The Pastor as CEO: How To Balance Shepherding and Strategy
Somewhere along the way, the church stopped asking, “What does it mean to be faithful?” and started asking, “What does it mean to be successful?” -Dr. Mark Chirona
Highly regarded and uniquely gifted theologian, Dr. Mark Chirona, released a four-minute viral video titled “The Rise of the CEO Pastor,” which challenged, corrected, and convicted many pastors-including myself.
I asked myself, is a CEO Pastor biblical?
The Bible is everything to me, including the ultimate book(s) on leadership.
We can find CEO profiles in the Bible, like Moses.
We can identify project manager profiles in the Bible, like Noah.
We can locate property manager profiles in the Bible, like Joseph.
We can highlight people manager profiles in the Bible, like Jethro.
It’s ok to be a minister and a manager. It’s biblical.
There are benefits to a pastor having CEO-like qualities—if they are stewarded correctly. A well-led church impacts more people, creates healthier disciples, mobilizes resources wisely, and leaves a lasting kingdom impact.
The issue is not whether pastors should think strategically.
The issue is how they do it—and what they prioritize in the process.
The Pros of a Pastor as CEO
Leadership matters. Vision matters. Stewardship matters.
Churches that lack organizational clarity, financial wisdom, and leadership development often struggle—not because of bad theology, but because of poor structure.
When done right, a CEO-minded pastor brings:
Strategic Stewardship
A church is not just a spiritual family—it’s also an organization that requires leadership, finances, and structure to function effectively. A pastor with strategic awareness ensures that:
Budgets are healthy and sustainable.
Resources are maximized for kingdom impact.
The church operates with wisdom, avoiding crisis and mismanagement.
Many churches struggle, not because they lack faith, but because they lack stewardship.
Leadership Development
A CEO-minded pastor knows that healthy churches don’t just grow in size—they multiply leaders. Instead of doing everything alone, they:
Identify and equip new leaders.
Empower volunteers and staff.
Delegate responsibilities effectively.
Many churches plateau because they depend too much on one leader. Multiplication creates sustainability.
Mission Advancement
Pastors with strategic leadership skills can:
Cast a clear vision that aligns people.
Build structures and systems that make discipleship scalable.
Ensure that the church is effective, not just busy.
A CEO-style pastor knows that good intentions without good execution lead to frustration.
Adaptability in a Changing Culture
The world is shifting rapidly. Churches that refuse to adapt often become ineffective. A CEO-minded pastor embraces:
Technology for outreach and discipleship.
Cultural awareness without compromising biblical truth.
Innovation to reach people where they are.
The church is both ancient and modern. Traditional and contemporary. Strong leadership bridges the gap.
The Cons of CEO-Style Leadership
While strategic leadership is valuable, when it overshadows the call to shepherd, the church suffers.
Here’s what happens when CEO thinking dominates pastoral leadership:
Burnout Becomes the Norm
When success is measured by buildings, budgets, and butts in seats, pastors feel relentless pressure to produce results.
This leads to:
Overwork and exhaustion.
Mental and emotional strain.
A loss of personal spiritual depth.
Many pastors are leaving the ministry, not because they don’t love Jesus, but because the metrics of success have become unbearable.
Moral Failures Increase
When influence and affluence are prioritized over integrity, compromise becomes inevitable.
A CEO mindset without spiritual accountability can create:
Isolation from true community.
A focus on self-image over character.
Decisions are driven by optics rather than obedience.
Church leadership collapses not in one moment but in a slow drift away from its spiritual foundation.
Spiritual Depth is Replaced by Shallow Deeds
When churches focus on growth over discipleship, the result is a consumer-driven church that thrives on entertainment but lacks depth.
Symptoms of this include:
Surface-level faith that doesn’t endure hardship.
An audience mentality rather than a true biblical community.
A dependency on the pastor’s personality, rather than the work of the Spirit.
A crowded church is not the same as a discipled church.
How Do We Balance Shepherding and Strategy?
The solution is not to reject strategic leadership.
The solution is to submit leadership to the call of shepherding.
Here’s how pastors can balance both:
People Over Profits
A CEO thinks about efficiency—a pastor thinks about faithfulness.
A CEO maximizes ROI—a pastor invests in relationships.
Churches should be well-run, but never at the expense of truly caring for people.
Formation Over Fame
A CEO builds a brand—a pastor builds disciples.
A CEO focuses on expansion—a pastor focuses on spiritual depth.
Success in the kingdom is not about visibility—it’s about transformation.
Shepherd Before Strategist
Strategy matters, but soul care matters more.
Vision is critical, but spiritual formation is the true mission.
Pastors should lead wisely but never forget their first calling—to love, guide, and shepherd their people.
The Church Needs Shepherds, Not Just CEOs
Our churches need leaders skilled and formally trained in church administration, nonprofit governance, nonprofit management, organizational development, and leadership.
It also needs and deserves faithful shepherds.
The best leaders are those who:
Think strategically but lead with humility.
Organize wisely but prioritize people over processes.
Embrace vision but submit fully to the Spirit’s leading.
Jesus didn’t call pastors to be corporate executives.
He called them to be and calls us to be:
Faithful shepherds.
Faithful stewards.
Faithful servants.
Shepherd well. Steward well. Serve well.
Eric V Hampton
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