As I write this, I’m transitioning from serving as the children’s pastor at one church to becoming the family pastor at another.

I’m not leaving out of frustration or disappointment. Far from it. The staff is incredible, the kids are growing spiritually, our systems are healthier, and our volunteers are stepping up in significant ways. The ministry has a strong foundation and is positioned for greater fruitfulness. On paper, it feels like the worst time to leave.

So why am I?

While I don’t have space to tell the full story, I do want to highlight one part of the process that has deeply shaped me: training my replacement.

Volunteer to Intern

One day, while prepping curriculum, I got a call from our college pastor recommending a student he thought would thrive in kids ministry.

Quick recruiting tip: let other people recruit with you. Recommendations like this make conversations easier and more encouraging from the start.

I reached out immediately and set up a time to talk. It didn’t take long to realize he would fit well in multiple areas of our ministry. He started serving consistently during our midweek ministry and periodically on Sunday mornings. He jumped right in and loved it!

After a few months, he asked if he could intern with me. It was a no-brainer.

At first, the internship mostly consisted of reading books and taking on added responsibilities. But the most valuable moments came during the “Do you have any questions?” conversations.

At first, the questions were about programming and ministry logistics. Over time, they shifted toward calling, leadership, and vocational ministry. We talked about discernment, conflict, conviction, and caring for people faithfully in the midst of busyness.

As we prayed about his future, I started praying about my own. What if this internship were more than general ministry training? What if it were preparation for serving in our ministry specifically?

It felt like a big prayer.

After all, our ministry was entering a really healthy season. But maybe that’s exactly when leaders should begin to think this way.

The E4 Paradigm

In the West, success is often measured through growth, platforms, and visibility. Because of this, churches can drift toward hiring leaders who seem capable of doing everything themselves.

High-capacity leaders are a gift to the church, but ministries should never rest entirely on their shoulders.

Why?

Because it’s unsustainable. Leaders who carry everything eventually burn out.

Because it hurts long-term health. If a ministry depends entirely on one leader, momentum often leaves when that leader leaves.

And because it’s unbiblical. Scripture never calls pastors and ministry leaders to do all the ministry themselves. Leaders are not meant to function like superheroes. They’re shepherds called to equip the church.

That’s exactly what Paul says in Ephesians 4:11-12:

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (ESV).

Why did Christ give leaders to the church? Not to do all the ministry, but to equip the saints for the work of ministry.

Too many leaders function primarily as doers instead of equippers. They feel pressure to prove their value through productivity, visibility, or how much weight they can carry. But according to Ephesians 4, success is not measured merely by what leaders can build. It’s measured by how faithfully they equip others to build.

That’s a major paradigm shift.

It’s the Ephesians 4 (E4) paradigm.

Leading Through Equipping

To be clear, I’m not saying every ministry leader should immediately start planning their exit. But I am saying leaders should always be equipping others so the ministry can continue thriving with or without them.

As I invested in my intern, I became increasingly convicted by this reality. I could keep building primarily through my own gifting, but ministry was never supposed to be about me.

If I’m honest, part of me wanted to stay simply because I felt like I had more to prove. There were ideas left unexplored and dreams left unfinished. But ministry is not about proving our worth. It’s about building Christ’s church.

And sometimes the best way to build Christ’s church is to hand ministry off to others and watch God work through them.

That conviction reshaped the way I think about leadership.

It’s made me ask better questions. Not just “What needs to get done?” but “Who needs to be equipped?”

And that shift has practical implications for the way we all lead.

It means training others intentionally. Have people shadow you. Record your processes. Walk them through the daily work of ministry. One of the most helpful things I did with my intern was film myself preparing curriculum, scheduling leaders, and communicating with volunteers.

But equipping goes beyond simply showing people what to do. It also means explaining why you do it.

Explain why you chose your curriculum. Why you structure ministry the way you do, and why you recruit and train leaders the way you do.

Equipping is more than teaching someone to repeat your actions. It’s helping them learn how to think.

As I enter this new season of ministry, I’m incredibly thankful for my intern and the process of preparing him for full-time ministry. It has recalibrated how I define success and how I want to lead moving forward.

I don’t want to build ministry primarily through my own gifting and effort. I want to equip the saints to build healthy ministries and healthier churches.

That sounds better.

That sounds like the E4 paradigm.

That sounds like the way of Christ.

Hunter Williams is the Family Pastor at Two Rivers Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and co-host of the Cross Formed KidMin podcast. He has served in a variety of ministry roles, including chaplain, youth pastor, and missionary with Awana. Hunter has written for ministries such as INCM, Renewanation, and The Gospel Coalition and is the co-author of How to Teach Kids Theology. He and his wife, Sammie, have four children and love serving in their local church.