As I’ve coached leaders and traveled around the denomination, I have heard many pastors say, “I’ve been praying God would send us more leaders.”
I know everyone who says this means well. (I probably said it often in my early ministry.) Most churches are desperate for help, and often the pastor feels the gaps most. All churches need strong, capable, spiritually-mature leaders to help carry the weight of ministry with the pastor.
While it’s true God can and does bring people into our churches from the outside, here’s the truth many church leaders overlook: the leaders you’re praying for may already be sitting in your pews every Sunday.
We don’t need to stop praying altogether, but we need to change the way we pray. Instead of asking God to send leaders, we should ask Him to help us identify, shape, and develop the leaders already among us.
They Are Already There
Jesus didn’t go town to town looking for famous rabbis to build His team. He found fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots — ordinary people with untapped potential. The same is true in your church. Many people have the capacity to lead, love, and grow if someone would only challenge them and invite them to join the team. Instead of praying for God to send new leaders, start praying for discernment to recognize the leaders you already have. Look for potential instead of a finished product.
They Know Your Church DNA
One of the biggest challenges in assimilating new leaders from outside is alignment. They may have passion and experience, but they don’t understand the culture or DNA of your church: your history, people, and way of doing things. Leaders from the congregation, on the other hand, have lived it. They know the worship style, the community quirks, the values, and the struggles and issues of the past. They don’t just agree with your DNA; they embody it.
They Are Aligned With Your Vision
Developing leaders from within means raising up people already walking in step with your church’s vision and mission. When someone has been under your teaching, participating in your ministries, and serving on your teams, their heart beats with the same purpose. They’re not just executing your vision. They’re participants in it. That level of alignment can’t be bought or easily taught.
Outside Leaders Don’t Always Stick
Let’s be honest, not every leader who comes from outside is in it for the long haul. Some are testing the waters. Some need a break from burnout. Some bring baggage or expectations that don’t match your church’s reality.
Leaders raised from within tend to have a deeper sense of commitment because they’ve grown with the church. They’re not looking for a stepping stone or to be a big shot. They’re already rooted in your church and not looking to be in charge.
When I was a pastor, I was always leery of those who came from another church and quickly volunteered. In my experience, they usually left their old congregation because they didn’t agree with the pastor or didn’t get their way. These types of people can cause serious problems and usually move on to another church as quickly as they arrived.
A Biblical Mandate
Jesus didn’t call mature men to be His disciples. He developed uneducated, unskilled, and unworthy misfits who were willing. Being a leader isn’t only for the skilled or equipped, but also for the faithful and willing. Paul told Timothy to entrust what he had learned to other faithful men who would, in turn, teach others (2 Timothy 2:2). Leadership development isn’t optional. It is part of the Great Commission. When you shift from praying for leaders to developing them, you’re stepping into the very rhythm of discipleship Jesus modeled and the Apostle Paul encouraged.
A Culture of Empowerment
When people in your congregation see others like them stepping into leadership roles, it creates a ripple effect. It tells your church, “God can use you, too.” A culture of empowerment is contagious. It fosters growth, maturity, and ownership. If leadership is always outsourced, you risk creating a consumer church rather than an empowered church. But when you invest in the potential of your own people, others are likely to rise to the occasion as well.
Multiply Instead of Maintain
Churches that depend on outsiders to fill leadership gaps are constantly in maintenance mode. But when you invest in multiplying leaders from within, you position your church with a more sustainable model. A trained, empowered leader doesn’t only serve; he or she also raises up other leaders (2 Timothy 2:2). Leadership development becomes a pipeline, not a bottleneck, and the more leaders you have, the more people you can reach.
A Final Thought
Praying for God to send leaders isn’t wrong, but it is not the best way for your church to get new leaders. What if, instead of waiting for leaders to walk through the doors, you start equipping the ones already seated in the pews? What if you see potential where others see pew-warmers? What if you believe your church isn’t lacking leaders but simply lacking leadership development?
God has entrusted your church to you for a reason. That includes the people already there. Stop waiting for outside reinforcements. Look around, and start recruiting and training people God has already placed under your care. The leaders for which you’ve been praying may already be in your church, just waiting for someone to ask, train, and release them to serve.
