By Cindy Jansen
In my last blog, I wrote about the leadership development famine many churches are experiencing. I discussed how churches often recruit availability instead of intentionally developing leaders.
But there is a second famine I see just as often: Leaders who are not intentionally developing other leaders alongside them.
Many church leaders carry ministry alone.
Some are exhausted.
Some feel overwhelmed.
Some feel protective of their roles… whether consciously or unconsciously.
And some simply do not know how to mentor others because nobody ever mentored them.
The mindset can quietly become: “If I had to figure it out on my own, so can they.”
But leadership in the Kingdom was never intended to terminate with one person. Healthy ministry has always been designed around developing.
Biblical, Relational Leadership Development
Throughout Scripture, we see leaders intentionally bringing others alongside them. Moses had Joshua. Elijah had Elisha. Paul had Timothy. Jesus had the disciples.
Biblical leadership was never simply about accomplishing tasks. It was about developing people. Yet many churches unintentionally operate with leadership models built around dependency instead of development. A ministry becomes heavily dependent on one gifted leader, one experienced volunteer, or one long-tenured staff member. Over time, knowledge stays trapped with them. Relationships revolve around them. Decisions funnel through them.
And eventually exhaustion follows. And then… they leave.
And what then?
People rarely drift into leadership maturity accidentally. They grow because someone noticed them, believed in them, invited them, invested in them, and gave them opportunities while still walking beside them.
Leadership development is deeply relational.
Most people do not need someone to hand them a title.
They need someone willing to walk with them, coach them, encourage them, and help them grow in confidence and competence over time.
That is exactly what Jesus modeled.
Jesus did not simply preach to crowds. He intentionally spent time with a smaller group of disciples, allowing them to observe his leadership up close. They watched him navigate conflict, teach truth, serve others, ask questions, correct mistakes, pray, and lead under pressure.
He developed them before he released them.
In many churches today, however, leaders unintentionally skip that process. We ask people to lead without training or developing them. We delegate tasks without building confidence.
Then we become frustrated when people struggle, quit, or never step forward again.
Building for the Future
Our churches are filled with faithful people, but many are operating with thin leadership benches. The same leaders serve year after year with little intentional replenishment behind them. When someone steps down, burns out, or moves away, ministries scramble because there was never a development process underway.
This is not sustainable.
The future health of OUR church will not depend solely on better programming, sharper music, or more polished services. It will depend on whether we return to developing people deeply and intentionally.
Leadership development is not optional for the church.
It is central to the mission.
If we want healthier churches tomorrow, we must stop treating leadership development like an afterthought today.
This is not corporate strategy; this is discipleship.
Jesus modeled it.
The early church multiplied because of it.
And the modern church desperately needs to reclaim it.
The leadership famine in our churches will not be solved by asking for more volunteers.
It will be solved when leaders stop leading alone and start intentionally developing others alongside them. If you would like to continue the conversation and learn more how to develop leaders in your congregation, or how a discovery session can better help identify weak spots and how to strengthen your church, email me at cindy.jansen@faithunleahsedconsultilng.com.
