Humility and Servant-Leadership: Toward a Solution of Pastoral Narcissism

The world contains healthy and toxic leaders, and these leaders make an impact—for better or worse—on their followers. While healthy Christian pastors may exude humility and positively affect congregants, the issue of narcissism among pastors is more prevalent than one may expect. This article explores the literature related to humility, servant-leadership, and narcissism—painting the ideal of humble pastors, linking the ideal with servant-leadership, presenting the problem of narcissistic pastors, and moving toward the beginning stages of proposed solutions. Depending on the severity level, churches may opt for a period of renewed growth from the pastor or outright replacement of the pastor. The article concludes with recommendations for application and future research.