THE CHURCH FOUNDER SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK ASSISTANT PASTORS IF THEY WANT TO STAY OR GO:
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE AROUND YOU ASSISTANT PASTORS THAT ARE SINCERELY WITH YOU:
PASTORS WHOSE HEARTS ARE WITH YOU:
I LOVE ALL MY ASSISTANT PASTORS:
BUT I DON’T WANT TO KEEP ANYONE WHO GOD IS NOT KEEPING WITH ME:
WORST THAN A SON ABIDING IN THE HOUSE FOREVER IS TO ABIDE COMPLAINING AND MURMURING FOREVER:
IT WILL DO MORE DAMAGE TO THE SYSTEM THAN GOOD:
IN TRYING TO KEEP PEOPLE FOREVER WITH US:
MAY WE NOT KEEP THE WRONG PEOPLE FOREVER WITH US:
8 WAYS TO ACHIEVE THE ABOVE DIMENSION:
1. Be delivered from the fear of losing anyone. This is one fear most founders have, and in the process, they keep people that are no longer productive with them.
2. Set a date periodically where you give room for those who have a call to step out to indicate their interest. In my former church, we call it covenant of release. Where those who sense a call to step out are prayed for to go and obey the call of God. Some are sent to die with you, some are sent to be trained by you and then be released to go and become your own Pastor David ibiyoemie.
3. Listen to the holy spirit at all times. The holy spirit is still in the business of separating Paul and Barnabas for the work he has called them to do. If he speaks to you to release anyone let them know and help them to go. Exit should not be a problem if we all work with the Holy Spirit. Acts 13:2-3.
4. Understand that no Spiritual father can have heavy-weight external sons if he is not strong enough to release sons to go and fulfill their individual calling. Imagine if Pastor David Ibiyoemie and Dr. Paul Enenche are serving under Winners Chapel. You will limit the scope of your impact if you are not strong enough to let go. Most of the pastors you are paying rent for, if you were strong enough to let go, their ministries tithes to you will be twenty times the rent you are paying for them.
5. Set a RED LINE that no one should cross. Let everyone know that crossing it twice, means crossing out of the ministry. There are people God wants to deliver you from, he will make them cross it. And there are people God is calling but are afraid to go, he will also make them cross it. The idea is by all means people must become your extension.
6. Don’t be known to cut off from everyone who left you, even those who left you very well, that have your blessings, you still cut off from them. That is very bad sir. What you will achieve with this style, is to have pastors under you who God is asking to go but don’t want to be treated as the enemy of the house. So they are forced to hang around because they don’t want to be your enemy. Last week in Canaan land we saw how even Pastors who left Winners to start their own ministries in the same locations they once served in Winners were openly celebrated. It was not like that before.
7. Every ministry must know how to balance a son abiding in the house forever and a sore abiding in the house forever. Some people must go for you to grow. A father in Nigeria, said immediately this man and his troublesome wife left us, we entered into a new level of ministry. God said to Abraham after Lot was separated from him. Sometimes your next level in ministry is tied to the exit of a wicked assistant pastors wife that you are afraid to release with your good son. No son is good, as long as the wife is bad to the system.
8. Have a clearly written protocol of exits that anyone who chooses to go can follow without any trouble with the system. Your protocol of exit must be human-friendly. Don’t put laws that no one can keep.
In conclusion, There was a time my prayer was God don’t allow anyone to leave me. But today the prayer has changed. It is now God don’t allow anyone you are delivering me from to be with me. And the one you are delivering him from me to be with me also.
May the Lord give us understanding.
Be blessed.
Bishop irabor wisdom.
Founder Answers Assembly Int’l Church.
Convener Founders and Assistant Ministers Academy. (FAMA)