A group of 30 pastors and their wives gathered together recently to examine their unique gifts, talents and abilities and learn how to better serve in their ministries.
Monty Hale leads a worship service at Kingdom Leadership 101.In the inaugural session of Kingdom Leadership 101 held Feb. 8-10 on Hilton Head Island, participants could take a moment to focus on their lives rather than shepherd others.
“We are going to work on you this weekend – don’t think for a moment this is going to be an easy weekend,” Monty Hale, director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention associational services and pastoral ministries office, told participants.
Participants were selected by directors of missions to attend the weekend conference.
Attendees took parts in various assessment tools used to pinpoint personality types, spiritual gifts and leadership capacities. All assessments were used to better identify individual gifts and relate them to the pastors’ role. Participants worked through the assessments with their spouses and also discussed with their peers challenges such as time management, work load and personal spiritual development.
The weekend was a time for pastors to relax, spend time with their spouses and to take some time to slow down. Hale encouraged pastors not to neglect continual learning and personal time with God. He also led attendees in constructing a personal development process that includes time carved out for prayer, Bible study and reading.
“Let Moses talk to you about leadership. Let Samson talk to you about sexual purity. Walk alongside these guys,” said Hale.
Hale also gave participants important questions to consider in shaping their ministries such as, “Why am I here?” “What is really important to me?”
“Ask yourself what you need to learn, but also ask what you need to unlearn,” Hale said.
During a Sunday morning worship time, Hale focused on 2 Chronicles 20 and Jehoshaphat’s prayer of surrender, and encouraged participants to rely fully on God in their ministries.
“It is time we reintroduce the word ‘surrender’ into our vocabularies,” he said.
“Get to the place where you don’t have the foggiest idea what to do, but let me warn you, when you do, be prepared to do things that don’t make sense to you, because God’s ways are not ours, nor are his thoughts.”
“The sooner we can get to that point the better off we will be,” Hale continued.
Kingdom Leadership 101 will be followed this fall with Kingdom Leadership 201, a chance for those pastors who participated in 101 to bring their staff for a time of discovering the dynamics of their team and how each staff member can better maximize strengths in their ministry. Kingdom Leadership 301 will follow at a later date for key lay leaders to join in the ministry building of the church.
“God has chosen those people in this room to carry out his kingdom purposes,” Hale told participants.
“The principles learned this weekend will take a lifetime of work. Don’t give up.”