Yes! Yes! Absolutely, yes! The pastor is the leader and barometer of all spiritual growth and development in the local church. If the pastor doesn’t prize and love missions, the people will not either. So, yes, the pastor should be the leader of missions in the church.

But, no – the pastor does not have to personally bear the responsibility and activity of missions leadership. Go back and read through our “Church Mobilization” path. Recruit and delegate responsibility for missions mobilization and management to other capable people in the church. The pastor is the spokesperson and primary teacher, but not the primary do-er.

Certainly the pastor needs to have a solid understanding of the biblical and theological bases for missions. Missions should be just a interwoven in his teaching and preaching as it is in the Bible (and that’s a LOT!). However, the primary concern of mobilizing the congregation and maintaining communication with missionaries, etc., should be in the job description of the Missions Team.