In church-world I frequently hear conversations surrounding the idea of “personality driven churches.” That is to say churches that are built around a dynamic communicator and leader. At best I’ll usually hear a criticism of its ineffectiveness and at worst statements about how shallow, wrong, and harmful it is to the church and the advancement of the Gospel.
But how do we get past the fact that Jesus was a huge personality…and a celebrity at that. Everywhere the Man went crowds of people followed Him and clamored for Him to heal them. Talk about a guy who had a hard time getting personal space and time. It could be easily argued that Jesus’s ministry was completely personality driven. In fact it wasn’t until he was killed that the rest of the guys stepped up into the void and really started leading (more personalities).
The New Testament teaches us that not everyone in the body has the same gifting or even the same level or measure of gifting. Instead it teaches us that we are a body and we all have a unique part to play.
4 Questions to ask about Personality Driven Ministry:
1. Could it be that the problem isn’t the dynamic personality isn’t playing their part in the body, but instead the rest of the people around them aren’t playing theirs?
2. If you’ve got the big personality in your local body, what if you just let them be who they are gifted to be?
3. What if you leveraged their gift while you’ve got it available in order to maximize the spread of the Gospel?
4. Could it be that you’ve neglected to put the correct structures and systems in place around the big personality to support and sustain the ministry impact of that person’s gifting?
Posted in Leadership
Great thoughts? I have always struggled with wondering if growth within our ministires were too personality driven. I have been a part of growing youth ministries and now as a pastor, a quickly growing church. I think that embracing the fact that God is using your personality is a good thing, as long as you are sure to give Him the credit! Also, it is important for people to understand that the big personalities often get the credit and the attention, but it it the totality of the body that makes it all come together. People may be attracted to a church because of one or two personalities, but likely wont stay, or more importantly grow, if every type of personality were not using their gifts for His purposes. Let’s not be too quick to diminish or devalue how God is using those with big personalities. Let’s also not forget that God uses all personalities for His Kingdom work.
Great thoughts Adam, you’re absolutely correct, it takes everyone in the body playing their part to make this thing called the Church really work!