The church is the church and should not be viewed as a business. At the same time, church leaders can learn a great deal from the business world in terms of leadership and team building. My friend and brother in Christ, Jerry Houston, has written a book entitled The Eccentric Entrepreneur. I was privileged to be asked to write the forward to the book. I want to share that forward with you and encourage you to consider purchasing the book. It contains many great ideas that can strengthen your congregational leadership.
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You’ve done it. You’ve added the descriptive word, “entrepreneur” next to your name. It was an exciting, yet scary step. When you started, you might have dreamed of building the next Starbucks or Amazon. If not the biggest, perhaps your goal was to be the best.
You have probably come to realize that being the biggest or best are not the most fulfilling of goals. Jerry Houston makes a strong case for adding the goals of trusting others, treating them with respect and working for the mutual benefit of everyone involved. I want to tell you that these goals are not abstract concepts for Jerry. Rather, they make up the fabric of Jerry’s life, as a businessman and as a man of faith.
I have known Jerry for fifteen years—as his pastor and friend. Shortly after Jerry and his wife joined the congregation, the council president resigned. I asked Jerry if he would fill the vacancy. Jerry agreed to do so. Shortly after that decision we experienced the economic downturn of 2008. Jerry used his skill as a businessman and his three goals to lead the congregation through those tumultuous times.
Jerry again used his leadership skills, core concepts and some humor to help the congregation purchase land and small church building. It was a long process with many setbacks. Through all of the ups and downs, Jerry’s faith was constant and he lived out his core principles. These three goals were evident as Jerry worked with the Navajo people on mission trips.
The words of this book are not from the sidelines of life. They have instead been forged in the furnace of entrepreneurial leadership and small business. They are true to the man who wrote them.