Effective ministers of today

Every genuine, sincere and God-called, God-commissioned and God-sending pastor desires to be highly effective in ministry. Only a few want to mark time and settle down in mediocrity. But majority want to make impact for God.

What are the parametres to measure effectiveness in Ministry? Many measure it by the parametres of financial buoyancy, numerical growth, prosperity, possessions, overseas travelling and the number of people preached to at a single meeting. However, it needs to be stated clearly that these are wrong parametres of measuring pastoral effectiveness today. Of course, God may add all these as FRINGE BENEFITS, but they are not signals of pastoral effectiveness. Highly effective pastors are those who have:

• Discovered and are committed to God’s purpose for them. You can’t minister outside God’s purpose for your life and be effective.
• Grown to their full potentials. Effective ministers grow personally, spiritually and professionally.
• Transformed and changed lives. Changed lives and destinies are the hallmark of effective ministries.
• Raised people for their ministries. Effective pastors coach and mentor people for ministries in the local church and in the world. Effective pastors have Timothys’ and Titus in ministry.
• Raised a godly family. Your family is your first ministry. Effective ministry always starts at home. If it doesn’t work at home, it will not work anywhere else. To be an effective minister is to be able, capable and competent. It is to be an able minister of the New Testament. 2 Cor. 6:3-10. He is someone who has been with Jesus. Mark 3:13-14: grown into Christ-likeness. Heb. 7:26 and maintains a vital relationship with Christ.

Permit me to examine the factors that will greatly help you to become an able minister of the New Testament so as to achieve ministerial success.
• The Making of an Effective Minister II Cor. 3:6; Mal. 3:3.

First and foremost, you cannot become an effective minister, if God did not make you one. And if God did not make you, you can’t make anybody. The making of God is a process, not a programme. God makes His ministers in slow cooker, not in a microwave oven. You must be in the furnace of God -Malachi 3:3. You must be clay in the Potter’s hand Isaiah 64:8; Jer. 18:1-6. Surrendered and pliable in His hand. God makes His ministers through the followings:
• Test and trials -Deut. 8:1-3.
• Responsibilities and Opportunities
• Problems and Crises
• Serving in secret and unrecognised
• Suffering and wants – I Pet. 5:10
• Disappointments and failures
• Faithfulness and fruitfulness in little things
• Divine timing Hab. 2:1-3.

God makes us by first bringing us to Himself – You are saved, growing and allowing trials to come our way and He keeps making us until we die -Phil. 1:6. He wants to make us into real manhood. I Tim. 2:5; John 1:6. God makes a man before manifesting mighty ministry. The man is more important than the ministry, position and performance. Jesus manhood was made for 30 years and His ministry 31/2 years. Ratio 10:1. A growing ministry means a growing man. If you are not a God-made, God-moulded and God-sharpened man, you cannot go far in this ministry. You must allow God to continually mould, re-mould and re-make you, if you really want ministerial success. God must continue to form and fashion you, if you are going to be an effective minister.

• The Motive of the Effective Minister Matt. 6:1

You cannot be an effective minister, if your motive is wrong. God weighs the heart and crosschecks our motives. Pro. 16:2. Why do you want to be a minister? To serve or to be seen? Fulfil personal drive or God’s desire? What is your true motivation? To minister or to be ministered to? To herald the truth or just to be heard by men? Are you motivated by God’s love or lust for power, fame and name? Motive can be described as the reason why you are doing what you are doing. It could be right or wrong.

Dr. Francis Akin-John, Church Growth Consultant, Growth Centre, 6/8, Mukadaz Close, Off Palace Way, Iyana-odo B/Stop, Isheri-LASU Road, Lagos. 08023000714 akingrow@yahoo.com