members were to take the same approach - this is where God has called me and I am here until he calls me to another situation?

As leaders am I barrier to long term growth? Am I training up others to lead?