In my lifetime, I’ve watched trends come and go. Some linger. Others fade quickly. The trends that last the longest tend to embed themselves into people’s identities. At the end of the day, some things are eternal, and others are temporary. If we’re looking toward greener pastures, we should strive to make the things that shape our identity the eternal things — not the temporary ones.
For most of my life, leadership has defined the evangelical landscape. It became the dominant buzzword of a generation, especially among pastors and church leaders. I can’t help but wonder now if we made a critical mistake by encouraging pastors to think like CEOs — casting vision, executing strategy and building influence. The more I wrestle with my calling and measure it against Scripture, the more I realize how misguided this approach has been. Conferences, books and ministries promised that if we could just lead better, the church would thrive. I could offer statistical proof to support this, but the evidence has become familiar enough to the average pastor and church member. We placed leadership on a pedestal, and now the cracks are beginning to show.
The consequences of our leadership obsession should sober us. The relentless drive for results has damaged relationships. The obsession with influence has led to burnout, moral failure and a corporate model of church that prizes efficiency over discipleship. Leaders once celebrated for their ability to “get things done” have, in too many cases, left behind wounded people and fractured congregations.
And yet, despite all of this, key figures in “Big-Eva” (Big-Evangelical) continue to expand their influence — even after embracing questionable theology or creating systems of control. Why? Because people still crave direction. They still want guidance. The question is not whether leadership will disappear but what kind of leadership will define the future.
The Changing Nature of Influence
Technology is rapidly reshaping leadership and relationships. Artificial intelligence can now analyze growth data, create strategic plans and even draft vision statements. This raises a sobering question: If technology can handle most of the functional tasks of leadership, what is left for us to do?
The answer is simple — inspire.
AI can strategize, but it can’t shepherd. It can build systems, but it can’t build faith. Technology may increase efficiency, but it will never stir souls. This is why leadership must shift. The future of leadership will no longer belong to those who manage systems but to those who can see beyond them — leaders who can cast vision, tell stories and inspire people to follow Christ in an increasingly complex world.
In other words, leadership must become less about management and more about meaning. The church does not need more executives; it needs artists who can articulate truth, spark imagination and call people to something higher.
The Rise of Creative Leadership
If the past generation of church leadership focused on strategy and execution, the future will belong to visionaries. The church needs leaders who can imagine, not just manage.
This shift will elevate the quiet artist, the deep thinker and the unconventional innovator. Their ability to imagine what the church can become will make them more influential than traditional executive-style leaders. Those who have tethered their identity to “leadership” must begin to untangle themselves from that narrative. It’s time to embrace something more eternal. We don’t need more church CEOs. We need theologians who can communicate profound truth compellingly. We need poets and storytellers who can capture the beauty of the gospel. We need shepherds who don’t just manage people but create culture — forming communities of faith that reject corporate models and embody the Spirit-driven life of the church.
But let me be clear. This doesn’t mean leadership is obsolete. Creativity and leadership are not opposing forces. They are partners. The best leaders have always been creative, and the best creatives have always required leadership. The future of church leadership will not require less leadership — it will demand better leadership.
The younger generation has already recognized this shift, and they’re right. We need a leadership model that values wisdom over efficiency, depth over results and faithfulness over influence.
The Church’s Future
For too long, we have prioritized charisma over contemplation, strategy over story and executives over artists. The time has come to reverse this course. The future of church leadership will not belong to strategic managers but to creative visionaries. The church desperately needs leaders who inspire rather than control — leaders who shepherd rather than manage. People don’t want to be part of a well-run corporation; they want to be part of a meaningful movement. They want to create, not just sustain.
Leadership is not dead; it is being refined. What kind of leader will you be?
