Pastors, being the leaders of the ministry, are often inundated with a large number of tasks to get done on a regular basis. This can lead to them feeling like they have an exceptionally heavy load, and that has the potential to cause them to feel burned out. According to Crosswalk, the Bible is filled with detailed descriptions of delegation, and many pastors could learn from these examples. Parceling out work to other staff members in the ministry can make a pastor’s job much more enjoyable. Here are a few things delegating work to others does for pastors:
Reduce workload
Many pastors consistently feel overworked. Delegation can be one of the best ways to reduce workload. However, some pastors are too proud to admit they struggle to get everything done, according to Crosswalk. Pastors should work to be humble servants of God and not worry so much about pride. This is especially true of tasks that are performed on the ministry software solution used. In general, pastors should ensure staff members or even volunteers are trained to handle data entry and manipulation tasks so they don’t have to. This kind of low-level work will help ensure pastors spend their time completing tasks only they can do.
Reduce stress
While a pastor’s job can be stressful in nature, some of that stress comes from the sheer amount of work required. When a pastor delegates work to other people in the ministry, he is not only lightening the actual load of work, but reducing the amount of stress he feels on an average basis.
“With less on their plate, pastors can truly focus on the task at hand.”
Increase focus
When pastors take the time to delegate work to others, it means they have more time for the task that they must complete. With less on their plate, pastors can truly focus on the task at hand, making the work they do even more impactful. This will ultimately help the entire ministry. When pastors are highly focused on the tasks at hand, they don’t have to worry about donor management or volunteer issues, they can focus on leading the people in their ministry in the right way. Staff members should try to help pastors identify work that can be given to others so that the pastor can do what he is good at – leading and helping people.
While delegation isn’t always easy, pastors should take the time every day to make sure they aren’t doing work that is better suited for other individuals within the ministry.