Rebuilding Trust

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20

Few things hurt as much as broken trust. Trust takes a lifetime to build but can be lost in an instant. In the church, a culture of trust must be established in the leadership team. So often, we think that money and sex are the two primary violations that break trust in a church. I have been consulting in churches where trust has been broken for over 30 years, and I can count on one hand how many times those two violations have been the cause of mistrust in a congregation. More regularly, it is the result of poor proficiency and non-performance.

When I say poor proficiency, I'm not casting blame. The seminary and the local church have two very different understandings of the role of pastoral leadership. The seminary trains for theological competence, while the local church expects organizational capability. Lay leadership teams often know so little about a church's polity that they lack confidence and competence in their governing function, and the church lacks effectiveness. Neither pastors nor lay leaders are good administrators, vision casters, or strategic planners, so they constantly disappoint the congregation.

Trust is often lost in a congregation, not because pastors and lay leaders are not good people. It is lost because they fail to exercise good gifts of administration. Trust is lost because of broken promises, missed expectations, poor decision-making, and perpetual stalling. It results from poor systems, mediocre planning, inefficient stewardship of resources, and failed initiatives.

When leaders are not trusted, cynicism sets in. Apathy results in poor commitment. Frustration sparks misplaced conflict, anger in the congregation, broken relationships, and declining engagement, resulting in leaders and members leaving the church. Members leverage their financial gifts by redirecting them to other effective organizations.

So, leaders, the question becomes, how do we regain trust? It is time for us to quit complaining about administration's hard work. Today's church needs us to pray for and gain competence in administration. After all, no vision becomes a reality without planning, stewardship, sacrifice, and execution. Given the work entrusted to us by Christ, we can no longer disappoint churches that need us to be competent in administration. Get continuing education in strategic planning, decision-making, and stewardship. Find a trusted colleague, coach, mentor, or wise counsel. Join a clergy cohort and pool your wisdom.

Work to return calls within 24 hours. Complete your tasks on time and strive for excellence. Show up prepared, not as if you were running from one meeting to another making roll call. Build a collaborative leadership team. Find synergies working together on projects. Then you will rebuild trust in a congregation, one decision, one ministry goal achieved at a time. As you restore trust, faith abounds.