Church Leaders Are Failing Their Congregations
Why being a better preacher can't be more important than being a better leader.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a pastor who was struggling to keep his team engaged. Attendance was consistent. The sermons were solid. But something was off. Team members were burnt out, disconnected, and hesitant to speak up.
He asked me what he might be missing. I didn’t need long to answer.
“When was the last time you talked to your team about more than just tasks and goals?”
His silence said it all.
This is the reality many church leaders are facing. We’ve become proficient in preaching and strategic planning. We’ve learned how to cast vision and build systems. But somewhere along the way, we forgot how to simply value people.
And when leadership becomes more about performance than presence, the whole community feels the disconnect.
The Leadership Problem No One Talks About
Church leaders are failing. And here’s what’s tough…it’s not because they aren’t talented, but because they’ve put all their energy into becoming better preachers and strategists while neglecting the work of becoming better people. We’ve elevated vision-casting and stage presence while undervaluing personal growth, relational health, and emotional intelligence.
It’s not that great preaching isn’t important. It’s just not enough.
We have a leadership problem disguised as a competency problem. The fallout isn’t just declining morale. It’s burnout, disillusionment, and moral failure.
It’s time to ask the harder question:
Are we creating leaders who know how to build churches but not how to build lives…including their own?
If we’re serious about changing how we lead, it starts with a shift in focus. Too often, we default to refining our skills while neglecting the deeper work of building character.
That’s why Scripture repeatedly calls leaders to guard their inner lives, not just their outward influence. One of the clearest calls to this kind of leadership comes from the book of Proverbs.
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."
— Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)
Let me give a quick spoiler alert: This proverb isn’t about developing better speaking techniques or strategic planning. It’s about protecting the GREATEST source of your influence you have, your heart. The author, Solomon, is urging us to take our internal world seriously because everything we do flows from it, including our influence and leadership.
It’s a message leaders can’t afford to ignore. If we’re not prioritizing personal formation, our leadership becomes hollow.
Charisma without character might fill seats for a while, but it won’t sustain healthy community or lasting transformation.
The Problem with Performance-Driven Leadership
Let me assure every leader reading this right now. You can build a really big church while losing your soul at the same time.
There’s a reason we gravitate toward high-capacity leaders. They’re driven, strategic, and compelling. But when leadership becomes performance-driven, it loses its relational core. It’s easy to build systems and preach sermons while neglecting the hard work of personal growth.
The problem? When the performance stops, so does the connection. Leaders who focus solely on skills without cultivating self-awareness end up detached from the people they’re supposed to serve.
If you’re only as good as your last sermon, you’re not leading, you’re performing.
If you’ve ever met a leader who can impress on stage but remains distant off it, then you’ve more than likely have seen the gap we’re discussing today. Their communication is sharp, but their relationships are strained. Somewhere along the way, people stop feeling led and start feeling managed.
Competency without character is a trap that will kill even the fastest growing church because eventually the inevitable is realized. Your gift might have opened doors, but your character is what keeps you in the room.
Church culture today often mirrors corporate environments. We want leaders who can develop systems, grow teams, and produce results. That’s not wrong at all. It’s just incomplete.
When competence outpaces character, leaders end up making decisions that serve themselves rather than the community. It’s why talented leaders still fall. They know how to run a ministry, but they don’t know how to manage their own hearts.
Leadership skills are impressive, but integrity is irreplaceable.
I’ve seen this over and over again. A pastor who can preach with power but lacks emotional intelligence can move a room but will struggle to maintain a relationship. It’s not long before those closest to them start feeling used rather than valued.
But, pastors who focus on personal development understand that influence isn’t just about skills. It’s about who you are when no one is looking. Spiritual disciplines, reflection, and honest relationships are the necessary practices that sustains through challenges.
Here’s what I’ve learned through over 20 years of executive leadership. The strongest leaders are not the most gifted, they’re the most grounded.
Leaders who remain steady during crisis tend to prioritize practices that keep them anchored. For me, it’s prayer, accountability, and self-awareness keeps my foundation secure when the pressure builds. Without those things, I will give into the pressure that exposes my insecurities.
Building a Culture That Values People Over Performance
Don’t overlook this: Great leaders don’t just build more than great ministries. They build great people.
It’s time to rethink leadership development. We need to balance skill with personal growth. Instead of just training striving to preach better, let’s strive to live better. This means creating pathways that emphasize:
Self-examination and personal reflection
Honest, relational feedback (Full article coming on this soon).
Rhythms of rest and renewal
Accountability that’s focused on integrity and growth, not control
Practices that strengthen spiritual and emotional health
If your leadership culture doesn’t prioritize people, it will eventually collapse under the weight of its own performance.
A team that only hears feedback when they fail isn’t being developed. But a leader who makes space for honest conversations, even when it’s inconvenient, is building a culture that outlasts them. That’s what we should all be striving for as church leaders, even more than those in the secular spaces.
How to Lead Differently Starting Now
If I had to start leading all over again, here’s where I would start to ensure I am developing people as much as I’m developing organizations. This is the advice I wish I had early on in my leadership.
Prioritize Your Own Formation
Schedule time for personal reflection.
Build relationships that go beyond work.
Be intentional about maintaining your spiritual health.
Redefine Success Metrics
Measure more than attendance and offerings.
Track relational health, team morale, and your own spiritual growth.
Model Authenticity
Let your team see your own growth process.
Share what you’re learning, not just what you’ve mastered.
Build Holistic Development Plans
Create leadership tracks that balance skill development with character formation.
Mentor leaders in both professional and personal growth.
Let me close with a powerful statement…
The most effective leaders aren’t the ones who speak the loudest or grow the biggest. They’re the ones who live with integrity, who cultivate their souls, and who lead from a place of wholeness.
If the church is going to thrive in the years ahead, it needs leaders who know how to be present, not just gifted. Let’s focus less on building platforms and more on building people…including ourselves.
Be blessed. Lead well. But strive to be a better person, than you are a leader.
— Jared