One of the topics
that came up at a recent editorial meeting for Country Way was the nature of
church leadership. We were essentially
thinking about leadership in rural church situations. I raised a question regarding whether the
polity of our different denominations was a factor in determining leadership
style. Watch out for a forthcoming issue
of Country Way to see how this is further explored.
Here I want to ask
the question, “Is leadership the appropriate word?” It certainly is a contemporary term across
the denominations. The recent guidance
given to training Bishops in the Church of England also highlights the subject. But the term “leader” is not one that you
will find in ant of the three New Testament passages where gifts and ministries
are listed[1]. Indeed the term is used sparingly within the
New Testament of the early churches.
Barsabbas and Silas are described as leaders from within the church at
Jerusalem. The only other references are
in Hebrews 13. Even these must be considered in the light of the words of Jesus
whose only reference to leaders among his disciples is in Luke 22:26 “the
leader must be like the one who serves”.
Leadership has become
a generic term as there has been growing realisation of the limitation in the
pastor/teacher model that served churches well in the past. But unfortunately
the term carries with it certain images and expectations that are unhelpful
within a Christian context. That said, I
am reminded of a conversation that I had with the late Dr Donald McGavran many
years ago. He had been emphasising the
importance of good leadership for church growth. I had pointed out that many rural churches were
lacking in leadership. He then asserted
that in any social group leaders naturally emerge and that to identify them you
only have to see who gets listened to.
Of course there are
various models of leadership. When I did
my university studies in management we even considered Jesus as one model for
contemporary leadership. Some leaders are more assertive while others are more
consultative in style. Contemporary
gurus on the subject will point out the need to adapt an appropriate style of
leadership dependent upon the circumstances at the time. That is to say that the one leader might
sometimes need to be assertive at important moments but might otherwise be
consultative.
As a minister within
a Congregational tradition my own understanding of leadership style is tempered
by the fact that I am under the authority of our Church Meeting. My congregation might expect clear leadership
from me but that must remain balanced by limited authority at all times.
I would much prefer a
clear return to an understanding of ministry within our churches as relating to
the diverse charisms or gifts that are mentioned in Scripture. No one should be expected to exercise any
kind of ministry beyond that which has been given by God and proved within the
churches. Let pastors care, evangelists
proclaim, teachers teach, etc.
Leadership should never be one size fits all.
The biblical ‘offices’
within the churches of elders/bishops and deacons are about service and not
about status. We must never forget that
Jesus taught that in the kingdom of God there is no such thing as rank! I regularly hear lip service being given by
church leaders regarding being like servants.
But it is not about acting it is about accepting the role of a
servant. It is what we are and we must
never forget that.
Within one short list
of ministries in 1Corinthians 12: 27-29 Paul refers to what the AV translates
as ‘governments’ and most other modern translation present as ‘administration’. But the Greek word which is translated here
is ‘kybernesis’ and comes from the
sense of piloting a ship (the noun can be found in Acts 27:11). This particular
gift (among the many) carries a sense of true leadership. It is about understanding the journey and how
to make progress safely until the desired destination is reached. As one of my university lecturers said, a
good team leader is someone who is like a helicopter and can rise above a
situation to take in the wider picture and implications, but then descend again
to show the way ahead.
So, if you are
defined as a ‘church leader’ I urge you to know your real gift and stay true to
that. Do not let your own or another’s
expectations force you into a non-biblical role that could lead to burn out and
frustration. If you are among the led rather
than the leaders please do not place this non-biblical expectation upon
others. Leadership will always exist and
take various forms, but what really matters is that the many gifts that God has
given within his Church are allowed space to be exercised for the common good
and growth of his Church.
From the Diary:
Thank you for your
prayers. The chest infection is slowly
clearing up and I am getting back into work after a two weeks break. Please continue your prayers for a complete
healing and also for my colleague Monica who needs God’s touch at this time.
“Faith through other eyes”, our Lent series at
Yelvertoft got off to a good start last Thursday when the Senior Pastor of the
Elim Pentecostal Church spoke of his particular tradition and what he values
within it. The meeting was well attended
and well received. We have an interesting diversity of representatives of other
Christian traditions and other faiths over the coming five weeks. For more details click here.
We had a great “Get Messy in Yelvertoft” meeting this Saturday
morning, using the theme of love. Please
pray for the children and parents who attended that we do not see on other
occasions. Give thanks for the excellent
and willing team. Click
here for more information
Sunday 22nd February I will attend the Parish
Communion Service in Great Bowden, Leics and speak about our summer outreach
programme, “Holiday at Home”. We are
seeking to enlarge the team and appoint a new co-ordinator.
Tuesday 24th February I hope to be fit
enough to go to HMP Gartree for my regular work with a group of lifers in the
prison choir.
Thursday 26th February the second in our
Lent series at Yelvertoft.
Saturday 28th February Congregational Federation
Mission and Society Committee meeting in Nottingham
Sunday 29th February Yelvertoft
Congregational Church
During this week I
will be following up two request received recently to provide guidance on
appropriate and effective evangelism. I
hope also to set the date for the deferred Rural Mission Webinar.
Thank you so much for
your faithful fellowship.
Barry
[1]
There are lists of ministries and gifts to be found in Romans 12:1-8;
1Corinthians 12: Ephesians 4: 7-16. There is no suggestion that these provide an
exhaustive list, but they do identify God’s gifts to the Church.
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