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 UTILIZING SERVANT LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES TO

ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

A Report of the Professional Project

Presented to the Faculties of

The School of Religious Education and the School of Theology

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Fort Worth, Texas

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Ministry

Functional Major: Church and Education

by

Greg Belser

September 2001
 To Susan,

an excellent wife who fears the Lord

and

to Lindsay, Ashley, and Bethany,

our daughters through whom God has brought

the fullness of joy to my life

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION iii

Chapter

I. INTRODUCTION 1

II . PROJECT SUMMARy..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

III. THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION 53

IV. CRITICAL EVALUATION 70

V. CONSIDERATIONS FOR FURTHER IMPLEMENTATION 88

APPENDICES

A. WELCOME LETTER 91

B. CLASS ROSTER 92

C. SESSION I-PRETEST/OVERVIEW 93

D. SESSION 2-JESUS' MISSION 94

E. SESSION 3-JESUS' TEACHING 95

F. SESSION 4-JESUS' WITNESS 96

G. SESSION 5-THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH 97

H. SESSION 6-THE PLACE OF LEADERSHIP 98

I. SESSION 7-CLERGY VS. LAITy 99

J. SESSION 8-JESUS' MODEL OF LEADERSHIP 100

K. SESSION 9-PAUL'S EXAMPLE OF SERVICE 101

L. SESSION lO-SERVANT LEADERSHIP 102

M.· SESSION II-PERSEVERING LEADERSHIP 103

N. SESSION 12-CONCLUSION/POSTTEST 104

iv
 O. SESSION 13-A PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP 105

P. SESSION EVALUATION FORM 106

Q. JOURNAL WORKSHEET 107

R. COURSE OVERVIEW 108

S. SERVANT LEADERSHIP-PRETEST/POSTTEST 109

T. GANGEL EXCERPT 111

U. SANDERS EXCERPT 133

V. NELSON EXCERPT 136

W. A PARABLE FOR STAFF MEMBERS 146

X. SPRAGUE EXCERPT 147

Y. GANGEL EXCERPT 157

Z. FORD EXCERPT 178

AA. SANDERS EXCERPT 184

BB. SANDERS EXCERPT 190

CC. RESULTS FROM PRETEST/POSTTEST 195

DD. COURSE EVALUATION FORM 196

EE. RESULTS OF COURSE EVALUATION 197

FF. MY PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP 201

GG. RESULTS FROM SESSION 1 EVALUATION 202

HH. RESULTS FROM SESSION 2 EVALUATION 203

II. RESULTS FROM SESSION 3 EVALUATION 204

JJ. RESULTS FROM SESSION 4 EVALUATION 205

KK. RESULTS FROM SESSION 5 EVALUATION 206

LL. RESULTS FROM SESSION 6 EVALUATION 207

v
 MM. RESULTS FROM SESSION 7 EVALUATION ................ 209

NN. RESULTS FROM SESSION 8 EVALUATION ................ 210

00. RESULTS FROM SESSION 9 EVALUATION ................ 211

PP. RESULTS FROM SESSION 10 EVALUATION ............... 212

QQ. RESULTS FROM SESSION 11 EVALUATION ............... 213

RR. RESULTS FROM SESSION 12 EVALUATION ............... 214

SS. RESULTS FROM SESSION 13 EVALUATION ............... 215

TT. DANNY'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 7

DU. TONY'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

VV. TOM'S PERSONAL THEOLOGy 221

WW. BEN'S PERSONAL THEOLOGy 222

XX. JOHN'S PERSONAL THEOLOGy 225

YY. TINA'S PERSONAL THEOLOGy 227

ZZ. JOANIE'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY 229

AAA. KEM'S PERSONAL THEOLOGy 231

BBB. TAMMY'S PERSONAL THEOLOGy 233

CCC. GREG'S PERSONAL THEOLOGy 235

DDD. KAREN'S PERSONAL THEOLOGy 236

EEE. SCOTT'S PERSONAL THEOLOGy 237

BIBLIOGRAPHY 239

ADDENDUM

PROSPECTUS 1

vi
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This project grew from the forging of two separate and

yet connected circumstances. On the one hand, this writer had

served in vocational Christian ministry for over two decades

and had experienced significant personal dissatisfaction with

many of the ministry models advanced for kingdom service. On

the other hand, this writer currently serves as pastor of a

congregation with a large staff representing a variety of

backgrounds, interests, training, and constituencies within

the church. The need for a biblical and uniform model of

leadership is greatly apparent.

This writer's undergraduate curriculum involved much

study in the fields of leadership and motivation. From those

early days, an interest was cultivated to find the biblical

nexus between secular leadership theory and real

congregational practice. Ministry opportunities had given

this writer many casual and formal circumstances with which to

flesh out a personal theology of Christian leadership and

ample opportunity to implement the same, albeit without

1
 2

spending a great deal of time articulating a sophisticated

definition or parameters for scope or methodology. This

project was an attempt to struggle with those questions and

serve the leadership needs of this writer, the staff, the lay

leadership, and ultimately, the congregation.

In a pastor's meeting in the Montgomery (Alabama) Baptist

Association where this writer serves the Morningview Baptist

Church, a speaker utilized 2 Cor. 6:1-10 to challenge those

present to realize that the ministry is unlike any other

responsibility on earth. l He suggested that the "success n of

Christian ministry could not be measured primarily by worldly

standards using empirical data. Neither could it be

accomplished without methodology that did not include the

emptying of oneself into the service of God and others after

the example of Christ and the Apostle Paul. Such a truth

resonated loudly with this writer's understanding and

conviction about Christian leadership. This project idea was

birthed in that meeting.

The congregation that this writer serves as pastor is

approximately fifty-two years old with a strong and fruitful

history of kingdom service. Ministry and missions

1The speaker was Richard Wells who was then Professor of

Pastoral Ministry at Beeson Divinity School at Samford
University in Birmingham, Alabama.
 3

achievements are readily apparent but like many congregations,

leadership needs are constantly shifting and the addition of

new vocational staff members brings new challenges for working

environments and changing perceptions of what constitutes

effective and successful service to the church. Additionally,

as those in vocational ministry have struggled with the

parameters and implementation of biblical leadership

methodology, so also lay leaders have faced the same struggle

and set of questions to be resolved. This project was

designed to consider the leadership goals and message of Jesus

and the Apostle Paul while asking vocational and lay leaders

to reflect and act on the personal application of the same in

a modern congregation.

Servant leadership was the term used throughout the

project to reflect the leadership approach modeled by the

Savior and the Apostle Paul. James Means has articulated the

priority of this leadership approach quite well. "Spiritual

leaders must understand that their role is service not

autocratic control. Christ must be recognized as being in

control. To serve Christ, the head, is to serve His church.

Hence, biblical leadership is always servant leadership./ 2 It

2 James Means, Leadership in Christian Ministry (Grand

Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989), 46.
 4

is both the ethic and methodology of servanthood that this

project advocated as being preferred and necessary for the

God-honoring success that the congregation is seeking to

achieve.

The design of the project involved the vocational

ministerial staff of the Morningview Baptist Church in

Montgomery, Alabama, with the exception of the Minister to

Students, who had a scheduling conflict. The staff

participants beyond this writer who served as convener and

facilitator included the Minister to Children, the Minister of

Missions, and the Minister of Education. Each staff member,

including the Minister of Students and this writer, was asked

to enlist two additional laypersons from their respective

ministry responsibilities to participate.

Lay participants served the church in prominent

leadership capacities. At the invitation of the ministerial

staff, the project group included the Chairman of Deacons,

Budget Director, Sunday School Director, Men's Ministry

Director, RA Director, Lay Ministry Director, an Acteens

leader, and four Sunday School teachers. Including the

writer, the group totaled fifteen participants.

The design of the project involved the fifteen persons in

a proposed twelve weekly sessions of seventy-five minutes

duration. Reading assignments and directed study would

 5

characterize the class preparation necessary to facilitate

good discussion in the class period each week.

 CHAPTER II

PROJECT SUMMARY

Advance Preparation

Implementation of the project began in the context of a

weekly staff meeting held at the Morningview Baptist Church.

The ministerial staff members were asked to join the writer in

participating in a course of study which would both equip each

staff member and his or her selected lay leaders for greater

Christian service while aiding the writer in the completion of

an educational assignment. It was emphasized that

participation was voluntary and would have to be in addition

to other assigned duties.

The initial conversation centered on the purpose of the

project r the possible participants r and the scheduling options

open to a group this large and diverse. It was determined

that Sunday afternoons before the regular discipleship hour

and evening worship service would be an acceptable time. Each

staff member was asked to begin enlistment of no more than two

lay leaders from his or her respective ministry fields to join

the project group.

6
 7

Over the next three weeks, these individuals were

enlisted and each received a welcome letter (Appendix A) from

this writer expressing gratitude for his or her willingness to

participate and an explanation of a possible schedule pending

approval of the project Prospectus by the Seminary. Approval

was expected in approximately 30 days and a schedule was

proposed which would essentially follow an October-December

timeline. Approval was in fact delayed until the last week of

November and the project group convened for the first time on

the first Sunday of December with a goal of completion by mid-

March.

While awaiting approval of the Prospectus, this writer

prepared and assembled individual notebooks for each

participant. These included a class roster (Appendix B) with

appropriate contact information as well as session guides

(Appendix C - 0) containing the week's learning goal,

discussion questions involving the week's assignments, and

assignments for the next session. The material for each week

included a Session Evaluation Form (see Appendix P) and a

Journal Worksheet (see Appendix Q). Additionally, a Course

Overview (Appendix R) was prepared for Session One as was a

Pretest (Appendix S) to be administered to each participant.

When approval notification was received, each participant

was notified by electronic mail or by telephone of the same.

 8

Notification was received on the Tuesday following

Thanksgiving and the initial class session began the following

Sunday, the first Sunday of December, at 3:30 p.m.

Session 1 - Pretest/Overview

The class convened for the first session (Appendix C) in

a classroom in the educational wing of Morningview Baptist

Church. Each participant was welcomed and issued a class

notebook. All members were present except Scott whose wife

was ill that day.

Participants represented a wide constituency of

responsibilities in the congregation. For purposes of this

report, each will be referred to by his or her first name

only. The initial session began with introductions of all

participants. Though none were strangers to each other, it

proved valuable to hear each one explain his or her reasons

for joining the group. Each was asked to share his or her

expectations for the class and what they hoped to gain by

participating.

Following introductions, the Pretest (Appendix S) was

administered in the notebook and received by this writer. For

catalog and organization purposes, a second binder was created

by this writer for his personal use in retaining all weekly

materials received from the participants.

 9

The Pretest was well received by the class members though

some clarification was necessary regarding the scoring system.

It was explained that an identical Post test (Appendix S) would

be administered in the final session for learning evaluation

purposes. There was a good deal of good-natured levity among

the participants centered on the idea of testing. This writer

believes that such conversation was helpful in forging a group

cohesiveness and camaraderie among the participants.

Following the Pretest, attention was given to the Course

Overview in the notebook. This writer sought to explain the

goal of the course as it related to each participant, the

congregation, and both the educational and vocational goals of

this writer. It seemed that each participant was eager to be

a part of a course that would not only aid his or her pastor

but also each one individually in his or her congregational

ministry.

Discussion centered primarily on grasping the mission of

Jesus as it relates to the church as well as the primacy of

servant leadership as the preferred leadership model for God's

people.

Assignments for the next session were referenced and

explained. The absence of page numbers in the class workbook

was identified immediately as a shortcoming in this writer's

design and preparation. In addition, the binders for the

 10

notebook were identified as being a little small for the

course materials.

Conclusion of the session centered on the need to receive

a Session Evaluation Form from each participant at the end of

each session. This writer explained that the form would

enable him to evaluate his own skills and progress toward

established goals while providing immediate feedback for

improving the course material and direction for the next

session. Each participant seemed eager to aid in the pursuit

of those objectives.

Session 2 - Jesus' Mission

Session two began with three members absent. Attention

was called to the weekly learning goal (Appendix D) :

"Learners will understand who Jesus is and what is his

mission." The discussion immediately centered on some

uncertainty in relating the lesson objective to the homework

assignments.

Sensing a widespread misunderstanding, this writer

returned to the Course Overview in the first session material

to show how the scripture was to guide the class from the life

of Christ and ultimately to one's own personal expression of

Jesus' mission. This writer then compared the session outline

 11

of the first and second-class periods to illustrate the flow

of content from session to session.

Joanie was the first to point out that the journal

worksheet assigned as homework following session one was

unnecessary as there had been no scriptural content or

significant theological interaction upon which to reflect in a

journal format. By including the worksheet following session

one, the participants were quite confused regarding

utilization and frame of reference for that form. This writer

agreed, apologized, and noted the need for deletion of the

same in the first session in subsequent classes.

Attention was then given to the assigned scriptures

beginning with Luke 4:16 3 • Responses were received regarding

how this verse gives insight into Jesus' mission. After four

or five responses, Fran suggested that Jesus came to be the

Messiah of God's people. This writer asked the class to

distinguish between Jesus' mission and his office and to

consider whether Jesus was Messiah because of his mission or

was missionary precisely because he was Messiah.

Some attention was given to the distinction between

Jesus' role and Jesus' duties. Scott expressed an

3 Unless otherwise noted, all references to Scripture are

from the New American Standard Version.
 12

understanding that Luke 4:16 speaks to both aspects of Jesus'

life and work with equal certainty. This writer expressed his

conviction that most people view Jesus in one way or the other

but not primarily in both. He suggested that many consider

Jesus' mission in terms of the global, eternal scope of his

messiahship while many others describe his mission in terms of

specific, local actions described in Luke 4 and other

scriptures.

Tony agreed and suggested a balanced view of Jesus'

mission must include a conviction regarding his office as

Messiah sent from God as well as an understanding of his

specific work and obedience in tangible, visible, and personal

ways.

Consideration was then given to Luke 19:1-10. Ben

commented that Jesus' mission was clearly redemptive, to seek

and to save those who were lost. Others agreed which led to

this writer asking whether the scope of Jesus' mission should

be narrowly understood in terms of a specific function or

behavior. Much discussion centered on whether his actions

were his mission or whether his actions were the expression of

his mission in a particular circumstance. The dialogue was

engaging and reflective for the participants.

As the session moved to consider John 10:1-18, the

relationship of Jesus with God became a matter which Fran

 13

wanted to discuss. Her contention was that a significant part

of Jesus' mission was to declare and reveal the intimacy of

His relationship to the Father and to invite us to join him in

prizing and enjoying such a fellowship ourselves. Joanie

added that it was through relationships that Jesus declared

his glory and advanced his work so that any understanding of

his mission must consider the place of relationships between

God and man as well as believers and unbelievers.

This writer proposed that relationships were secondary to

Jesus' actual mission and were merely his method--his means to

accomplish his mission. The significance of relationships was

not minimized but undervalued by this writer in explaining the

mission of Jesus. This issue of Jesus' relationship to God

and subsequent relationships with his followers was a

stretching insight. Jesus was loved by his father and his

mission was to declare that on the earth so that we might,

through Jesus, experience that love as well. The discussion

concluded that obedience flows from this true, relational

knowledge of God.

The consideration of John 12:44-50 provoked a near

unanimous agreement by the group that Jesus' mission was very

difficult to crystallize into one succinct statement. The

class had reflected on four sections of the gospel narrative

and viewed Jesus in relationship with the multitudes as well

 14

as individuals and in various teaching circumstances, all with

a seeming different nuance of his purpose and message.

The goal of this session was to understand that mission

in order to articulate it clearly both orally and in writing.

This writer would contend that the session was accompanied by

much reflection and conversation and only marginally

accomplished this ultimate goal. Fran, Tammy, Scott, Tom, and

Tony all proposed statements as did this writer. All were

well received but the group considered no statement as

ultimate.

Session 3 - Jesus' Teaching

Session three (Appendix E) began with three absentees.

Those absent in session two all returned to class but it

seemed that holiday scheduling was playing havoc with

preferred attendance~

The class turned its attention to the consideration of

the six assigned scripture passages and the message of Jesus'

teaching in each. The question, "Why did Jesus come?" had

been assigned as a guide to comprehension and was considered

in each text discussed.

With six scripture selections for a study, the class

conversation was very widespread and varied. Consensus was

again gained around the suggestion that it was difficult to

 15

state Jesus' mission in a single, comprehensive statement.

However, particular emphasis was placed in the class on the

mission of Jesus being simply to inaugurate and build his

church.

Danny provided a good insight in noting that Peter is

described in Matthew 16 as both a rock upon which the church

is to be built and a stumbling block who hinders the very work

of the church. He reminded the class that every disciple must

weigh his life and choices daily to determine and maintain the

former over the latter. This writer saluted that insight as

an appropriate one for personal application of the mission of

Jesus.

Interaction with the text of Mark 10 centered on both the

willingness of Jesus to serve and his willingness to serve

without limits. Tony, Scott, and Tammy all joined the

discussion to acknowledge that Jesus lived on earth in primary

response to the will of God rather than any earthly

affirmation or circumstance. This was a particularly valuable

insight that was foundational to the study of leadership that

would occur later in the course. Every person in the class

was currently serving in a leadership position and each knew

personally of the frustrations of seeking to lead others in

difficult or non-affirming positions.

 16

Luke 4:31-43 provoked the class to discuss the meaning of

the kingdom of God. After much discussion by Greg, Scott, and

Torn, the class agreed to define it as the rule of God upon the

earth. This passage highlighted the rule of God over the

earth and specifically in a demon possessed man and disease in

Peter's mother-in-law. Jesus' mission is illustrated and

announced clearly in this teaching and the class felt it to be

an excellent one for consideration.

The rule of God was discussed again after the conclusion

of study of the assigned scripture passages. The class

affirmed that Jesus was absolutely committed to the

sovereignty of God and his teaching and life were the

unequivocal reflection of the same. With this as backdrop,

discussion turned to the next question regarding Jesus'

interest in the lives of people. The goal of this question

was to highlight the fact that his regard for the kingdom of

God did not preclude or diminish his regard for people.

The class highlighted Jesus' compassion for individuals

as dictated by specific needs. Theologically, it was agreed

that he was everything he needed to be depending on the

situation. The conclusion reached was that his message was

the kingdom of God and the application of that sovereignty was

expressed differently in varying circumstances. The emphasis

 17

of Jesus was always to bring the rule of God to bear in the

lives of individuals.

The closing moments of the class were dedicated to

revising the attempt began in session two to draft a mission

statement for Jesus. The discussion centered on Jesus' role

as teacher and his goal as teacher. Tony, Tammy, and Danny

all acknowledged the difficulty in differentiating between the

two concepts. This writer accented Jesus' goal over his role.

His goal was identified as being to change lives rather than

simply to transfer information from God to his subjects.

As the class was drawing to conclusion, this writer

sought to illustrate Jesus' mission as proclaiming the kingdom

of God for the purpose of life transformation. The struggle

of the class was to understand the difference and importance

of understanding Jesus' teaching for the sake of gaining

knowledge. It was agreed that the dissemination of cognitive

truth is clearly inseparable from his method but that his

method was far, far, more than simple transference of

knowledge.

Session 4 - Jesus' Witness

The attention of this session (Appendix F) was focused

upon the witness of Jesus as seen in his parables, miracles,

and deeds. Assignments included reflection upon John 13:1-16,

 18

Matt. 9:35-36, Luke 14:7-11, and Matt. 23:10-12. Of

particular challenge to the success of the session was an

interval of three weeks between the last session and this one

to allow for a Christmas break. Attendance was good with only

two members absent, though it was the second absence for both

men over a period of only four sessions.

Tony and Scott were challenged and affirmed by the record

of Jesus' foot-washing experience in John 13. Both reacted

favorably to Jesus' humble and loving behavior as an example

and affirmation of servant leadership as a preferred style in

the context of the Christian life. It was noted that the

world keeps score in a different way.

Emphasis was made in John 13:14 of the word ought as an

assignment for the church in fulfillment of Jesus' mission.

He left this responsibility of humility to the disciples and

all succeeding generations of believers. This deed was a

lesson in leadership through service and humility that must

have been exceedingly powerful in the lives of those original

men and also in the lives of disciples today. The example of

the Son of God stooping to serve is something the entire class

agreed is a mandate for today's leaders to follow.

As God would have it, Scott had arrived late to class

after ministering to a new neighbor he had never met. As the

class discussed the compassion of Christ, Scott felt at

 19

liberty to illustrate that truth out of his own experience

moments earlier. His neighbor had been in a very serious

argument with his wife and needed to use Scott's telephone to

call a taxi. Scott volunteered to transport him and shared a

Christian witness as he did so. The experience served as a

vivid illustration of compassionate service for the class and

they joined Scott in praying for his continued ministry to his

neighbor.

This writer asked whether Jesus' compassion was the

source or the result of his life and ministry. Tom and Fran

were eager to affirm that the source of Jesus' deeds was his

compassion. The class began to dialogue about the importance

of one's spiritual life and health as the seedbed for acting

as Jesus did, and thereby fulfilling his mission through one's

life. Both Tammy and John acknowledged that a disciple is

greatly hampered by a weak relationship with Christ, and the

motivation for service is greatly compromised. This

discussion came to an end with a reference by Fran to 1 John

3:17 where believers are admonished to be obedient at every

opportunity because the Holy Spirit lives within them and

empowers all to do so. The discussion was thorough, lively,

and profitable for the class.

Matt. 23:10-12 provoked a lengthy discussion about the

place of honor in the life of the leader. Kern acknowledged

 20

the pursuit of honor as that which Satan can manipulate and

utilize to weaken the servant heart of the disciple or

spiritual leader. It was agreed that Jesus did not wash the

disciples' feet for the purpose of gaining honor but that

honor was afforded Jesus in the spiritual economy for stooping

to humiliate himself in the face of the needs of others.

Matt. 23:12 was an excellent example for the class of both the

teaching and witness of Jesus regarding this Subject.

As the class considered Luke 14:7-11, both Scott and Fran

provided personal experiences which illustrated the challenge

of balancing a desire for vocational advancement with an

understanding of Christian humility. Again, the issue was

identified as a battle of the heart. The class agreed that

the essential problem Jesus was identifying was not

advancement but rather a desire to see oneself as more

important than others. Genuine humility was established as

producing genuine deference to others.

The class then revisited the added assignment of writing

a mission statement for Jesus' life. Participation was spotty

and it was apparent to this writer that some enthusiasm for

the assignment was lacking. This writer proposed that Jesus

came to serve God by serving the needs of sinners. Glorifying

God was identified as his motivation and all of his life was

given to serving God by serving the comprehensive needs of

 21

sinners. Scott agreed but amplified the principle that the

transformation of lives was Jesus' goal. Tom joined the

discussion to stress that glorifying God was a term he

preferred but acknowledged that it lacked as much action or

specificity as this writer's proposed statement.

In the concluding discussion of Jesus' life--his witness,

teaching, and deeds--the class sought to make an initial

connection between the mission of Jesus and the mission of the

church. The members revisited the content of earlier sessions

by asking why Jesus did and taught all that he did. This

writer asked whether Jesus could have accomplished his mission

without his miracles or his deeds or with other teaching

methods. The class considered whether Jesus' mission was

possible apart from his specific methods. The life of Jesus

was established as unique to him due to the supernatural

character of both his knowledge and his deeds. Susan

acknowledged that the methods of Jesus are not as important as

his mission. She noted that methods have changed even in the

last two decades and yet the mission since the first century

remains unchanged. The class agreed that Jesus' mission is

timeless though his methods were unique in many ways to his

life and circumstances.

 22

Session 5 - The Mission of the Church

This class (Appendix G) began with discussion of the

drafts of participants' mission statements for the church.

Scott chose to focus on the last words of Jesus recorded in

the gospels and the book of Acts and chose the straightforward

phrase, "be on mission with God." Tony preferred an emphasis

on worship taken from Luke 4 and service of sinners found in

Luke 19. Tom added an understanding from John 21 where Peter

is instructed to feed the Lord's sheep.

Danny transitioned somewhat by raising the issue of the

church's accountability to its master and the world. He

emphasized the church's need to be in the world but not of the

world. Greg agreed with those before him but acknowledged his

struggle with attempting to write a universal mission

statement for the church. He appealed to 1 Pet. 1:6-9 and

emphasized the need for the church to provide great praise and

honor to Christ and express love to him in great joy. Greg

explained that he tended to deemphasize service in his mission

statement because of his aversion to a works orientation for

righteousness. He did, however, acknowledge that the love

relationship advocated in 1 Pet. 1:8 clearly encourages

activity or service in the worship of God. When pressed, Greg

agreed completely that the mission of the church includes both

 23

the dynamics of a vertical relationship with God and a

horizontal responsibility toward one's fellow man.

This writer then asked whether the mission statement of

the church was to be identical to the mission of Jesus that

the class had spent three sessions considering. The members

agreed that the mission should be the same, acknowledging that

the master was no longer here personally and as such, his

disciples were his presence in the world with his purpose as

their own. John provided good insight in the discussion and

emphasized that the church has no identity apart from Christ

and therefore must remain focused on his work rather than upon

some new goal created by others.

Danny raised the issue of whether a universal mission

should lead one to question the need for so many churches. It

was suggested that perhaps there was too much duplication of

resources and services which could better serve the Lord's

kingdom if combined. After much dialogue, it was agreed that

geography, giftedness, and unique local needs all contributed

to the need for multiple congregations working toward the same

mission.

This writer then identified the mission of Jesus and the

church as the first key to determining the effectiveness and

style of leadership. It was pointed out that a destination

was necessary before a map could be developed. The class was

 24

asked to consider the application of this mission concept as

being the burden or mandate that drives effective leadership.

Mission was championed over methodology by this writer as that

which must drive the church and its leaders.

The class discussion then turned to the subject of Jesus'

perseverance in his mission even in the face of rejection,

ridicule, and opposition. The question was asked as to how

his followers today might be so persevering also. Scott

raised a question about the word choice advocated by this

writer when he described Jesus as facing persecution and yet

was one who "never wavered" from his mission. Scott suggested

the Garden of Gethsemane struggle indicated at least some

temptation and corresponding internal battle for Jesus. That

was the equivalent of wavering for Scott and whereas this

writer could see some truth in that point of view, he proposed

that the Lord's struggle did not imply that he was in danger

of disobedience, rebellion, or unbelief.

The class was then asked to consider why modern leaders

shrink back from faithfulness or perseverance in their

responsibilities. Suggestions included rejection, fatigue,

slothfulness, a lack of appreciation, hurt feelings, and much

more as reasons for faltering leadership. These leaders were

challenged to remember that they were called to the mission of

the church. Fran and Ben advocated that keeping one's focus
 25

upon God was the secret to persevering leadership. The

participants agreed but Danny acknowledged the reality of

human sin and frailty as that which will never be eradicated

in the believer's life or in the leader's perseverance. This

writer encouraged the class to acknowledge their human

limitations but never to allow that reality to tempt one to

lower the standard of accountability or one's resolve to

strive to be completely faithful in all things, including

one's leadership resolve and actions.

This writer summarized the progress of the class to date

by reminding the participants that each had looked at the

mission of Christ as well as the mission of the church and had

agreed that they were one in the same. Therefore, this

mission must be both the goal of Christian leadership as well

as the means for determining the success or effectiveness of

the same. The class was urged to realize that the presence of

rejection, ridicule, or opposition to leadership is not reason

alone to judge the success or effectiveness of their

leadership actions.

Assignments were made of three supplementary reading

selections (Appendix T - V). The class was quick to point out

that the small binders supplied in session one were inadequate

to accommodate the added materials. This writer reminded the

class that the goal to date had been to establish a target for
 26

leadership but now the focus would turn to the process of

reaching that target.

Session 6 - The Place of Leadership

The class session began by focusing on Nelson's excerpt 4

assigned as homework (Appendix V). Nelson differentiated

between the leader and leaderships and suggests that a good

leader is not defined solely on the basis of his or her

actions. Instead, Nelson says, "without collaborators, there

is no leadership."6 So, the class began in discussion of the

concept that there must be a perceived benefit on the part of

the person(s) being led before leadership moves that person{s)

to follow.

This writer felt that the assigned material provided a

very sound and comprehensive definition of leadership. The

goal of this session was to understand the importance of

leadership in general as it related to assigned

responsibilities held individually by each member of the

group. This writer believed that a better understanding would

4 Alan Nelson, Leading Your Ministry (Nashville:

Abingdon Press, 1996), 48-57.

5 Ibid, 48.

6 Ibid.
 27

lead each member to do a self-inventory and motivate greater

resolve in leader duties by each participant.

The session involved a good discussion of the actions of

leaders. In consideration of the assigned material, the class

reacted to the definition that "it is the leader's

responsibility that leadership takes place."7 The members

acknowledged both the burden and privilege of making a

difference as leaders and the mantle of responsibility to be a

catalyst for greater effectiveness. Nelson acknowledged that

effective leader actions include the practice of pursuing

intended changes whether those changes actually occur or not.

The group affirmed that concept.

The writer urged the class to realize that the leader

must be committed to faithfulness in his or her leadership

duties in spite of obstacles or even failure to affect the

desired change. Examples of the leader actions of Moses were

cited in the class and judged successful and effective,

regardless of the stubbornness of those he was attempting to

lead. The class members were urged by this writer to consider

their leadership responsibilities and reapply themselves to

the goal of making a difference, affecting change, and causing

7 Ibid.
 28

improvement in the lives of others toward the greater goal of

the mission of the church.

The class began to discuss the difference in leadership

effectives as defined by either short or long-term commitment.

It was acknowledged that many projects and circumstances

require only short-term leadership but leaders committed to

long-term service generally are held in the highest regard by

their peers and by the Lord. Perseverance in leadership was

regarded as a superior value by the class.

The class moved to a discussion of the role of a leader

as "leader" versus a "doer." Fran and Scott reacted to

Nelson's contention that leadership is the result of the

influence of the leader rather than something the leader

provides. a It was generally felt by the class participants

that the distinction was somewhat artificial or unnecessary

but it did provoke much conversation and reflection.

This writer asked the class to consider the motivation of

spiritual leaders in response to the assigned excerpt 9 by

Sanders (Appendix U). Joanie embraced a position that one's

relationship to God is the source of spiritual life and

a Ibid, 51.

9 J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, 3rd ed.

(Chicago: Moody Press, 1994), 17-19.
 29

leadership. Moses was referenced as a leader whose intimacy

with God provided strength and courage in the face of much

murmuring by the Israelites regarding his role and actions as

leader.

Motivation for leadership was discussed from the vantage

point of that which hinders better leadership. The class

identified fear, a sense of inadequacy, a lack of fellowship

with God, poor skills, over commitment, lack of focus,

unrealistic expectations, and sin. There was an extended

discussion of the importance of skills in leadership. The

class acknowledged that the leader's intimacy with God was the

most valuable corrective for a lack of courage or focus and

certainly against sin. The effective leader was identified as

the one who walks closely with God and leverages whatever

skills he/she possesses to mobilize the necessary change.

A definition of leadership was attempted by consensus in

the class and proved both challenging and helpful. Direction

was emphasized as a major factor along with spiritual devotion

and the ability of the leader. Scott added perseverance as a

major component. Christ's mission was agreed to by the group

as the direction or goal for Christian leadership.

Additionally, the spiritual passion of the leader must be

directed Godward and expressed in relationship both vertically

and horizontally. To the degree that the mission of God in

 30

Christ is embraced and treasured by the leader, persevering

leadership is expressed through whatever skills possessed by

that leader. The class concluded with a better grasp of the

complexities and the urgency of leadership.

Session 7 - Clergy vs. Laity

This session (Appendix I) began with a discussion of the

assigned parable by Gaines Dobbins 1 0 (Appendix W). The

learning goal of this period was to consider the scriptural

distinctions between clergy and lay leadership and thereby

motivate these leaders to more devoted service.

The assumption made by this writer as he envisioned this

session was that many lay leaders were uncertain of the

difference in responsibilities between paid staff members in

the church and those in volunteer positions. Though the

material was in no way comprehensive, this writer believed

that a study such as this should devote at least one session

to such a consideration.

The class attributed the presence of unique giftedness in

the lives of vocational ministers as a factor that affirmed

their role and need in the congregation. Greg contended that

10 Gaines Dobbins, "A Parable for Staff Members," in

Building Better Churches: A Guide to the Pastoral Ministry
(Nashville: Broadman, 1947), 90.
 31

the rise of vocational staff since the first century was

partly due to the laziness of gifted laypersons to use their

own God-given giftedness. Tom acknowledged that reality but

felt that truth did not negate the design of God to call

certain individuals to special leadership roles in the church.

Discussion moved to consideration of how to educate the

congregation on this subject. Many ideas were proposed with

most centered on some strategy involving the teaching of

content in some fashion. At that point, this writer reminded

the class that because of the constant influx of new members,

a congregation like this one virtually remakes itself every

few years. As such, any teaching strategy must be assimilated

into a bigger strategy that seeks to say year after year some

version of what has already been said many times before. This

dilemma of solving an educational challenge provoked the class

to make a leadership application that was quite timely. It

was agreed that spiritual leadership was not a one-time event

or teaching experience. It often required consistent,

repetitive action and perseverance for as long as necessary.

This was a valuable insight for the class.

 32

The excerpt 1 1 by Sprague (Appendix X) provided a brief but

comprehensive study for the class. This material explained

both the place of spiritual gifts among the congregation as

well as the role of the pastor and elders as leaders of the

church. The equipping function of the pastor was highlighted

as a necessary one but the class agreed that it must not

squelch the ministry to be performed by the laity. The group

celebrated the scriptural mandate for both while acknowledging

that it is often difficult to maintain a proper balance of

honor, esteem, and affirmation for both clergy and lay

leadership responsibilities.

The class began to discuss the effectiveness of

leadership in this context. Every participant agreed that his

or her leadership was shaped by this healthy tension involving

the partnership between clergy and lay leaders. Effectiveness

was viewed as more common when leaders knew their roles and

sought to work together rather than as adversaries.

Session 8 - Jesus' Model of Leadership

The class session (Appendix J) began with only two

absentees and immediately focused on the supplementary

11 William D. Sprague, Paul's Servant--Lord Analogy for

the Relationship of a Believer to Christ (Lanham, MD:
University Press of America, 2000), 166-75.
 33

reading 1 2 assigned from Kenneth Gangel (Appendix Y). The

learning goal for the session centered on a study of Jesus'

leadership style and consideration of the applicability of his

style to modern leaders.

Ben, John, Tony, and Greg were eager to note the contrast

between corporate secular practice and the model advocated by

Gangel. Though none believed him to be in error, all

suggested that team leadership was not the predominate

practice in their vocational experiences. Further, the class

sought to clarify the practice of team leadership versus the

abdication of leadership by those with the assigned

responsibility. This writer reminded the class that Jesus'

mission was the corrective in his life against doing nothing

or leadership by majority vote. He was clearly the leader and

shouldered the responsibility to keep the direction and

momentum moving as it should. It was agreed that modern

leaders must do likewise.

The group discussed the difficulty in balancing the need

to move people or a project toward a goal over against a

desire to lovingly and patiently serve one's team and invite

their participation in the leadership enterprise. The role of

12 Kenneth Gangel, Team Leadership in Christian Ministry

(Chicago: Moody Press, 1997), 53-75.
 34

the leader to demonstrate the greatest passion for the goal

was identified as of critical importance in achieving that

balance.

The class responded slowly to the opportunity to

summarize Christian leadership in a single sentence. Fran,

Joanie, and Kern shared their ideas, and the group began to

flesh out a common statement together. A relationship to God

was identified as of ultimate importance and that relationship

should structure both the quality and perseverance of all

leadership efforts. Christian leadership was acknowledged as

rejecting all methods that devalue the worth of people and

being willing to value them enough to serve them in

accomplishing a task together. The class came to agree that

the Christian leader must embody a heart for God, the mission

of Christ, and a valuation of people that empowers the

leader's service of those he or she is leading.

This writer then asked the class to consider the assigned

excerpt 1 3 from Leighton Ford (Appendix Z) and reflect on the

question, "What does the cross have to do with one's

because Jesus had given everything including his life in

13Leighton Ford, Transforming Leadership (Downers Grove,

IL: InterVarsity Press, 1991), 154-59.
 35

pursuit of his assigned mission, the church and its leaders

should be willing to do no less. The group discussed the

assignment of Phil. 2:5-11 in this context of seeking to

understand the cross as a function of Jesus' leadership in the

world.

The cross informs the leaders of the church of the scope

of Jesus' obedience. His mission brought him to earth and

eventually resulted in his death. Nonetheless, his leadership

did not break down. The class reacted to this example in a

most positive way. Greg affirmed that Jesus believed the

promises of God above all else and suggested that this was the

key to his leadership. The class emphasized that this belief

in the value of God empowers righteous living, a commitment to

the mission of Christ and even living as a servant in all of

life's relationships. Fran celebrated that Jesus made much of

God in his own heart and life and seemed the key to his own

obedience and ultimately his success as a leader of others.

This writer called attention to Phil. 2:7 where Jesus is

described as emptying himself in order to accomplish his

mission. It was noted that Greg had identified Jesus' "right

response to right belief". The class discussed the cross as

the ultimate fulfillment of the self-emptying that Jesus

demonstrated in the incarnation. The implications for modern

leaders were considered too numerous to count but it was

 36

agreed that the model of Jesus includes both his right belief

and his right response. The cross suggested to the class that

one could face anything in leadership if one believed in the

mission strongly enough. The discussion was an important one

for this writer as the class made the connection between what

Jesus did as an expression of his mission.

Session 9 - Paul's Example of Service

The class began with four members absent. This writer

began by describing the material for this session as "the

summit" which he had wanted to climb with the group for some

time. The session (Appendix K) was designed around the

consideration of another excerpt 1 4 from Oswald Sanders

(Appendix AA) and three major scripture passages: Phil. 2:5-

11; 2 Cor. 4:7-12; and 2 Cor. 6:1-10.

Greg began the discussion of the Sanders excerpt by

reacting positively to the contention that leadership is

costly and that which can create scars in and upon the life of

the leaders. This writer agreed and added that genuine

leadership makes itself an easy target for harsh words or

criticism that inevitably exact a price from the leader. Fran

testified that these difficulties can find their source in the

14 Sanders, 115-20.
 37

lives of other believers rather than unbelievers and these

scars can be doubly painful. This writer reminded the class

that Paul acknowledged this load in 2 Cor. 11:28 where he

added the "constant care of the churches" to his list of

burdens of leadership.

Tony took exception with Sanders' use of the phrase

"aspire to leadership".15 He felt that aspiration implied ego

or ambition and as such was inconsistent with Jesus' self-

humiliation. Greg responded by affirming aspirations to

service that included leadership. This writer reminded the

class that Rom. 12:8 affirms leadership as a spiritual gift

for the body of Christ and as such should be exercised with

enthusiasm and joy to the glory of God. Balance in all things

was affirmed by the class as a guard against abuse. Fran

acknowledged her own gift of teaching and her personal

aspiration to excel in that responsibility for the glory of

God.

Attention was turned to the study of the three assigned

scripture passages. Obedience was celebrated in Phil. 2:8 and

Greg stated that Paul clearly believed that Jesus' life of

obedience was the key to his effectiveness. Jesus was

15 Ibid, 115.
 38

consistent in his life and dedication to the will of God and

this produced great influence. The sufferings of Paul were

considered in 2 Corinthians 4 and 6 as examples of what modern

leaders may face in life. Scott suggested that his ministry

at work in state government actually produced more affirmation

for him than rejection. This writer affirmed Scott as a man

whose eagerness to honor God greatly exceeded the sorrow that

comes his way. Such devotion, it seemed to this writer, was

the antidote for the discouragement that characterized so many

leaders. It was further suggested that Paul's life was

amazing in that not only did he not retreat from leadership,

neither did he grumble and murmur about his circumstances,

including imprisonment for his faith.

Motivation for Paul's leadership was acknowledged as his

devotion to Christ and his mission. 1 6 Comparing the great

ideal of Christian leadership and service to the sometimes

painful experiences of sorrow, rejection, and humiliation was

insightful and challenging for the class.

Session 9 - Paul's Example of Service

In response to the question of what hindered Paul's

leadership, Tina suggested that his miraculous conversion

16 Acts 26:16-18
 39

experience was that which empowered his dedication and

resolve. In contrast, she maintained her own conversion as a

child was less spectacular and therefore less of a spiritual

milestone that drove her in the manner of Paul. This writer

challenged Tina's contention and asked whether she was saying

that strong leadership was dependent upon a spectacular call

to conversion or ministry or even required great suffering to

produce it. Tina then clarified her point by suggesting that

Paul was profoundly shaken by God and very few Christians have

had a similar experience. He was, therefore, a different

quality of leader.

A number of class members entered into a discussion of

Paul's suffering as that which produced his strong leadership.

There was a consensus that Paul's circumstances were

indigenous to the first century and would not be reproduced or

experienced today in western culture. Some added that the

absence of such suffering might likewise lead to an absence of

great leaders. This writer suggested a contrasting opinion

and urged the class to embrace personal leadership with

eagerness and joy and without regard to the circumstances that

had produced such an opportunity or responsibility.

Attention was turned to 2 Corinthians 6 where this writer

suggested that the lesson to be learned from Paul's experience

was that leaders are required to pay a price. The class

 40

participants were challenged to pay that cost, whatever it may

be in their lives. Leadership hindrances were identified by

the class as physical limitations, pride, broken

relationships, fatigue, time and distance, and stubborn

followers. This writer proposed an additional hindrance as

self-centered pity that wars against persevering leadership in

the lives of some. Phil. 2:5-11 and Paul's testimony were

elevated as the corrective to this attitude.

The class considered the conditions that weaken personal

leadership and suggested the need to balance time demands with

family needs as being a major issue. Another concern was that

leaders have too many choices and are constantly facing the

challenge of responding to one more opportunity. Yet another

was a lack of desire to stand or lead alone. Camaraderie and

support were viewed as very important to effective leadership.

Session 10 - Servant Leadership

This session (Appendix L) began with three members

absent. The learning process for this class period was

designed around the study of the concept of servant leadership

from an excerpt (Appendix BB) by Oswald Sanders. 1 7 General

comments were enlisted about the reading assignment. Fran

17 Sanders, 21-25.
 41

acknowledged that the equation of service and sUffering was a

new insight for her and one in which she was compelled to

agree. Torn questioned whether this could be taken as a rule

since much service in his life did not equate to suffering.

This writer suggested a caution against oversimplification in

this matter but that such costs corne in a variety of shapes

and sizes.

This writer posed the question of whether suffering is

the result of actions as a servant or actions as a leader.

Sanders suggested that Jesus led as a servant and the result

was his sUffering. 1 8 The class contended that it was Jesus

leadership that brought the suffering to his life. His

service was simply the manner in which he chose to lead.

This writer proposed that Sanders erred when he suggested,

"serving and suffering are paired in the teaching and life of

our Lord. One does not come without the other". Instead, it

was suggested that Jesus was arrested and crucified for the

quality and passion of his leadership rather than for the

depth of his service. This writer acknowledged that Jesus'

leadership was clearly servant leadership, and he suffered

greatly for that leadership. The class was asked to recognize

18 Ibid, 23.
 42

that suffering might corne without regard to the leadership

style demonstrated by a leader. However, Jesus' approach was

that of a servant and his followers were to emulate him and

anticipate that their leadership as servants will likewise

result in personal suffering.

John, Fran, and Scott joined this discussion to advocate

that Jesus' style seemed to be inseparable from being a

servant. This writer agreed but contended that the leadership

of both Jesus and Paul would have produced suffering

regardless of the servant style each demonstrated. It was

suggested that the issue to be more strongly considered in

this session was the question of service rather than

sUffering.

This writer asked whether servant leadership should be

viewed as a style of leadership or a function of leadership.

Discussion centered on whether servant principles could be

utilized across a variety of leadership styles. Scott

proposed that it was difficult to separate in the way this

writer had suggested. He saw it as a mindset in his own life

that motivated his actions. Kern advocated it as being a

foundation of heart that expressed itself in leadership

actions. Susan agreed with Kern's perspective. This writer

enjoyed this discussion and believed that it clarified the

question for him and the class. Servant leadership was

 43

defined by consensus as more than merely a set of behaviors or

skills. Rather, Tony appealed to Sanders excerpt 1 9 and stated

that it acknowledges a dependence upon God and an emptying of

self. This was celebrated by the class as an excellent

integration of the mission of Christ with his emptying of

himself in Phil. 2:5-11.

Fran asked whether a leader should always be a servant

and whether a servant was always a leader. This writer

answered in the affirmative to the first question and no to

the latter question. He responded by differentiating between

a servant heart and leadership skills by saying that the

finest heart does not equate to the finest skills. This

writer went on to summarize his understanding by saying that

in the context of a variety of leadership methods, there was

only one legitimate heart or attitude or foundation from which

to express that leadership.

Tom suggested that in John 13, Jesus is both servant and

leader and that John applauds him for both. The discussion

then moved to the question of leading through one's service

and the implications of character in the life of the leader.

The class affirmed that Jesus' servant leadership in John 13

was made possible, at least in part, by his character and the

19 Ibid, 24.
 44

nature of the life he lived before the eyes of his disciples.

His influence was contingent upon the godly character of his

life to a very large degree. His example was inseparable from

his influence.

Ben suggested that the foundation of servant leadership

is the servant heart and example of the potential leader. He

added that, however, doing service is not in and of itself

leadership. Therefore, he said, unless one influences others

to join him or her or to take a specific action or to make a

particular change, leadership has not occurred. The class

acknowledged that truth but struggled to balance the greater

importance of heart and/or skill in a definition of servant

leadership.

This writer asked the class to summarize the progression

of study to this point by asking them to identify where

servant leadership begins for the leader. Using John 13 for

illustration, the class considered the need of the disciples

as that which directed the servant leadership of Jesus.

Likewise, in the life of Paul, the class acknowledged that the

need of the circumstances around him motivated his leadership.

Fran reminded the group that if there were no needs,

there would be no need for leadership or service. This writer

suggested that Jesus suffered as a servant because he gave

priority in his own heart to the needs of others rather than

 45

to his own "need" for glory or to receive service from others.

This humility in Jesus defied comprehension and accomplished

the redemption of sinners.

Session 11 - Persevering Leadership

The class session (Appendix M) began with four members

absent. This writer utilized a marker board to retrace the

subject matter covered so far with the class. This session

was not a part of the original design of the project but was

added to give additional attention to the subject of

persevering leadership.

This writer identified the mission of Christ as the work

of his followers in the midst of a world whose greatest need

is to be redeemed to God. The thread of God's saving mission

was celebrated as the eternal work to which the church was

privileged to join. The reality of so few enjoying that

redemptive blessing was highlighted as the reason God calls

leaders to follow Jesus in the work he identified in Luke 4 as

his own mission.

Attention was then turned in the class to the question of

the highest goal for servant leadership. Tom proposed

Christlikness as that objective but Joanie and Tammy went on

to discuss the mission of God versus the need of the person or

circumstances requiring service. This writer asked which

 46

issue was of greater importance. Danny answered by suggesting

that both issues are simply different facets of Tom's earlier

goal: Christlikeness.

This writer asked the class to consider the implications

of mission and need and skills and personal issues on one's

servant leadership. After some discussion, Fran suggested

that the commitment of leaders to leadership actions must be a

factor for consideration in what constitutes effective

leadership.

The second question assigned for homework centered on the

secret of persevering service. Jesus and Paul were again

considered as examples. Commitment, mission, love of God, and

the needs of others were all explored by the class as

motivations. Danny suggested that the drive to persevere

changes daily due to circumstances. He felt it was dependent

upon the needs around the leader as well as the personal

relationship that the leader has with the Lord. Joanie

advocated that one's walk with God was the greater key while

Fran believed that personal commitment was of ultimate

importance.

Greg commented that the only explanation suitable in his

mind was the grace of God. When pressed by this writer, Greg

explained that it was obvious to him that Paul had been

greatly empowered and blessed with a remarkable measure of

 47

grace and this produced his remarkable perseverance and

effectiveness as a leader. This writer affirmed that point of

view but asked Greg to consider the Lord's grace to be a given

for the purpose of answering this question. Absent grace, no

person would be effective for God.

Greg responded to that challenge with an appeal to

obedience as the key to persevering leadership. He maintained

that obedience is the appropriate response by godly leaders to

whatever measure of grace the Lord has chosen to bestow upon

them. The class agreed that obedience was certainly a valid

expression of persevering leadership.

This writer suggested that each follower of Christ seemed

to be faithful for differing reasons based on their own

experience. He went on to say that to some degree, one's past

with God and Christ shapes one's commitment to and motivation

for persevering leadership. However, this writer advocated

that all of the ways expressed are probably differing words or

ways for expressing an essential truth: the key to

persevering leadership is faith in God. Whether expressed as

belief, love, commitment, passion, or compassion for others,

the root of persevering leadership was identified by this

writer as faith and trust in God. Said another way, it was

stated that the key to such length of service is not

 48

fundamentally the size of the need but rather the size of God

in the heart of the leader.

Psalm 97 was read by this writer as an example of the

greatness of God and the testimony of one who made much of

God. This class ended with an exhortation to each member to

revisit his or her relationship with God as a foundation for

continued strong and persevering leadership.

Session 12 - Conclusion/Post test

The class session (Appendix N) began with five members

absent after a three-week interval between the last class due

to school holidays. Spring schedules played havoc with the

availability of the class participants.

The Post test (Appendix S) was administered to the class

by this writer and received from all present. Four of the

five absentees submitted a completed posttest over the next

two weeks. Susan felt like she had too many absences and

withdrew from the course.

Attention was then turned to a class discussion of each

participant's perceived changes about servant leadership. Tom

acknowledged a stronger conviction of the importance of this

truth in his life and expressed a belief that the majority of

the congregation does not perceive the compelling value of

 49

servant leadership. Scott echoed that belief and lamented the

unwillingness of many to join the ministry of service.

Tony reported that the class had been an encouragement to

him in his Sunday School ministry. He perceived himself as

being more confident as a leader. Fran added the class had

provoked a greater self-examination on her part and she found

herself being more critical of herself. The study had not

discouraged her, however, but rather had challenged her in a

positive way.

Scott acknowledged that the class had helped him to

realize the importance of keeping his focus on the right

things. He reported a tendency to lose focus and the need for

other leaders to continue to provide leadership for him. Kern

stated that the examination of Jesus and Paul had been a

strong encouragement to her to persevere in leadership.

This writer then asked the class to respond to the

importance of Jesus' mission in enabling them to be more

effective servant leaders. Tom replied by suggesting that the

study of Jesus helped him to identify a better goal and

motivated him to do a better job as a leader. Joanie

elaborated on that statement and acknowledged that the study

helped her to become more focused upon Jesus and utilize his

mission as an evaluation tool. Scott affirmed the importance

 50

of realizing that one is part of a bigger mission than just a

narrow slice of responsibility.

A last question for this period centered around 2 Tim.

4:9-18. Once again, Paul had written of the joys and

heartaches of servant leadership and the class was asked to

consider an explanation for the difficulty of servant

leadership. Answers included disobedience, self-centeredness,

a cloudy purpose, forgetfulness of what is at stake, and

laziness. This writer sought to exhort the class to remember

that though servant leadership is the way of Christ, one has

no guarantees that the way of Christ will not lead through

great difficulty or persecution.

The class concluded with an assignment to complete a

personal theology of servant leadership. The final class

session was scheduled the following Friday night at Kern's

house and the spouses of the participants were to be included.

Session 13 - A Personal Theology of Leadership

The final session (Appendix 0) met in Kern's horne on a

Friday evening with a meal. All but four of the participants

were in attendance and the meal and class discussion included

spouses also.
 51

After the meal, this writer received the homework

assignment of a Personal Theology of Servant Leadership

(Appendix FF) from the class members. About half had not

completed the task but did so within a matter of a few days.

Twelve in all were received (Appendix TT-EEE) with only Susan

and Fran not completing this assignment.

The session began in the living room by focusing on the

question of how this course had changed one's perspective on

leadership in general and servant leadership in particular.

Tom noted that the perseverance of both Jesus and Paul were

startling to him. This testified to him the value of a

mission focus and suggested the importance of the same for the

church. Greg added that he had been provoked to make new

applications in his life. He commented that the material

itself was not new to him but he had been challenged to make

practical leadership usage of these truths.

Scott acknowledged that the course lacked enough "how-to"

steps for him but it had been a joy to study and interact with

the other participants. He did report that he was now asking

himself how God would have him change or act differently as a

servant leader because of the study. Ben reported that the

"emptying" of Christ had been a significant insight for him

and that he was far more likely to consider that truth as he

acted as a leader in the future. Tom concluded this portion

 52

of the discussion by highlighting the challenge before the

church to identify, train, and mobilize others to join in

servant leadership actions. His contention was summarized

when he said that others need to "get in the game!"

Additional questions centered on whether to make this

material available to a larger portion of the congregation.

The group was unanimous in affirming that truth with a number

of the spouses reacting positively to the idea as well.

Education was highlighted as essential for every member on

this sUbject and should be incorporated into an orientation

process for new members also.

Regarding a question of future implementation, the group

advocated a full weekend of introduction to the church body or

to utilize an education fair to create interest and awareness.

The evening was a time of celebration for the members and

their spouses, though this writer would acknowledge that the

spouses contributed little to the learning goal of the

session. The class dismissed with an anticipation of God's

future blessings upon the leadership efforts of the class

members and the church they loved.

 CHAPTER III

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION

The Mission of Jesus

This project began with the theological foundation that

the mission of God is the mission of Christ and his church.

Every class meeting has greatly reinforced that conviction for

this writer. Another has stated it this way I "Since Christ is

on mission l surely the church of that mission should be

following Him. His Spirit leads and shows the church what to

do daily. The whole concept of growth or being disciples

emerges from following after Him. The church of the mission

is the church in training for that mission. Christ/s life and

teaching constitute the curriculum. 1I 2 0

The early class sessions focused on Jesus l

life and

teachings in the gospels. Week after weeki the work of

redemption was reinforced in this study as both the hope and

the responsibility of Christian leadership. Jesus I mission

20 Jesse C. Fletcher The Mission of the Church

l

(Nashville: Broadman 1988) l 22. I

53
 54

was expressed in many ways in a variety of circumstances but

always the goal was to bring sinners to God.

This writer experienced some struggle in trying to define

and reduce Jesus' mission to one single purpose statement. In

Luke 4, Jesus declares himself to be the fulfillment of

Isaiah's prophecy and speaks generally about the wide scope of

his missional work. From the poor to the captives to the

blind to the downtrodden, Jesus possesses the gospel and has

come to proclaim the mercy of God to those who might be

characterized as social outcasts.

Some have understood the servant-ethic to be the

fundamental core of Jesus' mission and that of the church.

The servant-ethic, in its New Testament

form ... promotes humility, the acceptance of one's
weakness before God, and empathy in the face of
another's suffering. It flouts convention by
inhibiting and rejecting ambition and social
prestige, while accepting the lesser position and
acquiescing in the fact of conflict. For the New
Testament writers, it was the mark of those who had
become part of the people of GOd. 21 (Carter 1997, 3)

It is undeniable that Jesus' proclamation of the good news was

accomplished in the context of a life of self-humiliation and

self-denial. 2 2 However, as Jesus confronted Zaccheus in

Phillipa Carter, The Servant-Ethic in the New Testament

21
(New York: Peter Lang, 1997), 3.

22 Phil. 2:5-8
 55

Luke 19, he spoke to a man who struggled with no apparent

physical or social limitation. Nonetheless, Jesus selected

him from the midst of the encroaching crowd and proclaimed

that same gospel.

Perhaps it is the nature of the gospel that provokes this

writer's struggle. It has been easy to define the gospel in

terms of its ethical expression to the socially disadvantaged.

Feeding the hungry and caring for the poor are clearly

components of the mission of Jesus and the church. However,

to this writer there does seem to be much more to the gospel

than ethical tenets.

A more complete understanding of the gospel mission of

Jesus incorporates his lordship as both the source and context

of his service and compassion. From the beginning of this

project, the struggle of this writer was to articulate an

understanding of Jesus' mission that balanced his person with

the persevering compassion of his actions. The content of

these sessions has produced a conviction that the mission of

Jesus is inseparable from his divine nature and inconceivable

apart from genuine, God-honoring service.

Jesus came to declare his lordship and to do so by

serving those he came to empower to worship him as
lord. But Jesus is more than the Sent of the
Father. He is the Son of the Father. He is the
Vine as well as the Shepherd and he brings salvation
in himself. The people of God are claimed at last
by God himself, coming in the person of his Son. He
 56

claims them by joining them to himself as their Lord

and their life. Both the status and the mission of
the people of God are therefore now defined in
Christ. 23 (Clowney 1987, 30)

Another area of reflection for this writer surrounding

Jesus' mission centers around its implications for the church.

Rare have been those occasions in the pastoral ministry of

this writer where congregants have objected to the broad and

global expression of the gospel such as that identified in

Luke 4. Conversely, there have been many circumstances where

objection has arisen in expressing the gospel message in the

lives of a specific individual or individuals such as Jesus

did to Zaccheus in Luke 19. These words have proven

insightful. "Mission is the total redemptive purpose of God,

and God is both the sender and the sent in Christ. The

church's mission is derived from God; all of its efforts to

proclaim and to demonstrate the kingdom of God to the world is

missions, the expression of its mission."24 This study has

reaffirmed for this writer that the gospel mission is both

global and local, timeless and temporal, full of the glory and

worship of Christ without any corresponding depreciation of

23 Edmund P. Clowney, "The Biblical Theology of the

Church" in The Church in the Bible and the World, ed. D. A.
Carson (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987), 14-35.

24 Jesse C. Fletcher, The Mission of the Church

(Nashville: Broadman, 1988), 28.
 57

the specific value or needs of those who are anything but

divine.

The Incarnation of Jesus

The view of the incarnation of Christ held by this writer

was expanded a great deal in this study. As the class

discussed the mission of Christ in John 10:1-18, two of the

participants placed a strong emphasis on the relationship of

Christ to God. Their contention was that the mission of

Christ was fundamentally relational. Upon reflection, this

writer was challenged to consider the suggestion that Jesus'

mission was not just truth packaged in human flesh but that

the incarnation was the means to establish the relationships

that God desired and that mankind could enjoy and treasure.

Prior to this project, this writer would not have quickly

said that the mission of Christ was to come to earth and

reveal the intimacy that he has with God. This writer would

have emphasized the redemptive work of Jesus or his teaching

regarding the eternal knowledge of God. However, an intimate

relationship between God and Jesus is clearly emphasized in

John 10. In large part, the incarnation revealed both the

nature of God and the nature of his relationship to his son.

Jesus' earthly life is the expression of that heavenly

relationship and serves to illustrate, provide for, and beckon

humanity to respond to such a relationship. John Piper's

 58

words are timely on this subject: "he is not deficient

without us. Rather we are deficient without him; the all

sufficient glory of God, freely given in fellowship through

his sacrificed son, is the stream of living water that we have

thirsted for all of our lives."25

Philippians 2 states that Jesus' incarnation was

purposeful for redemption, and it was his humility to the

place of a.bondservant which accomplished that mission. What

is also implied, however, is that obedience and perseverance

were essential to the accomplishment of that mission, even to

the point of death on the cross. This understanding of the

incarnation of Christ must be a component of the believer's

relationship to God.

Additionally, the incarnation has informed this writer's

practice of leadership. The project considered the

incarnation as the supreme example of leadership but did not

seek to be specific in regards to specific skills or actions

to be utilized by incarnational leaders. No formula was

explored or proposed as the method or were mechanical steps

identified to be favored or followed.

25J ohn Piper, The Pleasures of God (Sisters, OR:

Multnomah Press, 2000), 19.
 59

Instead, this study has elevated the life of Jesus for

scrutiny. He called the disciples to follow him and watch him

and hear him and to experience his life. They were privileged

to his thoughts and emotions as well as his words and deeds.

As such, their lives were shaped by the daily interaction of

their own weak and self-centered choices with that of the

righteous, holy Savior.

The life and work of Christ is redemption (John 3:16-17).

Jesus taught his followers with a goal of transformation and

ultimate salvation. The class struggled somewhat to move past

simple knowledge of Jesus' teaching to embracing the goal of

transformation. Clearly, the disciples of Jesus struggled in

the same fashion. Thus, the incarnation of Christ was an

essential teaching methodology to illustrate and reinforce the

teaching of Christ. The events of Jesus life were as valuable

as the words of Jesus' life in providing transformation power

for his followers. Similarly, the servant leader accomplishes

much more by his or her example than if there is no

accompanying demonstration.

In a very real sense, this project demonstrated that

after all the scripture study and the search for a

comprehensive, succinct mission statement and a can't-miss

leadership strategy, what one gleans from the life of Christ

is that his life and death comprised his purpose and method.
 60

Servant leadership is not therefore an added behavior for a

disciple of Christ. It is the nature of life itself. The

committed disciple perseveres in incarnational service to the

end of life--however that end may come.

The study of Jesus' teaching was challenging to this

writer and the class. The gospel writers portray Jesus in a

wide variety of teaching experiences. From demon possession

to physical healing to the transference of essential new

truth, Jesus is teaching his disciples and others in the

context of his ultimate mission.

While other world religions celebrate then and now the

strength and virtue offered by following the teaching(s) of

their primary holy men, Jesus was not simply trying to trump

unbelievers with superior truth or more spectacular miracles.

Those things were the result of his true and absolute deity

rather than a spirit of competition. Jesus sought to

transform lives and redeem them to God.

The life of Jesus in Matt. 9:35-36 moved this writer to

realize that the need for a Christian response can never be

discouraged by the size of the need being considered. Jesus

responded faithfully time and again and yet his compassion was

not depleted. The implications for persevering servant

leadership by his disciples are compelling in spite of daily

difficulties.
 61

Leadership

From the outset of this project, this writer was eager to

see the leaders who were involved do a more effective job in

their individual responsibilities. Leadership is admittedly a

diverse and complex subject. The class sessions demonstrated

a wide spectrum of knowledge, understanding, and applications

on the issue.

Leadership was postulated by this writer as requiring a

goal or target before it could be evaluated as effective.

"Leadership is a process of facilitating the goal achievement

of an individual or group in a particular situation.,,26 Thus,

this project involved four sessions in consideration of the

mission of Jesus and the church. Those sessions proved

helpful and foundational in sharpening the ultimate

destination of leadership in the minds of the participants as

well as this writer.

Beginning with the excerpt from Nelson (Appendix V),

leadership was highlighted as requiring three essentials: a

relational process, influence granted to one designated as the

leader, and a resolve by the leader to catalyze others to

26 Charles Keating, The Leadership Book, 16.

 62

change. This writer found those elements to be clear,

succinct, and completely accurate.

The leadership struggle often experienced in this

writer's ministry life is not the absence of the first two of

these essentials but rather the last. A willingness to

initiate change for the good of the mission has been a common

problem in this writer's experience. Keating's words are

accurate in this regard that one must move beyond good

intentions. "Intentions are important for our integrity and

honesty, but they do not lead."27 In the design and

implementation of this project, the assumption was made that

greater insight by leaders would produce a greater catalytic

action by the same and that ultimately, the mission of Christ

and the church would move closer to realization and

completion. That assumption has proven to be only partially

true.

Leadership surely requires the confluence of a number of

factors before it can occur. Leaders and their actions

involve only a portion of the equation, but a critical one

nonetheless. This project was designed to attack this

hesitancy of leaders to lead by addressing the issue of

perseverance in leadership. This writer continues to believe

27 Ibid.
 63

that the mandate for leaders is to persevere in their

leadership actions even when other factors are not ideal or

arrayed in a way one would prefer.

The study of the lives of both Jesus and Paul challenged

this writer and the class to examine the ideal leader and the

persistence demonstrated by these two men. What particularly

stood out to this writer is the value and importance of each

man's spiritual connection with God.

Paul's testimony in 2 Cor. 4:7-10 is one of an earthen

vessel carrying the invaluable treasure of God into a dark

world. Increasingly, it is apparent to this writer that

though Paul certainly possessed incalculable skills in regard

to his intellect and wisdom related to spiritual things, his

greatest assets as a leader were not physical in any way.

Rather, in 2 Cor. 6:4, he declares himself with no more to

offer than his service to God.

Likewise, in spite of Jesus' skills which could be

described as incomparable, his followers are hardly ready for

battle at the time of his ascension. Instead, it was the

power of Pentecost that took the church and made it a mighty

force for God. Leadership must be advocated as being more,

much more, than the transference or the advocacy of better

skills or better behavior. Leaders must be godly in order to

lead others to be the same. They must be willing to be

 64

incarnational and persevere as lights amidst a dark world.

These leaders much follow the example of Jesus and become a

ff 2 8
servant. "Leadership is modeling behavior. It is the life

of the servant rather than a set of skills that ultimately

possesses the greatest potential for leadership effectiveness.

Spiritual leadership is far more than accomplishing a

task. If the mission of Christ is the mission of the church

and its leaders also, then life transformation requires more

than bringing the leader's abilities to bear upon the life of

a follower(s). Leadership always includes and even requires

the skills of the leader but God is not limited or handicapped

by the absence of some or given an advantage with the presence

of others. Ultimately, as the class considered the life of

Paul in 2 Corinthians, it was apparent that God was building

his church through leaders whose greatest asset was their

relationship to God. As that was expressed in the lives of

other men through leadership actions of Paul and others, real

life transformation occurred to the glory of God.

Servant Leadership

One looks in vain in scripture for a comprehensive,

concise definition of servant leadership. Instead, one must

28 Gangel, Team, 63.

 65

consider Jesus' teaching about himself as servant 2 9 and pair

that truth with the leadership actions that characterized the

life of Jesus and the disciples. "The word that sums up the

action of Jesus' life equally describes the general posture of

Christian leadership. The task of leadership is to serve.

Ministry then, refers to the work of Christian leaders in

general, who are not to lord it over others, but who are to

serve so that others might become greater."30 Servant

leadership is an approach to leadership that begins with the

life and character of the leader.

It is the contention of this writer that God calls his

people to a life of service. Some of those people, perhaps

most, are given opportunities in life to demonstrate

leadership in some capacity toward the advancement of the

mission of God. Though the mission provides countless

leadership responsibilities, every leader should emulate the

example of the Lord and exercise servant leadership. This

writer agrees with Gangel "if New Testament leadership means

anything, it means serving other people. "31

29 Matt. 20:25-28; Mark 10:35-45; John 13:1-17

30 Gange,
1 Team, 62.

31 Ibid.
 66

Somehow, a passion for God and the mission of Christ must

be lived out in the context of human relationships. Jesus'

actions in John 13 begin with his self-understanding of his

mission but were powerless to accomplish life transformation

if they ignored the circumstances of the disciples. The need

of the one being served or the circumstances requiring

leadership dictates methodology but always within the

framework of the mission of Christ and a genuine servant

heart.

This writer entered the project with a strong conviction

that servant leadership is the highest and most effective form

of leadership for the body of Christ. Reflecting on Mark

10:35-45 in session three, the compelling truth that stood out

most prominently was that Jesus' leadership was synonymous

with service and that it was demonstrated without limitation.

Leighton Ford summarizes this truth very well. "Jesus knew

the price of leadership. He was willing to give himself." 3 2

It seems that leadership in the church is characterized

by an ebb and flow of energy, creativity, and perseverance.

And yet, in Jesus' life, there is no depreciation of

dedication or loss of willingness to deny himself in the face

32 Ford, 138.
 67

of stubborn disciples or self-centered multitudes or even life

threatening religious zealots.

This limitless perseverance is exalted repeatedly in

scripture including Phil. 2:5-11 and 2 Cor. 4:7-12 and 6:1-10.

This writer grapples weekly with the challenge of teaching

such devotion to the church and developing concrete strategies

that equip and train the congregation to believe and practice

the same.

Persevering Leadership

Paul was a persevering leader because of his confidence

in God and desire to accomplish the mission of life

transformation for those he served. Since that mission was

all-consuming in his life, he was willing to personally

decrease in order that those he served might through whatever

means were necessary, hear and believe the truth of the gospel

of Christ. This ethic of service is inseparable from Paul's

eagerness to continue to work and lead in spite of hardship at

every hand. "The servant-ethic is the consistent denial of

one's own interests in favor of those of others, and the

willingness to stand unfailingly ready to serve others. n 3 3

33 Carter, 2.
 68

Persevering leadership is handicapped by an unwillingness

of leaders to esteem others more highly than themselves. The

example of Jesus in Philippians 2 is of God who humbles

himself to meet the needs of the men and women he has created.

At no time did Jesus lose sight of the value of those he had

come to redeem. His life was empowered to serve and die in

humiliation because of the surpassing value he ascribed to

these sinners he loved.

Such leadership is only possible in the lives of modern

leaders who understand the mission of Christ, embrace it for

their own, and follow Jesus in esteeming the needs of others

to be greater than their own.

Likewise, the testimony and example of Paul in 2

Corinthians 4 and 6 is one of self-denial in the face of the

compelling needs around him. Because Paul was convinced not

only of the lostness of sinners but also his own commission

from God,34 he labored to the end to finish that course to

which he had been appointed. 35

However, this writer is convinced that the greatest key

to persevering leadership has to do with the size of God in

34 Acts 20:24

35 Phil. 3:12
 69

the heart of the leader, or simply, faith. In other words,

long after the burden for the needs of others has withered, a

devotion to God and a love for his glory and mission will fuel

the work of leadership. Appealing to the words of Paul in 2

Corinthians 12, the grace of Christ is sufficient to empower

perseverance by enabling the leader to, by faith, see past his

or her circumstance or weakness or pride or any other

hindrance and instead focus on the Lord and the task at hand.

John Piper states this beautifully in commenting on 1 Pet.

5:10.

The assurance that he will not delay beyond what we

can endure and that he will abolish the flaws we
bemoan and that he will establish forever what has
tottered so long - that assurance comes from "all
grace". God is not the God of some grace - like
bygone grace. He is the God of "all grace" -
including the infinite, inexhaustible store of
future grace. Faith in that grace is the key to
ending on the narrow and hard way that leads to
life. 3 6 (Piper 2000, 70)

Faith is the key to pleasing God and the key to

persevering leadership.

36 Piper, Pleasures, 70. Emphasis in original.

 CHAPTER IV

CRITICAL EVALUATION

The goals for this project were established in three

areas: for this writer, for the leadership group, and for the

church.

Goals For This Writer

Growth in Understanding of Content Material

Goals for this writer were established in the area of

growing in understanding of the subject matter that made up

the project. The initial task required the researching and

compiling of the relevant biblical material related both to

the mission of the church and servant leadership. Progress

was made toward this goal by the selection and inclusion of

eighteen scripture passages for the course of study.

Additionally, this writer was required to meet this goal as he

prepared to lead the appropriate sessions. In thirteen

sessions where the leader's preparation was evaluated by the

participants (Appendix GG-SS), he was never graded less than

adequately prepared.

70
 71

A second goal for this writer was that of developing his

own theology of servant leadership. This goal was judged to

be accomplished as evidenced by the theological reflection

portion of this report. The class sessions proved stretching

and refining for this writer and his understanding increased

appreciably.

Yet another goal related to this writer's understanding

of the subject matter was established as the development of

the necessary curriculum for the thirteen sessions for the

project itself. This writer consulted a very large number of

primary sources as evidenced by the bibliography included with

this report. The resulting curriculum was developed out of

that study and consideration was given to this goal. In a

final course evaluation, the leadership group was asked to

identify the strength of the project. Out of twenty-four

responses received, ten identified the curriculum as that

strength.

A final goal for this writer in the area of understanding

of the content material was that of receiving an evaluation by

the leadership group itself. This goal was measured by the

session evaluations each week (Appendix GG-SS) where this

writer was judged to have been adequately prepared each week.

Additionally, in the final course evaluation (Appendix EE),

 72

the leader was identified in six of the twenty-four responses

as having been the strength of the course.

Improved Leadership Skills

The initial goal in this area involved the recruiting of

an appropriate leadership group. The class roster (Appendix

B) indicates that participants involved included both

vocational and lay leadership in the congregation. Many of

the leaders were men and women whose responsibility was of

significant scope.

This writer sought to improve his leadership skills by

identifying the potential problem areas of the project in

advance of the design of the course. This writer met on a

number of occasions with the field supervisor, Dr. Buddy

McGohon, as the curriculum was being developed and during the

implementation of the course to confer and consider potential

hindrances to greater effectiveness. In addition, telephone

and electronic mail were utilized to confer with Dr. William

Caldwell, the faculty supervisor, about potential problems.

This goal was jUdged to be achieved by the responses given by

the participants on the session evaluations. Responding to

the question of whether the participants understood the course

material, only seven evaluations (5%) were returned as

"undecided" over the thirteen-week course.

 73

Another goal established for this writer was to develop

improved leadership skills by training the leadership group.

The course and the curriculum were developed with this goal in

mind. This was measured by the use of a Pretest and Post test

and through the assignment of writing a personal theology of

servant leadership.

The comparison of the results of the Pretest and Post test

(Appendix CC) demonstrated the success of this goal in a

number of ways. Each of the twenty-two questions included a

preferred movement in its structure: either moving to greater

agreement or disagreement with the statement. The column

called "Preferred Movement" identifies this. The score of

each participant was averaged together for each question and

compared to this preferred direction. Only question no.

fifteen produced an average movement that was not preferred.

Another picture of the success of this goal was determined by

the individual responses themselves. A movement of two places

in any question was considered significant for evaluation

purposes. Of the thirteen respondents, seven had multiple

questions that reflect significant movement in responses.

Three of the participants had five or more questions showing

significant movement.

The personal theology assignment was completed in

narrative form and is more subjective to evaluate. However,

 74

each leader reflected very positively upon servant leadership

as a preferred approach for leadership and embraced his or her

leadership with a renewed vigor. It was felt that these

assignments contributed to the success of this goal.

A last goal in the area of leadership skill was

established as monitoring the ongoing progress of each member.

The evaluation mechanism for this was the weekly session

evaluation forms, attendance patterns, and class discussion.

On the latter, every member participated very well with the

exception of Karen who simply did not feel comfortable in the

group setting, though her attendance was very good. Regarding

attendance, that went very well considering the battle with

holidays and a class schedule that consisted of more than four

months duration. Only Susan dropped out of the class due to

too many absences.

However, this writer felt that this goal was not

effectively accomplished. By design, the weekly session

evaluation results were to be compiled in a spreadsheet format

to track the progress and reaction of each member. Due to

time and ministry constraints, that idea was abandoned and

monitoring was completed using subjective tools. This writer

felt that this goal was a worthy one and should have received

more attention.
 75

Demonstrate Administrative Skills

The first administrative goal established was to identify

a workable project. This was judged as successful by the

satisfactory approval of the prospectus by Southwestern

Seminary. Additionally, the results of the Course Evaluation

(Appendix EE) indicate that the procedures utilized by this

writer were rated highly by the participants. Out of twenty-

four strengths identified, eight were in the area of

procedures and processes.

Another goal in the area of administration was to

demonstrate the depth of this need to the staff and lay

leadership. The staff leaders embraced the project from the

beginning and were eager to participate and involve others as

well. Each personally recruited his or her volunteer leaders

to join the group. Those volunteer leaders were equally

enthusiastic in the class sessions.

A third need in administrative skills was to demonstrate

competency in researching, compiling, and teaching the

biblical material. This was judged a success because of the

responses to question number five on the weekly session

evaluation form (Appendix GG-SS). These were overwhelmingly

positive toward the preparation of this writer. Of further

note is the large movement in question number five on the

results of the Pretest/Posttest (Appendix CC). Regarding the

 76

question of feelings of fulfillment, this question

demonstrated the second highest average movement on the entire

test. This suggests to this writer that the biblical material

was assembled and communicated in a productive way.

The last goal established to demonstrate the

administrative skills of this writer was the need to utilize

appropriate evaluation methodology. This writer created

evaluation forms for each session, an evaluation form for the

entire course, a Pretest/Posttest, and a Journal Form for use

after the completion of each week's study and discussion.

Additionally, this writer assigned each participant the task

of writing his or her personal theology of servant leadership.

The Journal Form was not intended to be returned to this

writer and therefore provided no evaluation contribution. The

other mechanisms have proven to be very effective at helping

this writer to determine the progress and effectiveness of the

project. With little or no prior experience in this area,

this writer was pleased with the results received by these

mechanisms.

Understanding of Group Dynamics

The initial goal in the area of group dynamics was to

recruit a suitable leadership group for training. This goal

was accomplished and the class met faithfully for thirteen

sessions between December and March.

 77

Another goal in this area was success at encouraging and

facilitating interaction among the group members. This goal

was judged as being accomplished from the results of the

Course Evaluation (Appendix EE). Six of twenty-four responses

to the question of the strength of the course identified the

class discussions and interaction of members.

A third goal involving group dynamics was established as

leading the group members to identify and implement action

plans for future application. This goal represents one of the

least accomplished of those created for the project. The only

attempt to achieve this goal was made through the use of the

Session Evaluation Form (Appendix P). Question no. four asks

the participant to acknowledge whether he or she has a

particular leadership action in mind because of that session's

content and discussion. Out of 135 responses, eighty-five

were reported as either agree or strongly agree. That

represented an excellent intention but there was no attempt

made by this writer to be more specific or to ask members to

be accountable for those intentions. As a result, this goal

was not achieved and there is no way to evaluate the residual

actions of the members.

Ability to Evaluate

The first goal established in regards to evaluation was

to develop and use appropriate evaluative instruments. This

 78

writer felt this objective was achieved by the use of the

instruments designed and utilized.

An additional goal was to demonstrate ability by

interpreting all survey and evaluative results. This project

report is one test of whether that goal was achieved but an

additional mechanism is the leadership actions taken by this

writer in the congregation that he serves as pastor.

Formulating a leadership response to this project and its

results is dependent on the success of this goal.

Yet another goal in the area of evaluation was

established as conferring regularly with the faculty and field

supervisors enlisted by this writer. Dr. William Caldwell has

served as faculty supervisor for this writer for a period of

almost eight years. Four of those years involved a leave of

absence from the program but the remaining years provided many

opportunities for this writer to sharpen his project idea and

consult with Dr. Caldwell. Regrettably, more and more time

did not result in more and more consultation. This writer has

not been as diligent as necessary to this responsibility and

remains most grateful for the patience and encouragement

provided by Dr. Caldwell. Meetings with the faculty

supervisor have been more frequent on the campus, by

telephone, and once in Alabama during these last months of the

 79

project implementation period. Every meeting has been

insightful and helpful.

Dr. Buddy McGohon has served as field supervisor for this

.writer during the design and implementation phases of this

project. He is a dear friend and mentor in pastoral ministry.

In multiple meetings, Dr. McGohon has aided in the refinement

and sharpening of the project purpose and methods. He has

been extremely helpful as a model of servant leadership

himself. During the project, this writer met with Dr. McGohon

on three occasions to brainstorm and evaluate the progress.

When this writer proposed to add an additional session it was

Dr. McGohon who suggested some of the mechanics and goals for

consideration. This writer could have been more effective if

he had been more diligent to avail himself of the wisdom and

aid of these two men.

For the Leadership Group

Demonstrable Personal Commitment

The leadership group was challenged to demonstrate

personal commitment to the project by agreeing to participate

over a thirteen-week period. Due to holidays, that was

extended to more than 4 months. All but one person remained

to the end and completed all assignments.

 80

The group was also asked to demonstrate personal

commitment by completing a Pretest in session one and a

Posttest in session thirteen. All did so cheerfully with

suggestions for improving the design and questions asked.

The leadership group was asked to participate in group

discussions each week and thereby demonstrate personal

involvement and engagement with the material. Each member

participated eagerly in the discussion except Karen who was

very reticent to join the conversation until the final weeks.

Attendance is a prerequisite for the accomplishment of this

goal and this writer was pleased with the class attendance

overall. Only one member, Susan, dropped out, and no member

missed more than four sessions in spite of difficult holiday

and school conflicts.

This writer established the performance of all

assignments as a way to measure personal commitment for group

members. However, the only written assignment was the last

one involving a personal theology of servant leadership.

Absent objective measurement, the strength and variety of

participation in group discussion was construed as reinforcing

the achievement of this goal.

A significant goal was established for the leadership

group in the writing of a personal theology of servant

 81

leadership. All accomplished this except Fran. The results

(Appendix TT-EEE) were most encouraging and reflected much

interaction with the course curriculum.

An Understanding of the Mission of the Church

The first goal in this area was for the group to

understand the biblical material surrounding the subject

matter. Sessions two through five dealt with this subject.

From the responses to question number one on the Session

Evaluation Forms for those sessions (Appendix HH-KK), it is

apparent that the group believed that this goal was

accomplished. This writer also is convinced that the personal

theologies written by the participants reflect a strong

understanding of the mission of Christ and the church.

Another objective was that the group members would

articulate the mission of the church in the discussion

sessions held each Sunday. There was no objective mechanism

established to measure this goal.

Still another goal for the participants was the

application of an understanding of the mission of the church

to each one's leadership responsibility. The Session

Evaluation Form and question no. 4 (Appendix HH-KK) again

measured the intention of each member. The results showed an

almost 63% intention on the part of the participants to apply

these truths to their leadership responsibilities.

 82

A personal theology of servant leadership was required

from every participant and another goal included the

recognition of this mission concept to be reflected in those

individual statements (Appendix TT-EEE). Eight of the twelve

who completed this assignment identified the mission of the

church as a key component of their leadership thinking and

beliefs.

The last goal in this area of understanding of the

mission of the church was to take steps to implement one's

theology in ministry. Though this is clearly an important

goal, neither the course nor the evaluation mechanisms were

designed to affect significant change or movement toward this

goal. The project simply failed to address this objective.

Personal Commitment to Servant Leadership

The initial objective in this area was in the area of

understanding the biblical material related to both Jesus and

Paul. The Session Evaluation Forms (Appendix NN-QQ) feature a

near unanimous assent to understanding the scripture on the

part of the participants. In addition, the results from the

Course Evaluation (Appendix EE) show a high degree of

understanding for the biblical material.

Other goals included the completion of weekly

assignments, writing the personal theology, and scoring

positively on a Posttest. All were achieved with the Posttest

 83

reflecting an appreciable positive affirmation of servant

leadership in questions two, eight, and nineteen.

A final goal in the arena of commitment to servant

leadership was the participants to design ways to implement

and apply the principles in their leadership responsibilities.

The only evaluation mechanism for this goal is the Course

Evaluation and the results from question no. four (Appendix

EE). These suggestions were offered in the context of the

church helping the individual leader and inform this goal only

indirectly.

Demonstrating Servant Leadership Ability

Utilizing the principles of servant leadership in one's

ministry responsibility was the objective of the first goal in

this area. However, the thirteen-week class did not attempt

to determine specific leadership actions for the participants.

The personal theologies reflect a strong intention but not

specific actions. The results of the Course Evaluation

(Appendix EE) contained a number of suggestions for

implementation in the church but not in individual areas of

responsibility.

A second goal for demonstrating servant leadership

ability had to do with the participants leading the church to

accomplish its mission through this approach. Once again, a

way to measure this goal is not a part of the project design.

 84

However, since every participant was in leadership in the

church and many in key positions, this writer has hoped for

definite application of these truths in the life and

leadership of each one.

The last goal established for the demonstration of

servant leadership called for the participants to assist the

church in identifying other areas of current need for the

application of servant leadership principles. This goal was

met in part by the brainstorming that occurred in session

thirteen (Appendix SS) and in further part by the answers to

question no. three in the Course Evaluation (Appendix EE) .

However, this writer would expect the dividends to be far more

tangible in the future.

For the Church

Affirm Servant Leadership Principles

An initial goal for the church was to affirm these

principles of servant leadership in such a way as to make them

guidelines for the measure of all leadership. The project

itself did not offer a method either to accomplish that goal

or to evaluate it. However, the church's process for

enlisting leadership does primarily involve the Minister of

Education who was a participant in the class. Additionally,

the church is making a significant move to lay mobilization

 85

and ministry and the Director of that effort was also a

participant. Direct action on this goal is yet future.

Another goal for the church's affirmation of these truths

is the development of a training program for all church

leaders and for new member orientation as well. Though formal

steps to achieve this goal are yet future, the results of the

Session Evaluations (Appendix GG-SS) and the Course Evaluation

(Appendix EE) reflect strong consensus to do so.

The last goal in the area of demonstrating affirmation

for these principles was to encourage all current and future

vocational staff members to use servant leadership as their

approach to ministry. Most of the current staff members were

involved in the course and those unable to participate are

being enlisted for the next session that begins promptly.

Future staff meetings and retreats will continue to keep this

material before the staff leadership.

Pursue Aggressive Servant Leadership Development

An initial goal in this area was the establishment of a

task force to determine appropriate implementation of this

material. Concurrent with this course, the church had

established a task force to design and implement systemic

changes to its ministry, educational, and leadership

strategies around the concept of becoming more of a lay

ministry body of believers. The Director of that task force

 86

was a participant in this course and is already integrating

this material into the redesign of the church's approach.

A second goal was to modify current job descriptions to

acknowledge increasing lay equipping responsibilities. The

Lay Mobilization Task Force has been at work on this very

assignment and will incorporate servant leadership methodology

into the finished position descriptions.

The last goal for the church was to create a leadership

infrastructure that facilitates churchwide leadership

development. This task has been assigned to the Minister of

Education who will work closely with the Lay Mobilization Task

Force to integrate training and leadership development

throughout the church.

General Evaluation by This Writer

This project was very successful in the subjective

evaluation of this writer. The participants gave it

consistently high marks on their evaluations. A sequel is

being prepared with improvements provided by the first

leadership group.

Notable failures acknowledged by this writer bear

inclusion here. The absence of concrete and specific action

steps by the participants was a weakness that labors against

both immediate and long-term application of servant leadership

 87

principles. Session six could have asked, "Why do you not

lead?" as a good discussion starter on leadership. The class

did not get specific enough to produce genuine change.

Session eleven required an assignment of some action steps but

there was no design to submit them in writing to the leader.

Absent that accountability, this writer is unsure of the

success of that small assignment.

Dr. McGohon was most helpful with suggestions involving

the weekly sessions. A reflection portion could be built into

each meeting where the participants actually complete some

questions related to specific applications. Additional

concrete actions were proposed for various sessions.

Regarding this writer's own leadership, this material was

helpful to him. The course was designed to tackle the

fainthearted leadership of some and to demonstrate that the

mission of Christ is enough motivation to facilitate radical

followship and leadership on the part of those in such

responsibilities in the church. It was thrilling for this

writer to consider Jesus and Paul and to discuss their lives

with men and women who are also seeking to follow God as his

servants. It was frustrating in that mere study and good

discussion probably was not enough to affect lasting

leadership development or change in the lives of even the

finest leaders in the church.

 CHAPTER V

CONSIDERATIONS FOR FURTHER IMPLEMENTATION

This project provided the writer and the participants

with an excellent challenge and theological foundation for

examining one's personal leadership style and convictions.

Further implementation could involve a variety of

improvements, in both methodology and scope of participation.

When this course is repeated, improvements should be made

in the course workbook. Suggestions ranged from adding a

contents page and page numbers to including the specific

outside reading assignments in the notebook from the outset of

the class, as well as making the binder larger and more

attractive. All of these will facilitate better learning and

less confusion for the learners.

Secondly, supplemental reading assignments could be

varied and expanded to give greater perspective to the content

under consideration. These could be provided with the course

workbook itself and learning guides could be developed and

supplied to guide comprehension of these materials.

88
 89

Still another consideration is the process for achieving

widespread participation within the congregation. This

project focused on the involvement of some of the strongest

and most dedicated leaders in the church. However, each felt

that all leaders, and as some suggested, all members, would

profit from interaction with the material.

After modifications and improvements, it is believed that

this material should be incorporated into the foundational

discipleship curriculum of the church. At minimum, all

congregational leaders should be urged to participate while an

invitation is extended to the membership at large as well.

Still another future development worthy of attention is

the training of additional facilitators for this course

material. A more detailed leaders guide will be necessary and

it is hoped that a subsequent class will be begun specifically

to train facilitators in maximizing the learner's assimilation

of these concepts.

On a separate but parallel track, a task force within the

church is presently developing a comprehensive strategy for

mobilizing the laity to greater involvement. A number of the

project participants are also serving on that task force,

including its chairman.

The emphasis in this course on the mission of the church

and the utilization of servant leadership methodology for

 90

kingdom service are quite applicable to the lay mobilization

effort. It is believed that this will be integrated in some

fashion to the orientation and equipping strategies adopted in

this effort. Written objectives for the course should be

developed and included as well as the same for each session.

Lastly, this course has highlighted the need for

consistent and repeated training of leaders within the church.

Whereas this material was well received and deemed to be

valuable and needed by the participants, it also produced a

desire for more and different training in the quest for being

as well equipped as possible. Attention will be given in

annual staff planning to improving, increasing, and varying

the leadership training approaches. Beyond this course, the

church will consider purchasing existing materials or develop

its own to accomplish better and more thorough leadership

training. Additionally, within the congregation, conferences,

rallies, and seminars can be utilized to provoke greater

effectiveness and a renewed commitment to lead as the Lord

did-as one who serves.

 91

APPENDIX A

WELCOME LETTER

{Date Field}

{Name Field}
{Address Field}

Dear {Name}:

I am grateful for your willingness to participate in the

upcoming class called "Utilizing Servant Leadership Principles
to Accomplish the Mission of the Church". We will call it
"Servant Leadership" for short.

As you know, this class is a significant part of the

requirements for my doctoral studies. I have authored the
class procedure but our resources will be the scripture and
some selected excerpts from outside resource material. I am
extremely excited about getting started.

The class begins meeting Sunday, October 1, at 3:30 p.m. The

class continues for 75 minutes through 12 sessions. I will
distribute a complete schedule at our first meeting.

All sessions will be held in the parlor on the 3 r d floor of our

south wing. All you will need to bring for this initial
meeting is your Bible and something to write with. Should you
have any questions between now and October 1, please do not
hesitate to call or email.

Sincerely,

Greg Belser
 92

APPENDIX B

CLASS ROSTER

Tom, Treasurer and Deacon

Tony, Budget Director and Deacon

Danny, Sunday School Director and Deacon

Ben, Personnel Committee Chairman and Deacon

Greg, Youth Sunday School Teacher and Deacon

John/ Youth Sunday School Teacher and Deacon

Tammy, Director of Lay Mobilization

Fran/ Acteens Leader and Children's Sunday School Teacher

Karen, Acteens Leader

Susan, Preschool Sunday School Teacher

Scott, Men's Ministry Director and Deacon

Joanie, Minister of Education

Kern, Minister to Children

Tina, Minister of Missions

This writer/ Pastor and Project Leader

 93

APPENDIX C

SESSION 1 - PRETEST/OVERVIEW

Learning Goal: Learners will satisfactorily complete a

pretest instrument regarding leadership and become familiar
with the class and assignment process.

1. Complete and receive Pretest. (Appendix S)

2. Discuss Course Overview. (Appendix R)
3. Make assignments for Session 2.
4. Complete Session Evaluation Form. (Appendix P)

Assignments for Session 2:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet. (Appendix Q)

2. Read Luke 4:16 - 21; 19: 1-10; John 10:1-18; and
12:44-50. Identify Jesus' mission in each passage.
3. Consider the mission of today's church in light of
Jesus' stated mission. Can you think of other
references to support your point of view? Come to
class with a general statement of the mission of the
church.
 94

APPENDIX D

SESSION 2 - JESUS' MISSION

Learning Goal: Learners will understand who Jesus is and what

is His mission through the study of selected Scripture
passages.

"For Jesus, His vision of the kingdom of God guided His

leadership from the inauguration of His ministry until its
end." (Robert Dale, Good News from Great Leaders, p. 4)

1. Discuss Scripture references and responses to

assignments.
2. Attempt to write a mission statement for Jesus.
3. Discuss the above statement by Robert Dale.
4. Make assignments for Session 3.
5. Complete Session Evaluation Form.

Assignments for Session 3:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet.

2. Read Matthew 10:7-42; 16:13-28; Mark 2:1-17; 10:35-
45; Luke 4:31-43; and John 3:1-17. In every
passage, answer the question, "Why did Jesus come?"
 95

APPENDIX E

SESSION 3 - JESUS' TEACHING

Learning Goal: Learners will understand the teaching of Jesus

regarding the rule of God and the value of people (sinners) in
the reconciling work of God through the study of selected
Scripture passages.

1. Discuss assignments.
2. Discuss Jesus' commitment to the rule of God.
3. Discuss Jesus' interest in the lives of people.
4. Revisit the draft of Jesus' mission statement from
the last session to determine if it needs
modification.
5. Make assignments for Session 4.
6. Complete Session Evaluation Form.

Assignments for Session 4:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet.

2. Read John 13:1-16: What is the message(s) here?
3. Read Matthew 9:35-36: What is the attitude toward
sinners?
4. Read Luke 14:7-11 and Matthew 23:10-12: How does
Jesus understand the concept of honor?
5. Revise Jesus' mission statement.
 96

APPENDIX F

SESSION 4 - JESUS' WITNESS

Learning Goal: Learners will understand the witness of Jesus

as it is seen in His parables, miracles, and deeds through the
study of selected Scripture passages.

1. Discuss assignments.
2. Read John 17:4. Ask, "What are the implications for
Jesus' followers?"
3. Ask, "What does the life of Jesus tell us about His
mission? ...the mission of His church?
4. Make assignments for Session 5.
5. Complete Session Evaluation Form.

Assignments for Session 5:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet.

2. Write a rough draft of a mission statement for the
church. Use the content and discussion of previous
sessions as a basis. Provide scriptural support.
 97

APPENDIX G

SESSION 5 - THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

Learning Goal: Learners will demonstrate understanding of the

mission of the church by analyzing the life of Jesus and
determining criteria for the effectiveness of the church.

1. Discuss mission statements drafted by participants.

2. Ask, "How can we help the church accomplish Jesus'
mission?"
3. Say, "Jesus faced rejection, ridicule, opposition,
and even crucifixion and never wavered from His
mission. How can we do the same?"
4. Make assignments for Session 6.
5. Complete Session Evaluation Form.

Assignments for Session 6:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet.

2. Read excerpt from Gangel's Team Leadership in
Christian Ministry (pp. 43-64). (Appendix T)
3. Read excerpt from Sanders' Spiritual Leadership (pp.
17-19). (Appendix U)
4. Read excerpt from Nelson's Leading Your Ministry
(pp. 48-57). (Appendix V)
a. Can leadership occur without relationships?
b. Be prepared to discuss leading vs. leadership.
 98

APPENDIX H

SESSION 6 - THE PLACE OF LEADERSHIP

Learning Goal: Learners will understand the importance of

leadership and evaluate their commitment to the same.

1. Discuss Nelson's excerpt.

2. Consider Sanders' excerpt:
a. What motivates spiritual leaders?
b. What motivates you to lead?
3. Discuss a definition of leadership.
4. Make assignments for Session 7.
5. Complete Session Evaluation Form.

Assignments for Session 7:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet.

2. Read "A Parable for Staff Members" by Dobbins.
(Appendix W)
3. Read excerpt from Sprague's Paul's Servant-Lord
Analogy for the Relationship of A Believer to Christ
(pp. 166-175). (Appendix X)
 99

APPENDIX I

SESSION 7 - CLERGY VS. LAITY

Learning Goal: Learners will understand the Scriptural

distinctions between clergy and lay leadership and evaluate
their individual commitment to leadership.

1. Discuss assignments.
2. Ask, "How effective are you in your leadership role
in the church? What hinders your greater
effectiveness?"
3. Make assignments for Session 8.
4. Complete Session Evaluation Form.

Assignments for Session 8:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet.

2. Read Philippians 2:5-11. How does Jesus' life and
death reflect on your understanding of leadership?
3. Read excerpt from Gangel's Team Leadership in
Christian Ministry (pp. 53-75). (Appendix Y)
a. What is Jesus' leadership approach?
b. Summarize Christian leadership in a single
sentence.
4. Read excerpt from Ford's Transforming Leadership
(pp. 154-159). (Appendix Z) Consider the cross in
your understanding of Jesus' leadership method.
5. Read Luke 22:24-27.
 100

APPENDIX J

SESSION 8 - JESUS' MODEL OF LEADERSHIP

Learning Goal: Learners will study the servant-leadership of

Jesus and analyze the importance and validity of the same
through a study of selected Scripture passages.

"Jesus knew the price of leadership - He was willing to give

Himself." (Leighton Ford, Transforming Leadership, p. 139)

1. Discuss assignments.
2. Ask, "What is Jesus' model of leadership?"
3. Ask, "Can we emulate His model?
4. Make assignments for Session 9.
S. Complete Session Evaluation Form.

Assignments for Session 9:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet.

2. Read excerpt from Sanders' Spiritual Leadership (pp.
11S-120). (Appendix AA)
3. Read Philippians 2:S-11; 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 and
6:1-10. Reflect on Paul's life testimony and his
willingness to lead through hardship and rejection.
 101

APPENDIX K

SESSION 9 - PAUL'S EXAMPLE OF SERVICE

Learning Goal: Learners will study Paul's testimony of

servant leadership in 2 Corinthians 6 and evaluate their own
leadership criteria against that example.

1. Ask, "How do you react to Paul's exhortation in

Philippians 2 and his life testimony in 2
Corinthians 4 and 6?"
2. Ask, "What motivated Paul's leadership?"
3. Ask, "What hindered his leadership?"
4. Ask, "What hinders yours?"
5. Ask, "What conditions do you place on your
leadership commitment?"
6. Make assignments for Session 10.
7. Complete Session Evaluation Form.

Assignments for Session 10:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet.

2. Read excerpt from Sanders' Spiritual Leadership (pp.
21-25) . (Appendix BB)
 102

APPENDIX L

SESSION 10 - SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Learning Goal: Learners will value servant leadership and

begin to characterize their own leadership in such fashion.

UTrue greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself

in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to
serve you." (Oswald Sanders, p. 15)

1. Discuss assignments.
2. Ask, UCan servant leadership be effective in the
contemporary church?"
3. Ask, UHow can we tell if we are being successful
with this style of leadership?"
4. Make assignments for Session 11.
5. Complete Session Evaluation Form.

Assignments for Session 11:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet.

2. Answer the following:
• What is the secret to persevering service?
• What is the highest goal for servant leadership?
 103

APPENDIX M

SESSION 11 - PERSEVERING LEADERSHIP

Learning Goal: Learners will consider the value of

perseverance in leadership and the role servant leadership
plays in the same.

1. Highlight the progress made thus far in this course

of study.
2. Discuss the two questions assigned in Session 10.
3. Make assignments for Session 12.
5. Complete Session Evaluation Form.

Assignments for Session 11:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet.

2. Write 3 to 5 new actions for implementation in your
leadership responsibility.
 104

APPENDIX N

SESSION 12 - CONCLUSION/POSTTEST

Learning Goal: Learners will score in an improved fashion on

a posttest on the subject of their leadership through the
church.

1. Administer Posttest. (Appendix S)

2. Discuss how class members perceive their own changes
in regards to servant leadership.
3. Distribute assignment and discuss.
4. Complete Session Evaluation Form.

Assignment for Session 12:

1. Complete Journal Worksheet.

2. Write your personal theology of leadership.
 105

APPENDIX 0

SESSION 13 - A PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP

Learning Goal: Learners will formulate their personal

theology of leadership and resolve to follow it.

1. Receive written assignment.

2. Discuss any comments or thoughts which surface.
3. Brainstorm about how to implement a heightened
servant leadership approach throughout the church.
4. Complete Course Evaluation.
 106

APPENDIX P

Session Evaluation Form

Date: Legend: I-Strongly Agree

--------- 2-Agree
3-Undecided
4-Disagree
5-Strongly Disagree

Please Circle One

1. I understand the material presented. 12345

2. I have a particular life application

in mind for today's material. 12345

3. In light of today's material, I

understand myself better as a leader. 12345

4. I have a particular leadership action

in mind which I intend as a result of
today's material. 12345

5. The leader was prepared for today's

session. 12345

Here's a suggestion for improving this session in future

studies:

Here's a suggestion for implementing or applying this truth in

our church:
 107

APPENDIX Q

JOURNAL WORKSHEET

Following Session

1. This is my summary of the essential truth(s) of the

content we have just concluded:

2. In light of this week's session, this is the

implication(s) for my day to day leadership
responsibilities:

3. What if anything, do I need to do differently in order

I

to affect greater change in those I am responsible for

leading?

4. One question or point in my thinking I have still not

resolved:

S. May the Lord help me to ....

 108

APPENDIX R

COURSE OVERVIEW

Session
Number

1. Pretest/Overview

2. Jesus Mission-Jesus l self-understanding of His

l

mission. Seek & save.

3. Jesus Teaching-What He taught.

l
The rule of God.
The value of people.

4. Jesus Witness-Miracles actions deeds what He

l
I I l

did to lead others- Jesus the servant-Can His

message be separated from His method?!

5. The Mission of the Church-It must be Jesus I

mission!

6. The Place of Leadership-Who are we and what is

our responsibility?
Is it something we are and then something we do?
Kenosis of Jesus

7. Clergy vs. Laity-Who is the leader? Where do we

get our model?

8. Jesus l
Model of Leadership

9. Paul/s Example of Service

10. Servant-Leadership

11. Persevering Leadership

12. Conclusion/Posttest

13. Personal Theology of Leadership

 109

APPENDIX S

SERVANT LEADERSHIP - PRETEST/POSTTEST

Name
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Date- - - - - - - - - - - -
Key: I-Strongly Agree, 2-Agree, 3-Unsure,
4-Disagree, S-Strongly Disagree

1. I have a clear perception of Jesus' mission.

2. I believe that service is the highest form of
leadership.
3. I am unsure how to state the mission of the church.
4. I feel qualified to be a leader in our church.
5. I feel unfulfilled in my leadership role.
6. I understand what I am supposed to be doing as a
leader in our church.
7. I understand the difference between staff and lay
leadership roles.
8. I value being a servant very highly.
9. I have a sense of God's leadership in my life and
leadership responsibilities.
10. I believe our church understands its mission.
11. I struggle to have compassion for those without
Christ.
12. I care too much about being recognized for my
service.
13. I gain great fulfillment in my service to others.
14. I believe that the staff has a greater leadership
role than the laity.
15. I keep score when my leadership is ignored or
undervalued.
16. My leadership improves when someone leads me.
17. I see my earthly service as service to God and
Christ.
18. I am easily discouraged in my leadership
responsibility.
19. I am excited about being an example of servanthood
in all my relationships.
20. I am eager to serve people where they are in life
even if they don't value me or my service.
21. Our church operates in response to our stated
mission.
 110

22. I struggle to act personally in response to our

church's mission.
 {111}

APPENDIX T

Kenneth Gangel, Team Leadership in Christian Ministry

(Chicago: Moody Press, 1997) Used by permission.

-3-
ARIllLICAl TY£OLOGY
Of L[AD[RSIIIP

I n 1980, Lawrence Richards and Clyde Hoeldtke au-

thored a significant volume that attempted to force
readers "into Scripture for an understanding of leadership in
Christ's church."! Yet the work took an essentially deductive
approach and offered virtually no information from the Old Tes-
tament. Since the appearance of that volume, evangelicals have
offered the literature virtually no serious treatment of biblical
concepts. We borrow ideas and popular themes from secular
writers; we quickly jump on trendy terminology; but we do not
courageously shoulder the burden of putting every discipline-
certainly one as crucial as leadership studies-through the sieve
of integrated theology. And I am hardly without blame.
In small portions of two works I attempted to develop
some inductive analysis of significant passages, but hardly any-
thing qualifying as a theological overview? Feeding and Leading
(Victor, 1989) attempted to show how information can be
derived inductively, but I provided only the slightest examples in

43
 {112}

TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

the five categories identified: Old Testament models, New Testa-

ment models, example of Jesus, teaching of Jesus, and teaching of
other New Testament writers."
Even here I must urge readers to understand that the
boundaries of this chapter allow only the most cursorv overview
of the topic. These paragraphs make no attempt at either a sys-
tematic theology nor a biblical exegesis of leadership. What fol-
lows takes the outline of a "biblical theology," defined by Ryrie
as "that branch of theological science which deals systematically
with the historically conditioned progress of the self-revelation of
God as deposited in the Bible."! This chapter simply seeks some
systematic overview of the progressive revelation of God regard-
ing how He considers leadership to be practiced and taught
among His people on earth.
The other key term of this chapter's title resists definition
with even greater vigor. In an earlier work I identified Christian
leadership as "the exercise of one's spiritual gifts under the call of
God to serve a certain group of people in achieving the goals God
has given them toward the end of glorifying Christ."! Robert
Clinton offers this definition: "Leadership is a dynamic process
in which a man or woman with God-given capacity influences a
specific group of God's people toward His purposes for the
group."6 And James Means expands the idea but captures the
same essence:

Spiritualleadership is the development of relationshipwith the

people of a Christian institution or body in such a way that
individuals and the group are enabled to formulate and achieve
biblically compatible goals that meet real needs. By their ethi-
cal influence, spiritual leaders serve to motivate and enable
others to achieve what otherwisewould neverbe achieved."

Countless other examples could be given, but these three

lead us on the right track as we prepare to analyze briefly five
segments of Scripture toward developing a biblical theology of
leadership.

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LEADERSHIP IN THE PENTATEUCH

The early centuries of Israel's life formed a corporate pat-
tern displaying how God dealt with individuals before the form-
ing of the nation. Finding people whose hearts were right toward
Him (Noah, Abraham), He developed a vertical relationship with
those leaders, which affected their horizontal relationship with
others. Like most Old Testament theology, a theology of leader-
ship is best learned by the study of the lives of people whom God
used. Eugene Habecker argues that "leaders ought to view their
leadership assignment as stewardship of a temporary trust from
the Lord rather than as something to be permanently dung to." 8
Furthermore, a clear link exists between the requirements of
leadership and those of followership, a most interesting pattern
in view of recent research which once again finds those two
inseparable.

Key Words
My studies began with an examination of crucial terms
such as episkopos, presbyteras, and prohistemi. For example, 48
of the 150 times episkeptomai is used in the Pentateuch, it
appears in the book of Numbers where tribes and families are
reviewed. The verb form tends to take the meaning of appoint-
ment for supervision. The Septuagint (the Greek version of the
Old Testament) uses the word "group" derived from the root
presb to refer both to age and to those within a tribe or people
who held special responsibilities. Sometimes presbeutes and pres-
bys denote "ambassador" or "negotiator" in the classic sense of
spokesman for a defined group. More on this later.

Character Studies
Of course the chief leader of the Old Testament, especially
in the Pentateuch, is God Himself. He rules the heaven-designed

45
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TEAH LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

theocracy (Ex. 13:17; 15:13; Num. 14:8). But He shares His role
with mortals so that Moses can spell out accountability for "all
of you [who] are standing today in the presence of the Lord your
God-your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and
all the other men of Israel" (Deut. 29:10). Though r.o Hebrew
nor English words for "lead" appear in conjunction with Abra-
ham, he certainly demonstrates distinctiveness of call, the unique
choosing of God for a specific leadership.

The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people
and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will
make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless
those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis
12:1-3)

But Moses clearly stands as the dominant human leader in

the Pentateuch. Indeed, God so often reminds him of his leader-
ship task that he responds, "You have been telling, me, 'Lead
these people,' but you have not let me know whom ycu.will send
with me" (Ex. 33:12). Moses, under the tutelage of his father-in-
law, Jethro, then learns to share his leadership with others. The
dynamic eighteenth chapter of Exodus describes his appointment
of numerous leaders.

He chose capablemenfrom ali Israel aha marie them leaders of

the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties 'and tens.
They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult
cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided
themselves. (Exodus 18:25-26)

Derived Principles
What can we learn from the way God dealt with His peo-
ple from Creation to the death of Moses? During this period,
leadership spread from the embryonic role of Adam supervising

46
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A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

Seth to the later military endeavors of a nation preparing to

invade the territory of other peoples (Deut. 20:5-9). Several
lessons seem to stand out.
1. Biblical leadership comes by divine appointment.
Whether we observe Noah, Abraham, Moses, or Aaron, we see
the Lord God designating in some clear-cut form those whom He
wishes to exercise leadership over others. In every case, the call
seems clear both to the intended leader and those who follow.
2. Leadership moves from singular to multiple. Noah and
Abraham seem to stand alone as they each defy the onslaughts of
a pagan world, but once God forms the nation of Israel, Moses
parcels out leadership responsibilities to others, sharing his
authority, and exercising what we might call today a participato-
ry leadership style. We read about "the leaders of the communi-
ry" (Ex. 16:22); "leaders of the people" (Ex. 18:25); "leaders of
the Israelites" (Num. 13:3); and "the leadership of Moses and
Aaron" (Num. 33:1).
3-.Leadership requires definitive accountability. The law
spelled out the greater responsibility for those called by divine
appointment: "When a leader sins unintentionally and does what
is forbidden in any of the commands of the Lord his God, he is
guilty" (Lev. 4:22). Miriam criticized and became leprous; Moses
hit the rock in anger and was forbidden entry-into the Promised
Land; both minor rebellions and major anarchy, like that of
Korah, were immediately put down from on high.

LEADERSHIP IN THE HISTORICAL BOOKS

Much has been made of the appearance of the word suc-
cess in the early verses of Joshua, a term obviously connected
with prosperity and material things such as the conquest of the
land. Morton Rose warns that the modern concept of success
contradicts biblical understandings of leadership and seeks to
redefine it by rejecting "material growth, organizational size, or
powerful position" and reorienting toward "living the life of

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IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

Christ or finding and doing the will of God." He goes on to say,

"Everything seems to revolve around the leader and is evaluated
by how well that leader fares. If we think of success in terms of
leader-greatness, we are on faulty ground. Success is co be mea-
sured by the greatness of the people of God not just the leaders." 9
But in the Historical Books we see God's people focusing
on the physical material acquisition and protection of land while
at the same time maintaining spiritual devotion to the Lord God.
God's leadership lessons for His people continue to evolve and
grow.

Key Words
. .
In the Historical Books, episcopos and its variants con-
tinue to emphasize the root of observing or paying attention to
something or someone, so Saul "sees" (1 Sam. 14:17), Samson
"visits" (Judg. 15:1), and God "has come to the aid') of His elect
people (Ruth 1:6). In 2 Chronicles 24:11, and especially in Ne-
hemiah, the term relates to officers and governors (11:9, 14,22).
Sometimes particular persons hold these positions of authority,
but often the word describes the power as well as the office. Writ-
ing in The New International Dictionary of New Testament The-
ology, Lothar Coenen notes that no connection may be "drawn
between the OT and the later offices cf episcopos, I)r bishop. For
the various offices in Israel and their relationship to one another
(we must turn to] presbyteros. "10
Turning to that second key word, however, we see rela-
tively few examples in the Historical Books. Second Chronicles
32:31 shows us the spokesman idea. In the community of the
nation, elders control local settlements (1 Sam. 16:4; Judg. 11:5;
Ruth 4:2), responsible for judicial, political, and military deci-
sions within their jurisdictions. A paragraph from Coenen's arti-
cle is helpful here.

The title of "elder" continues to be applied to a ruling class of

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A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

the individual tribes (d. 2 Sam. 19:11) and of Israel as a whole.

The elders make the decision to send the ark against the
Philistines (1 Sam. 4:3). It is they who demand the introduction
of the monarchy (1 Sam. 8:4ff.) .... Their critical, occasionally
conspiratorial, attitude toward the monarchy is doubtless due
not least to the threat to their influence posed by the formation
of a royal civil service and growth of dynastic power.U

Prohistemi appears only eight times in the Septuagint; it is

without Hebrew equivalent, and is aimed primarily at the role of
leading a household (2 Sam. 13:17).

Character Studies
As the Israeli community expands into a monarchy, we
see numerous examples of those who followed the patterns of
earlier leaders. Perhaps three stand out in the Historical Books.
Joshua portrays the tribal leader assuming military command;
David represents the theology of kingship; and Nehemiah shows
us the quintessential Old Testament "lay leader," thrust into ser-
vice without the kind of training afforded either Joshua or David.
The Lord God clearly tells Joshua "you will lead these
people" (Josh. 1:6), and he does so by heading up numerous sub-
ordinates referred to variously as "the leaders of Israel" (8:10),
"the leaders of the assembly" (9:18), and "the leaders of the com-
munity"(22:30). The intricacy cf organization in the latter days
of]oshua's control appears in 23:2 where we read about "elders,
leaders, judges and officials."
By the time David comes on the scene, people appear
quite prepared for the leadership role of a king. Indeed, they had
askedSamuel to "appoint a king to lead us" (1 Sam. 8:5), and the
old prophet told the people, "Now you have a king as your
leader" (1 Sam. 12:2). Even while fleeing from Saul, David gath-
ered a team: "all those who were in distress or in debt or discon-
tented gathered around him, and he became their leader" (1 Sam.
22:2).

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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

By 445 B.C. Nehemiah served as special cupbearer to the

Icing, a noble representative of a people who by this point had
long since forgotten leadership and could not recall he w God had
called them to lead other nations of the world. Nehemiah
responds to the call and follows through on a strong sense of mis-
sion and accomplishment. Of Nehemiah's role in Jerusalem,
Donald Campbell writes: "With such a leader at the helm of the
affairs in Jerusalem small wonder the impossible dream soon
became a reality. Our prayer today should be that God will raise
up more like Nehemiah to serve as Christian leaders ... the spiri-
tual needs of our world cry out for more N ehemiahs. "12

Derived Principles
As the progressive revelation of leadership develops, we
are almost overwhelmed with lessons learned from; the lives of
these and other people God used during the historical period.
Perhaps a few can at least provide examples of the many.
1. Leadership requires a time of preparation. :We see that
in the life of Joshua, who served for years as Mosesservant. We
see it in David, who trained in obedience and duty at home, then
lived the life of an active soldier before his anointing as king. In
Nehemiah we see the heart preparation essential to spiritual lead-
ership.
2. Leadership requires a heart sensitive to spiritual things
(1 Sam. i6":7). David was a skiiied fighting nian, handy with a
sword and bow-but God selected him because of his heart
3. Leadership requires organizational skills. To be sure,
the terms leadership and administration are not synonymous. But
in God's service, there seems to be dynamic overlap, and Nehemi-
ah provides a wonderful example of one who could organize,
plan, delegate, supervise, urbitrate, recruit, train, and evaluate.
As Habecker describes him, "God gives the leader the vision; the
leader ascertains the facts; he then involves the relevant parties
who will be involved in carrying the leadership vision; he shares

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A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

with these people his sense of God's call and also the king's
.response and then the leader waits for the people to respond. "13

LEADERSHIP IN THE POETS AND PROPHETS

Didactic material in the poets and prophets adds little to
our understanding of leadership in the Old Testament. But then,
Old Testament studies do not depend upon didactic material. We
see constant reaffirmation that God calls and anoints certain
individuals to carry out roles for Him. Like the ancient judges,
the prophets were called. Like their forerunner Samuel, they car-
ried enormous responsibility for the representation of the Lord
God, though in far different roles than did the kings.

Key Words
The linking of leader with shepherd takes on new mean-
ing in both poets and prophets. The authoritarian oversight of
the episcopos concept tends to be ameliorated, and we now see
the warlike David in different images. The Shepherd Psalm
reminds us of the coming Good Shepherd and the shepherding
roles of New Testament elders.
We find the words kybernao and kubernesis a few places
in the Wisdom Literature, and in Proverbs they take on the mean-
ing of wise counsel essential for.rulers (Prov, 1:5; 11~14). But the
root can be used in the negative sense of the wicked (Prov. 12:5).
Elders reappear after the monarchical system. Coenen discusses
this in some detail.

How deeply rooted was the position of the elders as demon-

strated by what happened after the end of the monarchy and
exile of large portions of the population. It was the elders who
once again appeared as guardians and representatives of the
Jewish communities both in exile (Jer. 29:1) and in the home-
land (Ezek. 8:l£f.; cf, also the elders of the land who in Jeremi-
ah 26:17 speak on behalf of the prophet). But there also was a

51
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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

change which took place during this period. The 'clans were
superseded by influential families, and influential families thus
gained a position of eminence among the people as a 'whole.
The heads of these appear now as an aristocratic ruling class....
At the table of the governor Nehemiah there is a daily gather-
ing of 150 notables, who are without any recognizable legal
function, but certainlynot without influeace.r'

Character Studies
A contrast of the prophetic leadership of Isaiah and Jere-
miah was undertaken in some detail by Helen Doohan, to great
benefit. Prophetic leadership, as noted earlier, is inseparably
linked with the word of Yahweh, a rock-solid conviction which
seems to free these leaders from the current necessity of popular
approval. In Jeremiah's case, selection by God meant rejection by
people.

Both Isaiah and Jeremiah are affected in their leadership style

by the theological convictions emanating from an understand-
ing of covenant. Furthermore, they are professional irritants in
the existential situation and respond to changing needs with
appropriate reinterpretation of the basic message. Prophetic
leaders know their world and are deeply involved in it. Howev-
er, their religious convictions are the prime factor influencing
their approach to leadership and to the world of their day.
They give us a politicsof faith." .

Far different yet equally enlightening is the lif~ of Daniel.

His leadership demonstrates not merely "politics of faith" but
rather the exercise of faith while in politics. The sterling charac-
ter of his personal life, the unshakable convictions of his godly
behavior, and his reputation for unimpeachable integrity lift
Daniel to a special place in leadership modeling arnor.g Old Tes-
tament saints.

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Derived Principles
Once again, one could list pages of lessons in life and min-
istry available from these men and their colleagues, but we shall
limit ourselves to only three.
1. Leadership requires deep conviction in God's will for
both leaders and followers. We talk a great deal today about mis-
sion statements and long-range planning. The lives of the
prophets were constantly futuristic, clearly committed to what
God wished to do with them and with the people He had called
them to serve.
. 2. Leadership requires clear theological perspective. On
the surface, the casual reader might conclude that God sent His
prophets only to pronounce doom and warn against judgment. In
reality, however, they constantly served as national guardsmen,
protecting the purity of the covenant and its essential doctrinal
content. They regularly confronted false prophets and consistent-
ly defended the Lord God's word, often at the risk of their own
lives.
3. Leadership requires an awareness ofcontemporary sur-
roundings. To be sure, at times Ezekiel appeared to live in some
distant world, never visited by his contemporaries. However,
eccentricity was merely one of his character traits. Most of the
prophets, notably Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, stayed sharply
tuned to the needs and hurts at their day. i'hey directed their
messages with a profound sense of divine vocation. Indeed, the
very meaning of the word "prophet," nabi, comes from a root
meaning" one who is called. "

LEADERSHIP IN THE GOSPELS AND ACTS

According to Kennon Callahan, the key to effective
church leadership lies in moving from what he calls "professional
minister" to "missionary pastor." "The professional minister
.movement," he writes, "was a cultural reflection of the broader

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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

cultural movement toward professionalism. To be sure, much

was gained. And it worked as long as "the culture was a churched
culture. "
The professional minister, as described by Callahan, was
reactive, passive, organizational, and institutional. The mission-
ary pastor, on the other hand, is proactive, intentional, relational,
and missional. Leadership then becomes the ability to lead a
group toward discovery and fulfillment. Callahan concludes,

Leadership is more than management, bosses, ennoblement, or

charismatic direction. To be a leader is to be more than any of
these. "More" here is not to be understood as "better." It is
simply that the leader resonates with the whole of life; others
resonate only with part of life. That is why the leader is the
leader. 16 .

This is an interesting idea. But our purpose is not to chase

the rabbit trails of contemporary theory or cultural constructs;
rather we want to see whether Callahan and others actually grasp
the biblical handle on our subject.

Key WTords
As the funnel narrows) the importance of key words in the
new covenant becomes ever more obvious. Here we encounter
the exact statements made by our Lord to His disciples regarding
how they should carry His mission in the world-how they must
become leaders like Him. Of primary concern in the Gospels (as
well as later in the Epistles) is the word hegeomai, which appears
twenty-seven times in twenty different chapters of the New Testa-
ment. It simply means ruler or chief (Matt. 2:6; Acts 7:10; 14:12;
26:2). ."
But two uses stand out in this portion of Scripture (to our
great profit) regarding the nature of new covenant leadership.
The first appears in Luke 22:26, clearly a high-water mark on
our subject. The disciples have been arguing among themselves

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A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

on the very night of the Crucifixion. They have fallen into dis-
pute, a philoneikia, literally meaning "rivalry." Because of their
fondness for strife and personal gain, the disciples verbally attack
one another in their attempt to gain political prominence in what
they expected would be an immediately forthcoming earthly
kingdom.
In the midst of their political power play, the Lord likens
their behavior to the Hellenistic monarchs who ruled Egypt and
Syria. He begins His statement in verse 26 with a strong contrast
construction: "But you ... not so." The full verse reads, "But
you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you
should be like the youngest, and the one who rules [the
hegeomai] like the one who serves."
Still another reference of importance appears in Acts
15:22, where we learn that after the resolution of the Gentile
question at the Jerusalem Council the church "chose Judas
(called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among
the brothers." The plurality of team leadership and significance
ofservanthood surface veryearly in the New Testament text.
A second word of extreme importance in the New Testa-
ment is oihonomos, appearing in ten verses scattered over ten
chapters from Luke to 1 Peter. The word commonly translates as
"steward" (though "manager" is acceptable), 'and the verb form
indicates someone who has been eu.rusred 'with responsibility,
Paul himself is an oikonomos (1 Cor. 4:1) and fulfills the primary
qualification of this leadership dimension-faithfulness.
As the word group derived from episcopos reaches the
New Testament, we find almost a singular theme-caring. In five
uses of the standard noun, four deal with the leader of the com-
munity (Acts 20:28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:7), and 1 Peter
2:25 refers to 'Christ as the guardian of souls. The verb episkep-
tomai commonly describes the loving and seeking care of God.
The word refers to Moses in Acts 7:23 and to Paul and Barnabas
in Acts 15:36.
The Old Testament thrust of punishment seems complete-

55
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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN HINISTRY

ly replaced, giving way to a caring rather than ruling theme. Luke

introduces the expression presbyteroi in Acts 11 to describe those
who exercised leadership in the Jerusalem church. The word also
appears in Acts 14:23 and Acts 20:17. In the latter context, epis-
, copes and presbyteros are viewed as synonymous.
One other term requires mention here in view of modern
preference for the term "pastor." The word is poimen (shepherd),
and we learn early in the New Testament that the primary refer-
ence is to the Lord Himself (Matt. 26:31; John 10), Jeffrey Rada
argues,

Paul's leadership terminology was fluid enough that he did not

feel compelled here (Eph. 4:11) to list every Greek word for
leadership, nor in any other of his lists of the gifts. While, as we
shall see later, the words for the eldership are interchangeable,
there is no use of "pastor" (poimen) to compel us to equate it
with either "preacher" or "minister." ... Thus Paul's fluid use
of leadership terminology is meant to denote the: emphasis of
each particular elder; not to hermetically compartmentalize his
office and create an office for every function in thebody, It then
becomes unnecessary for us to invent a new office of "pastor"
to legitimize such a compartmentalization of leadership re-
sponsibilities ,17

Whether one agrees with Rada or not, it seems clear that

'we have fogged in the participatory and multiple nature of team
leadership in the New Testament. Any kind of focus on a domi-
nant pastoral role which creates a single-leader church (a rather
common concept in some church-growth literature :of the late
twentieth century) dilutes the biblical emphasis on team leader-
ship.

Character Studies
Clearly the key to understanding Christian leadership
requires learning to lead like the Lord. In the dramatic eleventh
chapter of Matthew (vv. 25-30), Jesus describes His leadership as

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A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

gentle and humble. In the chapter that follows, He quotes from

Isaiah 42 to describe the chosen servant as one who "will not
quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A
bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not
snuff out" (Matt. 12:19-20a). As I suggested in Feeding and
Leading,
Evangelical leaders following the gentleness and humility of
Christ recognize they are neither the single nor final authority;
they decentralize decision-making and develop the leadership
qualities of their colleagues. The pastor is the coach, not the
general manager, and certainly not the team owner.'!

Our Lord's work with the disciples provides a pattern of

group leadership worthy of the most diligent study. I find it
amazing how few current Christian leaders have carefully
worked their way through A. B. Bruce's The Training of the
Twelve. James Hind notes, "If there was one modern manage-
ment trait that carried Jesus Christ from a nobody to a some-
body, it was His service to and for the benefit of others-His ser-
vant leadership. "19
James, moderator of the Jerusalem church, provides a sec-
ond valuable character study in the New Testament. He was
Jesus' half brother and the author of the epistle of James. Though
nat directly trained by the Lord Himself, J~Ul1es modeled team
leadership by moderating a public assembly with a broad view to
the greatest possible benefit of the body of Christ; he allowed all
viewpoints to be appropriately aired, summarizing the consensus
of the assembly, and preserving the unity of the saints.
Finally we need to look at Barnabas, who rose from an
apparent layman's role in Jerusalem to become leader of the sec-
ond New Testament church at Antioch. He affords a brilliant
example of unthreatened, secure leadership, willing to thrust oth-
ers (Saul of Tarsus) toward the greatest potential of their gifts,
never defending his own turf or holding on to position for per-
sonal prestige. God moved him out of his first and only "senior

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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHl<.ISTIAN MINISTRY

pastorate" after one year, and then Barnabas started out joyously
to lead the first missionary journey. Yet leadership was soon
passed to his former assistant and, though John Mark seems
somewhat offended by the change, Barnabas never misses a stride.
Some would fault him for his argument with Paul at the
end of Acts 15. But even there the positive note emphasizes his
long-term commitment to John Mark and the ultimate results
produced in that young man who became profitable for ministry
under the tutelage and modeling of Barna bas. Richards. and
Hoeldtke write:

The New Testament's picture of the servant as one who does,

rather than one who adopts the leadership style of the world
and tells, has a unique integrity. The Christian both hears the
Word from his spiritual leader and sees the Word expressed in
his person. The open life of leaders among-not over-the
brothers and sisters is a revelation of the very face of Jesus. And
to see Jesus expressing Himself in a human being brings the
hope that transformation might be a possibilityfor me too,2°

Derived Principles
Perhaps here we should paraphrase John, suggesting that
if every leadership principle available in the Gospels or in Acts
were written down, perhaps the wholewo.Id -wouldnot have
room for the books that would be written (John 21:25). But sev-
eral things stand out with piercing impact for the needs of today's
church.
1. Leadership is servanthood. Commenting en Matthew
20:25-28, Francis Cosgrove says: "This teaching of leading by
serving continues to have an unfamiliar ring in an age that calls
for us to do everything we can to climb to the top. The Bible
teaches that to lead is to serve. We may recognize the truth of this
concept and respond positively. The problem, however, is doing it
day-to-day. "21 He goes on to suggest that when we define the
concept biblically, a servant is a person who doesn't :exercise his

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A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

own will but 'rather submits it in order to please his master. He

also demonstrates the importance of serving another without any
assurance of reward.s- Someone once asked Lorne Sanny how it
is possible to know whether one functions as a servant. Sanny
replied, "By the way you react when people treat you like one."
2. Leadership is stewardship. We need not return to a
detailed study of oikonomos to emphasize again the concept of
stewardship. In the parable of the faithful and wise manager, we
had better notice that the oikonomos is placed in charge of other
servants, not to give them their orders but to distribute their food
allowance. He holds an absolute responsibility for awareness of
the master's will and carries out his tasks in light of the master's
return.
3. Leadership is shared power. Current secular leadership
literature talks a good bit about empowering others. Practically,
leadership in business and politics centers on grasping, retaining, .
and using power. Such concepts run totally counter to the New
Testament. John Stott correctly reminds us that "Christian lead-
ers serve not their own interests but rather the interests of others"
(Phil. 2:4). This simple principle should deliver the leader from
excessive individualism, extreme isolation, and self-centered em-
pire building. Leadership teams, therefore, are more healthy than
solo leadership.P
My own view is well documented in my writings-a-the
proper climate for leadership development emphasizes a decen-
tralized institutional philosophy. Our goal is to push decision
making and authority as far down the ranks as possible so that
the people who live with actual implementation have a major
voice in the decision. '

Wemust develop (a) a climate of respect focusing on individual

worth and dignity and encouraging people to contribute their
ideas; (b) a climate of trust in which people learn to trust their
own abilities and those of others, unthreatened by constant
changes and, policy in program; (c) a climate of acceptance
where, within the appropriate boundaries, people have room to

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IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

think and move, to consider changes in their own belief sys-

tems, and more important, in methods of ministry; (dj a cli-
mate of discovery which recognizes that new leaders will make
mistakes, that alternative solutions need to be explored with-
out the pressures of immediate answers, and with tolerance for
ambiguity in tough problems; and (e) a climate of depth-
depth of spiritual dimensions in individual and corporate lead-
ers and also depth "on the bench. "24

LEADERSHIP IN THE EPISTLES AND REVELATION

If the Twelve demonstrated the practical outworking of
Christ's teachings in the book of Acts, it was left for" Paul and
other epistle writers to formulate New Testament doctrine,
including what we might call "a biblical theology of leadership."

Key Words
The gift of leadership identified in Romans 12:8 by the
Greek word prohistemi must occupy our attention for .i moment;
The word appears in eight verses throughout five chapters of the
New Testament with special focus on the verb form ("manage")
in the Pastoral Epistles. ..
In Romans 12:8 and 1 Thessalonians 5:12 vee. find a spe-
cial emphasis on caring for others. This New Testament combi-
nation of caring and leading gives us the servant model of team
leadership.
Though the noun form appears only three times in the
New Testament, kubernetes is crucial to our overall study of
leadership. Two passages (Acts 27:11; Rev. 18:17) use the word
in its traditional classical sense of helmsman or manager of a
ship. In 1 Corinthians 12:28 Paul takes the related term kuberne-
sis and impregnates it with theological significance as the gift of
administration.
Yet a third word occupies our attention here, one which
has drawn enormous controversy in the late twentieth-century
church. I refer to kephale, which occurs twelve times in the Epis-

60
 {129}

A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

tles, most commonlydesignating Jesus as Head of the church. In

the other instances, it refers to relationships between husbands
and wives. Richards observes that, "Neither in any of these nor
in Revelation's 18 uses of head is there any indication that 'head-
ship' refers to leaders in the body of Christ!"25I include the word
here to emphasize its negation in the New Testament. A serious
commitment to the servant-steward-sharing model of New Testa-
ment leadership rejects authoritarian and autocratic roles for
those who propose to lead God's people.
Finally we need to take a brief look at diaeonia, often
linked with various New Testament offices. The word commonly
means "ministry" or "service," and it appears thirty-seven times
in the verb form and thirty-four times as a noun in the New Tes-
tament. The masculine diakonos has an additional thirty refer-
ences. The diversity ranges wide, from Matthew to Revelation,
and most frequently the term means to serve or care for others. It
takes particular poignancy in 1 Timothy 3 in relation to the office
of a deacon (vv. 8, 10, 12-13) and in Paul's frequent use of the
word in reference to himself (e.g., Col. 1:23-25). Viewpoints dif-
fer widely on this subject, As we have noted earlier, Rada insists
that the New Testament cannot be made to say "that the role of
'minister' exists distinct from elders and that they were the proto-
types of this office."26
'Ylhat~ver position one adepts on that question, i:- -secmc
clear that the concept of diakonia emphasizes again the servant
leadership concept which Jesus initiated in the Gospels.

Character Studies
It is impossible in this segment to bypass the apostle Paul.
His constant activity of modeling and mentoring, encouraging
and exhorting, teaching and training, exemplifies New Testament
leadership at its zenith. He describes his own leadership in 1 Thes-
salonians, offering a contrast with first-century pagan under-
standings. In 2:1-6 he identifies what he did not do among the

61
 {130}

TEAH LEADERSHrP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

believers there. Then in 2:7-12 he describes a process of nurture

and family care, depicting himself as a nursing mother, a patient
schoolteacher, a mother bird, and a loving father. These metaphors,
though uncommon to the modern North American ear, undeni-
ably imprint the text.
As we follow Paul's trail it doesn't take us long to corne to
Timothy, the quintessential disciple, the end result of modeling
and mentoring. How much of what we know about church lead-
ership is embodied in this young man because of Paul's two let-
ters! In looking at the life of Timothy we learn that biblical ser-
vants avoid false doctrine; they aim toward godly living; they
activate and use their spiritual gifts; and they accept the challenge
God has placed before them in whatever leadership role He has
prescribed. From family preparation to pastoral problems, Timo-
thy provides a brilliant example of how leadership is learned
behavior. .
Finally, we must note also the group we commonly call
"the Ephesian elders," whose dramatic appearance in Acts 20 .
demonstrates for us what God expects of lay leaders in local con-
gregations. These elders (v. 17) and overseers (v, 28) served as
shepherds (presbyteras, episcopos, and poimen all appear in the
same context and describe the same people). We link Acts 20
with Ephesians 4: 11-16 to see precisely how this kind of leader-
ship creates strength in the unified body of any given congrega-
tion.

Derived Principles
At the risk of being accused of forced alliteration in both
New Testament lists of principles, I find again a basic pattern
developing among the dozens of leadership lessons found in the
Epistles and Revelation.
1. Leadership is ministry. The emphasis on diakonia and
the thrust of the gift of leadership in Romans 12:8 show.us that if
New Testament leadership means anything, it means serving

62
 {131}

A lHJ::ILlCAL 1. Ht:ULUU Y

OF LEADERSHIP

other people. With meekness, church leaders involve themselves

in concert with other believers to engage in team ministry. Then
the smog of selfishness and egoism lifts to make mutual ministry
a biblical reality.
2. Leadership is modeling behavior. We've seen it clearly
in the Paul-Timothy relationship (1 Tim. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 3:10-
15). Richards says it well: "The spiritual leader who is a servant
does not demand. He serves. In his service the spiritual leader sets
an example for the body-an example that has compelling power
to motivate heart change. "27
3. Leadership is membership in the body. Here we do not
refer to the placement of one's name on the roll, but rather to the
identification of the leader with all other parishioners. In Ro-
mans 12:4-5 Paul writes, "Just as each of us has one body with
many members, and these members do not all have the same
function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each
member belongs to all the others." Relating to other people
stands at the heart of an understanding of Christian leadership,
the measure of which can only be shown when the leader serves
the body in meekness and membership.
Lyle Schaller offers "long established congregations"
three options for leadership:
~

One is to rely on several compatible, redundant and mutually

reinforcing organizing principles to undergird the life and unity
of that fellowship. A second is to watch passively while existing
organizing principles erode, fade away or become divisive with
this erosion followed by a numerical decline. The third is to
find a minister with a charismatic personality who is able and
willing to serve as THE leader."

Let us hope those three non-biblical options do not repre-

sent closure on the issue. In an interesting study of ministerial
leadership, Jack Balswick and Walter Wright remind us that "the
skills needed to lead persons at each of the maturity levels are not
always given to every minister. Thus the complementarity of the

63
 {132}

TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

body of Christ provides a variety of gifted leaders who together

can empower believers for lives of service to the body of ministry
in the community."29
From the narrow definitions of leadership offered in the
introduction to this chapter we can now expand our horizons to
incorporate the fifteen dimensions we have seen arise out of
Scripture. Pooled together in a narrative paragraph they might
.Iook something like this:

Biblical team leadership takes place when divinely appointed

men and women accept responsibility for obedience to God's
call. They recognize the importance of preparation time, allow-
ing the Holy Spirit to develop tenderness of heart and skill of
hands. They carry out their leadership roles with deep convic-
tion of God's will, clear theological perspective from His Word,
and an acute awareness of the contemporary issues which they
and 'their followers face. Above all, they exercise leadership as
servants and stewards, sharing authority with their followers
and affirming that leadership is primarily ministry to others,
modeling for others and mutual membership with others in
Christ's body.

FOR FURTHER READING

Bruce, A. B. The Training ofthe Twelve. New York: Harper, 1986.
Cedar, Paul. Strength in Servant Leader~hip. W~co~ Tex.: Word, J987.
Enroth, Ronald M. Churches That Abuse. Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1992.
Habecker, Eugene B. The Other Side of Leadership. Wheaton, Ill.: Vic-
tor, 1987.
Means, James E. Leadership in Christian Ministry. Grand Rapids:
Baker, 1989.
Richards, Lawrence 0., and Clyde Hoeldtke. A Theology of Church
Leadership. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980.

64
 {133}

APPENDIX U

J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership

(Chicago: Moody Press, 1994), Used by permission.

2
THE SEARCH
FOR LEADERS
No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt a man.
But it js God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another.
Psalm 75:6-7

Give me a man of God-one man,

One mighty prophet of the Lord,
And I will give you peace on ear th,
Bought with a prayer and not a sword.
George Lidde1P

R
eal leaders are in short supply. Constantly people and groups
searchfor them. Throughout the Bible, God searches for leaders,
too.
"The Lord has sought out a man afterhis own heart and appointed
him leader of his people" (lSamue' 13'14),
"Go up and down the streets ofjerusalem, lookaround and consid-
er, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals
honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city" (Jeremiah 5:1).
"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall"
(Ezekiel 22:30).
The Bible shows us that when God does find a person who is ready
to lead, to commit to full discipleship and take on responsibility for oth-
ers, that person is used to the limit. Such leaders still haveshortcomings
and flaws, but despite them, they become spiritual leaders. Such were
Moses, Gideon, and David. And in the history of the church, Martin
 {134}

18 SPIRmJAL LEADERSHIP

Luther, John Wesley, Adoniram Judson, William Carey, and many

others.
To be a leader in the church has always required strength and faith
beyond the merely human. Why is our need for leaders so great, and
candidates for leadership so few? Every generation faces the stringent
demands of spiritual leadership, and welcomes the few who come for,
ward to serve.
"The church is painfully in need of leaders," lamented the English
Methodist preacher William Sangster. "I wait to hear a voice and no
voice comes.... I would rather listenthan speak-but there is no dar,
ion voice to listen to. "2
If the world is to hear the church's voice today, leaders are needed
who are authoritative, spiritual, and sacrificial. Authoritative, because
people desire leaders who know where they are going and are confident
of getting there. Spiritual, because without a strong relationship to God,
even the most attractive and competent person cannot lead people to
God. Sacrificial, because this follows the model of Jesus, who gave him,
selffor the whole world and who calls us to follow in Hissteps.
Churches grow in every way when they are guided by strong, spiri-
tualleaders with the touch of the supernatural radiating in their service.
The church sinks into confusion and malaise without such leadership.
Today those who preach with majesty and spiritual power are few, and
the booming voice of the church has become a pathetic whisper. Leaders
today-those who are truly spiritual-must pass on the torch to younger
people as a first'line duty.
Many people regard leaders as naturally gifted with intellect, per'
sonal forcefulness, and enthusiasm. Such..qualities. certainly .enh;:mr~
leadership potential, but th~'i do not define the spiritual leader. True
leaders must beWilling to suffer for the sake of objectives great enough to
demand their wholehearted obedience.
Spiritual leaders are not elected, appointed, or created by synods or
churchly assemblies. God alone makes them. One does not become a
spiritual leader by merely filling an office, taking course work in the
subject, or resolving in one's own will to do this task. A person must
qualify to be a spiritual leader.
Often truly authoritative leadership falls on someone who years
earlier sought to practice the discipline of seeking first the kingdom of
'God. Then, as that person matures, God confers a leadership role, and
the Spirit of God goes to work through him. When God's searching eye
 {135}

THESEARCH FOR LEADERS 19

finds a person qualified to lead, God anoints that person with the Holy
Spirit and calls him or her to a special ministry (Acts 9:17; 22:21).
Samuel Brengle, a gifted leader who served for many years in the
SalvationArmy, outlined the road to spiritual authority and leadershipr

It is not won by promotion, but by many prayers and tears. It is attained

by confession ofsin, and much heartsearching and humbling before God;
by self-surrender, a courageous sacrifice of every idol, a bold uncomplain-
ingembrace of the cross, and byan eternal, unfaltering looking untoJesus
crucified. ,It is not gained by seeking great things for ourselves, but like
Paul, by counting those things that aregainto us asloss for Christ. This is
a great price, but it must be paid by the leader who would not be merely a
nominal but a realspiritual leader of men, a leader whose power is recog-
nized and felt in heaven, on earth, and h.hell.J

God wants to show such people how strong He really is (2 Chroni-

cles 16:9). But not all who aspire to leadership are willing to pay such a
high personal price. Yet there is no compromise here: in the secret
reaches of the heart this price is paid, before any public office or honor.
Our Lord made clear to James and John that high position in the king-
dom of God is reserved for those whose hearts-even the secret places
where no one else probes-are qualified. God's sovereign searching of
our hearts, and then His call to leadership, are awesome to behold. And
they make a person very humble.
One last thing must be said, a kind of warning. If those who hold
influence over othersfail to lead toward the spiritual uplands, then sure-
ly the path to the lowlands will be well worn. People travel together; no
one lives detached and alone.

NOTES
1. Henry George Liddell (1811-98) was dean of Christ Church, Oxford
University, and chaplain to the Queen. Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in
Wonderland for Liddell's daughter Alice.
2. Quoted in Paul E. Sangster, Doctor Sangster (London: Epworth,
1962), 109. William Sangster (1900-1960) was a leader in British
Methodism.
3. Samuel Logan Brengle, The Soul,Winner's Secret (London: Salvation
Army, 1918), 22.
 {136}

APPENDIX V

Alan Nelson, Leading Your Ministry

(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996)
Used by permission.

Leadership for the Twenty-first Century

and manner in which the process takes place varies. Those of us from the
West and especially the United States tend to be ethnocentric. We
presume that reality works out of our cultural paradigm. Leadership in
the United States is often different than it is in an Asian, African, or
mid-Eastern culture. Obviously, the Scriptures were not written from a
Western mind-set. Unless we study the original languages and cultural
context of Bible times, we miss hidden meanings. Translators work hard
to bring about bridges for us to walk across in order to understand these
messages. When we strive to force a Western mind-set ofleadership into
an ancient Near Eastern context as depicted in the Scripture, we do an
injustice to ourselves and the Bible. .
Formal leadership studies did not begin until 1900, and in-depth
emphasis on leadership did not take off until the 1970s and 1980s. In fact,
the word leadership itself only dates back a century or two. The concept
of leading is not new. Leadership has no doubt been a part of civilization
as long as groups have formed to achieve things together. However, the
formal study of the concept is relatively new. Except for a few books such
as Machievelli's Prince and some Asian military strategy manuals, little
exists along the line of historical leadership literature. What may seem to
be quite common to us is relatively new in terms of history. Therefore, to
place our paradigm onto literature that was not written for such a per-
spective is improper if not reckless. Results of doing this are at best patchy
and often wear thin on the integrity of the teacher. The Bible talks about
leaders and asserts a foundational character sketch of persons who ex-
celled, but it does not provide us with the finer points of the leadership
process.

Leadership
Too many people attempt leaderlike behaviors without having a fun-
damental understanding of the process itself. There is no perfect defini-
tion for the concept we refer to as leadership. The terms leader and
leadership are often used synonymously, or in the context that leadership
is what leaders "do." This confusion is a subtle but common occurrence
in much of the leadership literature. Without collaborators, there is no
leadership. A definition ofleadership that fails to recognize the vital role
of participants and that basically suggests that leadership is the sum total
of a leader's behaviors is grossly insufficient.
48
 {137}

Leadership for the Twent1jjirst Ceniuri]

Here is a very workable definition of leadership. Leadership is a
relational process, whereby individuals grant special influence to
one or more persons, who in turn catalyze the group to pursue
intended changes. As we break this definition down into its parts, we
will better understand the concept.
Relational process: Leadership is a relationship. Some might suggest
that you can lead yourself. A person who leads himselfor herselfis merely
one who is self-disciplined and/or self-motivated. Leadership means that
people are involved in a relationship of influence. It takes more than one
person for a leadership relationship to occur. A person who holds a leader
position, but who has no followers in the leadership relationship, is by
definition an ineffective leader. The old saying goes, "He who thinks he
is leading with no one following, is merely taking a walk." Leadership is
more than just a person who is in charge, desiring to make changes. People
are a necessary ingredient.
For example, marriage is not a husband. Marriage is not a wife. It is a
result of the husband's and wife's relationship with each other. Think of it
as a third entity. As a third entity, it must be cultivated and nurtured or
else it will die. Leadership is a process unique to itself. It is not the leader.
It is not the followers. Leadership is a third entity. It must be cultivated
or it will languish and eventually die. Effective leaders know consciously
and/or unconsciously how to birth and nourish this third party.
The idea of process means that leadership is dynamic, not static.
Leadership is more like a verb than a noun. Influence is always ebbing
and flawing. One example of this is in the ever-changing opinion polls on
the President of the United States. The savvy leader understands that he
or she will forever vacillate in his or her influence. Influence fluctuates
due to time and priority commitments, personality differences, emotional
states, and any num ber of other factors. The goal of a leader is to increase
one's influence for the benefit of the whole.
Individuals grant special influence to one or more persons:
Leaders usually initiate behaviors or fill positions that influence potential
followers to become collaborators. But unless a person grants aleader this
influence, leadership does not exist. When individuals force influence
over others, this is better thought of as coercion and raw power wielding,
not true leadership. In reality, the people ultimately possess the power
and can diminish the influence of a leader if they choose. History is full
of such scenarios.
49
 {138}

'...,eadership for the Twenty-first Century

The purpose of granting influence is to allow the leader m turn to
~mpower the group to achieve greater benefits. Thus, leadership is really
mutual empowerment. The leader who foolishly believes tha: his Influ-
snce does not come from others is.very prone to fail due tu. a lack of
humility and an abundance of self-centeredness. Because people who are
nonleaders are involved in the leadership process, the term "collabora-
torsversus "followers" makes more sense. Thewordcollabora.Drimplies
participation, that the nonleaders are involved in the leadership process.
The term follower infers a more passive person. The only members in a
leadership relationship are leaders and collaborators. Collaborators vary
in their individual commitment and influence.
Because we have a God-given right to choose our responses; no one
can force us into a leadership relationship. Jesus did not lead in his home
community, and therefore he left Nazareth. Scripture says, "He could do
no miracles, because of their unbelief." A would-be leader cannot hope
to lead when others do not believe in her as a leader. If you do not want
to be a part of the leadership relationship, you do not have to be a part.
Coercive influence, such as force, blackmail, brainwashing, and similar
actions, is not real leadership. For leadership to be authentic, there must
be a majority of volunteerism. Pastors cannot assume they are Ieadingjust
because they occupy a leader position.
Some would like to believe that the only ethical form of leadership is
that which allows for collaborators to be persuaded only by their own
wishes. That sort of idea is purely fiction. Noone lives in a noninfluential
world. We are forever being influenced by what people do and do not do.
When people propose ethical leadership in terms of free will, they imply
the avoidance of manipulation. Manipulation tends to be more of a leader
. motivation than it is a style of influence. Some of the most manipulative
people are those who come across as very loving, giving, and truth-
oriented. The result is influencing people to do what is not beneficial to
themselves. Persuasion, on the other hand, is basically influencing people
to do what is beneficial to themselves. Manipulation seeks to narrow the
num bel' of choices for the primary benefit ofthe leader. Persuasion seeks
to narrow the number of choices for the primary benefit of the followers.
Three groups of people exist in terms ofleadership. There are leaders.
There are collaborators (followers/nonleaders), and nonparticipants. Only
the first two groups are involved in the leadership relationship process.
Obviously, any number of leadership relationships are going on at any
50
 {139}

Leadershipfor the Twenty-fi1'st Cent1t7"y

given time. Sometimes, we are the leaders. Often, we are the collabora-
tors. And most often, we are nonparticipants. There are just too many
groups, too many good causes, for each of us to be a part of everything.
Each person must select the leadership processes in which he or she
wishes to participate. That is why church work can be such a challenge,
because sinful people want to avoid Gods call, and holy living is not
generally our first inclination. Church leadership thus has two challenges,
one innately spiritual and the other primarily leadership oriented. Only
Spirit-filled, effective leading can overcome these challenges.
By suggesting that a person is a nonparticipant, I do not mean that he
or she is not influenced by consequences of the leadership process. The
primary objective ofleadership is to change things. Where change is not
needed, leaders and leadership are not needed. Other relationships can
occur such as management, family, friendships, ministry, or whatever
brings two or more people together. Leadership is the unique relationship
desirable and necessary when intentional change or advancement is
needed.
We are allinfluencedbyvarious results ofleadership processes ofwhich
we are nonparticipants. One example is policies set by government when
we had no vote and even no idea of what was happening. Suddenly we
find ourselves paying more for a certain product or tax, or needing to file
certain forms. Voluntarily or involuntarily, we chose not to participate in
the leadership process, yet we were influenced by the outcomes of the
changes that leadership produced. Peripheral members in churches are
often nonparticipants in church leadership issues. They may become
affected by leadership changes which may.serve to alienate or engage
them.
CaialY:.t.e ·u..c group :v purst:~ intended chenges: The word cata-
lyze is an important one, because in recognizing that leadership is a
relationship, it is not assumed that leadership is something leaders do.
Rather, a leader is a person who helps make it happen. As a catalyst, a
leader willstrive to induce the social chemical reaction by initiating action.
By casting vision; networking; aligning people; discovering needs, wants,
potential, and barriers; and implementing available resources, the leader's
responsibility is to get the ball going. Leadership neyer assumes that the
leader will do it all, nor that all depends upon him. 1\S the 1<ey mnuencer,
it is the leader's responsibility that leadership takes place. The better the
catalyst, the more effective the individual is at leading. 'Lhe leader must
51
 {140 }

Leadership fOl' the Twenty-first Century

have a mental image of where the organization should go, and at least a
beginning idea of how to get there. Without this, a person will not have
the potential to bring about change. In rare cases a leader m3;Y not be the
primary vision-giver, but can facilitate the vision and energy of others to
catalyze leadership.
Churches and organizations which do not need to change do not really
need a leader. They need good management, a good chaplain, resolution
to stay on their course and perform the necessary actions in order to
maintain. The changes inferred in this definition ofleadership are not so
much the many daily changes which occur in a healthy maintenance
program, but rather those changes which either affect the' core of the
organization or which significantly affect the outcome of a certain product
or goal.
In the situation where change is not needed, the pastor (leader) would
act as a chaplain, public relations person, manager, consultant, preacher,
teacher, or whatever other skills the person could bring. In. the purest
sense, when things are going well, the leader would cease to be a leader
and would wear another hat. Organizations only need leadership as
changes are desired or needed.
The phrase pursuit ofintended changes reflects two specific concepts
important to this definition. First of all, intended changes implies that
organizational changes are intentional. Bysuggesting that churches need
to change, the implication is that without change they are staying the
same. This is not true. Life is forever changing. Organizations, like people,
are forever changing. Unfortunately, when change is not constructive and
progressive, it tends to be destructive and/or digreSSive. Churches, like
most orgl:tiJ:zai.ion:., tE:w.l toentrcp, without intentional renewal, There is
no such thing as an unchanging church in the truest sense, To stay the
same when society and the community changes is to become out of sync
with reaching the world effectively.Churches out of touch with the people
around them have changed in that they are no longer relevant. Change is
inevitable, but growth is intentional. As the old saying goes, "you can't step
in the same river twice." Some organizational changes are net good ones
and will adversely affect an organization after a time. Intended changes
mean that one or more people recognize what is not good, or what can be
better.
Pursuit of intended changes also implies that effective leadership can
take place without the successful completion of the changes. Pursuit
52
 {141}

Leadership fo·r the Twenty-first Century

means active toward completing, but it does not assume the realization
ofthe intended changes. The process ofeffective leadership can be taking
place ultimately with limited outcomes. There are many causes through-
out history that have been led by superior people and that resulted in
Significant groups of people moving for intended changes, that even so
had limited results. At other times we have heralded people as great
leaders who did little to catalyze leadership, but were associated with
Significant change. People who happened along at the right time and
place, or as in the church, who see an outpouring of God's blessings, may
not be better leaders than those who see lesser results while developing
people in leadership. Therefore, it is important not to confuse the health
of leadership as a process with the outcome of the process itself. Unfor-
tunately, we have labeled leaders as ineffective because oflimited results,
while at the same time they were very effective in stimulating leadership.
Naturally, a leader who appeared to be effective in leadership processes
which consistently did not produce significant changes would be ineffec-
tive.
A part of Jesus' messianic ministry involved leadership, namely bring-
ing about spiritual and thus social changes through his leadership groups
of the three, the twelve, and the seventy. From all outer appearances, the
leadership during his life on earth was only marginally successful when
rated in terms of actual output. However, he was very effective in the
process. Ultimately that was seen in the long-term effects of his impact
through the early church. The rest is history.

Leader
Obviously, leaders playa crucial role in the leadership relationship. The
problem is that the word leader is used in a number of different ways,
many which confuse one's understanding of effective leadership. Three
common themes follow.
One definition sees the leader as a person who is ahead of others,
whether it be in sequence, in prayer, in worship, in sales, or as a pacesetter.
We often refer to a company as a leader in a field, suggesting that it is
ahead of the others in size, innovation, service, or market share. Such an
organization or person may have little to do with leading in the way we
are using the term. The leader in a race is ahead of the pack, but rarely
involved in leadership. That person has not been given influence re-
53
 {142}

Leadership for the Twenty-first Cent·ury

sources from the others and is not catalyzing leadership in thl~ pursuit of
intentional change. The bottom line is that in a race, the runner is wanting
to win, to cross the line before the rest. The first place team or runner is
called the leader, even though the goal in competition is fenerally to
defeat the others, not to help them win. Team play and competition rarely
go hand in hand.
In a similar sense, we call people leaders if they stand outby demon-
strating certain skillssuch as teaching, prayer, worship, Bible s:udy, or any
number of possible behaviors. In the case of a worship leader, small group
leader, or prayer leader, the concept of leading is wrapped around a
specific role, behavior, and/or skill.For example, a music leader may have
few leadership gifts, but a talent in music may determine that person's
selection as music leader. This sort ofleader influences by modeling, but
does not necessarily catalyze leadership in terms of pursuing intentional
change. A person can demonstrate a skill and model a behavior without
catalyzing leadership. Such a view is a very incomplete leadership rela-
tionship. This is not to say that a worship leader, prayer leader, or person
filling such a role cannot lead in that role. However, the use of the word
leader with such an emphasis on modeling or formal initiating as in a
service provides a very inadequate picture and really does not help us
much in understanding how to be more effective leaders. Therefore, we
will not deal with this view any further.
The second most common use of the word leader is the person with
the most responsibility in an organization. A lack of clarity in expec-
tations between the pastor and board often creates tensions. When a
beard-led church seeks II pnstor.they maybe looking for a person who
will preach, teach, counsel, and manage. If they find someone to fill the
position, but the new pastor thinks it is his primary role to lead, to help
the congregation make changes, conflict can be expected. This happens
occasionally. Conversely, when a church seeks a leader, but the pastor
thinks it is his primal)' role to preach, counsel, and manage, both church
and pastor will be frustrated due to conflicting expectations. This happens
frequently.
Numerous assumptions are placed upon people who fill roles. The
leader is the one with the most responsibility for the health and welfare
of an organization. In most churches, the pastor is seen as that leader.
When leading is needed, the pastor ought to lead. Even when leading is
not needed, the person with the most responsibility is usually stillreferred
54
 {143}

Leadership for the Twenty-first Century

to as the leader, even though he may be performing any number of other
tasks (for example, public relations, managing, teaching, counseling).
Although a position does not make a leader, the hierarchical orientation
of our society recognizes that Within organizations we need those who are
in charge and who are to be held responsible. For example, a community
that needs a teacher will build a school. a classroom, and stock it with
desks and teaching aids. hoping to fmd a person who will fill the role of a
teacher. That person may not be a good teacher. She may sit behind the
desk and have a name on the door that says "teacher," but good teaching
is not guaranteed just because you have filled the position. We do similar
things with leaders. We note the need, create a position, locate it at the
top, and supply it with resources (plus sometimes quite a few perks) to
enable the leader to lead, but this does not guarantee effective leading
will transpire. Leadership Journal, a fine quarterly publication. is one
example of the popular notion that position means leadership. The title
would imply that the journal is about leadership, but very few articles
focus directly on leading. Most deal with ministerial concerns and church
management under the assumption that pastors are leaders by their very
position. People typically refer to a person as a leader, based on positional
responsibility for organizational health.
If you choose to define a leader in terms of the one most responsible
for church health, you would be better off to focus on the effectiveness
of a leader to catalyze leadership when it is needed. An effective leader
is a person who catalyzes leadership when it is necessary for the benefit
of an organization. The leader is effective when he or she is able to respond
appropriately when leading is necessary. The leader is ineffective when
he or she is. unable tf' ~prropriate!)' respond tc leaders':.. ;p situations where
change and organizing are required.
The weakness of a positional definition of a leader is that a pastor may
be deemed an effective leader when the organization is going well even
though he is really only managing and supervising, not leading. In other
words, we often refer to a person as a good leader who may be a good
manager or minister at the time, based on the perceived health and
stability of the church.
In addition, the person who is actually responsible for the health and
welfare of an organization mayor may not be the one who fills the official
position ofleader. Many churches and other groups are really led by those
without an officialposition. That is a difficult thing to understand for many
55
 {144}

Leadership for the Twenty-first Century

who have the officialposition. When the person in the leadership position
is not the one who actually leads, power struggles and division.of churches
and organizations will result. In most cases, we assume that the person in
the leader position will be the most responsible.
The third use of the word leader tends to be an ideal definition. A leader
is the person or persons with the most influence in a leadership
relationship. This definition is not consistent with positional leading.
Position raises expectations of the person in it and often provides some
influence resources, but it does not guarantee the ability to catalyze
leadership for intentional change. What so many pastors fail to realize is
that their position does NOT mean they are the leader as used in this
sense. Most of what we are taught assumes that the person holding the
position called "pastor" has the most influence or authority in a church.
Perhaps that is why seminaries and ministerial training programs do not
concern themselves with training in leadership: their graduates will be-
come positioned as pastors and be granted the influence or authority they
deserve after studying with scholars in the academy. But reality is that a
leader is the one with the most influence with or without any official
position. Leaders are those who influence others to change. Ifyou do not
have collaborators, then you are not a leader in the literalsense.
We cannot assume that parishioners are collaborators just because they
attend our church. A person can have a lot of people in his organization
without being a leader. Organizational membership does notguarantee a
leadership relationship. The view that a leader is the one with the most
influence is the purest definition of the term leader; for if: places the
preponderance of verificatio~ 'on ~hei:her 'or not tii.e person is actually
influencing toward intentional changes, not just given the title or position
of leader. Although the third definition of a leader is the preferred one in
this book, it is important to understand why there is so much 'difficulty in
teaching leadership. One main reason is that the most common definition
has to do with organizational responsibility versus real influence, Because
this latter definition is not the most common, you will need . to translate
the concepts of this book into conversations you have when: people talk
about leaders. A positional leader is often ineffective when it comes to
leading because a real leader is determined by the amount 'If influence
he possesses.
56
 {145}

Leadership for the Twenty-first Centw-y

Leading
A leader does not "do" leadership. Leading is what leaders do. Lead-
ership is generally a result of effective leading.
'Weknow leadership when we see it, but we have difficulty explaining
the process. A definition helps contain a term much like river banks serve
to channel water. Even if you do not agree with the definitions as I have
described them here, it would be a healthy process to debate them. We
often come to terms with our own definitions after we have argued for or
against their validity.

57
 146

APPENDIX W

A PARABLE FOR STAFF MEMBERS

(Source: Gaines Dobbins, A Ministering Church, p. 90)

Once upon a time a church called successively three

members to serve on its staff. The first said: "Here I ami
now your troubles are over. I will do everything that needs
to be done." So he took over, coming to the church early and
staying late, attending to an infinite multitude of details,
relieving everyone else of all possible responsibility. But
it came to pass that other staff members and the congregation
grew weary of his superindustriousness, and his job was given
to another. The second said: "Here I am. You do the work
while I do the planning and give the orders." And so he
installed push buttons on his desk, announced changes, and
publicized elaborate proposals, until the church was
continuously astir with activity like unto a beehive. But
again it came to pass that colleagues and congregation grew
weary from overwork and exasperated from taking ordersi so his
place was declared vacant and given to another. The third
said: "Here I am. Let us pray and plan and work together,
that we may serve him who has chosen us and appointed us that
we should go and bear fruit and that our fruit should abide."
And the seeds which they sowed fell in good soil and brought
forth abundantly.
 {147}

APPENDIX X

William Sprague, Paul's Servant-Lord Analogy

for the Relationship of a Believer in Christ
(Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2000)
Used by permission.

166 Paul'sServant-Lord Analogy for the Relationship of a Believerto Christ

church which God will lead into all the world to communicate the Gospel,
not in word only, but in power.?" The church is exhorted to imitate the
apostles and Christ." These passages, first of all, have reference to the
conduct of the church but entail the conscious and deliberate intention of
saving others. Ridderbos finds more direct stimuli to missionary activity
in Colossians 4:5, 6. Here, again, the missionary activity is in close
conjunction with conduct," Elsewhere, in Ephesians 6:15, Paul speaks of
"the readiness of the Gospel of peace" as necessary for the church, and he
urges it to join in the struggle for the faith in the Gospel (Phil. 1:27).
W. Oscar Thompson, Jr. reasons that our love of Christ will manifest
itself in a love of others. He postulates that "love is meeting needs,'?' He
says, "When Jesus becomes Lord of your life, you forfeit the right to
choose whom you will love.?" The love of Christ and others will result
in efforts to meet their needs. Meeting their needs also provides
opportunities to share the Gospel. Throughout salvation-history God is
at work reconciling the world to Himself. God uses Christians in this
work." God engineers circumstances to bring people across the path of
a believer. The positive response of the believer results in an opportunity
to evangelize these people."
It is evident from other statements that the churches responded to this
admonition of the apostle. Such passages as 1 Thessalonians 1:7, Romans
1:8, and Philippians 1:5, 12 "show clearly that the sound that went forth
from them had a good ring to it."3s The church applied themselves to the
end that the Word quickly spread abroad and that their faith was spoken
of by others. They had a "warm, active involvement in the progress of the
Gospel" (Phil. 1:5).36 Ridderbos offers the plausible conjecture that the
lack of need to stimulate the church to missionary activity contributes to
the relative paucity of exhortation in this vein. It was not so much
necessary to motivate the church to activity, as that this activity be
manifested in the right manner, i.e., not in words only, but, above all, in
good works." The ultimate object of the life and subsequent missionary
work of the church is not the numerical growth or prestige of the church
itself, "but the revelation of the full eschatological salvation in Christ, of
whom the church is the pleroma, that is to say, the bearer of the glory of
Christ.?"
In Galatians 6:9, Paul says, "Let us not become weary in doing good
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Lightfoot says that TeX KO'\eX means right actions. Its meaning includes
those actions that are beautiful in themselves, things that are absolutely
good." Martin Luther says that the Christian's service should be "liberal
 {148 }

Implications for the Church 167

and bountiful" towards all men. This service should be rendered without
weariness or cessation. He believes this encouragement is needed,
because it is easy to be discouraged by the ingratitude of those to whom
we have done good." Lightfoot says that we should not tum cowards or
lose heart, or faint, as a vinedresser overcome with heat." The believer
is to give untiring, Christian service to others.
Rather than through heroic effort on the part of man, the work of the
church is to be accomplished by walking by the Spirit." Ridderbos, says,
"Well-doing is an epitome of all that is involved in walking by the
Spir't,":" Paul is not intending that believers should do good works out
of any other motivation than the impelling nature of the indwelling Holy
Spirit Hendriksen says that it is entirely possible Paul is thinking
especially of helping one in need, whether spiritual or physical." In 2
Corinthians 9: 13, Paul relates the confession of the Gospel to generosity,
a c.i",ed done toward those who are in need.
It is inevitable that service of man will result from having faith in
Jesus Christ. George Barker Stevens says, "N 0 faith is saving which does
not appropriate Christ'S Spirit and lead the heart to consecration and
obedience and all the powers to action and service.'?" When faith is
placed in Jesus Christ, the believer becomes His servant and is under
obligation to promulgate the Gospel and to live a life worthy of the
Gospel. By being an obedient servant of Christ, the Christian places
himself in a position to be used by God in the process of reconciliation of
man to God.

God Equips Believers For Service

God is at work reconciling the lost to Himself. He enlists and equips

obedient believers for this endeavor. For the empowerment of the
Christian's service of God Jesus has given to individuals within lilt:
church certain grace gifts, Xcxpio)Jcxrcx. There were various gifts of God
such as wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracle power, prophecy,
discerning of the spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues (I Cor.
12:8-10). All these were gifts of the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same
God (l Cor. 12:4 - 6: II). No gift was the exclusive property of anyone
Christian (1 Cor. 12:9).
No two lists of spiritual gifts are identical." Stagg believes this
indicates a fluid rather than a fixed teaching and practice." Nine gifts of
the Spirit are listed in I Corinthians 12:8-10, eight such gifts in I
Corinthians 12:28-30, seven in Romans 12:6-8, and five in Ephesians
 {149}

168 Paul's Servant-LordAnalogy for the Relationship ofa Believer to Christ

4: 11, with the longer lists lacking some of the gifts included in some of
the shorter ones. The list of gifts, then, are not all inclusive and are
intended to be representative ofthe gifts and miniseries God has bestowed
upon the church. .
All ministries are enabled through the endowment of the xapIOlJaTa
for the purposes of God. Frank Stagg says that there is no distinction in
the New Testament between the charismatic ministry and the institutional
ministry. The ministry is charismatic in every part. Stagg says, however,
ministry is always institutional in the sense it is always concerned with the
proper growth and functioning of the church." Ridderbos agrees with this
position and correctly insists that the emphasis of the lists in Romans 12,
1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4, which includes denotations of specific
offices, concerns the material significance, that is the characteristics, of
the office rather than the official institution." MacArthur, in agreement
with Fee,so believes the primary point of Paul in listing the offices and
gifts of 1 Corinthians 12:8 is to emphasize the varieties of ministries and
gifts which God bestows upon believers." God distributes the gifts
according to His sovereign purpose (l Cor. 12:11). It is the responsibility
ofthe Christian to accept with gratitude the ministry he is given and to use
it with faithfulness.
Every spiritual gift that arises in the church should be evaluated as to
its "value for upbuilding.?" The xapiOlJaTa includes all that Christ
works in the church to its upbuilding and fulfillment. In Romans 12:6
XOpiOlJoTa is used to denote all the workings and ministries of the
church. Every local church is fully equipped to serve the Lord, just as
every believer is fully equipped to serve Him. Ifthere is any deficiency
in the church, according to MacArthur, it is because the church has not
recognized and used what God has provided.v Tiod is the giver of the
gifts, and the gifts are concerned with the building up of the body of
Christ.
According to Ridderbos,

It is evident even from this general use of charisma that one may not
restrictthe contentof this idea to the unusual and spectacular, such as the
performance of healings, speaking in tongues, being in a condition of
ecstasy, etc. For while these special charismataget particular (critical)
attention in I Corinthians 12-14,in Romans 12 and Ephesians 4 they are
not mentioned at all.54
 {ISO}

Implications fortheChurch 169

The charismatic gifts are not only that which is beyond the ordinary, or
that which is solely concerned with the inner religious life. The
charismatic gifts are everything that the Spirit wishes to utilize for
equipping and upbuilding the church. They can serve for instruction and
admonition and for ministering to one another, or even the effective
direction and government of the church."
Hierarchial distinctions between what is to be valued in the gifts and
service in the church must be rejected, for it is the same Spirit and the
same Lord, and the same God who provides the gifts.56 The gifts are
given by the ascended Christ to his people to enablethem to function and
develop as theyshould. Those that are named in Ephesians 4: II, apostles,
evangelists, pastors and teachers, are to perform their ministries in such
a way as to help other members of the church exercise their own
respective ministries." Bruce says no member is left without some kind
ofserviceto perform." The diversity of the gifts finds its harmony in the
unity of the body (l Cor. 12:7).59 All the gifts have been placed at the
service of the body of Christ with the ultimate object of the service and
glorification of God himself in Christ." God has equipped every believer
in the church with spiritual gifts which are to be used for the service of
each other, for the building up of the body, and for ministries to those
outside the fellowship.
Various studies and questionnaires have been developed to assist the
believer to identify the specific spiritual gifts which God has endowed
upon him." These gifts,however, are bestowed by Jesus for the purpose
of meeting the needs of others, for the edification of the church, and
evangelization of the lost. It is the reality of giftedness that produces
fruitfulness in Christian ministry. According to Barna, when Christians
are utilizingthe spiritual gifts they .gen~rally find a greater fulfillment in
ministry." When the laity and the pastor are experiencingsatisfaction in
ministry they will be more active and less vulnerable to fatigue and
burnout.

The Pastor's Role in Equipping Believers

nOII-1~V, pastor or shepherd, is used eighteen times in the New

Testament, but Ephesians 4: 11 is the only place it is translated as pastor.
At otjer places it is translated as shepherd. Accordingto E. Beyreuther,
in Ephesians 4:11 pastor is not an official title but a characteristic function
of those who have responsibility for the care of the local church."
 {lSI}

170 Paul's Servant-Lord Analogy for the Relationship of a Believer to Christ

Joachim Jeremias agrees that at the time of the writing of Ephesians,

pastor was not yet an established title." .
Pastors are mentioned in Ephesians 4: 11 in one breath with teachers.
This does not imply an identity, according to Ridderbos, but does point
to a close relationship between the work of pastors and teachers." The
emphasis is on the function and not the office. Jeremias believes that
pastors and teachers comprised a single group within the church, because
both pastor and teacher ministered to individual. congregations."
MacArthur, who inclines more toward an Institutional interpretation,
believes the linkage between pastor and teacher in this verse is sufficiently
strong to warrant the hyphenation of the two as pastor-teacher. The
emphasis, he says, is on the pastor's ministry of teaching." As the
apostolic era came to a close, he says, the office of pastor-teacher
emerged as the highest level of local church leadership. Thus it carried
the greatest amount of responsibility." Rengstorf sees pastor and teacher
as identical in this passage. By nature, he says, the pastor is responsible
for the life of the church, and, therefore, teaching is the widest sense a
part of his duty."
The early leadership of the church was collegiate as opposed to
monarchial. In Titus 1:5, 7 it is probable that the terms npeol3un:pos
and enioKonos are interchangeable. This is also evident from their use
in Acts 20: 17 and 28. In their special tasks of exhorting and refuting
objectors, the early church leaders continue the juridical role of elders in
the synagogue in the form ofa presiding group." .
The pastor was one of the elders of the church. The church had a
plurality of elders (Acts 20: I7) who were responsible for being caretakers
for the church. With the elders lies the primary responsibility to preach
and teach (l Tim. 5: 17). They are to determine doctrinal issues for the
church and have the responsibility of proclaiming truth to the
congregation. In listing the spiritual qualifications of the overseer, I
Timothy 3 :2-7 gives only one qualification that relates to a specific
function: he must be able to teach.
Titus 1:7-9 also emphasizes the significance of the elder's
responsibility as a teacher: "the overseer must ... be able to exhort in
sound doctrine and to refute those who contradlct.''" He must be able to
understand and teach sound doctrine and to refute the.false teachers. The
Greek work nopaKoA8w is translated as "exhort" in these verses.
napaKaMw literally means "to call near.?" In the New Testament
exhortation involves persuasion (Acts 2: 14), pleading (2 Cor. 8: 17),
 {152}

Implicationsfor the Church 171

comforting (I Thes. 2: I 1), encouraging (1 Thes. 4: 1), and patient

reiterating of important doctrine (2 Tim. 4:2). Acts 20:28-30 emphasizes
the fact, that the protecting ministry of the overseer is essential for
countering the threat offalse teachers.
Teaching is an essential part of pastoral ministry. Bruce believes it is
appropriate that pastor and teacher should be joined together in order to
denote one order of ministry." The interchangeable nature of
npeo/3UT€pO~ and errloxonos, the fact that their duties included
overseeing the flock, and the requirementthat they should be apt to teach,
strengthens the argument that the designation of pastor-teacher in
Ephesians 4: 11 is not intended as a title, but a characteristic function of
those who are leadersofthe flock and bear the responsibility of equipping
the saints for service.
The believer exists for works of service. Moule accurately contends
that because the believer is a limb of the body of Christ, the believer is to
render service for Christ. He is to yield himself unto God and his own
members as instrumentsof righteousness. The function ofthe pastor and
teacher is to help the believer by equipping him for a life of service.
Maule says the pastor is to do "all he can to quicken the saints' conscience
in the work of the Lord, and to animate his zeal, and to welcome his
activity, and in all wise and kindly ways to seek to make the most of it by
guiding and combining it.,,74
Paul made provision for the continuity of teaching in succeeding
generations. Timothy is directed by Paul to pursue a teaching ministry
and to entrust what he has learned "tofaithful men who will be able to
teach others also.'?' The truth ofthe Gospel, the apostolic tradition, is to
be passed on to others who will be able to repeat t!le procecscf equipping
the saints.
In Ephesians 4:12Paul states that these various forms ofministry were
given to the people of God to equip them for the diversity of service
which they were to render in the community of believers, so that the
community as a whole, the body of Christ, would be built up. Bruce
believes that the three prepositional phrases in this verse are not
coordinate, parallel, one with another, but the second and third phrases are
dependent on the first." The New International Version has correctly
understood the sense of this dependency as it says, "to prepare God's
people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up."
The dependency is reflected in Paul's selection of prepositions. He uses
npos to introduce the first prepositional phrase and sls for each of the
second and third phrases. The King James Version obscures the
 {153}

172 Paul's Servant-Lord Analogy for the Relationship of a Believer to Christ

dependency by translating the passage as "for the perfecting of the saints,

for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."
I cannot agree with Eadie when he states that the pastor-teacher is the
one who is doing the ministry rather than preparing the believers, 0 i
aylol, the holy ones, God's people, for works of service, He cites Meyer,
Ellicott and Alford as being influential toward altering his opinion from
an earlier perspective, which was more in agreement with Ridderbos,
MacArthur, Bruce, and Moule." The laity, in Maule's opinion, has an
important place in the work of service. This service includes witnessing
and teaching. The clergy exists, as a result of a calling and giftedness
from God, for the equipping of the laity." The interpretation supported
by Eadie is not consistent with Romans 12:5-8 where Paul says that the
spiritual gifts are given to every believer for the building up of the church.
The metaphorical mode of expression "pastor" carries the implication
that the pastor, like the shepherd of a flock of sheep, is involved in the
leadership and care of the church. Philippians 1:1 implies an office of
overseer. Pastors have general guidance responsibilities of the church (l
Tim. 5: 17).79 It is required of the leaders of the church that they be aptto
teach." Elders charged with preaching and teaching are to be held in
highest honor (I Tim. 5:17). Teachers have the task of explaining the
Christian faith to others and of providing a Christian exposition of the Old
Testament." The function of the pastor is to transmit the "apostolic
tradition, both as it concerns its great redemptive-historical content and
the paraenesis arising from it."B! Calvin reminds the church that the
equipping of the saints is not a singular event. It irvolves a continuous
activity which is repeated and with increasingly thoroughness and depth."
Teaching and tradition are very closely related in Paul's writing.
Therefore, one must understand teachers as those who were comperent to
instruct others in the Christian tradition and precepts (1 Cor. 4: 17). They
are to teach the whole content of the Gospel and the manner in which one
is to live from it.84
God did not intend for the official leaders ofthe church to be the only
ones who are involved in ministry. Every believer is equipped and called
to ministry. Each believer is to serve others within the body and spread
the Gospel to those beyond the church. Edge has said that the priesthood
of the believer points to a climax in Christian work and witness in what
is done in the world during the week. The Sunday activities are to prepare
the believer for that ministry." He says that the primary ministry of the
laity must be performed in the world. The laity, being much more
 {154}

Implications for theChurch 173

numerous than the clergy, is the spearhead of the church in the world."
According to Edge,

Every Christian has a ministry which, under God, he must fulfill. He

cannot paysomeone else to doiteither bybuying indulgences or tithing.
Therefore, every person who commits himself to Christ should understand
that in entering theChristian fellowship he thereby is covenanting with
God toaccept and fulfill this ministry. He ought to understand and accept
this responsibility before he unites with thechurch. s7

The greatest frustration felt by pastors is that they. alone carry the
burden of ministry accomplishment." When believers recognizetheir call
to be servants of Christmore Kingdom work will occur, and both the laity
and the pastors will be blessed.
The 'pastoral office provides governing influence and admonition to
the church, as well as the preaching of the Gospel. John Calvin has said
that the pastoral office is necessary to preserve the church." The pastor
protects the church from false doctrine and equips the believers for the
ministryto which God has called each one. Those given the pastoral and
teaching gifts have one great task in common, according to Franklin M.
Segler. They must exercise their ministry in such a way that the saints
shall be perfected or equipped in order that they too, may become
effective ministers. He says, "The supreme goal of all Christian service
is that those who are served shall give their own livesto Christ, by whose
grace and for whose glory all true serviceis rendered.?" By the faithful
performance of his ministryof equippingthe saints,the pastor enables the
believers to perform ministries within. tl-Je church and .beyond. .y~e.
performance of the ministries results in keeping the believers in right
relationship with one anotheras they use their God given spiritual gifts to
serve each other out of love. As the believers use the gifts for good deeds
toward rhose outside the church and preach the Gospel to them, the
church fulfills its missionary calling.
Careful attention must be paid to the complete development of the
laity. Proper training of the laity will, according to Edge, include
theolog.cal and practical training." Training the laity only in the
techniques of witnessing is insufficient. Full spiritual growth, an
understanding of the doctrines of the faith, and a finn grasp on the Word
of God are essential for each believer to serve God in the most effective
manner.. :
 {ISS}

174 Paul's Servant-Lord Analogy for the Relationship of a Belleverto Christ

When the believers accept their role as servants of Christ and the
pastor begins to equip the laity for the ministry a significant change
occurs. The pastor, instead of being the one who is expected to do the
work of ministry, becomes a player-coach, ministering alongside his
people and coaching them as they fulfill their ministries." David Haney
says that instead of the torchbearer, the pastor becomes the lamplighter."
This change must occur if the church is to become what it is designed to
be. There is too much to be done for the church to continue in the pastor-
only leadership style." Pastors must begin to look for the ministries
bound up in others if the church is to be a redemptive society with the
ministry of reconciliation."
Trueblood states that when believers become convinced and dedicated
to the servant-Lord relationship to Christ they are in a position to realize
the joy and power in daily service of the Lord Jesus Christ. The believer
begins to know the joy of being used for a mighty purpose which gives
dignity to life." He also recommends that pastors prepare well so they
can equip well." Trueblood recognizes that the pastor can equip only
those who desire to be equipped. The pastor, however, can facilitate the
kindling of the fire in the hearts of believers with solid Biblical preaching
and teaching which encourages a closeness to Jesus Christ. The starter of
the fire is Christ. The means of achieving a real blaze is through
"confronting Him as steadily and as directly as is humanly possible."

Conclusion

The believer's freedom in Christ is not a license to indulge. the sinful

nature. Rather, the change of ownership experienced by the believer
places him in servitude to Christ and includes certain ethical requirements.
The practical consequence of commitment to Christ finds expression in
the service of others. This service is rendered as a result of the love of
Christ being displayed in the believer.
The believer's relationship to Christ also results in an obligation to
spread the Gospel to the unsaved. Thus, the believer is to live in such a
manner that the Gospel is not brought under criticism. The life of the
believer is to be worthy of the Gospel. The believer is exhorted not to
grow weary in doing good deeds. Constant vigilance is required in the
Christian life. The church's missionary calling is not to be undermined by
lack of obedience or loss of courage.
Each Christian is given spiritual gifts by God for the fulfillment of the
ministry to which God has called him. Neither the individual nor the
 {156}

Implications for the Church 175

church is left without any ofthe gifts necessary for what God has called
him or them to do. These gifts are not the exclusive property of anyone
Christian but are to be used for the building up of the church. The gifts
are tobe used for the service of each other, for the building up of the
body.and for ministries to those outside the fellowship.
The Pastor's role is to equip the saints for works ofservice. Those of
the early churches who had responsibility for overseeing the church had,
as a significantpart of their ministry, the obligation to teach the believers.
By the faithful performance of his ministry of equipping the saints, the
pastor enables the believers to perform ministries within the church and
beyond. The faithful performance of the ministries keeps the believers in
right relationship with one another as they use the God given spiritual
gifts to serve each other out of love. Good deeds directed toward those
outside the church are important as the church fulfills its missionary
calling.

Notes

I. Gal. 4:5-7; Rom 8:15,23.

2.. Rengstorf, "OoO,\os," 2:270.
3.' 1 Cor. 7:22; Eph. 6:6.
4.' Rengstorf, "OoO,\os," 2:270.
5. William Hendriksen, Galatians, Ephesians (Grand Rapids: Baker Book
House; 1979), 210.
6. Ibid.
7. R. Tuente, "Slave," 3:597
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.,3:.598..
10 Ridderbos, Paul, 437.
I J: Ibid.
12. Herman N. Ridderbos, The Epistle ofPaul to the Churches ofGalatia,
trans. Henry Zylstra (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdrnans, 1953), 199-200.
13' Ibid., 20 I.
14: Ibid.
u, E. Huxtable, Galatians, in The Pulpit Commentary, eds. H. D. M. Spence
and Joseph S. Exell (New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1913),249.
16 Ibid., 250.
17. George S. Duncan, The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians. ed. James
Moffatt (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1934), 162.
18. Martin Luther, A Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians,
trans. Erasmus Middleton, ed. John Prince fallowcs (London: The Harrison Trust,
n.d.),325-6.
 {157}

APPENDIX Y

Kenneth Gangel, Team Leadership in Christian Ministry

(Chicago: Moody Press, 1997), Used by permission.

A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

Derived Principles
Once again, one could list pages of lessons in life and min-
istry available from these men and their colleagues, but we shall
limit ourselves to only three.
1. Leadership requires deep conviction in God's will for
both leaders and followers. We talk a great deal today about mis-
sion statements and long-range planning. The lives of the
prophets were constantly futuristic, clearly committed to what
God wished to do with them .and with the people He had called
them to serve. .
2. Leadership requires clear theological perspective. On
the surface, the casual reader might conclude that God sent His
prophets only to pronounce doom and warn against judgment. In
reality, however, they constantly served as national guardsmen,
protecting the purity of the covenant and its essential doctrinal
content. They regularly confronted false prophets and consistent-
ly defended the Lord God's word, often at the risk of their own
lives.
3. Leadership requires an awareness of contemporary sur-
roundings. To be sure, at times Ezekiel appeared to live in some
distant world, never visited by his contemporaries. However,
eccentricity was merely one of his character traits. Most at the
prophets, notably Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, stayed sharply
tuned to the needs and hurts of their day. They directed their
messages with a profound sense of divine vocation. Indeed, the
very meaning of the word "prophet," nabi, comes from a root
meaning "one who is called."

LEADERSHIP IN THE GOSPELS AND ACTS

According to Kennon Callahan, the key to effective
church leadership lies in moving from what he calls "professional
minister" to "missionary pastor." "The professional minister
.movement," he writes, "was a cultural reflection of the broader

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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

cultural movement toward professionalism. To be sure, much

was gained. And it worked as long as the culture was 'a churched
culture."
The professional minister, as described by Callahan, was
reactive, passive, organizational, and institutional. The mission-
ary pastor, on the other hand, is proactive, intentional, relational,
and missional. Leadership then becomes the ability to lead a
group toward discovery and fulfillment. Callahan concludes,

Leadership is more than management, bosses, ennoblement, or

charismatic direction. To be a leader is to be more than any of
these. "More" here is not to be understood as "better." It is
simply that the leader resonates with the whole of life; others
resonate only with part of life. That is why the leader is the
leader.ls

This is an interesting idea. But our purpose is not to chase

the rabbit trails of contemporary theory or cultural constructs;
rather we want to see whether Callahan and others actually grasp
the biblical handle on our subject.

Key Words
As the funnel narrows, the importance of key words in the
new covenant ~ecornec ever more obvious. Here we encounter
the exact statements made by our Lord to His disciples regarding
how they should carry His mission in the world-how they must
become leaders like Him. Of primary concern in the Gospels (as
well as later in the Epistles) is the word begeomai, which appears
twenty-seven times in twenty different chapters of the' New Testa-
ment. It simply means ruler or chief (Matt. 2:6; Acts 7:10; 14:12;
26:2).
But two uses stand out in this portion of Scripture (to our
great profit) regarding the nature of new covenant leadership.
The first appears in Luke 22:26, clearly a high-water mark on
our subject. The disciples have been arguing among themselves

54
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A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

on the very night of the Crucifixion. They have fallen into dis-
pute, a pbiloneihia, literally meaning "rivalry." Because of their
fondness for strife and personal gain, the disciples verbally attack
one another in their attempt to gain political prominence in what
they expected would be an immediately forthcoming earthly
kingdom.
In the midst of their political power play, the Lord likens
their behavior to the Hellenistic monarchs who ruled Egypt and
Syria. He begins His statement in verse 26 with a strong contrast
construction: "But you ... not so." The full verse reads, "But
you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest arriong you
should be like the youngest, and the one who rules [the
hegeomai] like the one who serves."
Still another reference of importance appears in Acts
15:22, where we learn that after the resolution of the Gentile
question at the Jerusalem Council the church "chose Judas
(called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among
the brothers." The plurality of team leadership and significance
ofservanthood surface very early in the New Testament text.
A second word of extreme importance in the New Testa-
ment is oikonomos appearing in ten verses scattered over ten
J

chapters from Luke to 1 Peter. The word commonly translates as

"steward" (though "manager" is acceptable), "and the verb form
indicates someone who has been entrusted wii.li responsibility.
Paul himself is an oikonomos (1 Cor. 4:1) and fulfills the primary
qualification of this leadership dimension-faithfulness.
As the word group derived from episcopos reaches the
New Testament, we find almost a singular theme-caring. In five
uses of the standard noun, four deal with the leader of the com-
munity (Acts 20:28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:7), and 1 Peter
2:25 refers to Christ as the guardian of souls. The verb episkep-
tomai commonly describes the loving and seeking care of God.
The word refers to Moses in Acts 7:23 and to Paul and Barnabas
in Acts 15:36.
The Old Testament thrust of punishment seems complete-

55
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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

ly replaced) giving way to a caring rather than ruling theme. Luke

introduces the expression presbyteroi in Acts 11 to describe those
who exercised leadership in the Jerusalem church. The word also
appears in Acts 14:23 and Acts 20: 17. In the latter context, epis-
capos and presbyteros are viewed as synonymous.
One other term requires mention here in view of modern
preference for the term "pastor." The word is poimen (shepherd),
and we learn early in the New Testament that the primary refer-
ence is to the Lord Himself (Matt. 26:31; John 10). Jeffrey Rada
argues)

Paul's leadership terminology was fluid enough that he did not

feel compelled here (Eph. 4:11) to list every Greek word for
leadership, nor in any other of his lists of the gifts. While, as we
shall see later, the words for the eldership are interchangeable,
there is no use of "pastor" (poimen) to compel us to equate it
with either "preacher" or "minister." ... Thus Paul's fluid use
of leadership terminology is meant to denote the emphasis of
each particular elder; not to hermetically compartmentalize his
office and create an office for every function in the body. It then
becomes unnecessary for us to invent a new office of "pastor"
to legitimize such a compartmentalization of leadership re-
sponsibilities.'?

Whether one agrees with Rada or not, it seems dear that

we have fogged in the participatory and multiple nature of team
leadership iii the New Testament. Any kind of focus on 'iJduirti-
nant pastoralrole which creates a single-leader churi.'h (a rather
common concept in some church-growth literature of the late
twentieth century) dilutes the biblical emphasis on team leader-
ship.

Character Studies
Clearly the key to understanding Christian leadership
requires learning to lead like the Lord. In the dramatic eleventh
chapter of Matthew (vv. 25-30), Jesus describes His leadership as

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A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

gentle and humble. In the chapter that follows, He quotes from

Isaiah 42 to describe the chosen servant as one who "will not
quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A
bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not
snuff out" (Matt. 12:19-20a). As I suggested in Feeding and
Leading,

Evangelical leaders following the gentleness and humility of

Christ recognize they are neither the single nor final authority;
they decentralize decision-making and develop the leadership
qualities of their colleagues. The pastor is the coach, not the
general manager, and certainly not the team owner.18

Our Lord's work with the disciples provides a pattern of

group leadership worthy of the most diligent study. I find it
amazing how few current Christian leaders have carefully
worked their way through A. B. Bruce's The Training of the
Twelve. James Hind notes, "If there was one modern manage-
ment trait that carried Jesus Christ from a nobody to a some-
body, it was His service to and for the benefit of others-His ser-
vant leadership. "19
James, moderator of the Jerusalem church, provides a sec-
ond valuable character study in the New Testament. He was
Jesus' half brother and the author of the epistle of James. Though
not directly trained by the Lord Himself, James modeled team
leadership by moderating a public assembly with a broad view to
the greatest possible benefit of the body of Christ; he allowed all
viewpoints to be appropriately aired, summarizing the consensus
of the assembly, and preserving the unity of the saints.
Finally we need to look at Barnabas, who rose from an
apparent layman's role in Jerusalem to become leader of the sec-
ond New Testament church at Antioch. He affords a brilliant
example of unthreatened, secure leadership, willing to thrust oth-
ers (Saul of Tarsus) toward the greatest potential of their gifts,
never defending his own turf or holding on to position for per-
sonal prestige. God moved him out of his first and only "senior

57
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TEAH LEADERSIUP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

pastorate" after one year, and then Barnabas started out joyously
to lead the first missionary journey. Yet leadership. was soon
passed to his former assistant and, though John Mark seems
somewhat offended by the change, Barnabas never misses a stride.
Some would fault him for his argument with Paul at the
end of Acts 15. But even there the positive note emphasizes his
long-term commitment to John Mark and the ultimate results
produced in that young man who became profitable for ministry
under the tutelage and modeling of Barnabas. Richards and
Hoeldtke write:

The New Testament's picture of the servant as one who does,

rather than one who adopts the leadership style of the world
and tells, has a unique integrity. The Christian both hears the
Word from his spiritual leader and sees the Word expressed in
his person. The open life of leaders among-not over-the
brothers and sisters is a revelation of the very face of Jesus. And
to see Jesus expressing Himself in a human being brings the
hope that transformation might be a possibilityfor me too.20

Derived Principles
Perhaps here we should paraphrase John, suggesting that
if every leadership principle available in the Gospels or in Acts
were written down, perhaps the whole world would not have
room tor the booksthat would be written (JOlu1 21 :25). But sev-' .
eral things stand out with piercing impact for the needs of today's
church.
1. Leadership is servanthood. Commenting on Matthew
20:25-28, Francis Cosgrove says: "This teaching of leading by
serving continues to have an unfamiliar ring in an age that calls
for us to do everything we can to climb to the top. The Bible
teaches that to lead is to serve. We may recognize the truth of this
concept and respond positively. The problem, however, is doing it
day-to-day. "21 He goes on to suggest that when we define the
concept biblically, a servant is a person who doesn't exercise his

58
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A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

own will but rather submits it in order to please his master. He

also demonstrates the importance of serving another without any
assurance of reward.P Someone once asked Lome Sanny how it
is possible to know whether one functions as a servant. Sanny
replied, "By the way you react when people treat you like one."
2. Leadership is stewardship. We need not return to a
detailed study of oikonomos to emphasize again the concept of
stewardship. In the parable of the faithful and wise manager, we
had better notice that the oikonomos is placed in charge of other
servants, not to give them their orders but to distribute their food
allowance. He holds an absolute responsibility for awareness of
the master's will and carries out his tasks in light of the master's
return.
3. Leadership is shared power. Current secular leadership
literature talks a good bit about empowering others. Practically,
leadership in business and politics centers on grasping, retaining, '
and using power. Such concepts run totally counter to the New
Testament. John Stott correctly reminds us that "Christian lead-
ers serve not their own interests but rather the interests of others"
(Phil. 2:4). This simple principle should deliver the leader from
excessive individualism, extreme isolation, and self-centered em-
pire building. Leadership teams, therefore, are more healthy than
solo leadership.P
My own view is well documented in my writings-the
proper climate for leadership development emphasizes a decen-
tralized institutional philosophy. Our goal is to push decision
making and authority as far down the ranks as possible so that
the people who live with actual implementation have a major
voicein the decision.

We must develop (a) a climate of respect focusing on individual

worth and dignity and encouraging people to contribute their
ideas; (b) a climate of trust in which people learn to trust their
own abilities and those of. others, unthreatened by constant
changes and policy in program; (c) a climate of acceptance
where, within the appropriate boundaries, people haveroom to

59
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TEAl-f LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

think and move, to consider changes in their own belief sys-

tems, and more important, in methods of ministry; (d) a cli-
mate of discovery which recognizes that new leaders will make
mistakes, that alternative solutions need to be explored with-
out the pressures of immediate answers, and with tolerancefor
ambiguity in tough problems; and (e) a climate of depth-
depth of spiritual dimensions in individual and corporate lead-
ers and also depth" on the bench."24

LEADERSHIP IN THE EPISTLES AND REVELATION

If the Twelve demonstrated the practical outworking of
Christ's teachings in the book of Acts, it was left f01; Paul and
other epistle writers to formulate New Testament doctrine,
including what we might call "a biblical theology of leadership."

Key Words
The gift of leadership identified in Romans 12:8 by the
Greek word prohistemi must occupy our attention for a moment.
The word appears in eight verses throughout five charters of the
New Testament with special focus on the verb form ('":manage")
in the Pastoral Epistles.
In Romans 12:8 and 1 Thessalonians 5:12 we find a spe-
cial emphasis on caring for others. This New Testament combi-
nation of caring and leading gives us the servant model of team
leadership. '
Though the noun form appears only three times in the
New Testament, hubernetes is crucial to our overall study of
leadership. Two passages (Acts 27:11; Rev. 18:17) use the word
in its traditional classical sense of helmsman or manager of a
ship. In 1 Corinthians 12:28 Paul takes the related term kuberne-
sis and impregnates it with theological significance as the gift of
administration.
Yet a third word occupies our attention here, one which
has drawn enormous controversy in the late twentieth-century
church. I refer to kepbale, which occurs twelve times in the Epis-

60
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A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP

tIes, most commonly "designatingJesus as Head of the church. In

the other instances, it refers to relationships between husbands
and wives. Richards observes that, "Neither in any of these nor
in Revelation's 18 uses of head is there any indication that 'head-
ship' refers to leaders in the body of Christ! "25 I include the word
here to emphasize its negation in the New Testament. A serious
commitmentto the servant-steward-sharing model of New Testa-
ment leadership rejects authoritarian and autocratic roles for
those who propose to lead God's people.
Finally we need to take a brief look at diakonia, often
linked with various New Testament offices. The word commonly
means "ministry" or "service," and it appears thirty-seven times
in the verb form and thirty-four times as a noun in the New Tes-
tament. The masculine diakonos has an additional thirty refer-
ences. The diversity ranges wide, from Matthew to Revelation,
and most frequently the term means to serve or care for others. It
takes particular poignancy in 1 Timothy 3 in relation to the office
of a deacon (vv. 8, 10, 12-13) and in Paul's frequent use of the
word in reference to himself (e.g., Col. 1:23-25). Viewpoints dif-
fer widely on this subject. As we have noted earlier, Rada insists
that the New Testament cannot be made to say "that the role of
'minister' exists distinct from elders and that they were the r"nt:l-
types of this office. "26
Whatever position one adopts on that question, it seems
clear thM the conrept. of diakonia emphasizes again the servant
leadership concept which Jesus initiated in the Gospels.

Character Studies
It is impossible in this segment to bypass the apostle Paul.
His constant activity of modeling and mentoring, encouraging
and exhorting, teaching and training, exemplifies New Testament
leadership at its zenith. He describes his own leadership in 1 Thes-
salonians, offering a contrast with first-century pagan under-
standings. In 2:1-6 he identifies what he did not do among the

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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

believers there. Then in 2:7-12 he describes a process of nurture

and family care, depicting himself as a nursing mother: a patient
schoolteacher, a mother bird, and a loving father. These metaphors,
though uncommon to the modern North American ear, undeni-
ably imprint the text.
As we follow Paul's trail it doesn't take us long to come to
Timothy, the quintessential disciple, the end result of modeling
and mentoring. How much of what we know about church lead-
ership is embodied in this young man because of Paul.'s two let-
ters! In looking at the life of Timothy we learn that biblical ser-
vants avoid false doctrine; they aim toward godly living; they
activate and use their spiritual gifts; and they accept the' challenge
God has placed before them in whatever leadership role He has
prescribed. From family preparation to pastoral problems, Timo-
thy provides a brilliant example of how leadership is learned
behavior.
Finally, we must note also the group we commonly call
"the Ephesian elders," whose dramatic appearance h Acts 20
demonstrates for us what God expects of lay leaders in local con-
gregations. These elders (v. 17) and overseers (v. 28) served as
shepherds ipresbyteros, episcopos, and poimen all appear in the
same context and describe the same people). We link Acts 20
with Ephesians 4:11-16 to see precisely how this kind of leader-
ship creates strength, in the unified body' of any given congrega-
tion.

Derived Principles
At the risk of being accused of forced alliteration in both
New Testament lists of principles, I find again a basic pattern
developing among the dozens of leadership lessons found in the
Epistles and Revelation.
1. Leadership is ministry. The emphasis on diakonia and
the thrust of the gift of leadership in Romans 12:8 showus that if
New Testament leadership means anything, it means serving

62
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A l:HHLlCAL lJil:::ULUUr

OF LEADERSHIP

other people. With meekness, church leaders involve themselves

in concert with other believers to engage in team ministry. Then
the smog of selfishness and egoism lifts to make mutual ministry
a biblical reality.
2. Leadership is modeling behavior. We've seen it clearly
in the Paul-Timothy relationship (1 Tim. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 3:10-
15). Richards says it well: "The spiritual leader who is a servant
does not demand. He serves. In his service the spiritual leader sets
an example for the body-an example that has compelling power
to motivate heart change."27
3. Leadership is membership in the body. Here we do not
refer to the placement of one's name on the roll, but rather to the
identification of the leader with all other parishioners. In Ro-
mans 12:4-5 Paul writes, "Just as each of us has one body with
many members, and these members do not all have the same
function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each
member belongs to all the others." Relating to other people
stands at the heart of an understanding of Christian leadership,
the measure of which can only be shown when the leader serves
the body in meekness and membership.
Lyle Schaller offers "long established congregations"
three options for leadership:

One is to rely on several compatible, red~ndant and mutually

reinforcing organizing principles to undergird the life and unity
of that ;ci~owship. A second is to watch passively while existing
organizing principles erode, fade away or become divisive with
this erosion followed by a numerical decline. The third is to
find a minister with a charismatic personality who is able and
willing to serve as THE leader.28

Let us hope those three non-biblical options do not repre-

sent closure on the issue. In an interesting study of ministerial
leadership, Jack Balswick and Walter Wright remind us that "the
skills needed to lead persons at each of the maturity levels are not
always given to every minister. Thus the complementarity of the

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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

body of Christ provides a variety of gifted leaders whc together

can empower believers for lives of service to the body of ministry
in the community. "29
From the narrow definitions of leadership offered in the
introduction to this chapter we can now expand our horizons to
incorporate the fifteen dimensions we have seen arise out of
Scripture. Pooled together in a narrative paragraph they might
look something like this:

Biblical team leadership takes place when divinely appointed

men and women accept responsibility for obedience to God's
call. They recognize the importance of preparation time, allow-
ing the Holy Spirit to develop tenderness of heart and skill of
hands. They carry out their leadership roles with deep convic-
tion of God's will, dear theological perspective from His Word,
and an acute awareness of the contemporary issues which they
and their followers face. Above all, they exercise leadership as
servants and stewards, sharing authority with their followers
and affirming that leadership is primarily ministry to others,
modeling for others and mutual membership with others in
Christ's body.

FOR FURTHER READING

Bruce, A. B. The Training ofthe Twelve. New York: Harper, 1986.
Cedar, PaId. Strength inServantLeadership, Waco, Tex.: Word, 1987.
Enroth, Ronald M. Churches That Abuse. Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1992.
Habecker, Eugene B. The Other Side of Leadership. Wheaton, Ill.: Vic-
tor, 1987.
Means, James E. Leadership in Christian Ministry. Grand Rapids:
Baker, 1989.
Richards, Lawrence 0" and Clyde Hoe1dtke. A Theology of Church
Leadership. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980.

64
 {169}

-4-
TOWARD AN£W!{STAM[NT
VI£W or LtAD{RSIIIP

A s Aesop tells the story, the frogs down on the pond

wanted a king. They bothered Jupiter so much with
their request that he finally tossed a log into the pond, and for a
while the frogs were happy with the new leader.
Soon, however, they discovered they could jump up and
down en the leader, rur.cll ave: him, and he offered no resis-
tance-not even a response. Not only that, but he had no direc-
tion or purpose to his behavior but just floated back and forth on
the pond, a practice which exasperated the frogs, who were really
sincere about wanting "strong leadership."
So back to Jupiter they went. They complained about
their log leader and appealed for stronger administrative over-
sight. Jupiter, weary of the complaining frogs, this time gave
them a stork, who stood tall above the members of the group and
certainly had the appearance of a leader. The frogs were quite
happy with the new situation. Their leader stalked around the
pond making great noises and attracting attention. Soon, howev-

67
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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

er, the frogs' joy turned to sorrow and ultimately to panic, for in
a very short time the stork began to eat his subordinates.
One of the major problems in implementing team leader-
ship in the church, or in any other kind of Christian community,
is failure to recognize not only a functional, but also a biblical
leadership style. Frequently we find ourselves gravitating to
extremes and behaving like logs or storks in our relationship to
the people with whom God allows us to work. The log was a
"free-rein" leader, letting the followers do whatever they wanted
to. The stork chose absolute autocracy.
In a Harvard Business Review article entitled "How to
Choose a Leadership Pattern," authors Tannenbaum and Schmidt
discuss the same problem with respect to secular functions of
management science.

The problem of how the modern manager can be "democratic"

in his relations with subordinates and at the same time main-
tain the necessary authority and control in the organization for
which he is responsible has come in to focus increasingly in
recent years.
Earlier in the century this problem was not so acutely felt.
The successful executive was generally pictured as possessing
intelligence, imagination, initiative, the capacity to make rapid
(and generally wise) decisions, and the ability to inspire subor-
dinates. People tended to think of the world as being divided
into "leaders" anu "followers."!

How interesting. The best elements of leadership style

that have evolved from multimillions of dollars of research on the
part of industrial management science are not far removed from
the leadership style which Scripture delineates from the start!
They recognize the inherent value of the individual and the worth
of human relations not only as a means to an end, but as an end
in itself within the Christian community. In a very real sense, the
church should be the most person-centered organization in the
world. Indeed, a congregation that has its vertical relationships in
order (theocentricity) will generally follow with proper horizon-

68
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TOWARD A NEW TESTAMENT

VIEW OF LEADERSHIP

tal relationships (anthrocentricity). The church does not have to

overemphasize the social gospel to recognize that "souls" are
ethereal and invisible, but one sees people every day.
What is a biblical view of leadership? Without reviewing
the details of chapter 3, perhaps we can best arrive at that answer
by first dealing with the negative side of the question.

WHAT NEW TESTAMENT LEADERSHIP Is NOT

A marvelous passage in Luke 22 holds some enormously
valuable principles for helping us analyze our Lord's view of
leadership. The passage itself appears in verses 24 through 27,
hilt the context is of great importance also. The Lord has just
ministered to the disciples in their final supper together in the
Upper Room. Commentators differ about whether the foot wash-
ing had taken place before this conversation or followed it. One
thing is clear: the disciples had just finished the bread and the cup
and had experienced among themselves a worship relationship of
the highest order with the incarnate God in their midst, and with
the Father in heaven. It is almost unbelievable that this scene
could have followed that experience.

Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was con-

cidercd :: be grec:;.~.:,.;~. jesus "aid to them, "The kings of the
Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority
over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be
like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the
youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For
who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who
serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among
you as one who serves." (Luke 22:24-27)

New Testament Leadership Is Not Political Power Play

Immediately after sharing the symbolic representation of
our Lord's flesh and blood, the disciples fell into a dispute. The

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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

word for dispute is philoneikia and literally means "rivalry."

Even more interesting, this word does not describe an accidental
falling into argument on occasion, but rather the possession of a
habitually contentious spirit. To put it another way, because of
their fondness for strife, the disciples verbally attacked one
another in an attempt to gain political prominence in what they
expected would be an immediately forthcoming, earthly king-
dom. Martin Buber once said that people's inability to "carryon
authentic dialog with one another is the most acute symptom of
the pathology of our time." Hardly a modern problem.
Political power play in Christian organizations is even
more reprehensible than in the world. Yet even before the first
church organized at Jerusalem; before a pastor ever candidated
for appointment to a congregation; before an official board ever
met to design a building program, the church knew how to fight!
Toward the end of the first century, John bemoaned that in one
local church a man named Diotrephes liked "to have the preemi-
nence among them" (3 John 9 KJV). Unfortunately, the Diotreph-
esian tribe has multiplied in nineteen hundred years of history.

New Testament Leadership Is Not Authoritarian Attitude

__ In.chapter 3 welooked at Luke 22:27__29. Let's expand
that further. Luke 22:25 records our Lord's reaction to the argu-
ments of His disciples. He offers first a comparison, then a con-
trast. As I mentioned before, the comparison shows that their
behavior at that moment paralleled the behavior of the Hellenis-
tic monarchs who ruled Egypt and Syria. Their leadership style is
described as "exercising lordship"-the word kurieuo, which
appears frequently in the pages of the New Testament. At times it
is used to describe the authority of God (Rom. 14:9). Paul uses it
often to refer to negative control, such as death's attempt to hold
dominion over Christ (Rom. 6:9); the power of sin in the life of
the believer (Rom. 6:14); and the hold of the law on people freed
by the gospel (Rom. 7:1).

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VIEW OF LEADERSHIP

A similar word, katakur£euO, describes Gentile rulers; the

control of demons over people (Acts 19:16); and a negative
example in prescribing the behavior of elders with saints in the
church (1 Pet. 5:3). But the verb form is never used positively of
Christian leadership. To put it simply, Christian leadership is not
authoritarian control over the minds and behavior of other peo-
ple. Peter remembered the lesson of this night, for in writing his
epistle he warned the elders not to lord it over God's heritage.
The first part of Luke 22:26 is a strong contrast construc-
tion: "But ye ... not so." The kings of the Gentiles wished to be
called benefactors for any little deed of kindness they might show
their subjects, although everyone knew they practiced autocracy
-and demagoguery, Team leadership rejects that kind of authoritari-
an control. As a matter of fact, in defiance of the culture of the
time, our Lord says that the one who is greatest in the church actu-
ally behaves like the younger, and the boss behaves like a worker.

New Testament Leadership Is Not Cultie Control

One beautiful word describing the work of the church is
diakanos. It means "service," precisely what Christ did for His dis-
ciples in that Upper Room. The question of verse 27 seems to be
rhetorical: Who is more important, the waiter or the dinner guest?
Obvious -answer: the dinner- guest, of course! But wait a winute;
who is the guest and who is the waiter at this Last Supper? Answer:
"1 am among you as one who serves." Conclusion: New Testament
leadership is not flashy public relations and platform personality,
but humble service to the group. The work of God is carried on by
spiritual power, not personal magnetism, as Paul clearly points out
in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. Some leaders may serve the Word and
some may serve tables-but all leaders serve (Acts 6)!

THE POSITIVE PATTERN OF CHRIST

The positive pattern of Christ's developing leadership in

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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN HINISTRY

His disciples is clearly enunciated in A. B. Bruce's helpful book

The Training of the Ttoelue.? He suggests that the total report of
the Gospels covers only thirty-three or thirty-four days of our
Lord's three-and-one-half-year ministry, and John records only
eighteen days. What did Christ do the rest of the time? The clear
implication of the Scriptures indicates that He trained team lead-
ers. What kind of leaders did He train? How did He deal with
them? What were the important principles of His leadership-
development program?
1. The leadership of our Lord focused on individuals.
Christ's personal conversation with Peter, recorded in John 21,
offers a good example of the way He gave Himself to people in
an attempt to build His life and ministry into them.
2. The leadership of our Lord focused on the Scriptures.
His treatment of God's absolute truth was not diluted by rela-
tivistic philosophy. He held the Old Testament in highest esteem.
The rabbis had distorted God's revelation, and the Leader of
leaders now came to say, "You have heard that it was said, ...
but I tell you" (Matt. 5:21-48).
3. The leadership of our Lord focused on Himself In John
14:9, Jesus finds it necessary to say to one of the disciples, "Philip
have you Seen S0 long with Me and you still have not known the , . . . ~.'
Father? Takea good look atM, because if you understand Me .
you understand the Father" (author's paraphrase).
4. The leadership of our Lord focused on purpose. Christ
had clear-cut goals for His earthly ministry, and a limited time in
which to achieve them. If you knew you had to leave your present
ministry within three and one-half years and turn it over com-
pletely to subordinates, how would you prepare? You could do
no better than follow the example of Jesus, and the result would
probably look a great deal like the leadership which character-
ized the New Testament church.

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VIEW OF LEADERSHIP

WHAT NEWTESTAMENT LEADERSHIP Is

In dealing with this issue, I am always inclined to turn to
the book of Acts because of its vivid description of early church
life. Yet the book of Acts gives us historical narrative, not a devel-
oped ecclesiology. We will be better helped by looking at the epis-
tles of Paul, commissioned by the Spirit of God to organize local
churches and to describe God's plan and pattern for the function-
ing of those churches. Some verses in 1 Thessalonians will serve
us well as a model:

As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but

.we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her littl~.
children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to
share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well,
because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember,
brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in
order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the
gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how
holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who
believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a
father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting
and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into
his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:6-12)

New Testament Church Leadership Is Nurture

Nurture is a botanical term which describes the care and
feeding of a young plant so that it grows properly to maturity. In
verses 7 and 8, Paul uses some distinctive words to describe nur-
ture in the eyeball-to-eyeball relationships which accompany
leadership responsibility.
He speaks of being "gentle," the word herioi, used often
of a teacher, patient in the process of nurturing seemingly incorri-
gible students. As if that emphasis were not clear enough, he
refers to the gentleness of a mother, not a hired baby-sitter. The
word appears in the Old Testament to describe the Lord God's

73
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TEAM LEADERSHIP
IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

care of Israel, and in 2 Timothy 2:24 Paul uses the word to

describe "the servant of the Lord" (KJV).
But there is more to this emphasis on nurture. A gentle
mother "cares for her little children." The word "care" is thalpe,
which literally means "to soften by heat" or "to keep warm."
Deuteronomy 22:6, in the Septuagint, uses the word to describe a
bird caring for its young by spreading its feathers over them in
the nest. Such a mother loves those growing children (1 Thess.
2:7). Such yearning for the good of the group may ultimately
result in a sacrifice on the part of the leader.
Where is assertiveness in all of this? The image of a sharp
voice barking orders and running a tight ship? Again, a pagan
culture distorts our understanding of spiritual reality. We identify
leadership with toughness and ruggedness; God identifies it with
tenderness. We think of leadership as "handling" adults; God
thinks of it as nurturing children.

New Testament Leadership Is Example

The hard work of Paul's leadership spills out in verse 9.
. ' Both day, and night, with great effort, he worked among the
believers. His own life, and those of his colleagues, provided ex- .
amples of holiness, justice, and blamelessness before God. Note
that this behavior took place before the beueuers to facilitate
evangelism.
In 2:5-6, Paul assures the Thessalonians that their leaders
are human, not some kind of ecclesiastical giants who want to
run the organization by sheer executive skill and personal power.
The plural pronouns throughout this passage affirm again the
biblical reality of team leadership.

New Testament Leadership Is Fatherhood

What does a father do? According to Ephesians 6:4, he,
too, is responsible for the nurture of his children. In 1 Thessalo-

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TOWARD A NEW TESTAHENT

VIEW OF LEADERSHIP

nians 2:11 (KJV), the words rendered "exhorted" and "comfort-

ed" are the words parakalountes and paramutboumenoi, respec-
tively. These commonly appear together in Paul's writing. The
former is often used of divine ministry, but the latter is always a
human word. Never used directly to mean God's comfort, it
describes the way He works through people to minister to other
people in the community of faith.
A father also "urges" his children (v, 12). The word car-
ries the idea of admonishing or witnessing truth so that they will
walk in patterns acceptable to God.

PA1:L' SEXA:.~!lLE
Earlier, we noted the positive pattern of Christ in leadership
training. A word or two about the example of the apostle Paul may
also be helpful. The New Testament church multiplied from the
few people described in Acts 1. Many church leaders were person-
ally trained by the apostle Paul. He was, in effect, the "pilot pro-
ject!' Timothy, Silas, Titus, Epaphroditus, the Ephesian elders, and
many others were spin-offs from his own life and ministry.
In some Christian organizations today, the great curse of a
one-person ministry looks much like the worldly leadership con-
demned by our Lord in Luke 22. If we would serve our own gen-
eration with power and effectiveness, we must stop pretending
that Christianleadership resemoies the kings of the Gentiles.

FOR FURTHER READING

Bratcher, Edward B. The Walk-on-Water Syndrome. Waco, Tex.: Word,
1984.
Engstrom, Ted W. The Making of a Christian Leader. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1976.
Gangel, Kenneth O. Feeding and Leading. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor, 1989.
Richards, Lawrence 0., and Clyde Hoeldtke. A Theology of Church
Leadership. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980.
Stabbert, Bruce. The Team Concept. Tacoma, Wash.: Hegg Bros., 1982.

75
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APPENDIX Z

Leighton Ford, Transforming Leadership

(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1991)
Used by permission.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _TRANSFORMING LEADERSHIP" _

so a team cannot operate with a vacuum of leadership. Leadership is a God-

given gift to human communities. While all may be consulted, and a leader
should not be a dictator who thinks he or she has all the answers, someone
must take the lead, set the direction and the tone, and move the group ahead
in making fundamental decisions. I predicted that if he did not exercise that
kind of leadership they would fall apart. He grasped the nettle and began
to lead. Even though one or two of his team later drifted away, the ministry
went on to have a growing, long-term effectiveness in their chosen field.
My friend learned to lead, but as one who served.

The Essence of Leadership

If the kingdom is Jesus' master thought, then servant leadership is his
master principle. For him, the essence of leadership is:
1. that kingdom leadership is in contrast to worldly patterns, in so far
as they involve "lording it over" others;
2. that kingdom leadership is internally consistent with the very nature
of a community which seeks to live in Christ-where greatness is ranked
by service, and primacy through voluntarily being last;
3. that kingdom leadership takes its ultimate model from "the Son of Man
[who] did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many" (Mk 10:45).
To understand leadership as set forth in Christ, we must discern when
power is misused and when leadership patterns are inappropriate: we must
be committed to the building up of the community of the followers of J eSUSj
and we must grasp the significance of Jesus himself.

His Trump Card Was the Cross

There is a story about a painting which depicted the story of Faust, a man
who gambled with the devil for his soul and lost. The artist had pictured
the story as a chess game. On one side of the table was Faust with only
three or four chess pieces left in front of him and despair on his face. On
the other side was the devil with a look of triumph. The artist titled his
work Checkmate. A chess master came to the art gallery and studied the
painting for a long time. Then he exclaimed, "It's not over! It's not check-

154
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _THE LEADERAS SERVANT. _

mate. The king and the knight have another move!"

In a world dominated by the lust for power, God had another move-
Jesus. His mission statement of Mark 10:45, "The Son of Man did not come
to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many," is really
the climax of Mark's entire story of the one who began his leadership as
Son and servant.
The heart of the story, the essence of leadership, is found in Mark 8-
10.Until that point, Jesus had consistently hidden his identity as Son and
Messiah. When those he healed had said he was the Messiah, he told them
to be quiet.
It is fascinating to notice how this section begins with the story of a blind
man (Mk 8:22-26) and ends with the story of another blind man (Mk 10:46-
52).
In Mark 8:22-26, Jesus heals the blind man in two stages (the only two-
stage healing recorded in the Gospels). After Jesus first touches him, the
man can see people who "look like trees walking around." But when Jesus
touches him a second time, he sees everything clearly.
There was a special symbolism in this healing. Up to this point, the
people, and even Jesus' disciples, had only a dim idea of who he was-
teacher, healer, wonder-worker-but from now on he would reveal very
clearly the meaning of his cross. So immediately he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say I am?" (Mk 8:27). They replied that some saw him as
John the Baptist or Elijah, or one of the prophets. Peter then spoke for
them all, saying, "You are the Christ" (Mk 8:29). Then Jesus warned them
that they still must nottell anybody about him, and he "began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected ... and that
he must be killed and after three days rise again" (Mk 8:31).
Everything that follows in Mark's Gospel shows how the principle of
servanthood and the cross touches Jesus' life and the life of the disciples.
There is the story of the distraught father whose son the disciples cannot
heal because they do not know how to pray (Mk 9:14-29). Jesus is asking:
Has the cross touched your prayer life'
There is a controversy among the disciples over who is the greatest (Mk
9:33-37). He asks: Has the cross touched your judgment of others!

155
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _TRANSFORMING LEADERSHIP---,- _

There is his teaching about cutting off our rebellious hand and plucking
out our wayward eye (Mk 9:42-48). He asks: Has the cross touched your
self-disciplinej
There is the welcoming of children (Mk 10:13-16) and the question, Has
the cross touched your attitude to the little onesj
There is the story of a rich young ruler who will not give up his many
possessions to follow Jesus (Mk 10:17-23), and the question, Has the cross
touched your attitude to money?
There is the request of James and John to sit at his left and right (Mk
10:35-45), and the question, Has the cross touched your ambition'
All comes to a climax in the master statement "For even the Son of Man
did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many" (Mk 10:45).
In this one terse, seeminglysimple statement, a host of pictures of J eBUS
the leader are combined. The Son of Man is that wonderful heavenly figure
who appears in the Psalms and in the prophecies of Daniel and Ezekiel.
Daniel, for example, recorded the vision of
one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached
the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given au-
thority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every
language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that
will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
(Dan 7:13-14:) .
The servant title showed the other side .o~ God's leader, the one of whom
the Lord said to Isaiah, "Here is my servant, ... my chosen one in whom
I delight. ... He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets"
(Is 42:1-2). The idea of a ransom offered to set people free, (me that only
God can pay, comes from Psalm 49:7, "No man can redeem the life of
another or give to God a ransom for him...." And the thought of the many
who will be ransomed comes directly from the suffering servant of Isaiah
53, who "poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the trans-
gressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the trans-
gressors" (Is 53:12).
Suddenly it all came together-in one life, in a few brief months, and in

156
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _THE LEADERASSERVANT. _

one picture-packed sentence, The glorious heavenly mission of the Son, the
humble earthly task of the servant, the compelling life-giving ransom by
the cross, and the worldwide salvation of many all combined to define the
essence of leadership.
And yet, leadership is much more than a concept to be defined: It is a
call to be acted out. And so it happens that, just as this key section of Mark
opens with the story of one blind man, so also it ends with that of another
(Mk 10:4:6-52).
Still on their way to Jerusalem, they come to Jericho. A blind man,
Bartimaeus, is begging by the roadside. When he hears that Jesus is
nearby, he begins to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on mel"
Many rebuke him and tell him to be quiet, but he keeps on shouting until
Jesus says, "Call him." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumps to his feet and
comes to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asks (the same
question, incidentally, that he had asked James and John when they want-
ed to sit at his left and his right).
The blind man says, "Rabbi, I want to see."
"Go," says Jesus, "your faith has healed you." And, Mark tells us, "Im-
mediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."
Not only did the blind man receive his sight. The disciples of Jesus
received their sight. They saw the vision of what made a true leader. On
Jesus' way to accomplish a great thing, going to Jerusalem to die on a cross
for the sins of the world, he still had time to stop for one blind man.
If he went this way, who are we to go differently'
Here is the heart of leadership in vnrist. W ~ do not start bot the cross
and go on to bigger and better things. We start there and go deeper and
deeper, but there we also find the power, the living power, of that same
Jesus. Every day brings "a chance to die/'8 but also a chance to rise with
Christ. "We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus," wrote
Paul about his disc very of this master principle, "so that the life of Jesus
may also be revealed in our body" (2 Cor 4::10). Helen Roseveare, an Irish
medical missionary to Zaire, told a large conference of students how she
learned this lesson. She was the only doctor in charge of a large hospital
where there were constant interruptions, constant shortages, and constant

157
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~'RANSF'ORMINGLEADERSHIP _

red tape and interference from the government.

There came a time when she had been working so hard, but so impatient-
ly, that her irritation was showing all around. One Friday afternoon the
African pastor of her church took things into his own hands. He went to
the hospital and gently, but firmly, insisted that she come with him.
In his ramshackle car he drove her to his humble house and ushered her
into a small room. Then he told her that she was to make a weekend retreat
to be quiet and away from all the bustle and noise. She was to pray until
her spirits were restored for the work ahead.
All that night and the next day, she struggled alone. She prayed, but it
seemed as if her prayers got no further than the thatched hut of the little
building.
Late on Sunday, she ventured outside to a spot where the pastor. and his
family were sitting around afire, cooking their evening meal. Humbly,
almost desperately, she told him that she was getting nowhere and asked
him to help her.
"Helen, may I tell you what's the matterj" he asked. Sh~ nodded.
The pastor stood up and with his bare toe drew a long straight line in
the dust.
"That is the problem. There is too much 1, too much Helen, in what you
are doing."
Then he went on, "I have noticed you in the hospital A number of times
during the day you will take a brief break and ask for a cup of hot coffee.
You hold that cup of coffee in both of your hands while it cools off, and
then Y01! d"';"'k £~." . ..
Again he took his big toe, and this time he drew another line across'the
first one.
"I want to ask you to do this," he said kindly. "Every time you stand
cooling that cup of coffee, why don't you say in your heart, 'Lord, cross out
the 1, cross out the P1"
In the dust of that African ground, Helen Roseveare learned the master
principle of J esus. She had let her service become more important to her
than those whom she was serving and than the Lord himself.
The story of Eli Black, with which this chapter began, shows us the

158
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _TFIE LEADERASSEIlVANT. _

secular definition of power: "The capacity to ensure the outcomes one

wishes and to prevent those one does not wish." This is a leader who keeps
the cheese and crackers.
The story of Jesus shows us the kingdom definition of power: the free-
dom to surrender what one wishes in order to serve the purpose of God and
the good of others; th.e faith to believe that God's power will be at work
through our weakness, as it happened in Jesus, who offered himself as
broken bread and poured-out wine for the world.

159
 {184}

APPENDIX AA

J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership

(Chicago: Moody Press, 1994), Used by permission.

15
THE COST
OF LEADERSHIP
Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am
baptized with?
Mark 10:38

T
o aspire to leadership in God's kingdom requires us. to be willing
to pay a price higher than others are willing to pay. The toll of
true leadership is heavy, and the more effective the leadership,
the higherit goes. .
Quinton Hogg, founder of the London Polytechnic Institute, de-
voted a fortune to the enterprise. Asked how much it had cost to build
the great institution, Hogg replied, IINot very much, simply one man's
life blood. III
That is the cost of every great achievement, and it is not paid in a
lump sum. Achievement is bought on the time-payment plan, with a
new installment required each day. Fresh drafts are constantly being
drawn, and when payment ceases, leadership wanes. Our Lord taught
that we could not save others and ourselves at the same time.
Samuel Brengle wrote:
 {185}

116 SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

Spiritual power is the outpouring of spiritual life, and like all life, from
that of the moss and lichen on the wall to that oftlie archangel before the
throne, it is from God. Therefore those who aspire. to leadership may pay
the price, and seek it from God.'

SELF~SACRIFICE
This part of the cost must be paid daily. A cross stands in the path
of spiritual leadership, and the leader must take it up. "[esus Christ laid
downhis lifefor us. And weought to laydownour lives forour brothers"
(l John 3:16). To the degree the cross of Christ is across our shoulders
and over our backs, so the resurrection life of Christ is manifest through
us. No cross, no leadership.
"Whoeverwants to be first mustbe slave of all. Foreven the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many" (Mark 10:44-45). Each of the heroes of faith in He-
brews 11 was called to sacrifice as part of his or her .service. Those who
lead the church are marked by a willingness to give up personal prefer-
ences, to surrender legitimate and natural desires for the sake of God.
Bruce Barton quotes a sign at a service station: "We will crawl under
your car oftener and get ourselves dirtier than any of our competition. "3
That is the kind of service the Christian seeks to give.
Samuel Zwemer remarked that the only thing Jesus took pains to
show after His resurrection were His scars. ~ On the Emmaus road His
disciples recognized neither Him nor His message. Not until Jesus broke
the bread and they possibly saw the scars did they know the person for
who He was. When Jesus stood among I lis .lernoraluul Land in ihe up-
per room after the resurrection, He showed them both "his hands and
[his] side" (John 20:20).
Scars are the authenticating marks of faithful discipleship and true
spiritual leadership. It was said of one leader, "He belonged to that class
of early martyrs whose passionate soul made an early holocaust of the
physical man."5 Nothing moves people more than the print of the nails
and the mark of the spear. Those marks are tests of sincerity that none
can challenge, as Paul knew well. "Let no one cause me 'trouble," he
wrote, "for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus" (Galatians 6:17).

Hast thou no scar?

No hidden scaron foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,
 {186}

THE cosr OF LEADERSHIP tl7

I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star:

Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou no wound?
Yet, I was wounded by the archers, spent.
Leaned me against the tree to die, and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed me, I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?
No wound? No scar?
Yes, as the master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole. Can he have followed far
Who has no wound? No scar?
Amy Carmichael'

Paul describ~d himself and his burden this way:

On every hand hard-pressed am I-yet not crushed!

In desperate plightam I-yet not in despair!
Close followed bypursuers-yet not abandoned by Him!
Beaten to earth-yet never destroyed]
Evermore bearing about in my body
The imminence of such a death asJesus died,
So that the life, too, ofJesus mig!}t be shown forth
In this body of mine .
Always, always while I yet live
Am I being handed over to death's doom
For Jesus' sake!
So that in this mortal flesh of mine, may be
Shown forth also
The very life ofJesus
2 Corinthians 4:8-11 WAY

LONELINESS
Nietzsche believed that life always gets harder toward the summit
-the cold gets colder, the wind stronger, the burden of responsibilities
heavier. 7
Because the leader must always be ahead of his followers, he lives
with loneliness. Though he may be friendly, there are areas of life where
he must walk alone. Dixon Haste felt the loneliness when Hudson Tay-
 {187}

118 SPiRITUAL LEADERSHIP

lor retired and placed the leadership of China Inland Mission on his
shoulders. Said Hoste after the appointment: "And now I have no one,
no one but God!" There he stood on the mount with his God.
We naturally enjoy and need the company of others, and want to
share with others the heavy burden of responsibility and care. It is some-
times heartbreaking to make decisions of far-reaching importance that
affect the lives of beloved fellow workers-and to make them alone.
Moses paid the price for his leadership-alone on the mountain, alone
on the plain, misunderstood and criticized.
The Old Testament prophets were lonely men. Enoch walked
alone in a decadent society as he preached judgment. His compensation
was the presence of God. Jonah was alone in vast Nineveh, a heathen
a
city of million souls. The loneliest preacher today is the person who
has been entrusted with a prophetic message ahead of the times, a mes-
sage that cuts across the temperof the age.
Gregarious Paul was a lonely man, misunderstood by friends, mis-
represented by enemies, deserted by converts. How poignant are his
words to Timothy: "You know that everyone in the province of Asia has
deserted me" (2 Timothy 1:15).
"Most of the world's greatest souls have been lonely," wrote A. W.
Tozer. "Loneliness seems to be the price a saint must pay for his saintli-
ness." The leadermustbe a person who, while welcoming the friendship
and support of all who offer it, has sufficient inner resources to stand
alone-even in the face of stiff opposition to have uno one but God."

On without cheer of sister or 01 daughter, ...

Yes, without stay offather or ofson,
Lone on the land, and homeless on the water,
Pass I in patience till my work be done.
E W H. Meyers

FATIGUE
"The world is run by tired men." Perhaps an overstatement, but
there is a grainof reality here. The demands of leadership wear down the
most robust person. But Christians knowwhere to find renewal. "There-
fore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet in-
wardly we are being renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16). Even
Jesus grew weary in ministry and had to rest (John 4:6). Jesus felt depleted
 {IS8}

THECOST OF LEADERSHIP 119

in power, inner resources drained, when the needy woman touched His
clothing (Mark 5:30). No lasting good can be accomplished without this
expenditure ofnervous energy and personal power.
The spirit of the welfare state does not produce leaders. If a Chris-
tian is not willing to rise early and work late, to expend greater effort in
diligent study.and faithful work, that person will not change a genera-
tion. Fatigue is the price of leadership. Mediocrity is the result of never
getting tired. :
To the secretary of the Church Missionary Society, Douglas
Thornton wrote:

But I amweary! I have only written because I am too weary to beworking

now, and too tired to sleep.... I am getting prematurely old, they tell
me, anddoctors do not giveme longto live unless the strain iseased a bit.
My wife is wearier than I am. She needs complete rest a while.... Oh,
that the church at home but realized one half of the opportunities of to-
day! Will no one hear the call? Please do your best to help us.'

Here were tired missionary leaders grasping the swiftly passing op-
portunities of their day.

CRITICISM
"There,is nothing else that so kills ;he efficiency, capability and
initiative ofa leader asdestructive criticism.... It tends to hamperand
undercut the efficiency of man's thinking process. It' c~liiJs away at his
self-respect and undermines his confidence in his ability ta cope with his
responsibilities'. "9
No leader lives a day without criticism, and humilitywill never be
more an trial than when criticism comes.
In a letter to a young minister, Fred Mitchell once wrote:

I am ghd to know that you are taking any blessing there may be found in
the criticism brought against you by , in which case even his
bitter attack will yield sweetness. A sentence which has been a great help
to Mrs. Mitchell and myself is: "It does not matter what happens to us,
but our reaction to what happens to us isof vital importance." I think you
must expect more and more criticism, for with increasing responsibility
this is inevitable. It causes one to walk humbly with God, and to take
such action as He desires. 10
 {189}

Samuel Brengle, noted for his sense of holiness, felt the heat of
caustic criticism. Instead of rushing to defend himself, he replied: "From
my heart I thank you for your rebuke. I think I deserved it. Will you, my
friend, remember me in prayer?" When another critic attacked his spiri-
tuallife, Brengle replied: "I thank you for yourcriticism of my life. It set
me to self-examination and heart-searching and prayer, which always
leads me into a deeper sense of my utter dependence on Jesus forholiness
of heart, and into sweeter fellowship with Him.»u
With such a response, criticism is turned from a curse into a bless-
ing, from a liability into an asset.
Paulsought the favor of God, not of people. His hard work was not
to please those around him (Galatians 1:10). Nor was Paul terribly dis-
turbed by criticism. HI care very little if I am judged by you or by any
human court.... It is the Lord who judges me" (1 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Paul could afford to take lightly the comments and criticism of others,
for his heart was owned by God (Colossians 3:22).
But link indifference to human opinion with '1 weak spiritual life,
and the result is disaster. The same independence from human opinion
can be a valuable asset to the person whose life goal is the glory of God.
Paul's ear was tuned to the voice of God, and human voices were faint
by comparison. He was fearless of human judgment, because he was con-
scious of standing before a higher tribunal (2 Corinthians 8:21).

REJECfION
The leader who follows high spiritual standards may find himself
following his Masteron the pathway of reiection, for "he came unto his
own and his own received him n o t . " · .
J. Gregory Mantle tells of a minister whose congregation refused to
accept his message. The minister wanted to lead his people into green
pastures and beside still waters, but they were unwilling. The ungodly
habits of his choir brought things to a head, and the minister invited the
'choir to resign. That the choir did, and it also persuaded the congrega-
tion to remain silent during the singing on the following Sunday. The
minister sang alone.
Finally at wit's end, God spoke to him. On a park bench, he saw a
piece of torn newspaper, which he picked up to.read these words: "No
man is ever fully accepted until he has, first of all, been utterly rejected."
The minister needed nothing more. He had been 'utterly rejected for
 {190}

APPENDIX AA

J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership

(Chicago: Moody Press, 1994), Used by permission.

3
THE MASTER'S
MASTER PRINCIPLE
Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
Mark 10:43-44

G
iven the importance of competent leaders in the church-a.nd in
business and government, too-we might expect that the Bible
would use the term more often. In fact, the King James Bible (on
which many of my generation have been nurtured) uses the term leader
only six times. Much more frequently, the role is called servant. We do
not read about "Moses, my leader," but "Moses, my servant. II And this
is exactly what Christ taught. 1
Jesus was a revolutionary, not in the guerrilla warfare sense, but in
His teaching on leadership. The term servant speaks everywhere of low
prestige, low respect, low honor. Most people are not attracted to such a
low-value role. When Jesus used the term, however, is was a synonym
for greatness. And that was a revolutionary idea.
Christ taught that the kingdom of God was a community where
each member served the other. Paul wrote in the same vein: "Serve one
another in love" (Galatians 5:13). Our loving service should spread also
 {l9l}

22 .SPIRlnJAL LEADERSHIP

to the needy world around us. But in most churches, a few people carry
the load.
Jesus knew that the idea of leader as "loving servant of all" would
not appeal tomost people. Securing our own creature comforts is a much
more common mission. But "servant" is His requirement for those who
want to lead in His kingdom.
The sharp contrast between our common ideas about leadership
and the revolution Jesus announced is nowhere clearer than in Mark
10:42-43: "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gen-
tiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over
them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among
you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be the first must be
slave ofall. 'J
This was such a revolutionary idea that even these closest to Jesus,
the disciples James and John, used their ambitious mother in a scheme to
secure top positions in the coming kingdom before the other ten re-
ceived their due. These two disciples took very seriously Jesus' promise
about sitting on glorious thrones and judging the tribes of Israel (Mat-
thew 19:28), but they misunderstood how to get there.
Despite their friendship, Jesus did not give an inch to their cam-
paign for office. "You don't know what you are asking," was His reply
(Matthew 20:22). James and John wanted the glory, but not the cup of
shame; the crown, but not the cross; the role of master but not servant.
Jesus used this occasion to reach two principles of leadership that the
church must never forget.

The sovereignty of spiritual leadership. "To sit at my right or left is not

8

for me togrant. These places belong to those for whom they have been
prepared" (Mark 10:40).
A more common response might have been: Honor and rank is for
those who have prepared themselves for it, and worked very hard to get
it. But here we see the fundamental difference in Jesus' teaching and our
human ideas. God assigns places of spiritual ministry and leadership in
His sovereign will. The Good News Bible translates verse 40: "It is God.
who will give these places to those for whom He has prepared them."
Effective spiritual leadership does not come as a result of theologi-
cal training or seminary degree, as important as education is. Jesus told
His disciples, "You did not choose me, but I chose yJU and appointed
you" (John 15:16). The sovereign selection of God gives great confi-
 {192}

THE MASTER'S MASTER PRINCIPLE 23

dence to Christian workers. We can truly say, HI am here neither by

selection of an individual nor election of a group, but by the almighty
appointment of God."

o The suffering of spiritual leadership. "Can you drink the cup I drink
and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with!" (Mark 10:38).
No hedging here. No dodging the hard realities. Jesus simply and
honestly set forth the cost of serving in His kingdom. The taskwas mag-
nificent and difficult; men and women leading in that task must have
eyes wide open, and hearts willing to follow the Master all the way.
To the Lord's probing question, the disciples responded glibly, llWe
are able." What tragic lackof perspective! ButJesus knew what lay ahead.
They would indeed drink the cup and know the baptism. James would be
executed, and John would finish His days in isolated confinement.
If the disciples figured to learn about leadership on the fast track
and with appropriate perks and bonuses, Jesus soon disillusioned them.
What a shock it was to discover that greatness comes through servant-
hood, and leadership through becoming a slave of all.
Only once in all the recorded words ofJesus did ourLordannounce
that He would provide an "example" for the disciples, and then He
washed their feet (John 13: 15). Only once in the rest of the New Testa-
ment does a writer offer an "example" (l Peter 2:21), and that is an
example of suffering. Serving and suffering are paired in the teaching
and life of our Lord. One does not come without the other. And what
servant is greater than the Lord?

THE SPIRIT OF SERVANTHOOD

Jesus' teaching on servanthood and suffering was not intended
merely to inspire good behavior. Jesus wanted to impart the spirit of
servanthood, the sense of personal commitment and identity that He
expressed when He said, "I am among you as He who serves" (Luke
22:27). Mere acts of service could be performed with motives far from
spirituaL
In Isaiah 42, we read about the attitudes and inner motives that
the corning Messiah would demonstrate as the ideal servant of the Lord.
Where Israel failed to live up to this ideal, the Messiah would succeed,
And the principles of His life would be a pattern for ours.
Dependence. "Here is my servant, whom I uphold" (Isaiah 42: 1)
This verse speaks of the corning Messiah. Jesus fulfilled the prophecy b~
 {193}

24 . SPIRlTUAL LEADERSHlP

emptying himself ofdivine prerogative ("made himself nothing,II Philip-

pians 2: 7). He surrendered the privileges of His God-nature and became
dependent on His heavenly Father. He fully identified Himself with our
humanity. What a staggering paradox. As we become "empty" of self
and dependent on God, the Holy Spirit will use us.
Approval. "My chosen one in whom I delight"(Isaiah 42:1). God
took great delight in His servant Jesus. And that delight was reciprocal.
In another Old Testament reference to the coming Messiah, the Son
testifies, "I delight to do Thy will, 0 my God (Psalm 40:8 KJV).
Modesty. "He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the
streets" (Isaiah 42:2). Neither strident nor flamboyant, God's servant
conducts a ministry that appears almost self-effacing. What a contrast to
the arrogant self-advertising of so many hypesters today, both in and out
of the church.
On this very point the devil temptedJesus, urging him to attempt a
headline-grabbing leap from the rooftop of the temple (Matthew 4:5).
ButJesus did not seek headlines and did not fall to the plot.
So quiet and unobtrusive is the great Servant's work that many
today doubt His very existence. Jesus exemplifies the description of God
found later in Isaiah: "Truly you are a God who hides himself" (Isaiah
45:15). This quality seems to be shared among all the host of heaven.
Even the picture given to us of the cherubim-Gad's angel servants-
use four oftheir six wings to conceal their faces and feet. They, too, are
content with hidden service (Isaiah 6:2).
Empathy. "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick
he will not snuff out" (Isaiah 42:3). The Lord's servant is sympathetic
with the weak, mercifully understanding toward those who err. How of-
ten do people who fail wear the treadmarks of fellow pilgrims. But the
ideal Servant does not run over the weak and failing. He mends bruises
and fans the weak spirit into a flame.
Many of us, even Christian workers, see a person whose life is a
wreak and "pass by on the other side." We seek a ministry more reward-
ingand worthy ofour talents than bearing up the frail side of humanity.
But from God's point of view, it is noble work to reclaim the world's
downtrodden people.
How dimly Peter's ownwick burned in the judgment hall, but what
a blaze ontheday of Pentecost! God's ideal Servant made that miserable
man's life a brilliant flame.
 {194}

THE MASTER'S MASTER PRINCIPLE 25

Optimism. "He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes

justice on earth" (Isaiah 42:4). Pessimism and leadership are at opposite
ends of life's attitudes. Hope and optimism are essential qualities for the
servant of God who battles with the powers of darkness over the souls of
men and women. God's ideal Servant is optimistic until every part of
God's work is done.
Anointing. "I will put my spirit on him" (Isaiah 42:1). None of these
leadership qualities-dependence, approval, modesty, empathy, or opti-
mism-are sufficient for the task. Without the touch of the supernatu-
ral, these qualities are dry as dust. And so the Holy Spirit comes to rest
upon and dwell in the ideal Servant. "You know ... how God anoint-
ed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went
around doing good" (Acts 10:37-38). Jesus' ministry began when the
Spirit descended at His baptism, and then how the Servant began to
shake the world!
Are we greater than our Lord? Can we do effective ministry with-
out the Spirit of God working through us at every step? God offers us the
same anointing. May we follow close to the great Servant, and receive
the Spirit who shows us more of the Master.

NOTE
1. Paul S. Rees, "The Community Glue, 1I Life of Faith, 26 September
1976,3.
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 196

APPENDIX DD

COURSE EVALUATION

1. The strength of this course was:

2. The course could be improved by:

3. To implement this material in a broader context in our

church, I recommend:

4. To help me better perform as a servant leader, I wish the

church would:
 197

APPENDIX EE

RESULTS OF COURSE EVALUATION

1. The strength of this course was:

• Taking us to the scripture

• The leader's focus to keep us on course
• The environment set by our leader--an honest, caring
atmosphere to share and question and still be safe
• The high level of interaction between the members of
the class--everybody got involved and was willing to
be open
• A better understanding of leadership related to
Jesus (servant leader)
• A look at Jesus' leadership style--Since He is our
example, we should look at His style of leadership.
• A look and understanding of the mission of the
church.
• Understanding these two--A look and understanding of
my own mission and how servant leadership can be and
should be my goal.
e Focus on Jesus--our example.
• Persistent challenge to define and practice Jesus'
servant leadership example.
c Excellent preparation by teacher. It was obvious
much thought, study, and prayer were done.
e It reminded me of my motivation and responsibility
to be an effective leader. Leadership is not ours
to acquire but God's to give.
• The discussions of the scripture passages.
• Sharing interpretations among class members.
• Strong leader who kept the discussion flowing.
e Helped me define the role of servant leader and my
participation as such.
e The study of the scriptures and the reading
assignments.
• Class time discussions.
• Solid biblical curriculum.
• Provokes the serious student to examine himself
thoroughly with regard to servanthood/servant
leadership, all the while keeping the blinding,
convicting light of scripture front and center.
 198

• Made me look at different aspects of leadership and

gave a strong biblical basis for servant leadership.
• The interaction of the participants (sharing ideas).
• Quality leadership.
• Course materials were presented in a logical flow of
focusing on the example set by Jesus; how the church
has the same mission; and where the church derives
its ability (and vision) to carry out the mission.

2. The course could be improved by:

• Page numbers
• Clearer instruction re: homework
• Bigger notebook and page numbers
• Scheduling with minimum number of holiday
interruptions
• Layout of material: Break down sessions into a five-
day daily work study.
• Include study references, memory verses,
applications, and accountability partners.
• Advance notebooks a bit in terms of numbering, etc.
• Avoiding holiday interruptions.
• Larger notebooks.
• Reformat and clarify the outline for completing
current week's lesson and preparing for following
week.
• Giving the learner more information to work with
during the week study.
o Numbering the pages in the notebook.
• Evaluation sheets: Align disagree to the left and
agree to the right.
G A broader, more detailed leader's guide if someone
other than the pastor were to lead the study.
• Always include a gifted encourager in the
discussions.
G More, but not longer, reading assignments on
leadership.
• A preface with the author's written objectives and
how he chose to write on the subject to illustrate
his view to keep the participants on track.
• Specific learning points or objectives to preface
each section.
 199

3. To implement this material in a broader context in our

church, I recommend:

• Key leaders should always be participants in this

class (as was done in this class)
• Develop a "Discipleship" class with this material
and offer it at least twice per year-possibly as an
elective for Sunday School.
• Offer material in a condensed form of six weeks and
teach it during Discipleship Training.
• Offer discipleship format within a home and dinner
context-you'd get better attendance (in a Sunday
School class)
• A discipleship format at church would be a "must" to
implement in the church.
• Lay mobilization.
• Discipleship Training classes.
• Further implementation/availability to a larger
audience.
• It needs to remain in a small group setting with no
more than 15 students.
• It would require a "facilitator" training and or
guide being developed.
.. Application would include "leadership conferences"
to encourage, communicate, and assist the church's
leaders with a goal of involving more people in this
process.

4. To help me better perform as a servant leader, I wish the

church would:

• Plan consistently for its leaders.

$ Team with leadership-discourage the "us and them"
mentality.
• Improve communication.
Q "Plug into" men's ministry events.
.. The "church" should not be required to lead me-it is
my obligation to lead (in a servant leadership role)
the church.
• Pray for staff.
o Share and support.
e Seek to be servant leaders.
 200

• Continue on the course that it has charted based on

sound biblical teaching and the seeking of God's
will.
• Develop the lay ministry plan.
• Pray that I would seek God and His will for my life;
that I would love people as He does; and that I
would never, never quit until He takes me home.
• God's design is that I would hear and do. Preach,
Teach, Disciple. continue feeding me the Word and
ask God to give grace.
• Develop a stronger lay mobilization system.
• Improve communications (formal and informal)
• Encourage each other more through leadership
banquets, and by focusing on and recognizing God's
achievements (not our "works").
 201

APPENDIX FF

MY PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP

Name

Date
--------------

Consider the following questions as suggestions for your

thinking: [Use additional sheet(s) if needed.]

1. How do you understand your own leadership?

2. What is the value of servant leadership?
3. What does a servant leader do differently?
4. How does that "flesh out n in your life?
5. How willing are you to lead through difficult or
unpleasant circumstances?
 202

APPENDIX GG

RESULTS FROM SESSION 1 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

S Strongly Agree
5 Agree

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
1 Strongly Agree
2 Agree
7 Undecided
2 Disagree
1 No Response

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
2 Agree
6 Undecided
4 Disagree
1 No Response

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today/s material.
2 Agree
5 Undecided
4 Disagree
1 No Response

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

9 Strongly Agree
4 Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

• Ask questions in print, i.e. "What do you understand
servant leadership to be?" along with the pretest.
s Larger room and larger notebooks with page numbers.
• Answer lines on the pretest.

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• Find a better way to disciple-more education and
more commitment to spending one on one or small
group time.
 203

APPENDIX HH

RESULTS FROM SESSION 2 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

3 Strongly Agree
8 Agree

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
1 Strongly Agree
5 Agree
5 Undecided

3. In light of today/s material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
S Agree
6 Undecided

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
S Agree
5 Undecided
1 Disagree

5. The leader was prepared for today/s session.

10 Strongly Agree
1 Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

G Review the concept of mission/vision/goals/tasks-
thorough understanding of these concepts would help
the participants.
• Eliminate journal worksheet for Session 1.
• Clarify homework assignment as it relates to the
mission statement.
• More specific wording.

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• Do what we can to help people around us to
understand Jesus mission.
l
 204

APPENDIX II

RESULTS FROM SESSION 3 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

4 Strongly Agree
6 Agree

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
9 Agree
1 Undecided

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
8 Agree
2 Undecided

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
1 Strongly Agree
6 Agree
3 Undecided

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

9 Strongly Agree
1 Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

II None listed.

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• Say it, say it, and say it again.
 205

APPENDIX JJ

RESULTS FROM SESSION 4 EVALUTAION

1. I understand this week's material.

10 Agree
2 Undecided

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
2 Strongly Agree
5 Agree
4 Undecided
1 No Response

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
3 Strongly Agree
6 Agree
2 Undecided
1 Disagree

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
1 Strongly Agree
5 Agree
4 Undecided
2 Disagree

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

10 Strongly Agree
1 Agree
1 No Response

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

• Use visual aids.

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• Make the leader's research on our church's mission
statement available in writing.
 206

APPENDIX KK

RESULTS FROM SESSION 5 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

3 Strongly Agree
7 Agree

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
8 Agree
2 Undecided

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
9 Agree
1 Undecided

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
2 Strongly Agree
4 Agree
4 Undecided

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

9 Strongly Agree
1 Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

• None listed

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• Talk about it, teach it, encourage it.
 207

APPENDIX LL

RESULTS FROM SESSION 6 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

4 Strongly Agree
7 Agree
2 Undecided

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
2 Strongly Agree
8 Agree
3 Undecided

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
4 Strongly Agree
8 Agree
1 Undecided

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
2 Strongly Agree
8 Agree
2 Undecided
1 No Response

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

8 Strongly Agree
5 Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

• Either in verbally or in writing, request more
personal responses as to why participants feel they
are a leader.
• Maybe have less reading or longer class time for
discussion.
• Remind the group to "stay with you. II
• Include all handouts in notebook.

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• In a new member class, help others see their purpose
in leadership.
 208

• Through Discipleship Training and new member

classes, help the church understand the roles of
leadership and how they fit in.
• More dedication to Christian education, specifically
systematic theology.
• Talk about it, teach it, share it-like we've done
with spiritual gifts in the past.
 209

APPENDIX MM

RESULTS FROM SESSION 7 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

5 Strongly Agree
8 Agree

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
4 Strongly Agree
8 Agree
1 Undecided

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
1 Strongly Agree
12 Agree

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
3 Strongly Agree
5 Agree
5 Undecided

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

12 Strongly Agree
1 Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

e No responses.

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• No responses.
 210

]I..PPENDIX NN

RESULTS FROM SESSION 8 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

S Strongly Agree
S Agree
1 Undecided

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
S Strongly Agree
4 Agree
2 Undecided

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
7 Strongly Agree
4 Agree

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
S Strongly Agree
3 Agree
3 Undecided

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

11 Strongly Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

• Consider focusing on "emptying oneself"-What am I
willing to empty myself of and give up for others,
their circumstances, and their needs?

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• No responses.
 211

APPENDIX 00

RESULTS FROM SESSION 9 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

6 Strongly Agree
3 Agree

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
3 Strongly Agree
5 Agree
1 Undecided

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
2 Strongly Agree
6 Agree
1 Disagree

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
2 Strongly Agree
7 Agree

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

S Strongly Agree
1 Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

• No responses.

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• No responses.
 212

APPENDIX PP

RESULTS FROM SESSION 10 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

2 Strongly Agree
7 Agree
2 Undecided

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
1 Strongly Agree
7 Agree
2 Undecided
1 Disagree

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
3 Strongly Agree
5 Agree
2 Undecided
1 Disagree

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
3 Strongly Agree
3 Agree
4 Undecided
1 Disagree

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

7 Strongly Agree
4 Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

• No responses.

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• Discipleship Training during the worship hour.
 213

APPENDIX QQ

RESULTS FROM SESSION 11 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

4 Strongly Agree
5 Agree

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
2 Strongly Agree
7 Agree

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
3 Strongly Agree
5 Agree
1 Undecided

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
3 Strongly Agree
4 Agree
2 Undecided

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

8 Strongly Agree
1 Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

• No responses.

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• No responses.
 214

APPENDIX RR

RESULTS FROM SESSION 12 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

2 Strongly Agree
4 Agree

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
5 Strongly Agree
1 Agree

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
4 Strongly Agree
2 Agree

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
2 Strongly Agree
2 Agree
2 Undecided

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

6 Strongly Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

• No responses.

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• No responses.
 215

APPENDIX SS

RESULTS FROM SESSION 13 EVALUATION

1. I understand this week's material.

S Strongly Agree
3 Agree

2. I have a particular life application in mind for today's

materials.
2 Strongly Agree
S Agree
1 Undecided

3. In light of today's material, I understand myself better

as a leader.
3 Strongly Agree
S Agree

4. I have a particular leadership action in mind which I

intend as a result of today's material.
4 Strongly Agree
3 Agree
1 Undecided

5. The leader was prepared for today's session.

S Strongly Agree

Additional suggestions for improving this session:

• The warm home environment and extended time allotted
added greatly to this final session. This session
definitely needs the extra time.
• Last session should retain same format as other
sessions. Having our last session as a dinner with
spouses sounded like a good idea, but should we do
it over again, I would not vote for it. The
fellowship was great, but I missed the focus (didn't
bring my notebook, didn't realize it was a full
class session, and got sidetracked by comments from
guests.)
• Change the questions on the journal sheet-make them
more relational to the week's study as opposed to
the generic type.
 216

Additional suggestion for applying this truth in our church:

• Teach leadership courses to all ministry teams.
• Teach this class again-leaders that are developed
during the course can continue the education or
mentoring process. This class reinforces our
mission statement.
• We should pray-I should pray more-need more
teachers.
 217

APPENDIX TT

DANNY'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

The issue being discussed is servant leadership. This

discussion must first address the two spiritual gift issues of
leadership and servant hood, and then we can address the issue
of servant leadership. The same issues of leadership apply to
leadership in the workplace, in government and in the church
setting. Some are gifted with a high level of leadership
desire and ability. They are able to step back and analyze
the big picture, develop a strategy and lead others to
implement the strategy. Others lack the ability to analyze
and develop strategy. But once the strategy is revealed to
them, they can lead others in the implementation of the
strategy. They are also able to assist in fine-tuning of the
strategy. And yet others have absolutely no leadership
ability. They simply need to follow the leadership of others.
Many of the principles of leadership are the same in secular
society as they are in church setting.

Servanthood involves the issue of placing the needs of

others ahead of the needs and desires of the one serving. A
servant is one who goes the extra mile, who puts forth the
extra effort, who foregoes his own needs in order to assist
others in meeting their needs. Secular society has a
difficult time grasping the issues of Servanthood.

Servant Leadership is difficult for many in secular

society to accept. This is due to their inability to accept
the principles of Servanthood. However, effective Christian
leadership requires that we combine the principles of
Servanthood and leadership. Jesus' model for servant
leadership is found in Matthew 20:25-28:

"But Jesus called to himself, and said, "You know that

the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their
great men exercise authority over them. It is not so
among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you
shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first
among you shall be your slavej just as the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve. And to give His
life a ransom for man."

In order to be an effective Christian leader, we must

follow Jesus' model. We must be willing to lead others
by developing a relationship with those that we lead.
 218

This relationship will allow us to identify the needs of

our followers and identify those areas in which we may be
of service to the individual. Through this relationship
and this opportunity to serve, we will be able to emulate
the love and life of Christ. Once our followers see the
love of Christ emulated through our service to our fellow
man, they will desire to follow our leadership so that
they may learn to enjoy the rewards that flow to those
who follow Jesus' guide for servant leadership.
 219

APPENDIX UU

TONY' PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

I believe that my leadership is to set an example.

Ultimately that example is to model the servant leadership of
Christ to others. To accomplish this it appears to me that I
have to see both the "big picture" as well as the specifics
(i.e. understand the mission of the church and apply that to
Adult One, or my family, or my job.)

Questions 2 and three are closely related. As we

discussed in class the world keeps score differently than God.
The value of servant leadership is that if we follow Christ's
example we will live what he taught in all areas of our lives.
A servant leader is different in that he/she does not seek
honor. (Refer to Matt. 23:10). A servant leader will do as
Christ - live what is taught and not begrudge service.

A servant leader will not get off mission of serving God

and exalting and glorifying Him. However, staying on mission
does not mean that methods cannot change. Indeed, to get a
job done requires not only knowing and equipping for the work,
it requires evaluation and adjustment to finish the work.

A servant leader is also different in the fact that they

never give up. Both Christ and Paul clearly set the example
in this.

A servant leader is different in that they will do the

things others are not willing to do in order to accomplish the
mission. Servant leaders will serve God by serving sinners.
A servant leader will judge effectiveness by the standards of
the world for success.

Quite honestly, it is easier to talk the talk than to

walk the walk and I find myself constantly being challenged to
follow the example of Christ and to not give up. The struggle
manifests itself not only at church but in family and job as
well. However, if I pursue a daily walk with God and if I am
obedient in seeking His will through bible study and prayer, I
find I am much better equipped to serve and lead.

Generally, I am willing to lead in difficult or

unpleasant circumstances. However, I would not be completely
truthful if I didn't say that at times it is gut wrenching,
even to the point of losing sleep. It is at those times that
 220

I find myself digging deeper into God's word and praying more
fervently, asking God to reveal His will to me and seeking
peace and wisdom. AlsoO, at those times, I am constantly
reminded that God promises he is sufficient in all things. I
will further admit that I would prefer to avoid conflict, but
am reminded that Christ, even though he faced great adversity,
stayed on mission and persisted in following the will of God.
 221

APPENDIX VV

TOM'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

To define servant leadership, I would first think that

you would need a broad picture of the mission of the church.
Why did Christ come to earth and what did he hope to
accomplish. I would then think that you would study scripture
to see how He accomplished His task.

Scripture tells us that Christ came into the world to

glorify the Father. He did this in many ways: i.e. preaching
the Gospel, healing the blind, feeding the sheep, bringing
hope to the captives, etc. He was so focused on his mission
that he never deviated from the course. No job was too lowly,
too hard, and too hopeless.

In the same way that Jesus was focused on his task, the
apostle Paul was focused on his mission. He never deviated in
spite of opposition and unbearable hardships.

A servant leader needs to follow the example of the Lord

Jesus and the Apostle Paul. In that same manner, we must be
willing to lead through the most unpleasant of circumstances,
to be focused on the task at hand and to not let circumstances
deviate us from our mission.

Servant leaders have several traits in common. Among

these are vision, tenacity, tenderness, love of the brethren,
understanding, unselfishness, the ability to influence, and
above all else, a close, personal relationship with the
Father.

Not everyone is or wishes to be a servant leader. But

the person who will accept that responsibility can have a
great influence on the direction of the mission. If a person
is willing to accept the responsibility and can clearly
articulate the goal, he will find that others, by and large,
are willing to follow.
 222

APPENDIX WW

BEN'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

My Personal Theology of leadership begins with what is

for me a good workable definition of leadership. I really
liked "Leadership in the 21 s t Century" and its definition of
leadership as "whereby individuals grant special influence to
one or more persons, who in turn catalyze the group to pursue
changes." My even more condensed version would be that "the
objective of leadership is to change things, and the leader is
one who is influencing this change." In terms of biblical
leadership, leaders were chosen by God and are still today. I
cite examples of leaders in scripture (Moses, Abraham, Peter,
Paul) who were all called/chosen for the leadership by our
Lord.

So how does this affect me? Using our suggested

questions to help guide our thoughts, understanding my own
leadership role now involves asking questions of myself.
First, do I need a change, without that need; there is no need
for leadership. If I see that need, next I must ask myself am
I the one being called by God to be the catalyst for that
change. If yes, then am I willing to trust that God will use
me for that change. Therefore, the answer to understanding my
leadership role is that I now understand to recognize that God
appoints me for leadership, and to question often how God
wants to use me for change. Armed with this understanding and
faith, I can move forward to describing what I believe is the
value of "servant leadership".

THE VALUE OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Paul believed that he was a servant. So did Christ.

Citing Philippians 2, Christ saw "although he existed in the
form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be
grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bond-
servant and...humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point
of death...for this reason God exalted him." Understanding the
role of servant is foremost in this study. "Paul saw himself
as a slave to the gospel in that he has given his life to the
spread of the Gospel that others might come to know and
Glorify Christ." Christ became a servant to man so that
others might know the father. Philippians 2 does a great job
of giving some very basic yet powerful principles about
Christ's understanding of being a Servant Leader. First, he
understood the change that needed to be accomplished in the
 223

lives of all people. He fully understood "emptying" and what

it meant - being God, yet becoming man and choosing not to
grasp equality with God. And becoming obedient to death. The
servant is willing to empty himself and is willing to be fully
obedient. Before moving to the leadership aspect of this, it
must be noted and is an encouragement to me that God "exalts"
these acts of emptying and becoming fully obedient. Hebrews
in the role call of Faith is an example of this.

Where about leadership, and Was Jesus a leader? We

discussed in detail the last supper and the act where Christ
became a servant to the disciples to lead. He was trying to
produce change in the hearts of those around him, for the good
of those around him. In doing so, Christ once again had to
empty himself, and become obedient to the father to produce
that change. The value of servant leadership is that the
believer will always be questioning do I need to empty self
and become obedient to produce change. Did Christ go through
a self-emptying process to go out of his way to meet the woman
at the well? I believe the answer is yes. Being fully human,
he had to empty self to go out of his way, to "hated" people
group. To debate the point whether Christ had to could be
counterproductive, but for me, it is a must. I must go
through a process of self-emptying and of becoming obedient to
the will of the Father before I can move forward. I can be a
servant to others, without leading others. Understanding that
serving others to produce a change in them for the good is
where leadership comes into play. The value of servant
leadership is that others see you "empty self" for the cause.
Better wording might be they see the change that has occurred
in self, and they are able to "see" the leadership in action.

What does the Servant Leader do differently?

Without spending a great amount of time here, the servant

leader leads by "example". The servant leader acts and guides
others in the manner he wants the change to occur. Jesus
became the servant before he asked his disciples to do so.
Paul became the slave for the gospel before he asked Timothy,
and others to do so. Some leadership styles give the
instructions and expect it to be done; the servant leader
becomes the servant first, and then leads others to follow the
example given.
 224

How does it flesh out in my life?

Honestly speaking, I would say that I see areas where

servant leadership is being applied in my life. The questions
that need to be asked concerning the need for emptying of self
for the cause of Christ are being asked more and more. The
questions of obedience to Christ are being asked more and
more. The willingness to "serve", to have others understand,
and to follow is being done increasingly. The critical area I
see in my own life is the need to recognize more that serving
and servant leadership are not the same. I need to make sure
in serving or wanting to cause change for the right reasons
that I bring others along with me in the right manner. To
disciple them in the ways that need doing. In addition, this
is the problem I have in my own lifej I serve, but often
neglect to bring others along.

How willing am I to lead through difficult or unpleasant

circumstances?

I believe I am willing. Time will tell. When I have a

difficult circumstance we will find out.

Servant Leadership is persistent - always pressing

forward.
 225

APPENDIX XX

JOHN'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Leadership is following the example of others who have

inspired us and challenged us to accomplish the tasks set
before them. The ultimate Other is Jesus. His example of
serving God sets a high standard of denying oneself while
putting the needs of others first. Unselfishly motivated to
do God's will Jesus set out to reach people who were lost in
their sin. The goal was clear for Christ, as it should be for
us, to be a Christian Leader we simply have to be willing to
become a servant of God's and in the process becomes a servant
of our fellow man. Leadership is servanthood with an
unselfish motivation.

The value of leadership lies in the application of the

methods used in accomplishing the goal. If the goal is tell
to people that God loves them, how can one accomplish this
without expressing care and love toward those people? If the
goal is to provide for the needs of the Church, how can one
accomplish this without first sacrificing financially
themselves. The value of leadership really becomes the value
of developing one's own character to follow Jesus and rely on
Him to provide the ending value.

Is the difference in being a leader and a follower only a

matter of how we view ourselves? If we truly are leaders, is
it because we got in line before someone else? We who call
ourselves Christian recognize who is at the front of the line
and who is the true leader. There are times when others pass
us in our walk who are seeking to grow closer to Christ than
we do. It's our heart condition and not the gift or ability
that fuels our service to others as "leaders".

Part of our journey as we walk behind Christ is to teach

and disciple others so that they know what we know and step
where we have stepped so their path will be easier than ours
was and be encouraged in their walk. So by delegating our
"responsibilities" to others and then providing consulting
services and goals (accountability standards), we can mUltiply
the ability to meet the main objective of reaching people.
Jesus instructed twelve students and "showed them the ropes".
They accomplished much.

This class has made me focus on an issue that I struggle

with in my life. That issue is that I am willing to do my
 226

best to accomplish the items on my list of jobs. Orderly

complete the list of tasks without looking for the personal
relationship issues. However, I often fail to recognize that
the people are the real goal and that the "job" that needs
doing can take longer or not be so perfect if a relationship
is improved or built. Jesus carne for personal relationships,
the other "jobs" (miracles) were just for caring about the
people needs (trivial stuff) .

Leading in difficult or unpleasant circumstances is not a

preference of any sane person. Jesus had a very rough night
in the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed to have his "job" taken
from him. However, He did pray that God's will be done and
not His. As a man in line behind Christ, the issue of leading
in difficult situations is no different than leading in good
times. God's will be done. If it is His will to send
difficulties our way, then He expects us to grow in our faith
and in our trust that He is always sovereign. If we don't
falter and let the circumstances break us then God will have
brought us closer to Him. If we do fail in our "job" due to
these "unpleasant circumstances", did we fail in growing
closer to God? If we grow closer to Him and learn what" He
desires us to learn from the experience then we really are
successful no matter what the circumstances are.
 227

APPENDIX YY

TINA'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

I believe that God has called me to be leader in order to

accomplish his purpose. I agree with Sanders' statement in
Spiritual Leadership when he stated, "Spiritual leaders are
not elected, appointed, or created by synods or churchly
assemblies. God alone makes them." My motivation and drive
comes from my desire to follow God's will for my life. Also
as I try my best to be sensitive to where He wants me to join
him in His work. Of course, I will be a more effective leader
in the areas where I am more skilled and gifted. I will also
be more effective in the areas that I have a passion for. But
as I follow God, I can use the Bible and follow Jesus and
others example as they better understood their mission.
Leadership is to be a verb more than a noun.

I do believe that the church and my mission are in line

with Jesus' mission to seek and save the lost. Jesus was a
perfect example of servant leadership. He was interested in
the lives of people. I serve God by serving others. It was
His service to and for the benefit of others that separates
Him from other leaders. He truly came to seek and save. He
had compassion and a servant heart. Leadership does require a
heart sensitive to spiritual things. Effective Christian
leadership begins with my relationship with God.

Servant leadership is different because I am modeling and

setting an example to those I want to lead. Any leader can
lead but it is different when you are leading beside a person
rather than in front. It is also different because you are
recognizing the value of the individual.

In my own life, to be an effective servant leader, I must

be willing to focus on individuals and serving them. I must
also stay close to God's mission for the work He has given me
through prayer and study in His Word. I must die to self and
follow Christ. It is seldom easy to lead. I am easy to get
discouraged and the devil knows exactly where my weaknesses
are located. My only hope is vertical and I need to keep my
eyes and heart looking upward. I must be willing to give up
personal desires and surrender to God's desires. It is very
lonely. I think of Torn Hunter. He followed God's will for
the Laotian Ministry. It was very discouraging and very
lonely. He didn't get to see the fruit but we are able to
enjoy the work of His servant heart. I really liked what
 228

Sanders quoted, "Often the crowd does not recognize a leader

until he has gone, and then they build a monument for him
w2ith the stone they threw at him in life. u

I have to be committed to the call! I look over my life

and see God's hand. That is one of my major problems. I am
slow to see that God has been working. When I do finally get
it, I have missed opportunity after opportunity. I can't
understand why I didn't see it before. Fortunately, God works
with or without me. My stupidity only separates from Him.

I am excited about what God is doing at Morningview. I

have been a very quiet and reserved leader over these past 15
years. I have been burdened about many things at Morningview.
Praise the Lord! I am beginning to see the Lord moving in
those areas and that excites me. God's timi8ng is perfect and
I am just thankful; I am still around to see God's hand
working among His people. The church is coming alive to
missions and evangelism. It is my prayer that I will be the
servant leader that God desires me to be as He accomplishes
His purposes through Morningview.
 229

APPENDIX ZZ

JOANIE'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Leadership in the local church was not something I sought

or even wanted. Like Jonah, when God asked me to do something
I did not want to do (i.e. serve on a local church staff), I
headed in the other direction. However, He pursued me until I
surrendered my will to Him. It was then that His mission
became mine as well. No one is more aware of my weaknesses,
inabilities and unworthiness than I. But the desire to be
obedient to my Father is greater than the doubts and fears
within. It is in the role of servant leader that I find great
satisfaction, purpose and peace. He lovingly and consistently
works to mold me as a servant leader through my relationship
with him, spiritual gifts, relationship style, and life
experiences. Through all the storm of life, there is peace in
being in the center of His will.

I desire to be like Jesus, so I must seek to be a servant

leader as He was. His idea of being a leader is totally
contrary to the world's plan, and yet it was this one solitary
life that changed history and transformed lives. He made a
difference, and His blueprint continues today to transform
people.

Servant leadership is about humility... It is about

putting aside my rights to serve and it is about following
Christ (not me looking out for #1). Philippians 2:5-11
reminds me that servant leadership is about obedience... It is
about putting aside my wants and desiring instead to obey the
Father. John 13 reminds me that servant leadership is about
meeting needs. "If I'm not wearing a towel and at the feet of
others serving, I am not where I need to be."

Jesus gave authority and shared responsibility with the

disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, and so must I if I am to be a
servant leader. Jesus reproduced servant leaders by example
and He empowered others to lead (2 Timothy 2:2). The world
laughs at Jesus' plan for effective leadership, but has to
stand in awe of His success.

Confidence for me comes in knowing (Acts 1:8) power is

available to me if I remain in vital union with Christ (John
15:5). It is self that prevents me from being the leader God
desires. It is sin that hinders God working through me. My
heart's desire is to keep a laser beam focus on my mission (to
 230

be a reconciler and equipper of people). And to the degree

that I look to my Lord, I will be successful in that mission,
empowered by Christ, to the glory of God. Robert Dale says,
"Jesus vision guided His leadership.u May God help me be a
faithful servant leader like Christ. May God help me to be
relational
 231

APPENDIX AAA

KEM'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Servant Leadership is an attitude of the heart. As a

leader your relationship to God is vital. All through the
Bible are people God used because their hearts were right
before Him. The Bible tells us The Lord does not look at
things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but
the Lord looks at the heart." Samuel 16:8. When our
relationship with God becomes the center of our lives, then as
a leader, we can start to affect those around us. As a
servant leader you will not be without shortcomings but in
obedience and faithfulness to God you will become the leader
that He can use.

Once again the heart appears, the servant leader must

know how to treat people. John Maxwell says, "Successful
leadership is about 90% people knowledge and 10% product
knowledge." The scripture tells us to be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in
Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32. Then at the
beginning of Chapter 5 in Ephesians the scripture reminds us
we are to be imitators of God and that we are Hi dearly loved
children. People are complex and fragile and in need of
affirmation and encouragement. Jesus is certainly the best
example of servant leadership. His love and obedience to God,
His Father, was always apparent. Second was Hi great love for
those around Him. Jesus was always teaching, healing, helping
the people that came to Him as well as His disciples. Being a
leader requires me to constantly learn and adapt lovingly to
those I am working with. To have a heart like Jesus, to view
others as He does ...now, that's a goal worth striving for daily!

Servant leadership is trying to reach your potential for

Christ. You must seek God with all your heart and then be
willing to sacrificially do and give for those you are
leading. This type of leadership is ministry to others in and
outside the family of God. A servant leader is always seeking
to grow in Christ and improve knowledge and skills. Working
with people can be a most frustrating task or the most
rewarding. It all depends on the condition of your heart. In
the book of John, during His last days on earth, Jesus speaks
with His disciples. He shares with them some verses that I
feel are equally important today for anyone who desires to be
a servant leader. A new command I give you: Love one
another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
 232

All men will know i f you are my disciples i f you have love for
one another. John 13:34-35. Keeping your focus on Jesus and
loving people, as He did seem to be the key components in
Servant Leadership.
 233

APPENDIX BBB

TAMMY'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

I never really set out to be "a leader". It was never an

ambition or a plan to become a leader to anyone. My
leadership has been the result of God's intervention in my
life and being placed in situations where I had the skill, the
knowledge, or in most cases the willingness to work for a
cause. My leadership has always corne from a desire or passion
for something or someone that I believed to be important to
others or me. I rarely consider myself a leader, however,
when I look back at my life I can see that God has put me in
situations that required someone to be willing to take the
leadership role and He has always given me a desire or passion
for that situation.

Through this class we have discussed Jesus' mission and

the mission of the church. These discussions have made me
desire to determine my mission as a child of God, as a member
of our church, and as a leader. I believe that my
understanding Jesus' mission and the mission of the church, I
am better able to determine the mission of my life. My
favorite definition of Jesus' mission is to extend the
sovereignty of God by revealing God's love through meeting
people's physical and spiritual needs. I believe now more
than ever that the basic role of a leader is to serve.
Servant leadership is not a behavior or a set of skills. It
is an attitude, an attitude of sincere desire to make things
better for the common good, not for the good of the leader.
On a personal level, I believe that my leadership begins with
a God given desire or passion. Without a doubt, the times in
my life when I have been the strongest leader are the times
that I had the least amount of skill. I always had a vision
for the outcome, but rarely did I know how I was going to get
there.

I have been around a lot of people who are considered

leaders. Some of them were leaders I admired and some of them
were leaders I would rather not emulate. I tend to admire
those leaders who demonstrated servant leadership and who
could communicate their desire or mission. I have attended a
lot of workshops and training in the area of leadership and I
am more convinced than ever that the secret to true leadership
is found in the word of God. Servant leadership begins with
God. I heard a quote once that said, "Leaders never lose
their focus. They keep their eyes ori the big picture." I
 234

believe that Jesus' mission is the big picture and as a leader

for anyone or anything, that should be my ultimate goal. Not
losing my focus is the challenge.
 235

APPENDIX CCC

GREG'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

I struggle deeply here with what to write. I know that

what I REALLY believe about God necessarily bears itself out
in my life. This study has proved very convicting to me in
this regard. I find myself in possession of knowledge as to
how I should live ("emptying" myself, or dying, Phil 2); yet,
I so often return to my vomit, continuing in my disobedienc

I see my own leadership as anemic. Weak. Undisciplined.

Lazy, fat and sloppy. I see in Mark 10:35-45 and Philippians
2 that Christ carne to serve. To give his life. To serve by
dying. I don't see much of that in my life. Herein lies one
of the greatest values of this study. The student is forced
to examine himself against the plumb line of the Word. I have
been confronted over and over again with the truth that to be
like Christ is to die. I must die. To live is Christ. If I
would be like Christ, then I must believe that it is not I
that live, but Christ who lives within me, the Light of the
World. All of that said, I look at my actions and I grieve to
see so little of that type behavior in myself. But I don't
grieve enough. Lord I believe! Help my unbelief! This study
has profited me in understanding to a greater degree what Paul
was expressing when he said that he did what he didn/t want to
and didn/t do what he knew he should.

So I struggle. My hope is in Christ and Him alone.

Loyalty is proven by sacrifice. Will I be loyal when times
get tough? Am I willing to die? will I persevere? I hope in
Christ and Him alone. He is my Messiah. He is God. So yes,
because of his promise, I will follow Him.

His loving-kindness is better than life.

 236

APPENDIX DDD

KAREN'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

My Personal Theology of Leadership is based on Jesus'

life. One leads by serving. Just like Jesus, you lead by
example. When Jesus fed, healed and spoke, people listened
and followed. That does not mean they would completely grasp
the purpose, but they allowed themselves to be led.

A church does not support and follow a pastor just

because of his preaching, but also because they see that the
pastor does what he preaches.

Just like a teacher makes their students understand

through examples and problems, I think that is how leadership
is. You show, explain, and teach someone something they do
not know or do not understand. And you become the leader in
that situation.
 237

APPENDIX EEE

SCOTT'S PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

1. The understanding of my own leadership has come from

several thoughts and ideas.

First, I believe God has wired me to lead. This has come

from various studies of leadership courses i.e. Experiencing
God, Jesus on Leadership, Spiritual Gifts Studies and
Inventories. Looking back on my life, even as early as the 3 r d
grade, I played a lead role in a school play and played
quarterback on a football team. I believe then God was using
leadership gifts that did not even have an idea were there.
As I progressed through school I can recall event after event
that placed me into a position of leadership and encouragement
to others. The servant aspect came naturally or as God had
designed it. Not only could I not step up to want to get
things done, I always look to others to come alongside to help
accomplish tasks and goals.

Secondly, as opportunity presented itself as I grew and

matured, I continued to sense the need to lead. I remember
events on the job in career field that today I can look at and
know God wired me to lead, by example, involving others and
never, or let's say not often, feeling intimidated about the
responsibility that came along with leadership. Actually
enjoying taking charge, guiding groups and finding a lot of
satisfaction in accomplishing tasks and bringing others along
together.

In conclusion, I understand my own leadership as how God

wired me and created the desire, ability and the vision it
takes to lead. I am constantly looking for more courses to
refine skills and looking at others who impress me with their
abilities to lead. As I understand Jesus and his model of
leadership, I attempt to copy his model. Grow in his
character, yielding my own selfish desires and replacing them
with his. I got a long way to go!

2. The valve of servant leadership is multidimensional. One

value is leadership by example. As we see others doing, we do
also. Therefore as you lead by serving others, others begin
to copy and lead others. It creates an atmosphere of passing
the torch. After all, if you are leading others and following
Christ are we not serving while leading others anyway?
 238

Servant leadership takes the approach of Christ who could

have ruled anyway he wanted, but desired to reach the heart
and transform others to fall in line with what his Father's
agenda, desire, will is. A better understanding of who we
need to be, because of the way God wired us to be. Serving
God through serving others and bringing some along the way.

3. In an ever-growing attempt to serve God through his

guidance, Servant Leadership is constantly being revealed.
Hopefully with a teachable and humble spirit God will continue
the work he has begun and grant me the wisdom and perseverance
to continue.

I attempt to stay focused, "on mission", always looking

for attempts to improve, grow and dream individually and
corporately. Seeking to involve others, educate, train, and
equip, tern with them in discovering their dreams, visions for
themselves and others in the process.

4. To lead thru unpleasant or difficult circumstances is not

my first choice, but if I lead I will fail. As the Lord leads
His Will, will be accomplished. My goal is to be successful,
but not in the way I used to look at things. Today my success
is in being obedient to the Lord and knowing that He is at
work with a bigger picture than my narrow vision can see.

God is multidimensional in that He is accomplishing more

than what I can see. He is constantly working in and through
difficult circumstances. He has taught me that His ways are
much higher and His thoughts are much higher than mine. In my
weakness, He becomes strong. He is able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all I could ever ask or imagine. He is the
King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, apart from Him I can do
nothing and without faith it is impossible to please Him. I
must look and see where He is at work and plug in to it. This
is what Jesus did. It is what I must do!
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Werning l Waldo T. Vision and Strategy for Church Growth.

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 258

Bruce r F. F. Paul and Jesus. Grand Rapids: Baker Book

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Commentaries

Matthew

Augsburger, Myron S., Matthew. The Communicators CommentarYr

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Bearer Francis W. The Gospel According to Matthew. Peabody,

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 259

Bromberg, Craig L., Matthew. The New American Commentary, ed.

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Buttrick, George Arthur, The Gospel According to Matthew. The

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Green, Michael. Matthew For Today. Dallas: Word Publishing,

1930.

Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: The Gospel of

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Robertson, Archibald Thomas. The Gospel According to Matthew.

Word Pictures in the New Testament. (Vol. 1), Grand
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Tasker, R.V.G., The Gospel According to St. Matthew. Tyndale

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Mark

Brooks, James A., Mark, The New American Commentary, ed.

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Cole, R. A. The Gospel According To St. Mark. Tyndale New

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Lane, William L. The Gospel According to Mark. ed. F.F.

Bruce. The New International Commentary On The New
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McKenna, David L. Mark. ed. Lloyd J. Ogilvie. The

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Luke

Buttrick, George Arthur. The Gospel According to St. Luke. The

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Geldenhuys, Norval. The Gospel of Luke. The New

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 260

Larson, Bruce. Luke. The Communicator's Commentary: Grand

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Morris, Leon. Luke. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries:

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Robertson, Archibald Thomas. Luke. Word Pictures in the New

Testament. (Vol. II). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House,
1930.

Stagg, Frank. Studies in Luke's Gospel. Nashville:

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Stein, Robert H. Luke. The New American Commentary: (Vol. 24).

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Summers, Ray. Commentary on Luke. Waco: Word Books, 1972.

John

Fredrikson, Roger L. John. The Communicator's Commentary:

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Hobbs, Herschel H. The Gospel of John. An Exposition of the

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Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to John. The New

International Commentary on the New Testament: Grand
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Robertson, Archibald Thomas. John. Word Pictures in the New

Testament. (Vol. 5). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House,
1932 .

-----
. The Divinity of Christ. New York: Fleming H.
Revell Company, 1916.

Strachan, R. H. The Fourth Gospel: Its Significance and

Environment. London: Student Christian Movement Press,
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Sullivan, James L. John's Witness to Jesus. Nashville:

Convention Press, 1965.
 261

Tasker, R.V.G. The Gospel According to St. John. Tyndale New

Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972.

2 Corinthians

Bruce, F. F. 1 and 2 Corinthians. New Century Bible

Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,1971.

Buttrick, George Arthur. Corinthians, Galations, Ephesians.

The Interpreter's Bible. (Vol. 10). Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 1953.

Chafin, Kenneth. 1, 2 Corinthians. The Communicator's

Commentary: Waco: Word Books, 1985.

Hughes, Philip E. The Second Epistle To The Corinthians. The

New International Commentary On The New Testament:
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Kruse, Colin. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: 2

Corinthians. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987.

Martin, Ralph P. Understanding the New Testament: 1

Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians. Philadelphia: A.
J. Holman Company, 1968.

Robertson, Archibald Thomas. Epistles of Paul. Word Pictures

in the New Testament. (Vol. IV). Grand Rapids: Baker Book
House, 1931.

Tasker, R.V.G. The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians.

Tyndale New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1958.

Philippians

Buttrick, George Arthur. Philippians, Colossians,

Thessalonians, Pastoral Epistles, Philemon, Hebrews.
The Interpreter's Bible. (Vol. 11). Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 1955.

Dunnam, Maxie D. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,

Colossians, Philemon. ed. Lloyd J. Ogilvie. The
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 262

Martin, Ralph P. Carmen Christi. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967 .

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Melick, Richard R. Jr. An Exegetical and Theological Exposition

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Muller, Jac J. The Epistles of Paul to the Philippians and

to Philemon. The International Commentary on the New
Testament: Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955.

General Theology Reference Works

Bromiley, Geoffrey W., ed. Theological Dictionary of the New

Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.

Brown, Colin. The New International Dictionary of the New

Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971.

Butler, Trent C. Holman Bible Dictionary. Nashville: Holman

Bible Publishers, 1991.

Green, Joel B., Scott McKnight and I. Howard Marshall.

Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Martin, Ralph P. New Testament Foundations: A Guide for

Christian Students, vol. 2. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978 .

- - - - . Word Biblical Themes: 1,2 Corinthians. Dallas:

Word Publishing, 1988.

Smith, William. A Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids:

Zondervan, 1948.

Vine, W. E. An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.

Nashville: Royal Publishers, 1939.

Journals

Adams, Michael. "How to Plan and Conduct a Staff Meeting."

Church Administration (February 1991): 24-25.
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Baker, Ronald E. "Determining Church Staff Needs." Church

Administration, (November 1986): 58-59.

Ballard, Elizabeth. "The Worst of Times." Church

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Brooks, James A. "Exposition of Philippians. Southwestern

l1

Journal of Theology 23 (Fall 1980): 23-36.

Caldwell, Bill. "A Guide for Staff Supervision." Church

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Harris, Nelson. "Is Your Leadership Visionary?" Growing

Churches. (Summer 1996): 8-9.

Hendricks, William L. "The Nature of Grace: A Baptist

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(Spring 1986): 15-17.

Hinson, Edward Glenn. "Grace in General." Southwestern Journal

of Theology. 28 (Spring 1986): 6-10.

_____ . "Historical Perspectives on Christology." Review

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Horton, Michael S. "What About Bob? The Meaning of Ministry in

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Jackson, Walter. "When God's People Become The Ministers."

Growing Churches. (Summer 1996): 10-12.

Jordan, Rebecca. "When the Staff is Stressed: Eight

Sressbusters You Can Practice." Church Administration.
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Juel, Donald. "The Image of the Servant-Christ in the New

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McClendon, James William. "Philippians 2:5-11." Review &

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 264

Petrea, Raymond. "Interviewing to Fill a Staff Position."

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Prevatte, Ronald. "Working Together as a Team: Steps that Lead

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Administration (January 1993): 20-21.

Sewell, Don. "How Will I Recognize Visionary Leadership?"

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Smith, David. "Five Things a Staff Member Should Expect From

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Administration (July 1981): 10-13.

Walker, T. Vaughn. "The Glorious Gospel: The Church's

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1992): 16-21.

Books Privately Printed

Jenkins, Edwin F. LifeLift. Birmingham, AL: by the

author, 1993.

Rouse, W. T. The Church and The Kingdom. USA: by the author,

1941.

Unpublished Works

Blair, Vernon L. "Applying Selected Leadership Principles

within The Local Church." D.Min. Proj., Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary, 1984.

Denton, Ronald Terry. "An Approach to Leadership Development

in the Local Church." D.Min. Proj., Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary, 1980.

Delhousaye, Darryl. "The Essence of Servant Leadership."

D.Min. Proj., Western Seminary, 1995.
 265

Messmann, John A. "The Servant Leadership Model Applies to

Volunteer Ministry." D.Min. Proj., Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School, 1990.

Packer, Martin Stephen. "A Strategy for Developing Servant-

Disciples in the Local Church." D.Min Proj.,
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1985.

Schroeder, Kenneth Ray. "Equipping a Church to Fulfill its

Mission in its Community." D.Min. Proj., Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary, 1988.

Swanson, Kenneth O. "A Training Program for the Elder,

Deacon and Deaconess." D.Min. Proj., Seventh-Day
Adventist Seminary, Andrews University, 1986.

Webb, James Calvin. "The Mission of the Church: A Plan for

Equipping a Local Church to Understand and Become More
Involved in its Mission Through Small Group Studies and
Biblical Messages." D.Min. Proj., Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary, 1987.