📚 Reading: Motivating and Encouraging Men into Leadership:

Motivating and Encouraging Men into Leadership: 

Introduction

Developing men into leaders remains one of the greatest opportunities—and challenges—of church ministry. Many pastors long to see men stepping forward as spiritual leaders, yet fear and uncertainty often hold men back. Others worry about falling into extremes: either clinging to leadership themselves, or trying to push every man into leadership roles regardless of calling.

This reading argues that churches must avoid these extremes and instead pursue a biblically balanced, Spirit-dependent, relationally grounded approach to motivating and encouraging men into leadership. Drawing from Scripture, leadership theory, and Ministry Sciences insights, we will examine how pastors and leaders can faithfully identify, invite, and equip the right men for kingdom service.

Avoiding the Extremes

Extreme 1: Leadership as Self-Dependence

The first danger is making leadership about yourself—clutching to control and refusing to invest in others. Jesus Himself rejected this model. Instead of keeping authority to Himself, He deliberately empowered the Twelve: “He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons”(Mark 3:14–15, NIV).

A leader who hoards responsibility becomes the bottleneck of ministry growth. This contradicts Paul’s charge in 2 Timothy 2:2: “What you have heard from me… entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (WEB). Healthy leadership multiplies.

Extreme 2: Universalizing Leadership

The opposite danger is assuming every man must lead in the same way. Not all men are called to or gifted for leadership. Paul clarifies that spiritual gifts are diverse, given “for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:7). Pushing every man toward leadership can frustrate both leader and follower. Some men may be called to serve in supportive roles that are no less valuable in the kingdom.

Staying in the Middle: Partnering with God

The key question shifts from “How do we motivate men to lead?” to “How do we discern, motivate, and encourage the right men to embrace God’s call to leadership?”

Step 1: Pray for Discernment

Leadership development begins in prayer. God cares more about His church than we do (Matt. 9:38). By asking the Lord of the harvest to send the right workers, we acknowledge our dependence on His Spirit. Ministry Sciences emphasizes discernment: leaders must practice prayerful attentiveness to God’s activity in men’s lives.

Step 2: Start Small

Jesus often gave His disciples small tasks before entrusting greater responsibilities (Luke 10:1–9). Similarly, giving men small opportunities—making coffee, greeting, handing out brochures—builds confidence and reveals faithfulness. Small assignments provide what leadership theorists call “low-risk experiential learning” (Day & Dragoni, 2015).

Step 3: Build Relationship

Relational discipleship is essential. Jesus spent time with His disciples—walking, eating, teaching, and praying. In Ministry Sciences terms, this relational investment reflects the incarnational principle—leadership is caught as much as taught. Getting to know men’s joys, struggles, and family contexts creates the trust necessary for future leadership invitations.

Step 4: Approach with Vision, Not Just Tasks

Most men will not volunteer spontaneously. Leaders must pursue them intentionally. But the invitation should be framed in terms of vision, not merely tasks. Instead of, “Would you cook bacon?” say, “I believe God has given you gifts that would strengthen our leadership team as we disciple men together.” This approach mirrors Nehemiah’s call: “Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace” (Neh. 2:17). Vision inspires; tasks merely occupy.

Step 5: Address Fears Honestly

Leadership is intimidating. Many men fear inadequacy. Moses voiced his fear of speaking (Exod. 4:10). Jeremiah protested he was too young (Jer. 1:6). God’s response to both was the same: “I will be with you” (Exod. 4:12; Jer. 1:8). Sharing your own struggles normalizes fear and shows that God equips those He calls. Ministry Sciences emphasizes this dynamic as the gap principle: transformation happens when leaders step into spaces beyond their natural competence, depending on God’s empowerment.

Step 6: Give Grace and Space

Men need time to process, pray, and discern. Leadership born of guilt or pressure rarely endures. By encouraging men to consult their families and seek God’s guidance, we affirm that leadership is a sacred calling, not a quick recruitment.

Step 7: Follow Up with Integrity

If a man declines, leaders should thank God for clarity rather than viewing it as failure. Not every man is meant for every role. If he accepts, then intentional training and mentoring must follow. As Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, “Iron sharpens iron; so one man sharpens another.”

Ministry Sciences Observations (Improved)

Men’s resistance to leadership development cannot be explained only by lack of training or theological knowledge. Ministry Sciences invites us to probe deeper into the dynamics of the soul, culture, and calling. Several less predictable insights emerge:

1. The Paradox of Identity and Role
   Many men wrestle with the tension between who they are and what they do. Modern culture often collapses identity into performance—“I am my job, my success, my possessions.” This creates anxiety around leadership: “If I fail here, I am a failure.” Ministry Sciences reframes leadership as an extension of identity in Christ rather than a fragile performance. Leadership becomes an expression of being a beloved son of God, not a test of worthiness.
2. The Fear of Exposure
   Motivating men into leadership often threatens their deepest hidden fears: “What if people see my weaknesses? What if I don’t know enough?” Psychology calls this imposter syndrome; theology names it shame. Ministry Sciences emphasizes that leadership development requires safe, relational contexts where grace precedes performance. Men grow when they discover that their vulnerability becomes a source of connection, not disqualification.
3. The Energy of Risk and Experimentation
   Leadership development is not a linear transfer of skills but a laboratory of trial and error. Men are often most alive in contexts where they must improvise, adapt, and depend on God. Ministry Sciences calls this redemptive experimentation—the process where spiritual growth occurs not in perfect planning but in risky obedience. Like Peter stepping out of the boat (Matt. 14:29), men learn not by analyzing leadership endlessly but by attempting it.
4. The Ecology of Leadership
   Leadership is not an individual possession but a communal ecosystem. Men are often socialized to think in competitive, zero-sum terms: if one man leads, another loses. Ministry Sciences insists on a relational ecology of leadership, where gifts are distributed, shared, and mutually reinforcing. This reframing helps men see leadership not as “being over others” but as “calling out gifts in others.”
5. The Reordering of Desire
   At its deepest level, motivating men into leadership is not about filling positions but about reorienting loves. Augustine wrote that sin is disordered desire—loving good things in the wrong order. Many men love work, recognition, or comfort above kingdom responsibility. Ministry Sciences views discipleship as the reordering of desire so that leadership is not an unwanted burden but the joyful outflow of rightly ordered love for God, family, and neighbor.

Conclusion

Motivating and encouraging men into leadership requires balance, discernment, and patience. Avoiding extremes—whether clinging to control or pushing everyone into leadership—creates space for a Spirit-led, relationally grounded process.

By praying, starting small, building relationships, casting vision, addressing fears, giving space, and following up with integrity, churches can cultivate a new generation of godly leaders.

The greatest assurance is that leadership in the kingdom is not about our sufficiency but God’s. As Paul declared, “Our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant” (2 Cor. 3:5–6, WEB).

References

• Day, D. V., & Dragoni, L. (2015). “Leadership Development: An Outcome-Oriented Review Based on Time and Levels of Analysis.” Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 2, 133–156.
• Murrow, D. (2011). Why Men Hate Going to Church. Thomas Nelson.
• Sonderman, S. (2010). How to Build a Life-Changing Men’s Ministry. Bethany House.
• Stroope, S. (2011). “Family Transmission of Religion.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 50(3), 539–556.
• Wilcox, W. B. (2013). Soft Patriarchs, New Men: How Christianity Shapes Fathers and Husbands. University of Chicago Press.