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Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Jetteke_N (0)  
Netherlands

Last sunday, at a youthmeeting, where I had to speak, there was also a survey done by students of a theological school. A survey on worship among youth. They asked them to describe what they were thinking, using pictures. One young man picked up the card showing streetsign with a father and child waking hand in hand. He said: ’This is what happened tonight. An older person told us about the Bible and life with God. She took us by the hand to Jesus. That’s the way it should be.’

The young person wanted to be taken by the hand, led on the way to Jesus, shown through example. 

01.10.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Joseph_Paul_Cadariu (5)  
United States

Thanks, brother, for your astute insights.  It’s not a new thing the dichotomy between "leadership" and "power."  Character is of utmost importance and concern for servant-leaders.  Control is of the utmost importance and concern for those in power. 

25.08.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Herman_Heyman (0)  
Belgium

This same sentiment has grown in my heart and ministry over the last number of years to what I beleive is a holy discontentment.
The analogy of Jesus of the new wine and the new wine skins are repeatedely returned to my attention.
The message that I take from it is to preprare for a new start and go back to the basics of the Gospel, of Christian stewarding leadership of being salt / light and go for the better, valuable gem in the field.
That implies sacrificing my security as leader in what Ihave I grown accustmed to and step out the boundaries that have been defined as "good church pratcies" and "good leadershup model".
When I as a leader take that challenge on, I - and others around me - will rely on God to break out of the "circular dynamics". It will allow to build again on solid ground that He provides.
So ultimately: perhaps is the power of the Gospel waiting to be released by the sheer obedience of men and woman that dare to take on a vision that is greater then themselves?

19.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down besoman (-2)
Nigeria
@ Herman_Heyman: Thanks Herman for sharing your ’sentiment’. Are you suggesting perhaps that we call a global prayer conference on forming leaders? I was taught in Bible school that God has sent all the grace He has to earth by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Let me build a scene. The pastor in a church branch that is 200km away from his headquarters mismanaged some funds because he could not raise enough money to pay his father’s medical bills. He is aware that the Mission director at headquarters had converted the field Jeep into a family car. Both of them are aware that the President has explanations cannot explain how three of the five cars the family uses were bought. Now ’Herman’ (who knows all these) was transferred to start a new branch not because he has the skills but in order to keep him busy and away from headquarters. He makes sacrifices and models ’Christlike’ leadership in the new branch. how does that break the ’circular dynamics’? More direct sir, what should ’Herman’ do to ensure that leadership in this church adopts the biblical model of leadership?
19.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Herman_Heyman (0)  
Belgium
@ besoman: Just a few thoughts in response to the scene that you have been drawing.

* what you have drawn is all too familiar - regardless where one ives.
* We need the prayer, but we need to act diligently, with integrity and consciently that leadership means role modeling as well.
* Regardless what position a christian leader takes: being faithful in EVERY aspect of live and ministry, will render glory to our Father more, then by "handling creatively" any funds and assets that are not one’s property.
* the use of authority and power does not replace the impact of authentically and spiritually behavior.
* As long as Chrisitan leaders opt for the lesser road - the immediate solution for a (financial) problem or for accumulating what is valuable according to measures of this world, we will not see the Kingdom of God breaking through in power. God cannot honor what we do in our own strength - even if this is done for His name.

I have experienced several the very situation that you described, and I have (tired to) stay put with these principles. Yes, it is true, I am not the head of a major denomination or some powerful director. But I have kept my integrity AND I experience with thankfulness how God in His grace uses me in a mightier way then I could have been performling according my own human inclinations.

As for the other leaders: they are serving the same Lord and Father. they will have to give accountability - ultimaytely to our Hevanly Father, possibly earlier here on earth. If I am not in a position that I have to give or take account with them, then I am not in the positon to charege them either.

the other issue - no sufficient means to help his father - I must be honest: apart from taking a loan (which usually only aggrevates the problem in the longer term) I have no other solution then to stuck to the principles and values that are at work in God’s Kingdom. When I am faithful, He will prove Himself to be the El Shaddai.

Currently my wife and I live in some sort of a situation where similar principles are at stake. We hold on to it and trust that god will priovide the answers.
21.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down besoman (-2)
Nigeria
@ Herman_Heyman: Thanks Herman, I appreciate your experience and insight. No one can in any way overemphasize the need for prayers in all these issues. Its also encouraging to hear like Peter tells us that our brethren are going through similar trials. May the Lord strengthen your resolve and show His might in our situations. I’m sure we know that the scene I tried to create is imaginary. In all, we need to encourage one another to continue our growth towards Christ, especially by a "hands-on" TRAINING and COUCHING as Colin and others are doing. They can’t do it alone, so there is the need for collaborative effort to systematically, most-times slowly and painfully (especially for pioneers) but continually propel (?) the Church leadership to turn and remain focused on, and move conscientiously towards Him is all aspects of life especially His leadership style. Remain blessed my brother!
21.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Ronnie_Magpayo (0)  
Philippines
@ Herman_Heyman: The issue of leadership is very crucial in our nation today as we wait for the May 10 National Elections. Once again, the Filipino people will vote for a new President along with other government positions. The question of leadership is inevitable, since the next president should possess this quality. At the same time, "leadership" has been defined as simply a skill to lead or mobilize the people for a specific direction or goal. But to lead involves not only skill, but it includes other traits such as Character, his/her Connections ( social capital), Credentials/ performance, Platforms or programs. So the ability to lead is just one of the traits, and it should be placed within the matrix of the whole concept and traits of leadership.

Character, for me is the central trait that acts as an axis in which the other traits evolved within it. It defines how a person will perform his leading, it colors his values and morality, it influences his work ethics etc.

This is the reason why in Mark 10:32-45, Jesus rebuked the attitude of James and John towards power. Power is not for domination, but for service.

The Church should exemplify this kind of leadership, especially in our post modern context in which the philosophy of consumerism have been evading the values of our church. Leadership becomes a mean to "produce converts", manipulate people, and focus on numbers.

To practice the model of Jesus on leadership as sacrificial service and empowerment of the people is to be on the side of minority and unpopular. But that is the paradox of power, there is "power in powerlessness"
21.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Herman_Heyman (0)  
Belgium
@ Ronnie_Magpayo: Dear Ronaldo:

First at all: I pray that God works out his plan with the MAY 10 - elections. It is important that leaders that qualify in every aspect , so that they can serve with character, skill and competence.

I agree with your focus on the need to foster the development of Christian character. We are stressed to do that by the model of Jesus. It is also a more general biblical mandate, and it has often been negelected ... with nasty consequences for individual lives, churches and more importantly for the name of Jesus.

In order to foster such development, we focus very much on introducing mentoring & coaching models in churches. It helps the church leadership to integrate an accountability system, and at the same time it helps to invest in people and accompany them in the life experience of what God is doing in and through them.
The churches that apply such approach, witness strongly of personal growth of individuals, more unity and cohesion amongst the churtch body, and stronger emergency of new leaders after a while.

Though "mentoring" is a pretty recent term (at least in view of 20 centuries of church history), we can see its practices throughout the OT and NT. For me its goes as for back as the time that God walked in Eden enjoying his creation and seeking to connect with Adam & Eve. also Kain’s response to God’s probing on Abel is to me an obvious link to the principles of caring for one another.

Churches integrating these princples and embedding them in structure and activity, fructify manifold (in numbers, quality and diversity)... which to my understanding is one very powerful testimony on this world of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the best message ever delivered!

26.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Ronnie_Magpayo (0)  
Philippines
@ Herman_Heyman:

Thanks Herman for your comment. I agree that churches who are applying the skill of mentoring are relatively growing. I have been seeing that impact even in our own local assembly. But we need to be reminded that "mentoring" can lead also to manipulation. That is why it is important that one of the objectives in mentoring is to help the "mentee" to discover his/her own potentials and weaknesses and guide him/her towards the path of self-discovery. True mentoring should be empowering.

Mentoring, as an instrument for growth, should be experiential. If this approach should lead a person toward self-discovery, it should be experiential. Why am i giving emphasise on this? In my observation, the concept of mentoring have been associated with learning basic doctrinal concept of christian faith. What we are producing are christians with big heads with small hearts. We need to recover the significance of reflection as part of mentoring. By this, i mean, allowing our mentee to engage in critical reflection. This kind of reflection should be done not n isolation but in the life of a community.

28.06.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Joseph_Paul_Cadariu (5)  
United States
@ besoman:

Thank you sir for your remarks which are more Christ-like than many I have read recently (including my own). If He isn’t the model, who is?  Sadly, I think we often bring too much of us to the table, and not enough of Him.

Loving the Lord is not a theological response, nor do I see it often mentioned in our discussions.  It should be the impetus of all we  do and say.

25.08.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Pete_Houston (6)
South Africa

Nice.  I recently blogged about what Henri Nouwen offers us on leadership.  Now I know he didn’t fall in the evangelical camp, but the truth he grasped is profound.  Nouwen asks...

“What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible?  Maybe it is that power offers and easy substitute for the hard task of love.  It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life.  Jesus asks, “Do you love me?”  We ask, “Can we sit at your right hand and your left hand in your Kingdom?”…. The long painful history of the Church is the history of people ever and again tempted to choose power over love, control over the cross, being a leader over being led…. Many Christian empire-builders have been people unable to give and receive love.” (In the Name of Jesus, p59 – 60)

See the whole blog at  http://petersprogress.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/henri-nouwen-on-leadership/

25.08.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Jim_Harries (-3)
Kenya

Leadership training is a fantastic thing to offer. I suggest there are two fundamental ’errors’ often practised in its implementation, inter-culturally which are reflected in the comments of the initiator of this debate. First is that it is imposed, as it is funded from other than local sources. Second, is that it is presented in other than local languages. These are very serious errors (speaking from a perspective of observing Western involvement in Africa).

09.05.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down besoman (-2)
Nigeria
@ Jim_Harries:

Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. (Acts 11:25-26; 13:1) Considering the cultural diversity of this Church, what language did Paul and Barnabas use? Swahili?

28.06.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Jim_Harries (-3)
Kenya
@ besoman:

Please explain.

28.06.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down besoman (-2)
Nigeria
@ Jim_Harries:

The Church was in Antioch, there was a negro in the congregation, there were Jews as well as other ethnic nationalities (as suggested by the passages I quoted) but Paul and Barnabas were training them. Since you suggest that leadership training MUST be done in MT to be effective, I wish to know the language that Paul and Barnabas used in their training, considering its success - they were called Christians. Was it Swahili or Negro?

29.06.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Jim_Harries (-3)
Kenya
@ besoman:

p

Thanks for that good question Mbah. Kiswahili is of course not a mother-tongue to very many. Therefore some call it a ‘trade language’. Let me try to answer your question.

I should say – that a language goes very much with a ‘culture’ or way of life of a people. I think you are familiar with this principle. If one comes to a people and teaches them using a language other than that which they use in their ‘way of life’, then there is bound to be a mismatch in how what you teach integrates into the lives of those people.

Now I was ‘insisting’ that some missionaries carry out their ministry in people’s mother tongue. In Kenya, as in Nigeria I think, we have a situation in which different languages have different places in people’s lives. The language of the office in Kenya is English, the language of informal trade and often of the church is Kiswahili, the language of the home / heart is MT (with variations on this theme). Many people therefore ‘know English’. This is a reason a missionary may prefer simply to ‘use English’. But, because sections of people’s lives are expressed in Kiswahili and (say) Dholuo, in order to understand the whole person one has to learn also those other languages. I think we have already discussed then why some missionaries ‘ought’ to ‘confine’ their ministries to local languages.

Your example of Antioch is, I am sure you are right, of a cosmopolitan city. In that city were many languages. Amongst those languages came a dominant language; probably Greek – spoken in slightly different ways by all the people of various ethnicities. Remember additional factors ‘then as against now’ – very few books, almost no reading by the majority of people, that is mostly oral transmission of language. No radio from which to learn ‘proper Greek’. No phones to talk to mum at home in Athens etc.

What I suggest is that for someone to communicate effectively in Antioch in those days, he / she could do worse than to live in Antioch and ‘pick up’ what is going on around her for a while. Someone who was born and bred in Greece could do well to try and get a grasp on some other languages and to appreciate that the ‘high Greek’ they have been used to won’t be found in Antioch, so they need to learn some ‘street Greek’. (Greek in those days was unlike English in these days because, as I have said above, the communication media that are now there in English were non existen.)

Because of various reasons, much to do with money, it is increasingly easy for a missionary in East Africa (at least in Kenya) to function entirely in English. English is like money, as I have said before, so that means one’s gospel will be the ‘prosperity gospel’. Hence I suggest (for this and other reasons) that it is important for some missionaries to operate entirely in MT.

Someone suggested – that as a rule of thumb, the language of the church, should be the language of the local market. (All this is not to say that should a Yoruba person move to Tanzania then all Tanzanians need to learn Yoruba in order to talk to him.)

29.06.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Jim_Harries (-3)
Kenya
@ Jim_Harries:

Sorry – the above comment was a bit rushed. In short: if we say Greece is the UK and Antioch is Nigeria, then why shouldn’t someone from Athens just use Greek in Antioch? (Bear in mind that the Greek of Antioch in an almost entirely oral community will have become very Antiochised whereas the presence of all kinds of media prevent English from being so ‘Nigerianised’.) In so far as it has become Antiochised (Nigeria’ised) of course the UK person / Athens person must concede not to know that Greek / English. If the dominant ethnicity of Antioch speaks Antiochian, then one key way for someone from Athens to comprehend the Greek of Antioch is to learn Antiochian.

 If the Greek of Antioch is a close imitation of Athens Greek without local roots that disqualifies its use for serious missionary work. If the Greek of Antioch is so Antiochised as to be vastly different from Athens Greek that excludes the Athens-raised person from correctly understanding it. Because it is (I think) easier to learn another language than to split one language that one already has into two (Athenian Greek and Antiochian Greek in one head) especially if it is one’s mother tongue, or at least it is easier to keep meanings separate (Athens meanings from Antioch meanings) if one has them in two languages then it could be strongly advisable for the Athenian in Antioch who wants to be a missionary to Antioch to first learn Antiochian, and then to use that and not their Athenian Greek in their ministry.

Bear in mind of course that centuries of intermixing etc. means that the differences between Antiochian and Greek ways of life were almost certainly ‘miniscule’ compared to the kinds of contrast that have emerged between the UK and say Nigeria in our age. Thus it is much more important for a missionary from UK to learn and use a Nigerian language than it would have been in Biblical times for a Greek from Athens to have learned Antiochian. 

30.06.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Daniel_Fajfr (0)  
Czech Republic

In our country we say: The people who knows - they do. The people who does not know - they teach. Sometimes it is truth in the church. There is very few people who are gifted to teach and lead. Therefore they are doing all thinks by themselfs.

We are in the process  how to practise Jesus´s style of teaching and leading his twelve boys. I am looking forward for some inputs on this subject.

Daniel  

29.06.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Colin_Buckland (0)   
United Kingdom

The focus of mission has been a gospel focus taking the message of the gospel around the world but taking with it cultural nuances offered as gospel. Consequently the message was muddled with often Western cultural dynamics. As we reflect on leadership issues, I think that the gospel is a culture that supersedes all national cultures. Where there are clashes with the gospel, for Christians, the gospel wins. Our international training in leadership needs to reflect more the gospel than any one cultural dynamic. This is a way to ensure that a purer form of help is provided. Any comments and wisdom from out there is most welcome in this discussion.....

10.05.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Colin_Buckland (0)   
United Kingdom
@ Colin_Buckland:

We have a saying in the UK - "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". There are so many words spoken about forming leaders around the world but I am not so sure that it is backed up with appropriate action. God help us to put relationships, appropriate effort, energy and heart into lifting the bar and encouraging excellent leadership worldwide.

27.06.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Jim_Harries (-3)
Kenya

There are poser issues involved in this. I suggest that in the vast majority of interactions between Westerners and Africans, for example, in the field of leadership training / theological education, there are sufficient reasons for students to ’be there’ over and beyond whatever content is taught. These include - bettering one’s English, making contacts with wealthy people, getting accredited qualifications, getting fed for free, etc. etc. This unfortunately means that feedback is often limited to ’affirmation’ - who wants to bite a hand that is dishing out? This lack of feedback, plus often the local contextual ignorance of the facilitator, can mean that what is being taught is not scratching where there is an itch, but the facilitator will never know. We need interaction on a level playing field. 

12.05.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Colin_Buckland (0)   
United Kingdom

I travel abroad every other week usually meeting with leaders and organizations around the world. I am just back from a trip and while away I saw again that there is a great deal of agreement and Amen with biblical theory. Leadership when coloured with biblical understanding evokes that strong positive agreement. However, there is a definite disconnect from leadership practice. We need to bridge the gap between our philosophy and beliefs and our day today actions. My call is for leaders to evaluate behaviour alongside belief and with help if necessary, make the changes.

06.05.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Herman_Heyman (0)  
Belgium
@ Colin_Buckland:

Hello Colin,

There are 2 essential elements in your remark that we have starting practising four ourselves and for leaders that cross our paths:
* life transformation and application.
A lot of times it boils down to common sense and to faith based courage to be radical (again)

* establish structures that stress transparancy as well as integrity. 
That to my opinion is best practised via mentoring & coaching, combined with sound organizational practises.

these applications change lives and ministry practices - I can testify it for myself as well as for many others that we accompany in leadership development.

Some of these leaders make the false assumption that theory and academic training would not be that much necessary anymore, but it is easy to correct that with reference to specific situations and practices that testify of stagnation, opportunities not seized or quite messy situations in lives and ministries.

I believe this is all part of the old adagio of "Ora et Labora".
Evangelicals just as societies tend accentuate the "Labroa"-part - with nactivism as a consequence. A proper balance is critical for lasting results in the long term.

I usually stress the need to stop talking and start practising it.
Romans 2 and 3, as well as the letter by James  provide as such a sound warning (also to evangelicals) to go by the values of God’s Kingdom and practise its principles.  

06.05.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down AsianAccess2 (0)  
United States

Thanks for sharing, Colin. I’ve heard a study is being conducted or has been conducted for Leadership Development in the Cape Town Papers that highlights the key problem in leadership globally as integrity and humility - both character traits.
We (our mission community) have a firm conviction that character is essential to spiritual leadership and this character must flow from a radical discipleship with a love relationship with God at it’s center.
Thanks for starting this conversation and I am eager to see where it leads...
Perhaps this graphic will add to the conversation:

Downloadable Attachments

• A2_Outcomes.doc

24.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Sam_Hershey (0)  
United States

Good perspective, Colin ...
I’ve seen huge advances in leader character development when they cultivate the habit of listening to God on a regular basis. God begins to work on developing character, especially humility this in turn invites others to connect and to follow. It isn’t about power, it’s about influence.
I love how Deut. 17:19,20 describes the benefits of daily reading, meditating ...“And it shall be with him, and he shall read it aall the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen aand that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left; in order that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.

24.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Jon_Hirst (2)  
United States

Colin, thank you for starting this discussion. There is some great interaction here. The greatest worry I have had about global leadership is that we have viewed it soley through a western business lens without considering some much deeper sources of inspiration for leadership examples. Even books about leading like Jesus tend to try and put Jesus in our box rather than the other way around.
I think we are realizing that coaching, facilitating, empowering, etc are very biblical and very effective in leadership. I would love to hear more about the models you and Rick are developing - especially about how coaching and mentoring fit in.

22.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Colin_Buckland (0)   
United Kingdom
@ Jon_Hirst: Jon, you say it well. Cultural awareness must play a part lest we end up seeing truth through the lenses of the West once again. Rick and I are engaging around the world with the the literate, post literate and oral cultures looking at ways in which the great debate about Jesus’ style and leadership models can be heard. At the very heart of our approach is the desire to help the individual to reach their full Kingdom potential. This focus when applied through a Christian world view leads us to the recognition that training needs to be culturally aware even in the approach taken but knowing too that Jesus both taught and coached as a style. Recent studies have shown that in the West training without coaching is weak in terms of life style shift, etc. We seek to teach, model and coach leaders world wide toward their own best in Jesus.
22.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Jon_Hirst (2)  
United States
@ Colin_Buckland: Colin, thanks for explaining a bit more about your approach. I am very interested in the research you mention about the roll of coaching. Is that something you can share.

Recently my wife Mindy and I have written a book about how people understand truth called "Through the River: Understanding your assumptions about truth" and we have been more and more aware of how important your world view and your culture are to your understanding of leadership, ministry and outreach. I look forward to more interactions as we continue on in this global conversation.
23.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Colin_Buckland (0)   
United Kingdom

My colleague Rick Sessoms and I have been developing a growth model, that has been working, which is based not just on training but also coaching. We are of the opinion that training without coaching doesn’t actually lead to much change.
We have now worked with some large missions like TWR who have been changing their model (organizational culture) and we have been providing a global programme for them. They have seen some amazing changes among their leaders and their organization as they deal with a ’Servant Leader’ Christlike impetus. Please note that such major change is costly at all levels but someone, somewhere, must dare to change. To have the name of Jesus over the church and the leaders is insufficient if the heart of Jesus is not the heart of the leader or the church.

20.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Jim_Chew (2)  
New Zealand
@ Colin_Buckland: Greetings Colin - look forward to collaborate with you Rick and others on this very important aspect of coaching leaders. Leadership by example is a tremendous challenge. We also need to focus on coaching the next generation(s) of younger leaders - with the ultimate in mind - to lead like Jesus.
20.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Colin_Buckland (0)   
United Kingdom
@ Jim_Chew: Thanks Jim, I agree. Let’s state this very clearly here: Coaching and Mentoring is about helping others to reach their full potential in the Lord. This needs to be one of the central points of Servant Leadership. To facilitate the growth of another to a place that may even exceed your own skill and ability is a courageous and necessary action and is definitely ’others’ focussed. We are seeing, around the world, an incredible hunger in younger leaders for coaching. They long to be developed but are often horrified by the styles and behaviours of those who are senior to them. We must, at all cost provide healthy development for these younger leaders. They are going to surprise us as God releases them to let the church through.
21.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Jim_Chew (2)  
New Zealand

Leading like Jesus begins with humility. He tells us, "Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle..." Matt 11:29 NLT. This is a total contrast to the kind of "power leadership" we see today.

19.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Ronnie_Magpayo (0)  
Philippines
@ Jim_Chew: In Mark 10:32-45, Jesus gave a very clear teaching on the true meaning of power in the hands of a leader. Power is not for the intention of domination, but power becomes legitimate only for the purpose of service for other people. Jesus after he sensed the twisted concept of James and John on the meaning of "positional power" uttered words of rebuke saying"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
20.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Jim_Chew (2)  
New Zealand
@ Ronnie_Magpayo: Yes, indeed - servant leadership. The Son of Man came NOT TO BE SERVED... Many leaders think power is important because of their desire to CONTROL the people they lead. Control leads to domineering leadership rather than servant leadership.
20.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down argonaut (1)
United States

You raise excellent questions! I think we all are wired to desire a human leader who can tell us what to do, as that sort of mediator between God and us. We (think we) don’t want relationship, we just want the rules.
What does leadership look like that refuses to just give people the rules, and actually cultivates relationship and even empowers people to become leaders?

17.03.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Russell_B (0)  
United Kingdom
@ argonaut: Jesus condemned the Pharisees for ’lording it’ over the people, and I believe that sometimes the Church in the West has bought into a model of leadership that over-emphasises authority at the expense of servanthood.
Jesus models the Servant King style of leadership and we need the kind of leaders who lead by example in this way. Impossible in our own strength - but possible in God’s!
19.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down besoman (-2)
Nigeria
@ Russell_B: Thanks Russell, remove ’sometimes’ and you have the African scenario, even among us who are discussing this you find manipulative tendencies moving towards ’Pharisaism’. What should the church do to reverse the trend? Should we elect our representatives to Lausanne? On what platform? Even Jesus selected His disciples. Candidly, many times I sympathize with our leaders because we are MORE STIFF-NECKED than Israel. What should we be doing in the church to train out leaders modelled after Jesus and how do we ensure that they are not ’stifled out’ by the current ’Pharisaic’ leaders? How do we ensure that what happened to the present leaders - many of them were wonderful at the beginning - does not happen to them?
19.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Russell_B (0)  
United Kingdom
@ besoman: These are big questions, but I’d say we all need more grace and humility, and any leadership training looking to build leaders of integrity has to spend plenty of time looking at the implications of Phillippians 2.
19.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down besoman (-2)
Nigeria
@ Russell_B: Yes Bro. I’m in complete agreement with your points. The questions look quite impressive but if we keep pointing to Christ in humility, even when we ourselves miss it, God’s grace will ensure that we surmount them. It looks to me that we need to discuss practical steps to applying the Christ-like leadership model in the church. The discussion on developing leaders may have to look at issues surrounding this, developing strategies for persuading those of us currently in leadership positions to focus on that model, selecting or electing leaders based on it, encouraging the next generation to follow it.
19.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down besoman (-2)
Nigeria

Hi Colin, quite frankly your points are right and if we all react the way I think you want us to react, there will be a revolution. Yes, the ’circular dynamics’ you mentioned is built with Gold and manned by Satan’s strongest men. Your weapon for breaking into (re-definition) this "long time ’held-position’" looks wonderful, but as you can see we do not seem to be following. However, I am sure that you are aware that this redefinition (my words) have been done and is being done in books, seminars, Lectures etc. One big problem is that the people who qualify are almost always prematurely "crucified" by the collaboration of the "Caifases and Pilates". They very rarely ever come to lead even the missionary organisations. how does the church get around this in this search for more maturing Christian leadership.

16.04.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down johnfranklin (1)  
Canada

Colin: thank you for your thoughtful piece on leadership. I think your account is supported by the widespread focus on "celebrity" in popular culture. Celebrity carries a kind of power and feeds our desire to connect with such wealth and fame. Shaping of character is irrelevant in this case as we simply long for the adventure and experience of connecting, watching, admiring or swooning over heroes. This same focus on celebrity commonly shows up in our faith communities as well. We seem to have become content with living on the surface and ignored the call to depth in our lives - a call entailed in the gospel.
John Franklin

31.03.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down mission1 (0)
United States

I agree that "we need to help people to grow". Our focus should be to help them to go " to next level". Also we need more emphasis on "spiritual formation" in leadership development process.

21.03.2010

Reply Flag 0 Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Colin_Buckland (0)   
United Kingdom

I am not so sure that it is rules we need so much as to be encouraged to work and relate within Biblical guidelines. We need to help people to grow rather than to develop dependencies.

18.03.2010

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