15 Keys to Being a Great Associate Pastor

There are no doubt many qualities that describe a great associate pastor, or really a great employee anywhere. Here are fifteen traits that most senior pastors and leaders are looking for in their staff…

  1. Stay Busy – They come with the “batteries included”, present ideas, get things moving, and don’t need someone else to light a fire under their backside.
  2. Faithfully Follow – They pursue the Pastor’s agenda and not their own.  Although they initiate and take ownership, they do not get out in front of their senior pastor.  They ask for permission, not forgiveness.  
  3. Think Big-Picture – They realize it’s not just about their ministry, it’s about the Pastor’s vision, the whole church, and the Kingdom of God.
  4. Embrace Teamwork – They don’t operate in a silo, but actively contribute to, and care for, the whole team.  They realize that even all-star players are terrible teammates if they can’t work with others.
  5. Listen Well – They realize they don’t have all the answers, so they listen and learn.  They seek advice from those with more experience and wisdom than themselves.  They are humble, not arrogant.
  6. Grow Continually – They continually improve by reading, listening, and gaining experience.   They prioritize daily spiritual growth.
  7. Manage Themselves – They manage their life and ministry well.  They keep a to-do list, calendar, and track of whatever else they are responsible for.  They do not require much, if any, follow-up.  They do their job without needing to be reminded.
  8. Provide Solutions – When they face a challenge they don’t just come to the team with that problem, rather they come and present both the problem and a viable solution.
  9. Avoid Weeds – and fires and icebergs and shipwrecks.  They are emotionally, culturally, ministerially and generally intelligent. 
  10. Empower People – They develop people and work themselves out of a job.
  11. Implement Systems – They work hard to develop systems, so when they are gone everything continues smoothly.
  12. Choose Positivity – Although, like everyone they have good and bad days, they are generally optimistic and upbeat.
  13. Rebound Quickly – They try hard things, which means they fail from time-to-time.  When they do fail, they own it, and then get right back up and keep moving.
  14. Love People – They have a shepherds heart.  They care for people.  Ministry is a ministry to them, and not just a job. 
  15. Take Bullets – They take bullets for their senior pastor, figuratively and perhaps even literally.
Posted on
Category: Staffing

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

8,130 thoughts on “15 Keys to Being a Great Associate Pastor”

  3. Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much
    about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with some pics to drive
    the message home a little bit, but other than that, this is magnificent blog.

    A fantastic read. I’ll definitely be back.

    Reply

  5. I have been surfing online more than three hours today,
    yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It’s pretty worth enough for me.
    In my view, if all webmasters and bloggers made good
    content as you did, the web will be much more useful than ever before.

    Reply

  10. Hello, i think that i saw you visited my website so i came to “return the favor”.I am attempting to find things to improve my web
    site!I suppose its ok to use some of your ideas!!

    Reply

  20. I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the layout of your website?
    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.
    Youve got an awful lot of text for only having
    1 or 2 pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?

    Reply

  30. We are a bunch of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community.
    Your website provided us with valuable info to work on. You’ve performed an impressive activity and
    our entire group can be grateful to you.

    Reply