Eight Soft Skills of a Church Planting Leader
By Gary Rohrmayer
There are two raw leadership skills that make a leader truly great.
First, leaders get things done: they take responsibility for achieving the goals and objectives of the organization.
Second, leaders positively impact the people around them: they make others better by caring for, inspiring, and encouraging them.
We’ve all encountered leaders who get things done but rub people the wrong way. These leaders may achieve short-term results but often struggle to finish well. We’ve also seen leaders who are the life of the party but never accomplish much. While they may create a fun atmosphere for a time, they eventually drag the organization into ineffectiveness.
What moves a leader toward greatness is developing both the hard skills and soft skills of leadership.
Hard skills involve the technical and task-related competencies needed to do the job well.
Soft skills are relational, emotional, and intuitive—critical for working effectively with people.
Eight Soft Skills for Church Planting Leaders (From the Life of Barnabas)
Here are eight soft skills uniquely important for church planting leaders, drawn from the life of Barnabas, the “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36).
1. He Possessed a Generous Spirit (Acts 4:36–37)
Generosity was foundational to Barnabas’s character—it shaped everything else about him. As movement leaders, we must cultivate the skill of being generous with our time, our praise, and the resources entrusted to us.
2. He Embodied Integrity (Acts 11:24)
“He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith...”
His goodness and generosity flowed from his deep relationship with God. He lived under the Spirit’s control and placed all his hope in the Lord. Leaders worth following are leaders worth emulating. And the skill of walking in the Spirit is one we spend a lifetime mastering.
3. He Believed Deeply in People’s Potential (Acts 9:26–27)
Barnabas believed in Saul (Paul) when no one else did. We don’t know exactly why or what he saw, but he was willing to risk his reputation—and his life—to bring Saul into the circle of the apostles.
The skill of genuinely believing in others helps us overcome natural mistrust and cynicism. Every time a leader sends out a new church planting couple, they’re placing their own reputation—and their organization’s—on the line.
After 20 years, I rejoice over planters who exceeded my dreams for them—and grieve for those whose potential was never fully realized.
4. He Took Personal Risks When Needed (Acts 11:22, 25–26)
Barnabas traveled to Antioch and then to Tarsus—risky journeys in those days (2 Corinthians 11:26). Yet he put his life on the line to encourage churches, find emerging leaders, and plant churches.
What personal risks are you taking in your ministry these days?
Leaders who skillfully take appropriate risks elevate their organizations. Those who settle in lead organizations that plateau—and eventually decline.
5. He Was a Grace-Finder (Acts 11:23)
“When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God…”
When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, he looked beyond his own cultural biases, personal worship preferences, and the immaturity of a young church. Instead, he saw clear evidence of God’s grace—love for Jesus, true conversions, hunger for the Word, a heart for mission, and generosity toward others.
The skill of seeing the big picture of God's work is critical for church planting leaders.
6. He Was a Leader-Maker (Acts 11:25–26; Acts 13)
Barnabas gave Saul (Paul) a platform to grow as a leader. Paul became part of the leadership fabric of the Antioch church (Acts 13:1) and eventually the chief spokesman of their missionary team.
The team that began as Barnabas and Saul became Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:7, 42–46).
Movement leaders must know how to skillfully and humbly elevate others—helping them reach greater heights of fruitfulness.
7. He Was Conflict-Resilient, Not Conflict-Avoidant (Acts 15:2, 39)
Barnabas wasn’t afraid to challenge the apostolic leaders in Jerusalem over doctrinal and missional tensions. Nor did he shy away from confronting his own protégé—even when it ended their partnership.
Church planting leaders—especially in historic denominations—often face bureaucratic hurdles and institutional inertia. They need the skill to speak up, challenge the status quo, and confront poor decisions respectfully.
Every organization is one courageous decision away from a breakthrough. Leaders must also be able to speak passionately and correctively into the lives of church planters to keep them aligned with Jesus’ mission.
8. He Gave Second Chances (Acts 13:13; 15:36–39; Colossians 4:10)
John Mark abandoned the team for reasons we don’t know—and Paul wasn’t ready to forgive. But Barnabas was. The disagreement over John Mark was so intense that it ended their partnership.
This reveals just how serious and sincere Barnabas’s grace truly was.
The skill of knowing when—and how—to give someone a second chance is vital for church planting leaders. You never know the ripple effects. John Mark went on to partner with Peter, write the Gospel of Mark, and eventually reconcile with Paul.
None of that would’ve happened without Barnabas’s grace.
Conclusion
Church planting leaders often work behind the scenes, like Barnabas. But Barnabas’s depth of character, emotional strength, and relational skill set made him a key figure in nearly every movement of God in the New Testament.
He was active in the Jerusalem movement (Acts 4:36; 9:26)
He was central to the Antioch movement (Acts 11–13)
He helped launch the Asia Minor movement (Acts 13–15)
North American church planting needs more Barnabas-like leaders—those willing to step alongside others, lead with quiet strength, and raise up the next generation of church planters.