I want to take a detour from strategy and communication today and talk about a concerning observation. It’s something I’ve been noticing for a while in churches and ministries. There is a philosophical, psychological, and spiritual intersection that is leading pastors to a place that I believe is unhealthy and even dangerous for the future of our churches. This is not meant to tear down, but it might ruffle some feathers. My hope is that it will stir honest reflection. I’m writing because I believe this is worth our attention, and because I love the church too much not to say it out loud.

When Pastoring Becomes About the Title

There is an alarming trend among ministry leaders today. More and more pastors seem to be taking on characteristics that do not belong anywhere near the role of shepherding. I’ve noticed a shift away from stewardship toward ownership. Not ownership in the sense of responsibility, but in the sense of possessiveness and entitlement. This kind of ownership says: This is mine. My church. My platform. My people. My influence. It can look subtle at first, but it eventually produces fruit that is rotten: pride, selfishness, a need to be recognized, and in some cases, full-blown narcissism. What makes this so painful is that many of these leaders were once humble, caring people. But along the way, the gravitational pull of power, visibility, and title began reshaping them.

The Apostle Peter warned against this very thing:

“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”
(1 Peter 5:2–3)

Peter reminds us that the calling of a pastor is not about what we get from the role, but how we give ourselves to the role.

The Pressure to Perform

Part of what feeds this unhealthy shift is cultural pressure. Susan Cain, in her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, describes how our culture elevates charisma and extroversion as the gold standard of leadership. Many pastors, feeling this weight, begin to act like someone they are not in order to meet unspoken expectations. When a naturally quiet, reflective, or introverted pastor feels the need to project extroverted energy every Sunday, it comes at a cost. Instead of leaning into the strengths God gave them, they perform a version of leadership that leaves them hollow and exhausted. Over time, their ministry becomes less about shepherding people and more about maintaining an image.

Cain’s insight points to something pastors need to remember: true leadership is not about personality projection but about presence. Jesus never said, “Blessed are the charismatic.” He said, “Blessed are the meek… blessed are the merciful… blessed are the pure in heart” (Matthew 5:5–8).

When Knowledge Replaces Transformation

Another book, The Other Half of Church by Jim Wilder and Michel Hendricks, highlights another trap pastors fall into. They describe how discipleship in many churches has become primarily knowledge-centered. The assumption is that if people know enough Bible, theology, or doctrine, they will automatically be spiritually mature. But this leads to two dangerous outcomes. First, pride and arrogance for those who excel in the knowledge system. Second, shame and guilt for those who struggle to meet those intellectual benchmarks. Neither outcome reflects the relational, life-on-life discipleship that Jesus modeled. When leaders adopt this model, they can easily begin to believe their position and knowledge elevate them above others. Instead of shepherds walking alongside the flock, they become lecturers standing above it.

Paul warns against this in 1 Corinthians 8:1: “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” Knowledge is important, but without love and humility, it distorts both leader and follower.

The Consequences We’re Already Seeing

If we’re honest, the church is reaping the consequences of this unhealthy shift. We see pastors hiding things, misleading people, compromising ethics, and justifying questionable decisions in pursuit of larger followings, more money, greater visibility, and more opportunity. These are situations where the ends justify the means. And when leaders adopt this mindset, they inevitably slide into believing they are somehow above others. Their title becomes a badge of superiority rather than a calling to servanthood.

The result?

People get hurt. Churches fracture. The name of Christ is dragged through the mud. It’s no wonder public trust in pastors has plummeted. The Barna Group reports that pastors are now trusted at roughly the same level as used car salesmen. That is heartbreaking when you consider that just a few generations ago, pastors were among the most respected figures in society. This decline in trust is not simply culture “turning against us.” It is, in part, the natural consequence of leaders who have forgotten the heart of their role.

Jesus confronted this same dynamic among the Pharisees in Matthew 23. They loved the titles, the greetings in the marketplace, and the seats of honor, but Jesus called them out: “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11–12).

Pastor Is a Verb

Here is the heart of the issue. While “pastor” is indeed a noun and a title, in its truest sense it is also a verb. To pastor means to shepherd, to care, to tend, to feed, to guide, to protect. When Jesus restored Peter after his denial, he did not say, “Peter, take the title of pastor and wear it proudly.” He said, “Feed my lambs… Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15–17). Paul echoes this in Ephesians 4:11–12, reminding us that pastors are called “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Pastoring is an active, relational calling, not a positional entitlement. The real question we have to ask ourselves as leaders is this: Do people experience our pastoring more through our title or through our care?

Steps Toward Recovering the Heart of Pastoring

If we want to return to the biblical vision of pastoral leadership, it will take humility, intentionality, and courage. Here are some steps to consider:

1. Practice Humility Daily
Philippians 2:3–4 calls us to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Start each day by asking God to help you see people not as a means to your goals, but as sheep He has entrusted to your care.

2. Re-center on Presence, Not Performance
Ask yourself: “Am I pastoring out of who God made me to be, or am I performing for approval?” Presence matters more than personality. A quiet shepherd who truly listens and cares is far more impactful than a charismatic performer who is never really present.

3. Build Structures of Accountability
Invite trusted voices who can ask hard questions and remind you that your worth is not tied to your title. Accountability keeps entitlement in check. Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

4. Redefine Success in Ministry
Instead of measuring effectiveness by attendance, budgets, or visibility, measure it by faithfulness and transformation. Are your people growing in Christlikeness? Do they feel genuinely pastored? Are marriages being healed, communities being served, and disciples being made?

5. Return to Relational Discipleship
Move beyond knowledge transfer. Invite people into your life. Let discipleship be more than sermons and studies. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2:8: “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

6. Ask Honest Questions of Yourself and Your People
Do my people feel pastored by me, or simply led by me? Am I more concerned about protecting my title or shepherding my flock? If my title disappeared tomorrow, would my actions still reveal me as a pastor?

An Invitation to Reflection

I don’t believe this is a problem that only I see. Many of you have likely felt or observed the same things. Maybe you’ve wrestled with it in your own leadership, or maybe you’ve seen it in others and felt discouraged. So here’s the broader question: What if we reclaimed the true essence of pastoring? What if the church was known less for its titles and platforms, and more for the radical way its leaders loved, served, and cared? What would happen if pastors measured success not by how many people knew their name, but by how faithfully they lived out the name of Jesus?

A Call Back to True Shepherding

This is not a call to shame pastors, but to remind us of what we are called to be. Pastor is not a pedestal. It is a towel and a basin. It is the image of Jesus, kneeling to wash the feet of His disciples. The church doesn’t need more CEOs or religious celebrities. It needs shepherds who will feed the sheep, walk with the wounded, protect the vulnerable, and point people to Christ. If you are a pastor, I want to encourage you: you do not need to perform. You do not need to defend your title. You are called to pastor, to shepherd, to serve. When you live this way, the respect and trust you long for will be rebuilt over time—not because of your title, but because of your love.

The world may not always value that, but Jesus does. And in the end, when the Chief Shepherd appears, He promises you will “receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4).

That is what we are aiming for. Not applause, not titles, but the approval of the One who called us in the first place.