John Stanko

Yesterday I got on a plane and came down to Mobile, Alabama, where my family and I lived for 14 years. I was excited about coming, since it had been more than four years since my last visit. But then again, I get excited about going anywhere. I have logged 3 million miles since 1989 and I still get a rush when I go to an airport and get on a plane.

Five years ago, I had to make a decision. I wasn't happy being on staff at a local church. I felt stifled and every time I traveled, it created tension with my home leadership. But I watched our leadership travel and then come home and try to manage activity at home. Quite frankly, that didn't work for anyone.

I see a trend in the church where leaders want to be local leaders and national and international speakers. This makes them, as they like to use the term, apostles and bishops. In my opinion, this doesn't work. It takes tremendous organizational abilities to maintain a heavy travel schedule. And most of what is called "apostolic" is really speaking at special meetings at conferences, hardly a place where a lot of church development takes place. And isn't the historical position of the Church that a bishop doesn't pastor a local church but rather gives oversight and direction to a group of churches full-time?

I understand why some men travel and pastor locally--they need the regular income that the local church provides. But is the church being served well when a leader does this? The Apostle Paul didn't do this. He traveled, established new churches, and then left the church to be led and managed by a local team, continuing to give oversight to those he had started If leaders today want to be apostles and bishops, shouldn't they do the same thing? (You can read about Paul's apostolic pressures at 2 Corinthians 11:21-33.)

I am not against any pastor or leader traveling to speak or consult in other church settings. But I think we need to revisit the practice of trying to do both on a full-time basis. As for me, I loved the travel and work on the road so much, I gave up the security of a check from a local church. I invite other leaders to face these same realities and give their full attention to either their travels or their local responsibilities.

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