Church Leaders is it a biblical concept?

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 22^nd 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 24^th 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 26^th February the second in our Lent series at Yelvertoft.

Saturday 28^th February Congregational Federation Mission and Society Committee meeting in Nottingham

Sunday 29^th 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

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[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.

Using your best assets

In February 2012 I wrote an article for the magazine of the Congregational Federation entitled When did you last service your minister?  (See http://barryosborne.blogspot.co.uk) What had occasioned this article was my awareness of colleagues who suffered from burn out, exhaustion, and depression.  I am glad to say that I have always been well looked after in most of the churches where I have been in ministry.  My members fuss over me and take care of me very well.  Sadly this is not always the case for others.

In the article I compared ministers to other assets, such as cars and houses, that we often spend much time, money and attention on ensuring they are in good order.  I suggested that, for most churches, their minister is their greatest asset.  In this post I want to address the balance (while not losing the importance of caring for your minister) and state that in every church the greatest assets they have are the people who make up that church.

At this point I want to confess to a weakness that I have.  I have been blessed by having a number of talents that I can draw on whether in preparing ministry for a Sunday, or providing leadership to a church or organisation.  I can both speak and sing reasonably well, and God has graciously used my varied ministries - indeed he has used the gifts he has given me.  The weakness is that in a busy life it is all too easy to fall back on one's own abilities instead of creating time to ensure the involvement of others.

It is not that I see myself as a one-man-band.  Nor is it that I do not appreciate the values of delegation and the development of others.  It is just that "doing it myself" is a lot easier and less time consuming.  So the danger is that while my ministry has proved a blessing to many, I might sometimes be a hindrance to the development and ministry of others.  This is not an uncommon problem.  Even as you read this some might be thinking "I do that too" or possibly, "That's what's wrong in our church"!

So I am trying to take myself in hand and address this situation.  In one village there is a Christian couple who are keen to explore God's purpose in their lives.  Despite the demands of a young family and that they both have to work 'she' has started on a training programme with the Congregational Federation, and 'he' has also undertaken a short training course.  Both need mentoring which includes practical opportunities with appropriate feedback.  I need to set aside time to give them support.

Also at Yelvertoft we have experienced some slow growth in numbers but I don't know what each persons particular gifts and abilities are.  What is God calling them to do and become?  Do they already know that or might they need help to discover it?  How can we keep doing the things that God is using to grow the church and ensure that all within the church are growing at the same time?

These are not problems that are exclusive to churches.  Secular organisations also need periodic reviews.  A strategy that is developed to move a church or organisation forward should lead to change. But when the situation has changed it is time to review the strategy or we are in danger of stagnating.  We need to ask what now needs to change, what now are our priorities?

The whole of Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 emphasises the importance both of all who are part of God's Church and the ministries that the Holy Spirit has given to them.  If we stifle any one of these we deprive ourselves, the Church universal and church local.  Paul spells this out so clearly,  No one should consider themselves so important that they don't need the other more humble parts.  Neither should anyone feel inferior.  God has made us to be interdependent and we need to give full value to each person in the Body of Christ.

But knowing the principle and applying it in practise are two very different things.  But of this I am sure: if we want to see any local church (congregation) move forward and realise its potential we need first to look at our greatest asset - all the people God has given us.  the secret of developing the life of the church is developing the lives and ministries of its members.

Recent Activities
On Sunday 28th April we welcomed a good number of family and friends of Jim Gregory for a special service followed by the interment of his ashes.  Some time ago we had held his funeral service followed by a service of thanksgiving and celebration of his life.  Jim was a lovely Christian man, Welsh and a keen Boys Brigade officer.  Once again last Sunday we sang some hymns to good Welsh tunes and raised the roof with the Boys Brigade hymn (Will your anchor hold...).  The Lord had led me to speak on Jesus revealing God's shepherd heart.  It was encouraging to be told afterwards how God had used that talk to bring someone to a new commitment to follow Jesus.  Please join us in giving thanks.

On Monday we held our bi-monthly Church Meeting at Yelvertoft as we explored the way forward in God's plans.  My congregation had been naughty (they are from time to time) and had secretly agreed to give Doreen and me a personal gift to mark the 50 years of ministry I am celebrating this year!  Some people are too nice!  Please give thanks with us.

On Tuesday I went as usual to HMP Gartree.  Plans for another one of the concerts is still held up because of proposed changes to prison routines.  These concerts provide much needed motivation for the choir members, they are very therapeutic, are good PR for the prison, and provide an opportunity of expressing appreciation for those who volunteer services of various kinds within the prison.  Please pray that we will be able to set a date soon.

On Thursday morning we had another encouraging Bible Discussion meeting looking at Hebrews chapter 11.  Later that day I travelled to Manchester to attend a one-day seminar/training event on the Equalities Act 2010.  This important piece of legislation affects everyone but I was especially concerned about its impact for those of us who minster within secular bodies such as hospitals, prisons, etc.  This was a secular training event but I found that I was not the only Christian present.  Several from various secular organisations have asked to stay in touch with me.  Perhaps we need one another in God's economy!  Please pray that I will be sensitive to anything God may be saying.

During the week I was encouraged that we now have the required four trustees for Mission for Christ (the original charity) so that we can progress essential business and seek to move the ministry forward in a new context.   We are so thankful for the help being given by Ian, the Christian solicitor we so badly needed, and the helpful advice from the Charity Commission.  There are still issues to be cleared up and that will take a few weeks, but every day we make progress.  Please give thanks with us and keep praying that the Lord will remove all obstacles along the way.

Items for Prayer
Please pray for fruitful ministry at Yelvertoft this Sunday.  The following Sunday please pray for Angela who will take the meeting while Doreen and I are away for a few days in Kent.

On Tuesday I will have my regular visit to HMP Gartree.  On Wednesday and Thursday I will be attending the annual meeting of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland at High Leigh Conference Centre in Herts.  These are changing times for Churches Together across these islands and with my colleagues I have been able to make some suggestions about a useful development that would help the mission of the Churches.  Please pray for this important gathering of national Church leaders.

On Friday morning Doreen and I set off for Kent where we will spend a long weekend with her sister.  On Saturday 11th I will share in the Congregational Federation's Annual Assembly where I will be encouraging interest in the forthcoming international conference in July.  On Sunday we plan to attend the meeting at Dunks Green Evangelical Church, near Tonbridge.  This is a village church where we held a mission many years ago and is part of the ministry now of Action for Christ.

Please continue to pray for two female colleagues (both named Elaine) who were recently diagnosed with complicated forms of cancer.

Please pray for Terry Martin, who has been working with us as a trustee of Mission for Christ and Action for Christ.  Terry arrives back in his native USA this week.  We thank God for him and his wife Dana, for their love, generosity in helping to sort out the problems in these organisations.

Please pray for Monica, my colleague in Sunrise Ministries (Rural Mission Solutions) who is currently working in Kenya.  While In Malawi recently she had a nasty fall but has been well looked after both by those who travelled with her and the local people.  She tells me she is recovering well and able to get on with all her work (you try stopping her!).

Please pray for Stephen (I think I may have told you of this fellow servant in rural ministry whose daughter had a brain tumour).  Alison died earlier this week.  Please remember Stephen in your prayers.  Please also pray for Simon, another man with a heart for rural ministry but who has been very unwell.

Please pray for the Sunrise Ministries trustees and our two management teams.  We are so thankful for their fellowship and service in Christ.

Finally
Coming back to my reflection at the start of this post please take a moment to reflect on what kind of an asset you are - or perhaps could be - in the life of your church.  Do you need help discovering your gift?  Do you need help to develop and deploy your gift?  Are there other latent ministries in your church that you have the ability to encourage (without unnecessarily rocking the boat)?

Thank you for your prayers, fellowship and friendship

Barry