“Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress” (1 Tim 4:15). Writing to his ministry partner and son in the faith, Paul envisions that Timothy’s ongoing pastoral development will occur within the context of practiced ministry leadership while remaining under his mentorship—as well as ongoing discipleship to Jesus Christ. The relationship between Paul and Timothy as described in 1 Timothy 4 displays a foundational element of biblical pastoral ministry: followership and leadership are integrated components of the developing human undershepherd who serves a specific section of God’s flock. This paper will argue that the integrated practice of followership and leadership within pastoral ministry encourages pastoral progress.
This study will begin by establishing definitions for concepts key to the argument. Some terms such as leadership hold enough conceptual variation that initial clarification is necessary for the discussion at hand. Other terms such as followership are unique enough to warrant definitional clarity. The second section of the paper aims to identify critical issues arising from the breaking apart of followership and leadership in pastoral ministry. When separated from one another, what are the possible consequences and outcomes? This section attempts to sober the reader to potential outcomes of a ministry marked by disintegration between leadership and followership. The third section presents an analysis of 1 Timothy 4:6-16, demonstrating a course forward toward pastoral progress through the practice of a simple ministry marked by both leadership and followership (1 Tim 4:15). The final section describes contemporary application for an integration of followership and leadership. The argument of the paper intends to produce more than merely optimal pastoral practices–but a way forward for ongoing pastoral maturation and the resulting fruit of perseverance for both the pastor and those he leads.