The Hero Who Decreased

For years, Steve Mickel served as the lead pastor of Westside Church, leading with effectiveness and vision. By every traditional metric, he was the engine of the organization, the indispensable leader the church could not live without.

But at the height of his influence, Steve began to ask a countercultural, John the Baptist question: “What would it look like if I decreased so others could increase?”

Equipper, Not Hero

Biblical leadership is not about becoming the hero your church cannot function without. It is about becoming the equipper your church can thrive without.

Steve did not wait for burnout or a crisis to share the burden of leadership. Instead, he proactively began a multi-year journey of intentional self-diminishment. He started making himself progressively unnecessary by shifting the weight of the ministry onto a team of leaders he had been quietly forming and mentoring.

The result was not a decline in the church’s health, but a surge in its vitality. Because Steve was willing to step back from the spotlight, he created space for a new generation to step into their own callings.

Your Role Has a Shelf Life

Pastor, your leadership role has a shelf life, and that is a gift, not a threat. The greatest thing you can do for your congregation is to move from being the center of the story to being the one who prepares the stage for others.

• Release the cape. Stop trying to be the indispensable hero.
• Invest in the “Phil” moments. True legacy is built through quiet, relational mentorship.
• Plan for absence. If the ministry stops when you leave, you have not built a church; you have built a monument to yourself.

Do not be afraid to decrease. When you step back to let others increase, you are not losing your influence; you are multiplying it.

I’m Justin Trapp, and this is Ministry Minute.