Paul's Four Proven Principles

by Hugh Fraser

Who better than the Apostle Paul to enhance our practice of ministry?  To the church at Corinth, Paul commended his life and service to Christ as a worthy model to follow. He said simply, “Follow my example” (1 Cor. 11:1). 

In this article, I offer proven principles for transitional leaders who want to learn from Paul’s example. After all, he did serve as an external shepherd intentionally intervening in a disrupted congregation.   

 Paul’s Four Proven Principles Applied to Today’s Transitional Leader

 Consider these four leadership lessons from Paul based upon the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians. 

 1.  Initiate Thorough Assessment 

  “My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you” (1 Cor. 1:11).  

 How can anyone discern their suitability for a ministry assignment without knowing in advance the current state of a church?  Additionally, a transitional leader seeking to design and communicate an effective work plan for a short-term ministry will require an understanding of current congregational needs and concerns. 

 There are three levels of assessment:

•  Basic assessment. This involves a leadership inventory by which leaders rate their church’s strengths and weaknesses in a variety of categories. Results provide a snapshot of current realities. 
• Written summary. Following Paul’s method, a request can be made for a written summary from one or more of the church leaders. This narrative would articulate the level of church health and summarize needs.
• On-site visit. An even deeper perspective could be gained by visiting with church leaders on-site or virtually. This facilitated listening session would be guided by a set of questions designed to gather relevant information on the church.  

 These assessments are part of the toolkit we at TLN provide and equip leaders to use. 

 2. Overcome Intimidation with Holy Spirit Power  

 “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. … I came to you in weakness and fear and with much trembling.  My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power…” (1 Cor. 2:1-5). 

 We can only imagine the level of Paul’s fear as he stepped into a congregation boasting of its highly educated wise leaders who were at odds with each other and were using their superiority to segment the congregation.  While not all congregations in transition exhibit such a high degree of breakdown, every congregation has some presenting issues that challenge the experience of most transitional pastors.   

 How do you grapple with leadership insecurities? 

 If we follow Paul’s example, we discover our potential for success is found in complete reliance upon the Holy Spirit and his power.  The Spirit does not eradicate our weakness, but rather works beyond weakness, drawing us to our knees in dependence on him to create possibilities for fruitful ministry.   

 Leadership confidence is gained when we know that the Spirit will be at work to accomplish God’s best for each congregation we serve.  Consider an upgrade to your “Spirit-dependence” by creating a prayer support team from among your network of colleagues and friends. 

 3. Lead Using Teamwork 

 “What after all is Apollos? And what is Paul?  Only servants through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task… the man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow-workers, you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:5-11). 

 How tempting it is for a leader to stand in isolation and have all the intelligence and gifts required to accomplish what is needed!  Despite his prowess as an “apostle,” Paul understood and practiced ministry as one among many gifted individuals.  Paul self identified as “only a servant.” 

 Do-it-yourself ministry may be efficient but who can debate the superior quality of work by a leader who gathers a small group of gifted people to join a team that is equipped to serve?   

 The team will have:

• a clear purpose for specific areas of growth or progress (“God makes it grow”)
• a clear strategy for action (“one plants, another waters”)
• a comradery (“we are God’s fellow workers”) that invites active participation
• a satisfying outcome as God uses them to facilitate forward direction toward a better future

 TLN works to increase the capacity of a transitional leader to build and equip teams for ministry. As Spirit-lead teams work prayerfully in congregations, change initiatives are realized.  

 4. Welcome Accountability  

 “So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Cor. 4:1-2). 

 It continues to surprise me at how slack many churches are in the practice of leadership accountability – especially for pastors.  All of us have a combination of blind spots and defense mechanisms that limit our leadership growth and effectiveness.  Left unchecked, these personal weaknesses are frequent sources of lost trust in leaders. 

 Paul thrived on the prospect of leadership success and fruitfulness. Likewise, an invitation from a congregation is founded upon a trust (sometimes well defined and sometimes assumed) that you will serve diligently for the benefit of the congregation.  Because the term of a transitional pastor is time-limited, you will want to maximize your accountability to sustain the trust that has been placed in you.  It is not an option – you must prove faithful. 

 Accountability has more than one level and can be established in your work agreement.  

 I recommend four levels: 

 1. Send a periodic email report to the denominational staff member who has oversight of your congregation. They can bring perspective and encouragement to your work. 

2. Update church staff and welcome their feedback in regular staff meetings.

 3. Give monthly written reports to the board of the church.  In those same meetings, review your ministry plan, inform the leaders of your progress and next steps, and invite their questions and feedback on what they are observing.

4. Encourage regular ministry assessments with the personnel committee who will provide timely feedback to which you can respond and sharpen your performance.

 Final Thoughts 

 Whether you are new to transitional ministry or a veteran practitioner, consider the example of Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.  As a sincere servant of Christ who is called by the will of God to be faithful to your heavenly calling, learn from the example of the expert (Paul himself) who took on huge challenges to create possibilities for God to strengthen and enrich his church.

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Hugh has been a transitional pastor for over 22 years. He has worked with over 20 churches and is credentialed by the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada. He received coach training from the Newfield Network and The Institute for Generative Leadership. To get in touch with him, email him at [email protected].