Where do you go to find reliable church leadership ideas and information? There are plenty of books and blogs on the subject. There are even quite a few accounts you can follow on Twitter or helpful YouTube channels.
One potentially overlooked outlet for church leaders is Instagram. This visually-driven social media platform is still extremely popular with a younger demographic. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t leaders of all experience levels sharing great content on Instagram. Instagram can be a surprisingly effective way to pastor a church online.
Wondering where to start and who to follow? There are plenty of local churches or faith-based organizations doing well on the platform. But we decided to collect a list of more than 20 of the brightest individual church leaders doing an outstanding job on Instagram.
1. Dave Adamson
Dave is a former online and social media pastor, so he’s very familiar with the overlap between technology and ministry. His latest book, Metachurch, is all about the collision between faith and online. He’s also a professional photographer, so he knows how to showcase beautiful imagery on his Instagram profile. Follow Dave for daily messages of hope from scripture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UC8OTNqYwY&feature=emb_title
2. Trey Van Camp
Trey represents an unusual overlap of careers—full-time pastor and YouTuber. That’s right—he preaches the gospel and regularly uploads popular online videos. Trey combines that experience to create some useful video content to his Instagram channel.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYP-FeIqgDw/
3. Jenni Catron
As the CEO of the 4Sight Group, Jenni Catron understands what it takes to lead the church well. On her Instagram profile, she shares insights on church leadership and great resources from her organization. This includes highlights from her podcast, Lead Culture, which features a number of well-known faith-based leaders.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc-9Z-VJ42r/
4. Craig Groeschel
Any list of top church leaders (on any platform) would be remiss to overlook Craig Groeschel. The lead pastor of LifeChurch.tv is among the most influential Christian leaders. His Instagram account is a mash-up of content about a life of faith, messages from LifeChurch, and insights about what it takes to lead at the highest level.
https://www.instagram.com/craiggroeschel/
5. Phil Wickham
It seems you can’t go to church on a Sunday without hearing a Phil Wickham song! He’s been a top faith-based recording artist for some time and having an active social presence comes with the territory. Following him will fill your feed with outstanding music, clips of music videos, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into his life.
https://www.instagram.com/philwickham/
6. Brady Shearer
Want to get better at social and digital media at your church? Following Brady Shearer on Instagram (or any other social platform) will help get you started. Brady founded Pro Church Tools, an organization dedicated to helping churches figure out this thing we call the internet. Most of his Instagram posts are videos that answer burning questions about the church and technology.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeBb-ewg-DP/
7. Nona Jones
Do you know who might have unique insights into how Facebook and Instagram work? Someone who actually works there. Nona is a church planter in Florida who also heads up Meta’s faith-based outreach. She’s even written a couple of books on how churches can take advantage of social media to grow their social ministry.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeqhAxhuoxI/
8. Carey Nieuwhof
Senior pastor—check. Successful speaker and podcaster—check. Bestselling author—check. Carey Niewhof is a well-established leader in the church space, combining an experience in both ministry and media. Much of his Instagram feed is dedicated to content from his popular podcast, but you’ll get plenty of insights on what it takes to be an influential church leader.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfB5pC-DGBa/
9. Stephen Chandler
If you ask me who is the next Steven Furtick, I would say it is Pastor Stephen Chandler of Union Church in Glen Burnie, MD. He has the finest combination of biblical teaching, leadership development, and multi-cultural ministry I have seen in years.
https://www.instagram.com/stephenrchandler/
10. Reggie Joiner
Speaking of the next generation of faith, Reggie Joiner is the founder of Orange—the organization that creates church curriculum and hosts the Orange Conference in Atlanta. Reggie shares content from Orange and his own perspective on leadership.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbz0CXorQX9/
11. Ben Kirby
When it was first started back in 2019, PreachersNSneakers was an anonymous account poking fun at some pastors who work overpriced shoes. After it became one of the most popular accounts on Instagram, the world was introduced to the man behind the scenes—Ben Kirby. Now, he’s written a book about his experience, which he shares on his own personal (and slightly smaller) profile.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM2dbZdhSKU/
12. Amanda Bible Williams
When you literally have ‘Bible’ in your name, you’ve clearly got some faith credibility. But Amanda Bible Williams is more than just that—she’s also the co-founder of She Reads Truth, the devotional company that delivers scriptural content to women everywhere, every day. Her Instagram content is a nice mix of the personal and professional sides of that business.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeRvu75LRPq/
13. Rick Warren
Looking for a purpose-driven Instagram account? Check out Rick Warren’s. He’s the soon-to-be-retired founding pastor of Saddleback Chuch in California and uber-bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life. He’s also great to follow for simple and uplifting pieces of spiritual wisdom.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfFAm6-F574/
14. Mike Linch
Mike is the incomparable senior pastor of NorthStar Church in Kennesaw, GA. His Linch With A Leader podcast is a must-read as well. Mike is gifted at building communities of leaders and then equipping them to live out their life’s purpose.
https://www.instagram.com/mikelinch/
15. John Maxwell
The name John Maxwell is synonymous with Christian leadership—so it should come as no surprise that his Instagram account would be rich with church leadership posts. From quotes to videos and insightful resources, Maxwell’s profile is worth following for a jolt of inspiration.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce1PWK7si2Z/
16. Ed Mylett
For my money, Ed Mylett is the finest current speaker on the subject of leadership I know of. Make sure you check out his books, YouTube clips, and Instagram for the most inspirational content I think you can find at this time.
https://www.instagram.com/edmylett/
17. Danielle Strickland
If you don’t want to be “offended” or uncomfortable, Danielle Strickland isn’t the first person you should follow on Instagram. However, if you want to learn more about bringing peace and social justice to everyone, she’s the leader for you. Strickland is a passionate speaker, author, podcast host, and advocate who lives in Toronto, Canada.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce7B29oA2lp/
18. Tony Morgan
Does your church or organization feel stuck? You’re certainly not alone—which is why Tony Morgan’s company is called The Unstuck Group. They help churches find strategic ways to think bigger and break the mold. He shares from this experience how your church can reach new levels of success.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdyxqD-O2bI/
19. Haley Vetruis
Haley Vetrius is one of the foremost experts in church social media, especially after leading social media for 12 years at two large churches in southern California. She wrote a book on church social media strategy (called Trending Up) and she now helps run a digital marketing firm (called Digifora).
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdLaDuOOv00/
20. Kenny Jahng
Kenny Jahng is a constant example of what it means to leverage new technology for the church and nonprofit organizations. He’s a perpetual entrepreneur and energetic speaker at plenty of big church leadership conferences. Beyond the content he shares, Kenny’s Instagram account is a good example of what’s working on the platform and ideas for new post formats to try out.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdvqZvVLhRn/
What other church leaders do you enjoy following on Instagram?
About the Story Cycle
This post was written by Robert Carnes (with some slight editing by Brian Dodd), author of the new book The Story Cycle. The book simplifies the process of storytelling at any organization or church. Read for examples of great stories and practical lessons we can all learn from them. The Story Cycle is available for pre-order on Amazon and officially releases on October 11, 2022.
