The Missional Leader

In The Missional Leader, consultants Alan Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk give church and denominational leaders, pastors, and clergy a clear model for leading the change necessary to create and foster a missional church focused outward to spread the message of the Gospel into the surrounding community. The Missional Leader emphasizes principles rather than institutional forms, shows readers how to move away from “church as usual,” and demonstrates what capacities, environments, and mindsets are required to lead a missional church.

About Leadership Network ix

Foreword xi

Introduction xv

Part One: The Context and Challenge of Missional Leadership 1

1 Six Critical Issues for Missional Leadership 3

2 Cultivating the Imagination of the Missional Leader 15

3 Change and Transition: Navigating the Challenges 37

4 The Big Picture: Understanding the Context of the Missional Congregation 61

5 The Missional Change Model 79

Part Two: The Missional Leader 109

6 Missional Readiness Factors and the Nature of Leadership 111

7 The Character of a Missional Leader 125

8 Cultivating the People of God for a Missional Future 143

9 Forming a Missional Environment and Culture 165

10 Engaging Context with a Christian Imagination 171

11 Conclusion: Putting Together a Team for Leadership Development 183

Notes 207

Acknowledgments 211

About the Authors 213

Index 215

"The Missional Leader paints a realistic picture ... of what life could look like among churches willing to enter the chaos [of the world] and make lasting change little by little." (Christianity Today, Fall 2006)

Alan J. Roxburgh is a pastor, teacher, writer, and consultant with more than thirty years’ experience in church leadership, consulting, and seminary education. He works with the Allelon Missional Leadership Network in the formation of leaders for the missional church.

Fred Romanuk is an organizational psychologist who has led strategic planning initiatives for many large organizations in Canada and the United States. He has also worked with senior executives in assessing and developing the capabilities of people in leadership roles.

Missional churches are not about a particular program or isolated projects (such as mission trips or youth ministry). At the very heart of a missional church is a gathering of people who are concerned with the bigger purpose of bringing God’s word into the larger community outside their walls.

In The Missional Leader, consultants Alan J. Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk give church and denominational leaders, pastors, and clergy a clear model for leading the change necessary to create and foster a missional church focused outward to spread the message of the Gospel into the surrounding community. The Missional Leader emphasizes principles rather than institutional forms, shows readers how to move away from “church as usual,” and demonstrates what capacities, environments, and mindsets are required to lead a missional church.

Experts in the field of missional leadership, Roxburgh and Romanuk outline a strategic change model that can be implemented to help transform a congregation and its leaders. They also present the factors that define the character of an effective missional leader and show how a pastor and other clergy can lead their congregation to best serve their church and larger community.

Ultimately, this book helps to guide church leaders to cultivate a local church environment where God is the center of conversation and God shapes the focus and work of the people. "Alan J. Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk are two of the few people in the world today who understand how we can create an environment for the missional transformation of the church for the postmodern world. Every church leader should read this book!"
—Rev. Dr. Clark D. Cowden, evangelist presbyter, Presbytery of San Joaquin, Presbyterian Church

"Discontinuous change wreaks havoc among congregations and pastors who aren’t familiar with the new terrain. When it comes to navigating this new land, Roxburgh and Romanuk have my ear and gratitude. Effective, dependable, useful . . . their wisdom is helping retool our congregation for daring and robust witness. And among my students—who feel change deep in their bones, both its threats and opportunities—this book is a vital companion as they begin their ministries."
—Chris William Erdman, senior pastor, University Presbyterian Church; adjunct faculty, MB Biblical Seminary Biblical Seminary