How Pastor Mark Delegates Authority

Pastor Mark, as I call him, has had plenty of opportunities to gain authority over the years, some of which he keeps for himself, but much of which he passes out to others. And the way he passes out authority has shaped the culture of our church for the better.

Following are some of the ways he distributes authority followed how this shapes our church culture. Some of these points only apply to lead pastors; many apply to all of us. Though your church is surely different from ours, following in Pastor Mark’s footsteps on this issue may help you develop a similarly healthy church culture where all members use their gifts for the glory of God.

Ways for Lead Pastors to Distribute Authority

It takes intention and thought for lead pastors to dole out authority to others in a way that supports a healthy church culture. Here are some ideas that lead pastors can start doing this today:

Build the Church on the Gospel

In our church, no matter who is teaching, the gospel must be front and center. Pastor Mark established this pattern. And we’ve seen that when relationships and power structures are grounded in the gospel, people use their authority not to lord it over one another but to serve one another (Matt. 20:25–28).

Establish a Plurality of Staff and Non-Staff Elders

In an elder board composed exclusively of staff elders, each man may possess one vote, but the staffing structure imposes a hierarchy. Adding non-staff elders to the board disrupts and flattens that hierarchy.

Share Preaching and Teaching Slots

For starters, Mark, with the elders’ agreement, limits himself to preaching 50 to 65 percent of Sunday mornings. Further, he never preaches in our church’s Sunday evening service. Instead the church hears from a current or candidating elder. Last, our church has about 80 teaching slots for adult Sunday school classes over the course of the year (each slot consists of a 7- to 13-week class), 52 chances to preach a Sunday evening devotion, and 24 opportunities to teach a Wednesday night Bible study. In total, there are around 150 chances for men other than Pastor Mark to teach the congregation, and this does not include teaching time in small groups. All in all, this allows other voices have the chance to grow and gain authority, and the congregation becomes more dependent on the word than on one man.

Give Young Teachers the Chance to Make Mistakes

I can think of one or two instances where a teacher or preacher said something so inappropriate that he was not asked to teach again. But generally speaking, young teachers have a lot of leeway in our church to be boring and make mistakes. Since the church is more dependent on the word than on Pastor Mark, they have much patience for these trainees, and the trainees get great opportunities to exercise their preaching muscles.

Let Others Steal Your Ideas

Mark freely lets other teachers inside the church adapt his anecdotes, borrow his best lines, and mimic his messages. This fosters a sense of teamwork instead of an attitude of every man for himself.

Be Willing to Lose Elder Votes and Receive Criticism

I’ve heard of senior pastors who say they “never lose votes.” Talk about undermining the elders’ leadership! The reality is that sometimes the lead pastor is wrong and sometimes not all agree with him, and a healthy church leaves room for this to happen without anyone vying for power. Mark sets the example for this by inviting criticism. It gives those in training room to spread their wings. If you never receive criticism, you are teaching everyone around you that they must conform to your preferences or be punished. Leaders don’t grow in this kind of environment. They whither or leave.

Be Slow to Speak, and Speak Sparingly in Elders’ Meetings

Three times a year, the elders welcome a number of pastors from other churches to observe their meetings. These pastors often mention their surprise at how little Mark speaks and how willing other elders are to disagree with him. Being allowed to disagree with the lead pastor, often one of the most powerful people in the church, protects against abuse of power.

Don’t Be the Chairman in Elders’ Meetings or Members’ Meetings

Giving another man the chance to be the elder chairman—who both sets the agendas for and leads elders’ meeting—is an easy way to distribute authority.

Let Other Elders Lead the Congregation Through Difficult Discussions in Members’ Meetings

When it comes to dealing with church discipline, big financial decisions, or other tough topics, the elder who has been most involved may be the best one to lead the church in a discussion of the matter.

Use an Invitations Committee

If you are a pastor who receives regular invitations to speak outside your church, use a committee of staff members or elders to help you review those invitations. And be willing to let them guide and even determine your decision so that you are spending adequate time on local church ministry.

Be Devoted to One Thing in the Church and Give Freedom Elsewhere

Mark is utterly devoted to preparing sermons and keeps a loose grip on most everything else. So if you want to see the church doing more in a certain area, he’ll let you do it and keep his hands off. This has the effect of organically revealing other natural leaders.

Don’t Micromanage

There are a few areas Mark micromanages, like making sure his staff are present at meetings and services on time. But in just about everything else, he gives free reign. Micromanagement not only exhausts a leader but also undermines the initiative of others, and being willing to let others make decisions is freeing and encouraging for all.

Review Weekly Services and Invite Lay Elders to Give Feedback

Structuring a time into a church leadership’s weekly schedule for giving and receiving feedback regarding Sunday’s services teaches men to evaluate, think, and love the congregation better. It grows them as leaders. Further, Mark does not require lay elders to attend the weekly service review times, but he always invites them to attend and give feedback. This shows lay elders that their opinions matter.

Be Quick to Forgive

Mark is one of the most forgiving people I know. Alternatively, it’s hard for a faultfinder to give away authority. If you only see faults, you won’t trust or entrust. Yet, if you are quick to forgive, you will find it easier to trust and empower others.

Rejoice in the Victories of Others

Do you have to be the one to make the shot, or are you happy to make the assist? Mark rejoices in the victories of others as much as his own. If someone else can do the job, he would prefer it. This leaves him free to do something else.

Pray for Other Churches and Denominations

Publicly praying for other churches and denominations helps to defeat tribalism and encourage a focuses on the gospel instead of the lead pastor. This in turn engenders further gospel initiative among budding leaders in the church.

How Giving Away Authority Shapes a Church Culture

As we have partly seen above, when the leader on top generously gives authority to his lay elders and others in the church, he shapes the church’s culture in wonderful ways. Here are, in more detail, some examples of what sharing authority can do:

It Helps Keep the Gospel a Priority and Prevents Tribalism

Giving away authority focuses the church’s eyes on gospel purposes rather than on leaders. A leader who continually gives away authority teaches those around him that he is most interested in the success of the gospel, regardless of who’s leading this or that specific ministry (see Phil. 1:12), and this allows multiple leaders to flourish among the flock.

It Promotes Real Relationships

In an environment where authority is jealously hoarded, relationships are characterized by politics and strategy. Guards remain up, vulnerabilities are not exposed, and transparency diminishes. But when people feel empowered, they are more likely to be open and honest.

It Encourages Church Members to Share Resources

When people see that the leader is not just invested in himself but also other people, they too become inclined to give to others.

It Destroys Social Hierarchies

Our church is filled with people with impressive jobs, the kind that create social hierarchies. Yet what’s striking is that members interact as equals. Why? Because the gospel is kept in the center. We’re all sinners saved by grace. Also, Mark doesn’t lord his authority over others, and this sets a pattern of equality.

It Cultivates Trust

When members see that a leader is concerned about others, not just himself, it becomes easier to trust his motives, even when he is asking the church to make a sacrifice.

It Cultivates Teachability and the Willingness to Receive Criticism

If people trust a leader, they also become more willing to listen to his criticisms of them, knowing such criticisms are rooted in love rather than one-upmanship.

It Promotes a Willingness to Forgive

When a leader is quick to forgive the faults of others, he will exemplifies such forgiveness to others and helps them do the same.

It Encourages the Church to Focus on Training New Leaders

A church that sees a pastor continually work to train and empower others will have a hard time not catching the vision and sharing it. They will see all the fruit and want to join in on the fun.

It Helps a Church to Be Outward Focused

The process of raising up and sending out leaders helps a church realize that their goal should not only be to make their own house the best it can be but also to help other churches become happier and healthier too.

All that said, delegation can be done poorly or lazily. Wisdom is required to delegate well. I’ve heard Mark say he assumes that God has given everyone some instrument in the orchestra to play, and part of his job is helping people figure out which instrument is theirs. The question comes down to heart posture: are we happy to see others gain authority, or do we jealously guard it, afraid that people might surpass us? If the former, what are we doing to spread it?