4 Lessons I Learned During My First 5 Years as an Executive Pastor

My name is Cory Cooper. God has blessed me with an incredible wife and two beautiful kids. I get to serve as the executive pastor of Orlando Baptist Church, financial administrator of World Hope, and board member for Freeway Florida. I have willingly and reluctantly learned many lessons over the years, but here are the 4 most important. I pray you are encouraged and find this helpful.

Lesson 1: People are the Work

This lesson took a while to truly click, and praise God for his grace and mercy to me. The church is a gathering of people who proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior over their lives and have been commanded to make more disciples. A church staff is made up of people who have committed their lives to serve Jesus by leading, developing and serving the church.

My job description includes things like finances, insurance, reports, and facilities. While these things are important, and I oversee these things with the best of my ability—they are temporary. The role that takes priority is pastor to the people of OBC.

Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. -1 Peter 5:2-3

I praise God that he has called me to pastor. I have the privilege of preaching the Word, discipling young adults, visiting the sick, and helping people take their next steps in following Jesus. I have the greatest job in the world! I also love leading our staff. I have weekly one on one meetings with our ministry leaders and I have learned that my job is to help remove obstacles so that they can continue to lead with passion. As they grow in leadership, our church is better equipped to make more disciples:

As other people are built up through delegation, the capacity of the entire organization increases. -Matt Perman

The church belongs to Jesus Christ, and I am humbled to be a small part of shepherding his flock.

Lesson 2: Godly Character

7 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. -Titus 1:7-9

Do I fit this mold every day? Hardly. God has called me to a Christ-like character that I cannot produce in myself, so I must cling to him. He promised to conform me into the image of his son Jesus, so being in his presence is priority 1. As I sit in the presence of the Lord and read his Word each day, I see the holiness of God, which helps me to lay aside the sinful list above because I have seen something better. I have seen in my life that as my love for God grows, the longing for his presence grows, and my repentance does also. Godly character is being lead by the power of the Holy Spirit to love holiness and to put to death the fleeting desires of the flesh and the world. This is the humble state the overseers of Christ’s church should lead from.

Lesson 3: Extreme Ownership

Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame. –Jocko Willink

I read this book by Jocko several years ago and it helped me understand something I already knew. A leaders job is to accomplish the mission, and that is done by maximizing the potential of everyone they lead. This goes back to lesson 1, people. If someone on the team fails, I need to look at myself first and ask some questions: Was everything clearly communicated? Did they have the resources they needed? Were there blindspots I could have helped them see?

Everything rises and falls on leadership. -John C. Maxwell

The Bible also makes it very clear that pastors are held to a higher standard as leaders, and I do not take this lightly.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. -Hebrews 13:17

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. -James 3:1

This level of extreme ownership is heavy, which keeps me right where I need and want to be–constantly seeking the Lord in prayer and submitting to him.

Lesson 4: Ask Questions

I DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING. I am so blessed to know many Godly pastors, business owners, and faithful saints in the church that I can learn from. Ask people questions. Ask people what God is teaching them right now. Ask people what they are learning. Ask people what books they recommend. Ask your pastors what they are reading and listening to. Find disciples of Jesus that you say “I want to be more like them” and ask them to lunch.

Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. -Proverbs 19:20

I thankfully have gotten to know several executive pastors that have given me their numbers and I can call, text, and pester them when I need wisdom. I also read a lot because I believe it keeps me in a state of humility. But most importantly, I pray about it:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. -James 1:5

God wants to be known, and he wants you to grow into the person he has created you to be in Christ Jesus. Ask God for wisdom, he is a good father who wants to give his children good gifts.

Conclusion

I have learned a great deal over these last 5 years and I pray that the Lord grows me in humility throughout the next 5. The church does not belong to me. I am servant of Jesus who has been entrusted with his bride and I will give an account. Whatever your roles are today; parent, teacher, executive, pastor, husband, wife, do them as unto the Lord knowing that you are serving Jesus. We will all give an account when we see him and I want to hear “well done, good and faithful servant.”