The Dangerous Shift: When Church Leaders Stop Being Stewards and Start Acting Like Owners

What if I told you that the difference between stewardship and ownership might be the most critical leadership distinction in the entire church?

As church leaders, we start with the best intentions. We're called to serve, to shepherd, to lead God's people with humility and grace. But somewhere along the journey—often without even realizing it—something shifts. The ministry we once held with open hands slowly becomes something we grip with closed fists.

This invisible line between stewardship and ownership has become one of the most dangerous fault lines in church leadership today. And when leaders cross it, everything changes.

The Heart of a Steward vs. The Mind of an Owner

Stewards understand a fundamental truth: what they lead doesn't belong to them. It's entrusted, not possessed. Temporary, not permanent. True stewardship is marked by open hands, genuine humility, and a willingness to be corrected and guided.

But when leaders cross that invisible line from steward to owner, the transformation is both subtle and devastating.

"This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." - 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

Owners protect. Owners control. Owners personalize every critique. When church leaders begin to believe they own the ministry, the mission, the platform, or the title, real accountability becomes nearly impossible.

The office becomes their identity. The team becomes their tribe. The title becomes their territory. And suddenly, the guiding question shifts from "What does faithfulness look like here?" to "How do I protect what's mine?"

The Subtle Progression from Service to Possession

Here's what makes this shift so dangerous: no leader wakes up one morning and decides to stop being a steward. It happens gradually, often during seasons of success and growth. It's the slow creep of entitlement and privilege that we explored in previous discussions.

Churches don't fall because leaders have too much responsibility. They fall because leaders start treating that responsibility like possession.

The Warning Signs of Ownership Mentality

Ownership reveals itself in subtle but telling ways:

• Defensiveness when questioned - Legitimate concerns are met with walls instead of welcome
• Personalizing institutional decisions - Every critique of the church becomes a personal attack
• Viewing successors as threats - Instead of celebrating emerging leaders, they're seen as competition
• Treating church resources as personal entitlements - The line between church assets and personal benefits becomes blurred

This isn't just an individual leader problem. Entire boards and elder teams can lose their way when they serve the leader instead of safeguarding the mission.

When Accountability Gets Inverted

I call it "inverted accountability"—when those charged with oversight begin to serve the interests of the one they were meant to oversee. It's a dangerous reversal that happens more often than we'd like to admit.

Picture this scenario: The founding pastor carries the vision, the church grows, and the board starts to see their job as support rather than oversight. After all, things are going so well! Slowly, the balance of power shifts. When correction is eventually needed, there's no will in the accountability structure and no leverage to act.

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." - 1 Peter 4:10

What Open-Handed Leadership Actually Looks Like

So how do pastors and leaders stay faithful stewards for 5, 10, 20, or even 30+ years? How do we fight that natural drift toward entitlement and ownership?

Practical Stewardship in Daily Ministry

Open-handed leadership: Picture your hands stretched out in front of you, palms up, in an act of worship—because that's exactly what it is. The moment you feel your fingers starting to curl and your fists beginning to close, that's your red flag.

Shared decision-making: Regularly invite others into decisions that could easily be made alone. This isn't about efficiency; it's about faithfulness.

Building systems that outlast you: Don't build the church around your personality. Create structures and processes that will thrive long after you're gone.

Celebrating other voices: Give others the platform. Welcome their feedback as a gift, not a threat.

Planning your own succession: Even if you're young, even if you don't plan on leaving anytime soon, start thinking about succession. Not as a threat, but as an act of stewardship and faithfulness.

The Foundation of True Stewardship

Stewardship rests on a simple but profound truth: This isn't mine in the first place. This isn't mine to keep. It's mine to tend—temporarily.

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." - Psalm 24:1

When we truly internalize this reality, it changes everything. Our leadership becomes less about protecting our territory and more about faithfully tending what we've been given. We lead with the humility that comes from knowing we're borrowing something precious.

Your Next Steps Toward Healthy Stewardship

Here's your challenge: Ask yourself honestly—am I holding onto this ministry with open hands, or is my grip tightening?

The church isn't yours—it's His. Lead like you're borrowing something precious, because you are.

Going Deeper in Your Leadership Journey

This conversation about stewardship versus ownership is just one piece of understanding how healthy churches avoid leadership collapses. If you're finding these concepts challenging or encouraging, I'd love to continue the conversation with you.

Consider taking our free leadership assessment to identify any red flags in your leadership approach. It's 10 questions that will take you about five minutes, but could provide insights that protect both you and your church for years to come. You can find it at whenthechurchfalls.com.

Remember, the goal isn't perfection—it's faithfulness. And faithful stewardship, held with open hands and a humble heart, is one of the greatest gifts we can offer to the churches we've been called to serve.

What resonates most with you about the difference between stewardship and ownership in ministry? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Drop me a line at podcast@chemistrystaffing.com.