August 2006

The Basis of Biblical Leadership.
The basis of biblical leadership is a relationship of love with the Father. Jesus made it clear that this was the basis of his own activity; his actions were based on what he saw the Father doing.(1) This is fundamental to true Christian leadership. He also made it clear that leadership was not a position of privilege but a ministry of brotherhood, leaders do not “lord” over others.(2) It is essential that a leader have an attitude of servanthood.
The Bible does not give us a precise structure of church leadership. In fact, there is no perfect structure of leadership that would yield a perfect church. However the principles of leadership are very clear and must be taken very seriously.
Principles of Biblical Leadership.
Here are the general principles that appear in the Bible regarding leadership. We believe that leadership will be effective only as it regards these principles.
1. Leaders in the church must be men of proven godly character. (3)
2. Leadership in the church is more relational than organizational. (4)
3. Leaders in the church, when functioning in accord with God’s will, are given the authority to do their job of leading the body. (5)
4. The authority of true Christian leadership comes from God, and not from the people of the church. (6)
5. The authenticity of authority is recognizable by the Word of God, manner of life and imitable faith. (7)
6. Believers are called upon to respect and support the leaders of the Church. (8)
7. Leaders in the church are accountable to God, to each other, and to the body for godly conduct. (9)
8. A leader may not deceive, manipulate, coerce or in any way abuse or take advantage of the flock. (10)
9. Wise leadership will seek godly council. (11)
10. Both the concepts of plural leadership(12) and a primary leader who leads elders(13) are normal patterns in the New Testament.
11. For leadership to be effective it is necessary not only to discern and perform the will of the Father but also to have the willing support of the people. (14) For this to take place it is necessary for both leaders and those they lead to be responsive to the Holy Spirit, and to be committed to the priorities of the Father.
12. These are sometimes difficult issues for many of us our culture, and while it is clear that the Church is called to exercise clear leadership, we realize that patience and gentleness must be exercised in leading the immature. (15)
13. God possesses all authority and exercises it in perfect righteousness, wisdom and love. He has given his authority to the Son, and the Son has given authority in various ways to his people, who are to exercise it in the same spirit that Jesus did. It is God’s will that each Christian learn to relate to Him as their King. His righteous, loving authority is a blessing in the believer’s life, and one of the ways it is demonstrated is through those to whom it is delegated. (16)
14. Leadership in the Church never has the authority to disregard or disobey the will of God, nor to lead others in disobeying or disregarding it. All Christians should evaluate whether they are being led in accordance with the Scripture(17) and if the situation requires it, to obey God rather than men. (18) Christian leaders together with the people they lead are accountable to God and His Word. It is therefore very important that leaders listen carefully to concerns that are expressed about their leadership and be willing to evaluate themselves by the Scripture. If any of us have erred, it is important to make amends and move forward. It is also important for those who have concerns about leadership’s direction or decisions to make amends if it is shown that they have no basis for their concerns.
15. The job of the Christian leader is to discern the will of the Father, to busy himself with pursuing it and lead the Body in pursuing it. It must be understood that the purpose of every leader is to please the Father. Although we must be sensitive to the feelings and concerns of those in the Church, we must never give those feelings or concerns a higher place than the feelings or concerns of the Father. Our attitude must be that if the Father is happy with us then we are doing our job. We must always remember who we are working for. (19)
It is a fallen world, and the issues we face are sometimes complicated. We occasionally find ourselves in the position of confusing consensus with leadership. It is sometimes required to be firm and clear when faced with disagreement. Jesus once said “Get thee behind me Satan!” to one of the future Apostles. (20) Truly we are called to treat one another with respect, kindness and honesty; we must also be dedicated to the vision God has given us for the Church.
16. The New Testament demonstrates the importance of developing new leadership.(21) The model in the New Testament is not primarily positional but functional leadership. In other words, someone’s title is not nearly as important as his effective function among the body of the Church. It is the job of leadership to recognize men of character and ability to lead, to train them to exercise their gifts effectively, and to give them opportunity to function in the shepherding of the body in the area of their giftedness.
17. The primary task of church leadership is to equip the people in the body to minister or perform works of service. (22)
18. Biblical leadership is always connected to shepherding.(23) The task of Christian leadership is not primarily administrative but relational. Those gifted in administration provide an important function in the church but it is important that every leader is involved with shepherding and is directly involved with God’s flock.
19. When church leaders are leading in a way that is obedient to God, the authority which God give to those leaders is a spiritual authority. The anointing He give to such leaders is a spiritual anointing.(24) Those who are spiritual will recognize and respond to it, others will not (1 Corinthians 2). Our goal is that all whom we have the privilege of ministering to, both leaders and the rest of the body, be in fellowship with God, in contact with the holy Spirit, be learning to recognize His voice and be committed to obeying His leading. To the extent that both leaders and the flock pursue this priority, we will all prosper and bear much fruit. (25)
What we expect from leaders.
1. Leaders will seek to pursue and demonstrate a life of spiritual reality, vitality and maturity before the rest of the body.
2. Leaders will be responsible to the Senior Pastor and Board of Elders, and work in concert with the other ministries of the Church.
3. Leaders will be expected to study the vision of the church and participate in the forward motion of the church’s mission.
4. We will expect leaders to be engaged in discipleship activities themselves, taking steps to grow as believers through the ministries of the Body.
5. We will expect all goals and activities of any leader or ministry to be soundly relevant to the task of making great disciples.
6. We will seek to discern and to pursue the direction God is giving our fellowship, we will then determine direction for the church and steps necessary to achieve those goals.
7. We will seek to provide pastoral care for the flock by:
a. Determining the spiritual state of those who come into the flock and develop a strategy for shepherding those individuals.
b. Determining the spiritual state of those who are already in the flock and develop a strategy for shepherding each individual.
c. Taking steps to get each individual into relationship with a small group of other Christians with whom he or she can develop relationships and work out the realities of the Christian life.
d. Taking steps to get each individual into a relationship with a mature Christian for the purpose of relationally oriented pastoral care. Our main resource for this (# “a” through “d”) is the relational ministry of cell groups.
e. Providing training opportunities and training programs for learning basic Christianity and for learning skill and knowledge necessary for ministries.
f. Provide resources, referrals and specially trained people for those with serious personal or spiritual difficulties.
g. Working with each individual with the goal of helping him or her reach their potential of usefulness to God, and getting them placed in a ministry suited to their gifts and which is a worthwhile expression of the God’s kingdom.
h. Monitoring, encouraging and supporting the ministries of the members.
i. Doing our best to correct and restoring those who fall away from the kingdom.
8. We will take responsibility for the teaching of the flock, which includes providing quality biblical and practical instruction, and guarding the flock from those who spread serious doctrinal error.
9. We will seek to identify, affirm and train those who are gifted for, qualified for, and desirous of leadership ministry in the church.
10. We will consider it our primary goal to make great disciples of each other, and will evaluate everything we do on that basis.
11. Decisions and goals set by leaders will be fully supported by Biblical teaching, and in agreement with the vision and mission of the Church.
12. We will reevaluate our activities periodically, to make certain that we are being effective and relevant to the Kingdom of God.
What not to expect from Leaders.
1. We will not expect to be able to make everybody happy. Our priority is to do the will of the Father.
2. We will not take responsibility for the actions and attitudes of others. If someone is upset it is not necessarily the fault of the leaders.
3. We will not assume the responsibility of the entire body’s ministry. Leadership’s job is to help, train and set the body in order so that the members of the body can fulfill their calling to do the work of ministry. (26)
4. Leaders will not be expected to go to great lengths to defend decisions, or to respond to accusations made by unhappy individuals. Scripture instructs us not to entertain an accusation against an elder unless two or three witnesses make it.(27) If this happens we’ll respond appropriately.
5. Any complaint made anonymously will be disregarded, even if it is delivered by a second party.
6. We will not be coercive or manipulative, or involve ourselves in the personal affairs of our members in an unwelcome manner.

Notes:
1. John 5:19-20 (NASB95) 19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.
2. Matthew 23:8-10 (NIV) 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.
3. 1 Timothy 3; Titus 1
4. 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 (NIV) 11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
5. 2 Corinthians 10:8 (NIV) 8 For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
Hebrews 13:17 (NIV) Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
6. 1 Corinthians 16:16 (NAS) “to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it.”
7. Hebrews 13:7 (NASB95) Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
8. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (NIV) 12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

9. See 1 Timothy 3:1-13
10. 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 (NIV) Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
11. Proverbs 1:5 (NIV) let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.
12. See Acts 20:17 .
13. See Acts 15:12-21.
14. See Hebrews 13:17 – # 5 above.
15. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NIV) 24 And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
16. See 2 Corinthians 10:8 – # 5 above.
17. E.g. Acts 17:11 (NIV) 11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
18. E.g. Acts 5:29 (NIV) Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!
19. 1 Corinthians 4:1-4 (NIV) 4 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
20. Matthew 16:23
21. 2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV) And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
See also Titus 1:5 (NIV) The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.
22. Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV) 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
23. see Acts 20:28 (NIV) 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.a Be shepherds of the church of God,b which he bought with his own blood.
1 Peter 5:2-3 (NIV) 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
24. See 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
25. John 15:7-8 (NIV) 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
26. Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV) 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
27. 1 Timothy 5:19 (NIV) 19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.