Pastor Ronnie Floyd of Cross Church
There are 7 things you need to learn from Ronnie Floyd the president of the SBC. If you don’t know who Ronnie Floyd is my guess is that before the next two years are finished you will hear a lot about him. Ronnie pastors Cross Church of Northwest Arkansas which is ranked as the 53rd largest church in America by Outreach Magazine. Ronnie was recently elected as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Ronnie and I were in seminary together and I pastored in the same town as he does now for many years before starting in the stewardship field. In fact Ronnie was the primary person that led to my being hired by John Maxwell back in the day. I am pleased to call him my friend and honored to be his stewardship partner. In my opinion Ronnie Floyd is one of the most thoughtful, creative and hardworking pastors in America. Even if you are not a Southern Baptist you can learn from him.
Here are seven things that I think are worth you emulating that I have taken from my years of friendship and partnering with this amazing pastor. Implement these seven into your life and ministry and you will achieve the dreams God has given you!
1. Bathe everything in prayer! One constant of Ronnie’s life is his continual emphasis on prayer both personally and corporately. For him it starts with prayer when most of us plan and then later decide to pray God’s blessing over our mess! Last year Ronnie launched an ambitious prayer ministry at his church that is a great pattern for any pastor to follow. You can find out more here at http://crosschurch.com/circle/
2. Get up and get after it! 3 AM is when Ronnie’s alarm goes off! I have to admit that I sometimes wake up soon after that hour and think, “Ronnie is up.” I roll over and think good for him but I too get up early, usually around 5 AM. Every successful pastor I know gets up early and gets to work. You will find that the morning is your most uninterrupted time to pray, think and create. So, you might not get up at 3 AM but get up and get started on your day early and you will achieve more.
3. Work smart and work hard. Ronnie Floyd is perhaps the hardest working pastor I know. I have to tell you that this is not the typical case. Many pastors put hours in but don’t get a lot done. Ronnie has learn, using his mornings, to not only work hard but to work smart. He never lets anything get in the way of his morning work routine. If you are to be successful you have to stay focused not allowing distractions to divert your attention. Nearly every successful pastor I know religiously sets their mornings apart for prayer, study, writing and creativity. You should do the same.
4. Dream big. You know the saying, “Go big or go home.” Ronnie’s vision is huge. Reaching Northwest Arkansas, America and the World for Jesus Christ is the Cross Church mission statement. For Ronnie this is not some cute statement but his real marching orders. He dreams big and accomplishes big things like his recently baptizing 99 people in one night. With campuses all across the nation and mission work around the globe Cross Church through Ronnie Floyd is making a worldwide impact.
5. Set the bar high. If you work for a guy that gets up at 3 AM you have to figure that the bar is set pretty high. Good! One of my major complaints about churches today is we have too many staff members that simply don’t know how to work or how to work smart. Ronnie leads by example but he expects excellence from everyone on his team. You too should set a high bar for those around you if you want to see ministry success.
6. Stay the course. Nothing distracts Ronnie from the goals God has set for him. I have watched him suffer defeat, face life’s toughest challenges and the withering criticism of those that either don’t like him or misunderstand him and he simply stays on course. Being a pastor in this day is not easy but if you are to be what God wants you to be you must stay the course.
7. Don’t be afraid to make the “ask.” Ronnie gets it that without proper funding ministry and missions are more difficult. He has never has been afraid to make the “ask” for money to support a dream he knew God had given him. As a result Cross Church is one of the most generous churches in America. For years I have done extensive financial analysis on the giving trends of this church. Their donors give proportionately more than any church I know. One reason why is that throughout his years as their pastor Ronnie has made the ask, received the dollars and turned them into changed lives. As a result the members of the Cross Church family keep giving and giving and giving. The same can be true for you if you will boldly make the “ask.”
This could be you! Let me simply address the excuse that might be running through your mind. Many will think, well of course the 53rd largest church in America can do those sorts of things. I only pastor this small church. Wrong! Success is not determined by the size of your church but the size of the dream in your heart for where ever God has planted you! You too can dream big. There are no small churches in God’s Kingdom!
One final thought, Ronnie Floyd grew up in a small Texas church that your church is probably bigger than. Laypeople and ministers in that small church poured their lives into him and look what happened. Who knows but that out there this Sunday is a young person that might be the next Ronnie Floyd?
Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach
You can get the same type of help that I give Ronnie Floyd by joining my monthly membership plan. To find out more go here https://thestewardshipcoach.org/join-now/