MIDWESTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

A CASE FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP

A RESEARCH PAPER

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE

MN 5475 PASTORAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICUM: THE PASTOR AND THE GOSPEL

BY

CLAYTON MILLER

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

MAY 03, 2022

 Introduction
Leadership is something that can be seen in every aspect of today's culture. From the

corporate workplaces on Wall Street and the Silicon Valley, non-profit organizations around the

world, local Boy Scout troops, to even the household, leadership can be found around every

corner. But one thing that is evident when looking at these examples of leadership is that each of

these forms of leadership is completely different from the other. From the cut-throat world of

corporate leadership to the less formal leadership in the Boy Scout troop, leadership has as many

different methods as there are stars in the sky. How is the Christian supposed to know what it is

to be a leader and how to lead others?

This work seeks to show that leadership has its greatest fulfillment through the lens of

Christian leadership. This will be shown through the true definition of leadership and through

looking at the qualities, disciplines, and the men and women who have displayed wonderful

ministries of leadership both in the Scripture and in history. After this, it is pertinent to ask why

Christian leadership matters by looking at criticism raised about Christian leadership as well as

its ramifications on both individual Christians and the Church as a whole.

What is Christian Leadership?

Leadership is a very vague term in today’s culture. Some say that to lead is to use power

to influence people while others say that leadership is to rally men and women together to strive

towards a common goal. While these definitions of leadership are partially accurate, they do not

take into account what makes leadership distinctly Christian. While leadership is universal in all

areas and walks of life leadership finds its truest form in the Christian walk. Since the truth of

Christianity changes everything, leadership is not without Christian implications. At the heart of

Christianity lays the foundational truths of the Greatest Commandment in Matthew 22:34-39.

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Here in this passage, Jesus exposits the whole of the Law and the Prophets saying, “You shall

love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”1 These two commandments are summarized greatly

in the Westminster Catechism’s first question saying, “The chief end of man is to glory God and

enjoy Him forever.”2 The definition of Christian leadership is best put in this light as to lead

others for the glory of God and the good of others. Eric Geiger and Kevin Peck in their book,

Designed to Lead describe Christian leadership by saying, “In an age where leadership is often

used to build self, to build platform, to build job security, to build wealth, and to build power,

Christian leadership is about giving one’s self away to God’s design and destiny for mankind for

His glory in Christ alone.”3

Christian leadership entails not only doing the right things for God will but also doing

them well. Matt Perman in his book, What’s Best Next, distinguishes between personal

leadership and personal management. Perman shows how personal leadership allows for

someone to know what things need to be done while personal management shows how they need

to be done. This distinction is important to show how Christian leaders are neither managers,

only caring about efficiency, or leaders, only caring about the goal, but are both. To quote

Perman, “We need to determine what the right things are (personal leadership) and we need to

put them into practice (personal management).4

1
Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer (Chicago: Moody
Publishing, 1967), 68.

2
Eric Geiger and Kevin Peck, Designed to Lead: The Church and Leadership Development (Nashville:
B&H, 2016), 70.

3
The Westminster Catechism, Q1.

4
Gregory the Great, The Book of Pastoral Rule, Popular Patristics 34 (Crestwood: SVS Press, 2007), 43.

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 Qualities of a Christian Leader

Humility is one of, if not the most important, qualities that a Christian leader must

possess. Christians who do not learn from Christ’s example of humility have a severe stumbling

block to entering into leadership. Humility is a key trait of not just leaders but every Christian

living out the Greatest Commandment. Christ set the prime example of humility when He

entered into our world to suffer and die in our place. Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from

selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

Likewise in Mark 9, Jesus tells his disciples that “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all

and servant of all.” Humility is such a foundational part of the gospel it is impossible to lead

others to Christ without having it as a part of your character.

Holiness is essential to leading as a Christian. To lead others, the Christian must

perpetually grow in holiness. A Christian leader must at all times seek to grow in the stature of

Christ in their life. Their lives must be the example of how one should live in the Christian walk.

According to St. Gregory the Great in his work The Book of Pastoral Care “He must, therefore,

be the model for everyone. He must be devoted entirety to an example of good living.”5 To lead

others as a Christian requires a level of holiness that puts the leader as a spiritual model of living

for the rest of the group.

Courage is without a doubt an important quality for Christian leadership. Christian

leaders are called to stand firm in Christ without fear and to act in courage for Him. To be afraid

of worldly or spiritual powers is to fall short in relying on God’s power and ability to protect you

from their influence. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus tells the disciples, “Do not fear those who kill the

body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
5
Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, trans. M.K Marriott, 54.

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Acting in the face of opposition is the daily reality for all Christians and is even more evident in

the lives of Christian leaders.

Vision is something that is required of every leader. Each leader has a vision as to how

and what the end of their leadership will look like. Vision is what allows the Christian leaders to

give their followers hope and clarity for the future of their work. Having a vision for the future of

the leader’s work gives the leader a determination to achieve that vision with those who are with

them. According to Albert Mohler in his book, The Conviction to Lead, leadership is intertwined

with narratives saying, “The credibility of leadership is based, without question, on the leader’s

identification of his own story within the organization’s story.”6

Wisdom is vital for the daily life of the Christian leader. It is what allows for the leader to

decern and decide what they can do to glorify God in their position. Where knowledge allows for

the leader to learn about the options in front of them it takes wisdom from God to discern what

option to take. Oswald Sanders says in Spiritual Leadership that, “If knowledge comes by study,

wisdom comes by Holy Spirit filling.”7 James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask

God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

One characteristic that many non-Christians would say is important to have is the ability

to instill fear in others to gain their respect. One of the major non-Christian thinkers to promote

this view was the 15th-century thinker Machiavelli. According to Machiavelli, “A question

arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that

one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much

6
Albert Mohler, The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles For Leadership That Matters (Bloomington:
Bethany House, 2012), 39.

7
John Piper, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea To Pastors For Radical Ministry (Nashville: B&H, 2013),
138.

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safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with.”8 This thought

that leadership is a practice in instilling fear is quite common in the world but entirely foreign to

Christian leadership. Christ taught his disciples in John 13:34 saying, “A new commandment I

give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one

another.” A Christian is not to use fear as a tactic to make people trust in their leadership, it

should be their love for their followers.

Disciplines of a Christian Leader

A leader’s ability to lead others well stems not just from their character but also from

their daily actions. One discipline to be found in all Christian leaders is the daily interaction with

God through prayer and the Scriptures. By reading the Bible and praying, the Christian leader

centers themselves on the solid foundation of God’s Word for their leadership. As Jesus speaks

of the importance of Scripture in Matthew 4:4 saying, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by

every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Likewise, Paul speaks on prayer in 1

Thessalonians 5:17 saying, “Pray without ceasing.”

Another important discipline that Christian leaders must possess is faithful stewardship of

the things that the Lord has given to them. Leaders should be stewarding the resources that God

has given them, such as their bodies, their money, and their time. If a Christian leader can not is

unable to steward what God gave them then they are unable to lead those that God will give to

them. Jesus speakings in John 3:27 says that “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is

given him from heaven.” Paul speaks on stewarding time in Ephesians 5:15-16 saying, “Look

carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because

the days are evil.”

8
Mohler, 99.

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 An important discipline to have as a Christian leader is to be reading and staying

informed about current events. It is important for a leader to constantly seek to learn about fields

relevant to their leadership position and to stay relevant about events happening to be able to

respond to them properly. Reading allows the leader to entertain possible new methods or means

to implement into their role as leader. According to Albert Mohler in Conviction to Lead

“Leadership requires a constant flow of intellegence, ideas, and information. There is no way to

gain the basics of leadership without reading.”9

Examples of Christian Leaders

Adam, the first man and first leader in the Bible, is the foremost example of how

Christian leadership can end poorly. When God created Adam, He gave him dominion over the

earth and charged him with tending to the Garden of Eden. With this authority, Adam named all

the animals in the Garden. Later Adam was given Eve to tend to the Garden with and give

leadership to. Ultimately, Adam’s leadership in the Garden ended in ruin when both Adam and

Eve ate of the fruit and were driven out of the Garden. This failure to lead his wife against the

temptation of the Serpent in the Garden leads to allowing sin to enter the world.

Moses is a great example of a faithful Christian leader in the Old Testament. When God

called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, Moses objected saying “Oh, my Lord, I am not

eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and

of tongue.” But God replies to Moses saying, “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth

and teach you what you shall speak.” God used Moses in wonderful ways throughout his life.

Moses over his time leading Israel has led them through many trials and tribulations. From

9
Unless otherwise specified, all Bible references in this paper are to the English Standard Version (ESV)
(Wheaton: Crossway, 2005).

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bringing the Israelites out of Egypt after the plagues to leading them in the wilderness for forty

years, Moses served well as God’s chosen leader for the Israelites during the Exodus.

Outside of Scripture, there are many magnificent examples of Christian leaders

throughout history. From bold preachers expositing the Word like Charles Spurgeon and

Johnathan Edwards to missionaries sharing the gospel to those who haven't heard like Saint

Patrick and Adinirum Judson, Christians throughout the tapestry of history have lived lives

devoted to God displayed through their leadership in ministry. One example of one steller

Christian leader outside of the sphere of ministry is Chick-Fil-A founder Truett Cathy.

The ultimate example of a flawless leader is without a doubt found in the life of Jesus

Christ. Christ’s time on earth portrayed unmatched leadership within His band of disciples. The

gospels give incredible insight as to how Christ led the disciples for the three years of His

ministry. In all of Christ’s earthly ministry, one can see the excellent leadership ability of Jesus

Christ. One example of Christ’s skill in leadership is in His sending of the 72 disciples to share

the gospel in the surrounding regions. His ability to teach and lead 72 disciples in evangelistic

efforts is an incredible feat of Christ’s leadership ability.

Why Does Christian Leadership Matter?

Know that a clear definition of what Christian leadership is, the second question is why

does it matter? Christ-like leadership matters for both the individual Christians, and for the

Church as a whole. But before we look at why it matters, it would be best to answer some

critiques of Christian leadership.

Critics of Christian/Servant Leadership

One critique raised against Christian/Servant leadership is that there are plenty of other

leadership models that work well or better than Christian leadership. Some will argue that a form

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of Laissez-Faire leadership works the best. This model argues that leadership is best done with a

hands-off mindset for the leader when it comes to helping and assisting their followers. Although

this system seeks fine on the surface it stands contrary to the definition of leadership itself.

Leadership involves getting involved with people, not staying back, and only interacting when

one has to. Others will also argue that a strong form of Authoritarian leadership is required to

lead others. In this model of leadership, the leader would assume a position that is domineering

over the people they lead. The problem with this model of leadership is that, if uncorrected,

could lead to worse problems such as abuse or mistreatment in the leader’s community.

Another critic often raised against Christian/Servant leadership is that the model does not

work in all areas/fields. Some will say that while Christian leadership may be helpful in roles

like a pastoral position or for ministry leaders, Christian leadership could not be put into practice

outside of the Christian sphere. Some of these examples could be a commanding officer in the

military, a corporate CEO in Silicon Valley, a Hollywood film director, and many others. While

it may be harder to practice Christian leadership in roles like these one should seek to embody a

Christ-like role of leadership in these areas. A Christian should still seek to love one’s neighbor

and glorify God in all areas of their life in a Christ-like manner, especially in career fields that

make it hard to do so.

It Matters for the Christian

One way that Christian leadership matters for the individual Christian are that without

solid foundations for personal leadership it can ruin their witness. Without leadership over one’s

life, it can be quite difficult to share the gospel with others. Unbelievers may see that the way

someone lives their life and may say that their life is not something that they would consider

Christian. Leadership over one’s life brings ownership and the ability to serve others with your

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life. This will allow one to use their Christian witness to share the gospel with friends, family,

coworkers, and everyone you encounter in your life.

Another way that Christian leadership matters for the individual Christian is that taking

the role of a leader has consequences. Assuming the role of a leader for the sake of others puts

one’s self into a realm of higher responsibility and likewise higher consequences for failure in

leadership. According to Jared Wilson in his book, The Pastor’s Justification, the people should

say to themselves, “We submit joyfully to our leaders as our leaders serce us humbly.”10 Once

this trust in leadership is broken through a moral or ministerial fault it takes a lot of work in

reconciliation and prayer to fix that loss of trust.

It matters for the Christian because leadership is baked into their lives. For the Christian,

leadership is found in almost every aspect of life: family, work, church, government, and more.

Without any form of leadership in these areas, the world would fall into chaos and complete

anarchy. Since many of these areas of life are daily engaged with the practice of leadership it is

important to equip Christian leaders to bring true Christian leadership to these areas in daily life.

It Matters for the Church

First, a lack of leadership stunts the development of the church in its growth in holiness

and in its missional outreach. Without Christ-like leadership in a church, the church will soon

fall into a stunted development in their relationship with God and their effectiveness in outreach

to others. The church’s life with God can be judged by looking at how their pastor’s devotional

life with God looks. According to John Piper in his book, Brothers We Are Not Professionals,

the pastor “One of the great aims of our ministry is to lead people onto the Calvary road of

10
Jared Wilson, The Pastor’s Justification: Applying The Work Of Christ In Your Life And Ministry
(Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 64.

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radical obedience to Jesus.”11 If the pastor fails to lead his church through Christ-like leadership

the church will fail as well.

Secondly, a lack of Christ-like leadership puts a church in jeopardy of falling to false

doctrine and false teachers. A church that lacks leadership will easily be swayed by the winds of

false doctrine and susceptible to attacks from false teachers from inside and outside the church.

Paul speaking in Titus 1:13, says to the pastor Titus, “Rebuke them sharply, that they may be

sound in the faith,” Without a leader in the church to rebuke these false teachers the church could

easily become stranded in strange doctrine with no basis on the Word of God.

Third, a lack of Christ-like leadership makes the ministry of the church more difficult.

Without a Christian leader in a church, the church will have a much harder time conducting

ministry overall since the leader guides these programs and efforts. Without a leader, these

ministries find no force to push the church’s ministry into needed or overlooked places where

nothing is being done.

Conclusion

To conclude, Christian leadership is the ability to lead others towards the glory of God

and the good of others. Leadership, like all things, finds itself underneath the ultimate

sovereignty of the Lord and must be in subjection to what He says. From learning about Christ-

like leadership, there are two ways how Christian leadership can apply to our lives.

The first application that can be drawn from this is that Christian leadership should be

developed skill in all Christians. Learning to lead others in a Christ-like manner opens many

opportunities for Christians to serve the Lord and use their abilities in ministry. Since there are

numerous different ways one could be a leader, in their family, at their work, or in their church,

11
Matt Perman, What’s Best Next: How The Gospel Transforms The Way You Get Things Done (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2014), 138.

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every Christian can use the tools of Christian leadership to pursue the glory of God and the good

of others.

The second application that can be drawn from this is that all leadership ultimately finds

its truest fulfillment in Christianity. Leadership is only a process of imitation through which men

and women strive to act like Christ. The leadership of Christ defines what it means to be a leader

and the effects such leadership has on those around us. According to Oswald Sanders,

“Leadership is not a calling we choose to pursue; it is a calling we choose to answer. We dont

decide to become leaders; we decide to respond and keep responding to God’s call in our

lives.”12

12
Sanders, 205.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Geiger, Eric and Kevin Peck. Designed to Lead: The Church and Leadership
Development. Nashville: B&H, 2016.

Gregory the Great, The Book of Pastoral Rule. Popular Patristics 34. Crestwood: SVS
Press, 2007.

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. trans. M.K Marriott.

Mohler, Albert. The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles For Leadership That Matters.
Bloomington: Bethany House, 2012.

Perman, Matt. What’s Best Next: How The Gospel Transforms The Way You Get Things
Done. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014.

Piper, John. We Are Not Professionals: A Plea To Pastors For Radical Ministry.
Nashville: B&H, 2013.

Sanders, Oswald. Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer.

Chicago: Moody Publishing, 1967.

The Westminster Catechism

Wilson, Jared. The Pastor’s Justification: Applying The Work Of Christ In Your Life And
Ministry. Wheaton: Crossway, 2012

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