I originally set out to write a post on the role of the campus pastor, but after writing it, I realized that the role of the associate pastor is quite similar. In fact, most churches would be wise to develop someone with these skills even if they have no plans to go multisite. Let’s take a look at the role, and you’ll see what I mean.
- They shepherd the congregation.
In my opinion, every pastor should be a shepherd. A campus pastor will have a whole new congregation to shepherd, while an associate pastor should be helping the senior pastor shepherd. The more shepherds you have, the better you can care for your flock.
- They help set the culture.
A church’s culture is how the church operates. One of a campus pastor’s main roles is to reproduce the culture of the sending campus. In similar fashion, an associate pastor can help set the culture at your current campus.
- They work well with others.
Whether you’re a campus pastor or associate pastor, you’re a part of a team. Being able to cooperate with the senior pastor as well as others on the team will play a big part in determining the success of the church.
- They know how to implement ideas.
Sometimes those ideas will be their own, but more often than not they will be the ideas of the senior pastor or ideas created by the team. When an idea is presented, they need to have the skills to see it through to completion.
- They know how to develop leaders.
Nothing may be more important to the success of a church than this. Can they recruit, train, and mentor new leaders? In a multisite church, this is a must for the campus pastor. In a single site church, mostly the senior pastor may do this; however, if you’re an associate pastor who can develop leaders, you will be invaluable to your pastor and church.
What do you think? Are the roles similar? How might they be different? Leave a comment, and share your thoughts. Also, if you’re thinking about going multisite, I would love to share what we’ve learned with you. Send me a message, and let’s chat.
