The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study research was to explore the perceptions and practice of servant leadership among African-American pastors in small rural churches. The purposefully selected participants were 2 pastors and 10 lay leaders from Missionary Baptist and Church of God congregations in Wilson County, North Carolina. Data collection was by means of interviews with the participants, field notes, and direct observation. Coding of data from the laity resulted in 7 common combined themes for the pastors of both churches: (a) definition of servant leadership, (b) listening, (c) building community, (d) healing practices, (e) commitment to growth, (f) stewardship practices, and (g) problems in servant leadership. The findings reflect concerns about the demonstration of servant leadership and the potential problems extending toward new lay leaders. The demonstration of effective servant leadership is important for new lay leaders, and the pastors of the churches should establish a training program for lay leadership. Further research could focus on the perception and practice of servant leadership in other denominations and among other ethnic groups, other characteristics of servant leadership, and the cultural, political, and social factors that influence servant leadership.