ETE Season 4-Debunking the Myth_Small _Churches_Small_Leaders

Update: 2025-09-15

Description

Summary: In this episode, Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner explores the often unspoken bias against small churches and their leaders within church systems. He discusses how visibility bias, resource limitations, and perception issues contribute to the marginalization of small church pastors. Dr. Skinner emphasizes the need to redefine leadership pipelines, highlight the stories of faithful leaders in small congregations, and revalue bivocational ministry as a model of engagement. He concludes by urging the church to honor faithfulness over size in leadership.

Takeaways

Small churches often lead to small leaders due to systemic biases.
Pastors of larger churches are more visible and have more opportunities.
Bivocational pastors face unique challenges that limit their visibility.
The church must redefine leadership pipelines to include small church pastors.
Faithfulness, innovation, and spiritual depth should be prioritized over attendance numbers.
Stories of small church pastors doing impactful work need to be told.
Bivocational ministry can be a model of community engagement.
God values faithfulness over numerical success in leadership.
The church must stop equating leadership with the size of the congregation.
Every leader, regardless of church size, has a role in God's kingdom.

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Echoes Through Eternity Guiding church planters and pastors to plant seeds of prayer, holiness, and courage that outlast a lifetime. contact drjefferydskinner@protonmail.com