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WHAT SORT OF LEADERS? |
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Paper for E.F.A.C. Conference 2001 by Kanishka Raffel |
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1.
Introduction |
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Leadership
is all the rage. Books on the subject abound and sit on
best selling lists for months on end. Seminars open to
those members of the public able to pay large
registration fees consistently have to turn away
disappointed applicants who cannot be accommodated. These
general observations are as true in the Christian
subculture as they are in the subcultures of business,
academia, sport and personal development. We believe in
leadership. |
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One would
think that with so many highly effective habits, golden
keys and irrefutable laws available, there would be no
shortage of able leaders and no need for this paper.
However, the former seems not to be the case. The latter
may very well be true in the specific sense of this
particular paper but the topic of this paper seems to
need urgent addressing. |
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In the
city in which I live, it is projected that the population
will increase by 800 000 in the next three decades. The
single authorised Anglican ordination training
institution currently has five students. With one or two
exceptions, the same bleak picture is repeated in every
ordination training institution in the country. Among the
factors identified by the NCLS study on 'burnout' among
Christian leaders, the pressure of unrealistic
expectations was significant. [P. Kaldor & R.
Bullpitt, Burnout in Church Leaders, (Adelaide: Open
Book, 2001)] Christian leaders seem to have great
difficulty in answering questions like 'what am I
supposed to do?', 'how can I know if I'm doing the right
thing?', 'what should my priorities be?', 'how can I
sustain ministry over a lifetime (even if it ceases to
be, or never is, my main 'job')? |
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Others
have described the contemporary environment of the
Christian ministry. Two of the other papers focus on the
task of Christian ministry. I propose to focus on the
character of the Christian leader. I do not intend to
speak of casting vision or managing charge or building
teams - which certainly are important functions of
contemporary Christian leaders. [The Institute for
Contemporary Christian Leadership provides invaluable
Australian resources for the development of these
skills.] But my interest is character. Character is
primary. Of course, character and function overlap. In
the context of the Christian ministry this is necessarily
the case since our God is the One in whom there is no
distinction between essence and act. This only heightens
the importance of the character of the Christian leader. |
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2. A
Farewell Charge - Acts 20:17-38 |
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In Acts
20, Luke records for us Paul's farewell charge to the
elders of the Ephesian church. He speaks of his own
ministry over three years and entrusts to the local
elders the same work of shepherding the church of God. It
is an apostolic word to 'the leaders of the future'. It
has been preserved for us and provides a vision for the
Christian leader. It is part of what our Father has
provided that is 'useful' for thoroughly equipping the
servant of God for every good work. A number of themes
concerning the nature of Christian leadership arise from
Paul's farewell charge. I wish to examine the following: |
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2.1 The Integrity of
the Christian Leader
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2.2 The
Servanthood of the Christian Leader 2.3 The Dependency of
the Christian Leader |
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2.1
Integrity |
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In a
culture in which 'workaholism' is not just a linguistic
nightmare or the punch line in a standup comedy routine,
the question of the integrity of the Christian leader and
the authenticity of their spiritual life (by which, of
course, I mean their whole life in relation to God) is of
prime importance. When the apostle says to the Ephesian
elders, 'You know how I lived the whole time I was with
you from the first day I came into the province of Asia'
(Acts 20:18), he is giving expression to a principle of
transparency in Christian leadership which stands against
the flow of our culture. The division between private
life and public life which is so characteristic of our
time (epitomised perhaps by the way in which former US
President Clinton's popularity increased during the
'Lewinsky affair') is an indicator of the decline of the
influence of residual Christianity in our culture. We are
culturally, less concerned with the character of the
people who serve us than we are with their capacity to
perform whatever service it is that we seek from them.
But this will not do for the Christian leader, even if
the church itself should be satisfied with it. |
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Notwithstanding
the importance of 'boundaries', there can be no division
between public and private life for the Christian leader.
I do not mean that there can be no privacy for the
Christian leader, I do not mean that there can be no
'space' for the Christian leader or that the Christian
leader must somehow be without sin. But there can be no
deception. There can be no excusing of some 'private'
immorality on the ground that it does not affect the
leader's capacity to perform what is perceived as their
'job'. In the most extreme case, this is the rationale
that operates in relation to homosexual clergy who pursue
immoral relationships 'discreetly'. |
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The
extreme case illustrates the point but of course, there
are many circumstances where we may be failing in this
matter but inclined to excuse it on the grounds that it
is in some way, 'private' sin. For example, simple
prayerlessness, verbal harshness and emotional absence
within our family relationships, 'internet immorality',
covetousness (Acts 20:33) and laziness (v 34) may all, in
fact, make it impossible for us to say with Paul, and
with his confidence, 'you know how I lived' |
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Neither
is integrity only a matter of ensuring that there is no
hidden sin that remains unrepented of, but it should be
possible for those who are led to be able to say,
"We have seen the gospel have its good and powerful
effect in the life of the person who leads us". Paul
offers his own life as a model of a life transformed by
the gospel. Clearly, this principle will find different
applications depending on the particular circumstances of
the leader but in our anonymous and give-to-get culture,
there is a vital need for Christian leaders to be people
who open their homes, extend hospitality and 'share not
only the gospel but our lives as well'' (l Thess 2:8) |
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2.2
Servanthood |
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2.2.1
Serving the Lord and his People |
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One of
the challenges involved in speaking of Christian
leadership is that the word 'leader' barely appears in
the NT (Romans 12:8 providing a tantalisingly meagre
exception). On the other hand, Peter, Paul, James, John
and Jude all call themselves servants of Jesus. If when
we think of leadership, images of army generals, sporting
coaches and business executives more readily spring to
our minds than Jesus kneeling to wash the feet of his
disciples, then we have not yet sufficiently struggled
with the Scriptural word concerning authentic Christian
leadership. |
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I do not
mean that the many manuals recording the leadership
insights of army generals, sporting coaches and business
executives may not profitably be plundered. However, we
must bear in mind that having plundered the Egyptians of
their wealth, Israel made for herself a golden calf. The
essence of Christian leadership is service. |
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Paul says
to the Ephesian elders that he 'served the Lord with
great humility and with tears' (Acts 20: 19). He
immediately goes on to speak of his unhesitating ministry
of preaching to the Ephesians, privately and publicly,
whether Jew or Greek. In other words, the object of the
service of the Christian leader is the Lord himself - but
the Lord is served as his people are served. This is
consistent with Jesus' own teaching that 'whatever you
did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you
did for me.' ( Matthew 25:40) |
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The
television series "Yes, Minister!" caustically
parodied a self- congratulatory bureaucracy that achieved
improved operating efficiency in a hospital by ensuring
that no one was admitted as a patient. Perhaps we are
tempted to say "I could be a better leader for God
if it weren't for all the people who get in the
way!" But it is impossible for the Lord to be served
while people are neglected. |
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In
evangelical circles we are unlikely to adopt the view
that presiding at the Lord's Supper in the absence of any
communicants is real service (something once sincerely
opined to me) but we may be more inclined to express
frustration at the intrusion of 'pagans' seeking baptisms
or weddings; we may find fault with people who do not
wish to enlist themselves in our programs or will not
volunteer to do the jobs that we say must be done. That
kind of frustration may indicate an attitude that
understands leadership more as a matter of others
responding to us than of 'ourselves as (their) servants
for Jesus' sake' ( 2 Corinthians 4:5 6 Mark 10:42-45). On
the other hand, we may increase our joy in ministry if we
more deeply grasp the truth that in serving his people,
we truly render service to none other than our living and
gracious Lord himself! |
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2.2.2
Humility, Tears and Testing |
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Paul says
his service of the Lord was with great humility, with
tears and in spite of severe testing. Jesus observed to
his disciples that the rule of pagan leaders was
characterised by 'lordliness' rather than lowliness and
the exercise of authority rather than the performance of
service.' (Mark 10:42-45). Humility is the cornerstone of
Christian leadership, not least of all because it is the
'imitation of Christ' . (1 Corinthians 11:1) Additionally
however, there, is the incongruity of the treasure of the
gospel being conveyed through the ministry of clay pots,
(2 Corinthians 4:7) and the fact that the flock of which
the Christian leader is shepherd belongs to another,
having been 'bought with his own blood' (Acts 20:28). |
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In
contrast to the self-exalting of pagan 'lords', the
Christian leader is self-abasing. This is not a matter of
some pseudo-spiritual discipline of asceticism or self
mortification but rather the outworking of the priority
of exalting the God of grace - ' I consider my life worth
nothing to me if only I may finish the race and complete
the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of
testifying to the gospel of God's grace' (Acts 20: 24). |
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I doubt
that any Christian leader will be 'great in the kingdom
of God' without shedding tears over those among whom they
serve. Paul does not tell us the source of his tears for
the Ephesians over the three and a half years he lived
and served among them. We can speculate that he wept,
like Jesus over Jerusalem, at the hard heartedness he
found in that city; perhaps he wept over his own sense of
inadequacy for the task which was committed to him,
longing to be a better exponent of the gospel of grace so
that nothing in him should prevent any from responding to
Jesus in repentance and faith. |
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Perhaps
he wept with joy over the immolation of books of sorcery
and evil; over the transformed relationships between Jews
and Gentiles as they experienced themselves to be 'one
new humanity'; over people released from bondage to the
ruler of the kingdom of the air and liberated into the
freedom of the service of the Lord. Certainly he wept for
them as he warned them to beware those who distort the
truth (Acts 20: 31). The tears of the Ephesians provide
testimony of their love for Paul; his own tears surely
demonstrate that that love was mutual. Christian leaders
are passionate about the flock. |
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This
self-abasing, Christ-exalting, other-centred service is
carried on in the face of ' severe testing' (Acts 20:19)
and 'hardship' (v23). Our culture values the escape
route, the second string to the bow, the open option.
'Staying in a hard place' is the opposite of the spirit
of our age but precisely the spirit of Gethsemane. Jesus'
command that his followers were to take up their cross
and follow him suggests that discipleship itself, let
alone Christian leadership involves the triumph of the
purposes of God through the crucifixion of self-interest.
In the pastoral epistles, the invitation of Paul to
~mothy, and we who stand in succession to Timothy, is
'join with me in suffering for the gospel' (2 Timothy
1:8). |
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Several
sources of hardship and opposition are identified by Paul
in speaking to the Ephesian elders. He himself has
encountered the 'plots of the Jews' (Acts 20:19). The
Spirit tells him that he faces prison and hardship (v23).
He knows that the message is rejected by some (v25-26)
and that the elders will have to confront opposition from
within and distortion of the truth (v30). They will have
to keep watch and drive away the savage wolves (v28-29) -
and they should not expect that to do so will cost them
nothing. |
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Though
they must face such hardship themselves they must not
give in to the temptations of greed (v33) or laziness
(v34) but on the contrary must be careful to practise
compassion and generosity (v35). |
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In much
of the world, the 'status' of leadership is typically
thought to provide a way of ensuring a smoother ride for
oneself, often at the expense of those who are led.
However, the leader who is the servant of the Suffering
Servant must expect to walk a via dolorosa, not merely
because "it's lonely at the top" but precisely
because it is the way Jesus walked. |
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2.2.3
Authority |
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The idea
that Christian leadership is service is not merely the
assertion that "my service is to lead". Rather,
Christian leadership has the character of servanthood.
This is so counter intuitive and so contrary to the
leadership milieu in which we live that something must be
said explicitly about authority . John Stott is helpful
here. Stott says that the Christian leader is not without
authority but that the servant character of Christian
leadership defines the nature of that authority. It is
the authority inhering in sound teaching and consistent
example. [J.R.W.Stott, Christ the Controversialist,
(London: Tyndale, 1970) p195.] The latter we have
discussed in the previous section of this paper. |
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Concerning
the former we may observe from Acts 20 the priority of
pastoral teaching. Paul describes his ministry using the
vocabulary of 'preaching' (Acts 20:20 and 25), 'teaching'
(v20), 'declaring' (v21), 'testifying' (v24),
'proclaiming' (v27) and 'warning' (v31). He has exercised
this ministry without regard to ethnic division,
preaching to Jew and Greek (v21). It is a ministry of
universal significance. He has preached publicly and
privately (v20). He has taught 'anything that would be
helpful' (v 20), 'the gospel of God's grace' (v24), 'the
kingdom' (v25), indeed, 'the whole will of God' (v27).
Paul summarises his goal in all of this, that people
should 'turn to God in repentance and have faith in our
Lord Jesus' (v21). It is a ministry that seeks a
response. As a result of this ministry Paul can claim to
be 'innocent of the blood of all people' (v26). |
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As he
charges the ongoing ministry to the Ephesian elders he
commits them to the same 'word of God's grace' which can
'build you up' and 'give you an inheritance' among the
saints (v32). The nurture and protection of God's people
comes through hearing and responding to the 'word'. It is
a word of God's kindness and to be understood in both the
particular sense of the call to repentance and faith and
the widest sense of the whole counsel of God. The
ministry which conveys that word to the hearts and minds
of the people is essential since believing it is the
means by which a person pursues relationship with the
living Lord. This is the leader's ministry lest hearing,
believing and responding to the word of God's grace be
supplanted as the focus of the life of the Christian. |
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The
authority of the servant leader derives not from mere
position nor influence nor charisma nor even the consent
of the people, but from the word of which he or she is
the bearer. The Christian leader of the future will need
to resist the pressure to become a manager or a
counsellor or even an entertainer (!), and insist on
being a pastor teacher. Christian leadership is not
essentially management involving some element of
teaching, that may be delegated to a 'teacher', it is
essentially pastoral teaching (Christ-centred
Spirit-dependent life-applied teaching) with a management
component that may be delegated to an administrator. To
put it another way, the more duties the Christian leader
is able to delegate, the more time that will become
available for the work of pastoral teaching. Pastoral
teaching in all the settings in which ministry is
exercised casts the vision, precipitates change, provides
tools for ministry, builds and nurtures the ministering
team, binds the broken and strengthens the weary,
evangelises the lost and builds and equips the saints for
the works of service that have been prepared for them to
do. |
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2.3
Dependency |
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How is it
possible for a mere human being to sustain the kind of
leadership that Paul exemplified in himself and entrusted
to the Ephesian elders as a model for their own
leadership? Not humanly. But all things are possible with
God. |
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Paul
speaks of being 'compelled by the Spirit' (Acts 20:22)
and 'warned by the Spirit' (v23). He declares that it is
the Holy Spirit himself who has appointed the Ephesian
elders as overseers (v28). Christian leadership is led by
the Spirit and therefore prayerfully dependent. |
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As in
every other area of Christian ministry, there are a
variety of useful leadership 'tools' available to assist
Christian leaders assess their strengths and weaknesses,
identify positive and negative traits and habits,
implement new strategies, identify goals and roadblocks,
celebrate victories, plan for the future. But our
gracious and kind Father has provided the 'resource' of
himself, in the word of his grace which is able to build,
and by his Spirit who 'helps us in our weakness' and
'intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express'
(Romans 8:26). |
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Surely
the divine 'resource' is the most potent, yet many of us
are slow to harness it. Someone has said somewhere,
"Bible without prayer is atheism and prayer without
bible is paganism". Is it possible that some
Christian leadership is practical atheism? We know, I
suspect, too well how possible it is. |
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Christian
leadership that is truly humble will be humble not only
before people, but all the more so, before the glorious
Father who sees so clearly our foolish pride and puny
self-reliance. The prayerfulness of the Christian leader
is not only an expression of the leader's reliance upon
God for the progress of God's mission but also an
expression of the sublime truth that every Christian
leader is first and foremost a child of God. Prayer
reminds the leader that he or she is a shepherd and a
sheep under the Chief Shepherd, a steward and a son in
the Master's house, a creature and a child of the God and
Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. |
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In light
of Paul's charge to the Ephesian elders we might
profitably pray for ourselves as Christian leaders that
we may be people in whom the power of the word of God's
grace is manifest; that our leadership would be
characterised by a spirit of servanthood, humility, tears
and persistence; that we would be saved from covetousness
and laziness; equipped to turn away the savage wolves and
maintain the integrity of the truth. |
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The
apostles gave themselves to 'prayer and the ministry of
the word' ( Acts 6:4). Is it not the case that many of us
have given ourselves much to the word but little to
prayer? If so, we must repent. The Christian leaders of
the future must, no less than Christians in every age, be
people who express complete reliance upon and trust in
God, through prayer. |
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3.
Conclusion |
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Ironically,
despite all the changes in the 'territory' in which we
proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord, it is not too much to say
that we need leaders of the same character, priorities
and commitments that were required by the church in the
first century. The NT speaks less of the skills that are
requisite for the Christian leader than it does of the
character of such a person - presumably not without
reason. Others have hinted at the skills and competencies
which will be required as we seek to be fellow workers
with God as he brings about his mighty and eternal
purposes. I have sought to expound one part of Scripture
with a view to the characteristics of the person who will
be fitted for such work. |
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What kind
of leaders will the church of the rapidly dawning future
require? Leaders who have encountered God in his gracious
word concerning his Son; leaders who will not use
'privacy' as a cloak for sin and are generous with their
lives as well as the gospel; leaders who eschew power and
ambition for service and tears; leaders of passion who
will stick with people, even when rejected by them;
leaders who will bring the word of God's amazing kindness
to every situation; leaders for whom independence is
illusion and dependence upon God is complete joy. |
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Kanishka
Raffel is Rector of St Matthew's Anglican Church Shenton
Park WA |
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