Compassionate Leadership for Pastors
by Paul Cedar

Editor’s Note:  Pastors are called to engage a wide range of spiritual gifts in their ministry.  Or, if they lack the gifts, they must at least develop the skills.  The skill of leadership is a high expectation upon you as a pastor as you guide your church.  The sometimes messy business of leadership is an opportunity to bless those you lead—or to do them and yourself great harm.  Dr. Paul Cedar, one of the great Christian leaders of our time, served as pastor of Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena, CA, as national President of the Evangelical Free Church, and as international Chairman of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization.  He now serves as President and CEO of the Mission America Coalition.  In this article, Dr. Cedar shares a gentle and important reminder of what it means to lead like Jesus led, as a compassionate leader.  If you’d like to read more on this important topic, you may obtain a copy of Ted Engstrom and Paul Cedar’s book Compassionate Leadership directly from the publisher.

       Jesus had a radical leadership style, a style that was marked by compassion.  This is in stark contrast to the hard-driven, results-oriented corporate executive style often set before us as an example.  For Jesus, leadership was not about power, management and organization, but about generosity, believing in people, meeting needs, encouraging others, and getting excited about good things that happen to others.  He is our pastoral model for compassionate service…and compassionate leadership.

       Through many years in varied situations and during complex leadership challenges, Dr. Ted Engstrom and I have come back to the simplicity that is in Jesus’ leadership style.  My prayer is that you may avert the pitfalls of a worldly leadership style by following the model of our Lord.  I’ve become convinced that along this path you will find greater ministry success and eternal impact—as you lead the flock entrusted to you.  Here, I’d like to share briefly the core attributes of Jesus’ compassionate leadership style as they apply to pastors:

The Compassionate Pastor leads…like a Shepherd

       The entire concept of serving as a leader in Christ’s Kingdom relates to people more than tasks.  Compassionate leaders are people-oriented.  In terms of priority, people trump tasks and goals.  Whatever the ministry might be to which God has entrusted us, we are directed to shepherd the people whom God is calling us to lead.

       However pastors serve in leadership roles, it is always appropriate to be a shepherd leader—like Jesus.  Gentle.  Humble.  Servant-oriented.  At the same time, we must often remind ourselves that believers who are following our leadership belong to God’s flock and not our own.  We are simply the under-