7 Characteristics of Effective Pioneers
Summarizing the key findings of my doctoral dissertation
A pioneer leader is an everyday missionary called to engage and reach a group of people outside the walls of the established church. That group of people might include those living in a specific geographic area, like a neighborhood or athletic club, or it could be a demographic group of people like teachers, artists, or marketplace leaders.
A few years ago, I was awarded a scholarship to enter a doctoral program at Asbury Theological Seminary. This program afforded me the opportunity to answer a question that had been nagging at me for quite some time.
What are the most common characteristics of effective pioneer leaders?
The word “effective” was quantified in my research with five criteria, and the leaders selected for the study were described by their denominational or network leaders as “very effective.”
Participants
The selected “effective pioneers” for this study came from thirty projects that represented the largest denominations in the Global Wesleyan Alliance (Nazarene, Church of God Anderson, Wesleyan, and Free Methodist) and two of the most influential local microchurch networks in the United States (Tampa Underground, Kansas City Underground).
A strong cross-section of leaders was represented in diversity of gender, age, and ethnicity. Each pioneer was required to complete assessments, questionnaires, and focus group interviews as results were then tabulated.
What follows are a few of the findings I made from the research.
If you would like the full results of my dissertation (with nearly 25 charts and graphs), e-mail me at jwiest@mobilizethechurch.com, and I would be happy to send you the PDF.
1) Evangelistic (and Apostolic)
Pioneers blaze new trails and carve new pathways into the frontier. They are willing to go first. This impulse to extend the gospel to unreached areas is often found in highly apostolic people.
Paul, perhaps the most well-known of the apostles, famously declared his desire to proclaim the gospel wherever it was not known in Romans 15:13, “So I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.”
The desire to “build a new foundation” by starting something new is a crucial distinction between evangelists and apostles.
However, when we invited participants to complete a popular APEST (apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, teacher) survey, the results were surprising.
Figure 1:1. APEST Base and Phase Gifting.
The evangelistic gift was slightly higher than the apostolic.
Evangelists are often wired by God to reach people with the gospel by then bringing them back to a more established ministry. Some of the largest churches in America are led by highly evangelistic leaders.
Evangelists are also more attractional by nature whereas apostles are wired to extend the church into a new area.
How might we explain the results? My dissertation explains a few possible reasons, and most of them are rooted in the growing challenge of integrating new believers into established churches.
Launching a new expression of ministry with a “new wineskin” may be the only strategy for reaching lost people and keeping them connected to a local church.
This realization has perhaps resulted in more evangelistic leaders picking up the mantle of pioneering.
2) Personality Type
The Myers-Briggs personality profile, well-established as a standardized test of personality, has 16 possible personality types. If you aren’t familiar with the test, I encourage you to visit 16personalities.com.
I want to be clear. Anyone can pioneer something new. There is no single personality type required to be an effective pioneer!
However, the research showed that effective pioneers were 4X more likely to be extroverted (E) over introverted (I). They were 4X more likely to be intuitive (N) over sensing (S), and they were 5X more likely to be feeling (F) over thinking (T).
The combination of all three (ENFJ or ENFP) accounted for more than half (52%) of effective pioneers.
The official Myers-Briggs website describes these individuals as “Warm, empathetic, enthusiastic, responsive to praise, finding potential in others, spontaneous, and catalytic. They often have deep insights into human nature and can use these insights to influence the people around them”.
This keen awareness of others often results in a higher degree of emotional intelligence and a higher sense of purpose. Again, anyone can pioneer something new, but these were the personality types that emerged in the greatest measure.
3) Humility, and 4) Brokenness
The research invited pioneers and sponsoring agencies to describe effective pioneers, and the words “humility” and “brokenness” were used quite frequently. This is a far cry from the common stereotypes of pioneers in the collective psyche of North American culture. Most people think of pioneers as…
…the risk-taking adventurer throwing caution to the wind to blaze new trails and achieve new heights.
…the lone ranger, a solitary figure who single-handedly conquers whatever challenges that come their way.
…the strong-willed entrepreneur never willing to back down from adversity.
The research paints a very different picture.
It appears the most effective pioneers prioritized community over individuality, managed and calculated risk, and were at one time humbled and broken by God. In fact, this brokenness is a vital link to effectiveness and perseverance.
When asked to share 5-7 characteristics that helped them in their efforts, the chart below shows the categories of top responses and number of times they were mentioned.
Figure 1:2 What 5-7 Characteristics Have Helped You in this Effort?
It’s interesting to note the correlation between “love for people/lost” and the high evangelistic scores. When asked more generally, “What do you think are the 5-7 most important characteristics of a pioneer (in general)?” the number one category was “perseverance and commitment.”
These are words often forged through pain and brokenness, and throughout the biblical narrative, we see examples of each.
5) Passion and 6) Optimism
Colin Powell, former General of the US Armed Forces, once remarked in his 13 Rules of Leaders, “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier”. This is also true in pioneering something new.
Obstacles, setbacks, challenges, spiritual warfare, and other enemies often come against pioneers, and remaining optimistic is a trait that allows effective pioneers to endure.
What emerged from the research was a strong optimistic bent in the most effective pioneers. Combined with their evangelistic and apostolic zeal along with a deep sense of humility and brokenness, effective pioneers rely on God for continued strength.
His grace fuels their optimism and passion.
The research asked the effective pioneers, their sponsors, and their friends to write a list of words describing pioneers, and in each case, passion and optimism were near the top of the list.
Through the focus group interviews, a progression emerged in the conversation: passion often stemmed from conviction, and conviction came from a clear calling to reach a particular group of people.
7) Indigenous Ministry
The research asked a simple question, “How do you feel uniquely equipped to reach this group of people?” Almost two to one, the most popular answers were grouped in the category of incarnational ministry.
Figure 1:3 How are you uniquely equipped to reach this group of people?
A few of the responses were, “I identify with these people,” “They’re my people, culture, and language,” “I’ve had the same pain, struggles, and failures as they have,” “I am one of them,” and, “I’ve been in this city for a long time and have developed a good reputation.”
While there are certain spiritual gifts, personality traits, and characteristics found in greater measures, it seems the effectiveness of a pioneer is often directly correlated to their level of ministry incarnation.
When pioneers are removed from their indigenous context to start something in another community, their effectiveness decreases.
The calling of a pioneer often begins right where God has placed them.
It seems when pioneers move out of their areas of deepest influence to pursue a pioneer project elsewhere, their effectiveness is often limited.
Conclusion
There is much more that could be written in this article, and my prayer is to create a simple resource from the research to help mobilize more people to pioneer something new.
Again, if you want to learn more, simply e-mail me at jwiest@mobilizethechurch.com, and I would be happy to send you the PDF of the research.
Our world has substantially changed since my first on-campus intensive in 2019 when I started my journey at Asbury. The events of the last five years have served to accelerate the cultural shifts already underway.
The ministry models and maps of a former era are less effective today, and the challenge of raising up workers remains.
Luke 10:2 states, “The harvest is ripe, but the workers are few.” More pioneer leaders are needed to step out in faith, innovate, and reach those who are unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the established church.
The fields are ready for harvest, but the harvesting methods must change.
It’s time to mobilize more pioneers to reach the group of people God has called them to reach. People are no longer flocking to church services and worship gatherings as they did in generations past. An increasing number of people have stopped attending altogether.
The characteristics listed in this article could be a starting point for identifying and mobilizing more pioneer leaders for ministry.