The Role of Leaders in Biblical Church Growth

By Robb Brunansky

Published March 18, 2026

What is the function of the leaders of the church when it comes to growth? This question is critical because the church – whether two thousand years ago in Corinth or present day – often places too much emphasis and responsibility for growth on the shoulders of its leaders.

There is, of course a biblical level of honor and respect that church members should have for their leaders, as we see in Hebrews 13:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13. Yet, the Corinthians took things too far with their leaders. Rather than submitting to, appreciating, and loving their leaders, the Corinthians were both idolizing and pitting their leaders against each other. This unbiblical veneration of leaders happens when they are viewed too highly, or when people denigrate some while praising others.

Paul talks about the role of leaders in growth so members of this church would think of their leaders biblically. This discussion has great relevance for all Christians, because we are tempted to put some people above others, especially in ministry. We must correctly view the role of leaders if we would understand the growth God desires from His church.

To understand the role of leaders in church growth, we need to realize three relationships leaders have in the church. We first consider the relationship of church leaders to the Lord (1 Corinthians 3: 5-7).

Paul starts with the relationship of leaders to the Lord because this is the most critical. He gives three comparisons in this passage to help readers understand the unique roles of the Lord and of church leaders. A proper view of church leaders will allow Christians to respect them, but not to idolize them or install them over Christ.

The first contrast between the church leader and the Lord is position.

Paul likely shocked his audience when he rhetorically asked these questions: “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul?” These queries challenged the Corinthians to consider how to classify these two men as church leaders. The answer is that both Paul and Apollos were the Lord’s servants! This classification was completely foreign to the Corinthians as no one in Greco-Roman culture aspired to the rank of servant. Yet Paul describes Apollos and himself as having no prestige.

Paul and Apollos were mere servants through whom the Corinthians came to faith in Christ. These men did not cause the faith the Corinthians exercised.

At the end of verse 5, Paul sets up an unmistakable contrast between the servants and the Lord. Paul and Apollos are not in charge, and they have no inherent authority in the church. Rather, they are servants of the real Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

At this juncture, we should reflect on Paul’s words, because we can easily confuse things in the church. For those in positions of leadership, do we consider ourselves as servants? Service is what our Lord modeled throughout His earthly ministry for us to follow. The entire thrust of the gospel message is that Christ came as a servant, to meet our need, and to provide forgiveness and righteousness.

If our Lord stooped to the level of being a servant, how much more should we think of ourselves as servants in the church? Leaders should never give people the impression of self-importance. Instead, we should model, as did our Lord, servant leadership, and people should see our example of humble service.

The second contrast between church leaders and the Lord is tasks (verse 6).

Paul shifts to an agricultural metaphor, picturing himself and Apollos as caretakers. Both their tasks in Christ’s church are different, but complementary and indispensable. This picture of leadership is significant for thinking about church ministry.

All Christians can easily think our particular ministry is the most important in the church. However, all tasks and ministries from the Lord in the church are necessary.

None of those church ministries cause the growth of the body, though, because God causes the growth through our service and ministries (verse 6). Too many Christians think of church growth as automatic, but the reality is that only God causes growth through the various ministries.

This concept of spiritual growth is found throughout Scripture. The Psalmist tells us all growth comes from God (Psalm 127:1). In the Lord’s providence, growth almost never happens apart from means because that is how God ordained it. Make no mistake, though, the means never cause the growth! All labor is in vain unless God causes growth.

That leads to a third contrast between leaders and the Lord, which is significance (verse 7).

Church leaders are insignificant. The tasks surrounding church growth matters, but Paul and Apollos were merely unskilled helpers of the Lord and totally replaceable. God has and will use many people to plant and water in the church because those doing the task do not matter.

Christians cannot help but admire Paul for his endurance of so much suffering throughout his ministry. When Paul looked at himself, though, he didn’t see anything significant about himself or his service. He just observed the Lord’s servants (him and Apollos) doing the menial task of planting and watering the seed.

When highlighting the insignificance of church leaders, Paul could have inserted anyone’s name from church history: Peter, John, Knox, Edwards, Spurgeon, Lloyd-Jones, MacArthur, Sproul, and so on. All faithful servants of the Lord are insignificant because they cannot cause growth. The only One indispensable in the church is God. Our Lord is everything for the church.

We’ve already seen earlier in this letter that Christ is our wisdom from God, and He is our justification, redemption, and sanctification. Christ is everything. There is no room on the platform for anyone but Him; He shares the preeminence with no one. He alone is the head and Lord of the church.

We see, then, the relationship between church leaders and their Lord. Church leaders are contrasted with the Lord in position: we are servants, and He is Master. Church leaders are contrasted with the Lord in tasks: we plant and water, but God causes growth. Church leaders are contrasted with the Lord in significance: we are insignificant, but God is infinitely significant.

Christians who serve in different ministries and roles in the church might have different applications of Paul’s teaching.

Those in church leadership have clear application. If we think ourselves greater than servants, we will pridefully treat people as if they serve us. If we think ourselves as the cause of church growth, we will arrogate a place belonging to the Lord alone, causing constant tension in the church as we see ourselves and our ministries superior to others. If we think ourselves as significant in the church, we will be unapproachable, unteachable, and ineffective in leadership.

For aspiring church leaders, these contrasts are a great source of self-examination to ensure that our motives are pure, that they are from the Holy Spirit, and that they are not the result of desiring great things for ourselves – including to be well thought of by others.

Other church members can pray for their leaders, that they remember their task, role, and position relationships with the Lord. All members of a church congregation should recognize we are fully dependent on God for the growth of His church – past, present, and future.

We are all servants of a good and kind Master, who causes His church to grow, and provides everything we need to be faithful to what He has called us to do. Regardless of our position in the church, may we strive to follow His example.