The Call to Pioneer: Why Pastors Can't Play It Safe
A soldier turned fur trader, Peter Pond was rough, fearless, and bold - even violent. In 1778, he hacked his way into the wild Athabasca wilderness. He drew some of the first maps of northern Alberta, set up a fur-trading post at the mouth of the Athabasca River, and forged trading networks with First Nations people and the Northwest Company.
Because of his audacity, the region became a powerhouse of the fur trade. He was the first European to reach the place we now call Fort McMurray.
Peter Pond didn't just pass through Ft McMurray; he ignited its story.
Progress always begins with pioneers. Somebody has to go first. Somebody has to believe. Somebody has to step out.
Pastor and leader, the same is true in ministry. Every move of God begins when someone chooses to step where no one has stepped before.
Faith Pioneers the Promise
The Bible is full of pioneers. Abraham set the precedent.
In Genesis 12, God called him to leave his country, his people, and his father's household for a land yet to be revealed. He didn't have a map or a GPS. What he did have was a promise.
Abraham left the familiar - his community, his culture, his friendships - to walk into the unknown. Faith demanded that he loosen his grip on comfort and step into risk.
The same is true for us. If you want to lead your church into the future God has for it, you can't cling to what feels safe. Faith always pioneers toward the promise.
So let me ask you, pastor: Where is God asking you to step out of your comfort zone? Your finances? Your ministry model? Your leadership style? Never allow comfort to control your calling.
Courage Possesses the Promise
Fast-forward to Joshua 3. Israel stood at the edge of the Jordan after forty years of wandering. The river was at flood stage. Crossing meant risk. But it also meant stepping into God's promise.
Joshua didn't cross to repeat the past. He crossed to possess the future.
Many pastors today are still circling the same wilderness - same fears, same failures, same church cycles. But God is saying: It's time to do whatever it takes to cross over.
What Jordan do you need to cross? What do you need to surrender, and what risk do you need to take? Is it the risk of planting a new ministry? Starting a second service? Calling out sin in love? Leaning into discipleship instead of consumer Christianity?
Pioneers don't wait for perfect conditions. They move when God says, "Go."
Vision Sees Beyond Ruins
Nehemiah shows us another side of pioneering leadership. When he surveyed Jerusalem, he saw rubble, fire-scorched stones, and shame. But where others saw ruins, Nehemiah saw renewal.
Anyone can point out brokenness. Leaders do that every week. But pioneers see possibilities in the middle of the impossible.
Pastor, maybe you look at your congregation and see nothing but struggle. Your city or community may feel too dark. Maybe your own heart feels worn out. But pioneers lead with the eyes of faith - not to see only what is, but to glimpse what can be in the hands of God.
Where do you need a fresh vision today? In your church? Your city? Your family? Your own soul? Pioneers do whatever it takes.
Jesus: The Ultimate Trailblazer
Every biblical pioneer points to Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 calls Him the "pioneer and perfecter of our faith."
Jesus is the true Trailblazer. He went where no one else could go - through sin, death, and the grave. He didn't just show the way. He is the way.
Abraham shows us faith.
Joshua shows us courage.
Nehemiah shows us vision.
But Jesus shows us the way.
Your Call to Pioneer
Here's the truth, pastor: pioneering isn't just for history books. It's for you, right now.
Maybe God is asking you, like Abraham, to leave your comfort zone.
Maybe, like Joshua, He's calling you to cross your Jordan.
Maybe, like Nehemiah, He's asking you to see beyond the ruins.
Or He's reminding you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus - the ultimate Pioneer.
You don't need to have it all figured out. You don't need a map. You need to obey.
Because pioneers don't wait for maps - they blaze trails. And when they do, history changes, families are restored, cities are transformed, and churches come alive.
Somebody has to go first. Why not you?
Corey Randell serves as the District Superintendent at the ABNWT District of The PAOC. Corey is known for his passion and ‘tell it like it is’ speaking style. He believes there are no impossible situations but that every challenge is an opportunity to witness the miraculous. His passion is to mobilize people to rethink church, reach others and encounter the power of God in today’s world.