Four Qualities I Look For In A Church Planter
One of the questions I am often asked is what I am looking for in a potential church planter. We have been helping to sponsor, coach, and parent new churches since 1996 and this month we will launch our thirty-second direct plant. Over the years, I have come to understand that there are four key indicators of an effective planter.
I want to preface this discussion with what has become known as the three C's of hiring. Many Lead Pastors use this kind of a grid when making staff hiring decisions:
Character - Do they have integrity? Are they trustworthy? Do they align with solid Biblical doctrine and teaching? Do they have good references?
Competency - Do they have the skills and experience needed to do the job you are hiring them to do?
Chemistry - Do they mesh well with the team that you have in place?
While all three of these qualities form a good framework to evaluate someone, they are not necessarily stoppers for me if the church planter falls a little short in one of these areas. What do I mean?
I have actually started the planting process with someone who did not meet the character standards at first. They may have come out of a rough background and needed to be developed, mentored and challenged. They may have needed to prove themselves over a period of time but I didn’t immediately rule them out just because they had some rough edges.
I also began some church planting journeys with people without the full competencies in place. I could see that they had the root skills, but they were raw and inexperienced. Over time and with consistent coaching, they grew into themselves and became “competent enough” to take the next steps.
And chemistry? Sometimes this can be developed, if the potential planter sticks it out long enough to grow into our culture.
But there are a few non-negotiables qualities I am looking for in a potential church planter:
#1 - Teachability
This trait is crucial because you can’t develop someone who cannot be taught. Pride shuts down all development. When someone comes along with raw talent but they think they know it all, the relationship is pretty much dead in the water. In fact, when I meet a new potential planter or leader, I often test them early in the relationship just to see how they will respond.
How? I give them an assignment that they feel is beneath them. I will disagree with an opinion that they hold strongly or offer them advice as to how they can improve. When a person receives direction, correction,and is open to other opinions and thanks you for it, then you know you have someone you can work with.
I absolutely love the technique that Solomon uses in writing Proverbs 26. He begins by listing ten truths about FOOLS. Here are a few of those ten:
Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
After reading these statements, you find yourself thinking, “I am so glad I am not a fool.” or to quote Mr T, "I pity the fool…” But then Solomon really drops the hammer:
“Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them “
Finding teachable people will keep you from working with fools and the consequences that inevitably follow. Proverbs 13:20 reinforces this concept:
"Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm."
#2 - Passion
Passion is another trait I look for in a potential planter. You can’t teach passion! You can give someone information. You can develop their skills. You can give them experience. You can assign a position or title. You can give them a salary. But you can't make them hungry or impart desire to them.
What do they say? "Better a wildfire than no fire at all."
The person who comes to mind with this difference-maker quality is former Steeler Linebacker, James Harrison. He was deemed to be too small to play in the NFL and went undrafted. He was cut multiple times by the Steelers and the Ravens. But what set Harrison apart was not just his strength, but his crazy work ethic and hunger to make a play on the field. Recently, I saw a clip of his former coach, Bill Cowher, talking to his defensive coordinator during Harrison's first game.
In the clip Cowher says, "We probably should ask James to come out of the game and catch his breath. He needs a break." The coordinator replies, "I asked him and he won't come out." Cowher says, "Tell him again." To which the coordinator replies, "You tell him!" They let Harrison stay in the game. I love this kind of crazy desire in a pastor or a church planter. You can change the world with passion.
#3 - Gathering Skills
One of the most obvious, and yet often overlooked, skills that a church planter needs is the ability to gather a crowd. What's advantageous about planting is the ability to build a vision and culture from the ground up. But before you can build, you have to gather. If you cannot gather, you will pastor a very small group of people. The church planter who is just starting out has no previous culture problems to overcome but they typically don’t begin the planting journey with many people on their team or much money in the bank. It’s crucial that a church planter has the skill to gather a crowd!
The pastor of a pre-existing church may have people and money, but they also have an established culture to lead, change, and overcome. The myth is that they no longer need to gather. But actually culture changes more quickly and profoundly when you add in fresh faces and the perspectives of new people and new believers.
The primary indicator for me that a church plant or revitalization is going to succeed is whether or not the pastor can gather a crowd.
#4 - Team Building Abilities
Finally, a key quality I look for in a church planter is the ability to recruit and hire talent. When you can cast vision to a person with skill and get them to engage with your leadership, you gain real momentum. Pastors and planters who try to do it all personally, lead themselves into a box and can only grow to the degree of their personal gifts and energy. Being able to recruit, place, develop and coach a team is a massive key to growth.