Pastor Ron Edmonson of Immanuel Baptist Church says that no church leader is perfect, but church leaders need to come to terms with their flaws and shortcomings for them to become better vessels for God's Word.
On his website, Edmonson lists down seven signs of a weak pastor. "I share this as a check for our own leadership. We need strong, capable leadership – especially among our people of faith," he says.
1. Running from conflict
Pastors are weak if they avoid conflicts at all costs, says Edmonson. These pastors say things just to appease their congregations, and they flee the moment trouble arrives. The problem here is that these religious leaders are better in hiding themselves than in engaging people. As such, they are nowhere to be seen when their congregations truly need them.
2. Hiding flaws
Pastors who appear to be perfect are most likely far from perfection, Edmonson says. "They often pretend to know it all. They don't want you to know the 'real' them – the 'them' which may be lacking in some area," he says. These leaders are often afraid that if they appear weak, people may not respect them, or they might even lose their job, he adds.
3. Rejecting criticism
Pastors who can't handle criticisms well will either pout, get angry, or even seek revenge on those who try to correct them, says Edmonson.
4. Passing the blame
Just like pastors who can't accept criticism, pastors who can't admit a personal mistake are quick to point their fingers at someone else, Edmonson says. "They are consummate fault-finders. It's always someone else's error. It's the economy, or the culture, or the lack of volunteers," he says. "They keep people under their authority by labelling others with the faults of the organisation."
5. Leading by control
Weak pastors may tell their congregations that they've got things covered even though that may not really be true, says Edmonson. They will often task themselves with an undertaking and will seldom delegate because they are afraid that someone else might take their authority from them.
6. Shying away from difficult decisions
Pastors who can't make tough calls for their congregations are weak, according to Edmonson, because they would rather stay in the safe zone than navigate towards a new direction.
7. Appeasing critics and complainers
Lastly, weak pastors cannot stand having anyone from their congregation voice complaints against them. They don't have the backbone to implement rules and will likely bow down to anyone who dares to defy them. "The louder you are the more likely a weak leader will cave to your demands. They don't want you to be unhappy – especially with them," says Edmonson.
