As we all know by now, thousands of lead pastors leave full-time church ministry every year. Along those lines, a high percentage of new church plants never make it past three years. One reason is that most potential lead pastors never honestly attempt to ask themselves the following questions:

1. Am I emotionally mature enough to take upon myself the rigors of taking the lead role in a church? Whether it is a new church plant or taking over the lead role for another pastor, a lead pastor has to be emotionally mature enough to deal with the incredible emotional challenges of the ministry.

A lead pastor must have thick skin. They cannot hold grudges against people. They have to learn how to forgive those who betray them and break covenant, and they have to handle adversity and crisis.

It is not enough to know how to preach well. Emotional maturity is perhaps even more important than having a good personality and giftedness in the pulpit!

2. Am I theologically competent? Most new pastors, especially of the independent evangelical/Pentecostal ilk, have inadequate formal theological training. Before you venture off into a pastorate, make sure you have enough theological depth to be able to feed the flock of God 52 weeks per year! Pastors cannot get by just on preaching evangelistic messages or their pet doctrinal passions. They have to learn how to expound on the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).

In recent decades, there have been many successful pastors who came out of a marketplace background. But, unfortunately, most of them lead the church more like the CEO of a secular corporation than as a shepherd of the flock of God. Having business acumen and administration is necessary, but administration without theological depth produces a church that has great marketing, impressive crowds and programs, but superficial disciples.

3. Am I organizationally competent? Being theologically trained is not enough. I have found that most pastors have no clue in regard to formulating a church budget and administration. It doesn’t matter how anointed you are or how good a preacher you are. Administration is needed to harness the anointing and create systems in the church for the proper implementation of church vision.

4. Is my spouse emotionally and spiritually prepared for such a task? Many go into the pastorate without weighing the toll it will take on their spouses and children. I have found that the wife of a male lead pastor is one of the neediest people in the body of Christ. Many have never been adequately prepared for the high demand people will place on their lives and families. These spouses have to be told that people in the congregation will want to visit the pastor's home, call up when they are in need, and expect you to drop everything when they have an emergency. They expect the wife of the lead pastor to function as the mother of the church and will get offended if she does not give them adequate attention.

God calls couples into the pastorate, not just one half of the marriage. (Also, I do not generally believe it is a good idea for a single person to enter into the pastorate since they will be faced with numerous sexual temptations, especially from other needy single people who want their counsel and oversight.)

5. How do I know that God is calling me into the pastorate? Perhaps the most important question a potential lead pastor can ask himself or herself is this: “Did God really give me this assignment?” This is because when the trials and stresses related to church ministry come their way, they will seriously consider abandoning the pastorate if they are unsure of their divine calling.

6. Do I have in place sufficient mentors who can walk with me and gauge my progress? Every lead pastor should have several mentors in their life. Not only do they need other seasoned, successful lead pastors, but they will need mentors regarding their psychological health, finances and physical health, plus legal advice in setting up a proper board of elders, trustees, bylaws and ongoing minutes. These mentors should have a trusting relationship with the lead pastor and be allowed to speak honestly into their life, or else it will be a waste of time for both parties.

7. Do I have a sufficient support system of peer relationships and friends? Every leader learns quickly that it can get lonely at the top. Lead pastors desperately need a constellation of other godly peers in the ministry and a tight-knit social community they can relax with and pray with that is not always talking about the challenges of the ministry. Lead pastors need a regular mental break from the rigors of ministry, and they cannot do it alone.

8. Have I taken the time to meet with the other lead pastors in my region to get advice? If I had to do it all over again, I would have met with and received the advice of every cooperative lead pastor in my community before I planted our church. They would have been able to give me the lay of the land, share their experiences related to the specific challenges of that region, as well as become potential friends and a part of my support system in the ministry.

(After eight years, I actually did start a monthly pastors’ covenant support group with about 12 local area pastors that became an incredible source of unity and strength for us all!)

9. Do I have a proper business plan for financial sustenance? The old Pentecostal adage was to just obey the calling of God and trust God for the finances. Of course, that is the primary foundation. But having a proper business plan for the church is absolutely necessary in this complicated world fraught with financial scandal, strict IRS regulations and enormous complexity regarding present economic realities.

10. Do I have a proper philosophy of ministry that matches my calling and personality? Every lead pastor has a different personality, gift mix and method of ministry. Pastoring a church should never be a cookie-cutter approach that exactly mimics other successful leaders. Lead pastors who attempt to lead just like one of their ministry heroes are usually headed for failure and/or great disappointment. There is only one you; every leader is unique and must flow properly in their gift mix in order to be effective.

Some helpful questions to start off with include: What is my personality type? (Am I an introvert or extrovert?). What are my motivational gifts? (Read Romans 12:4-8.) What manifestations of the Spirit usually accompany my ministry? (Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-8.) What fivefold ministry function do I operate in? (Read Ephesians 4:11.)

In closing, I wish someone gave me articles like this in the early 1980s before I got married and entered full-time church ministry. It would have saved me a lot of unnecessary heartache and trauma!

Joseph Mattera is overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church, Christ Covenant Coalition, in Brooklyn, N.Y. 

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.