BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP, PART I

Introduction
The biblical foundations of leadership begin to be laid
in the first chapter of Genesis and conclude with the
declaration of a kingly leadership position (Rev. 1:5, 6)
for God’s people in Revelation. These books and those
in between reveal the deeds and misdeeds of leaders
throughout. We see the massive deterioration of
leadership behavior in the rebellion of Lucifer against
God, but we also observe the incredible
demonstration of leadership in the descent of the
Messiah into the greatness of transformational
service.

The model demonstrated by Christ is a model of

service. The followers of
Jesus are called to serve as God’s stewards from a
platform that is free of positional tension or self-
ascendant attitude. As He emptied Himself of all
desire for honor and glory (Phil. 2:7Philippians
2:7 New International Version (NIV)
7 
rather, he made himself nothing
     by taking the very nature  of a servant,
[a]

     being made in human likeness.

), so His followers are called to a leadership model
marked by humility and powered by love. The
competencies necessary for the ministries to which
each one is called are provided by the Holy Spirit. The
competencies are practiced in an interdependent
manner with all other believers within the context of
relational health that is also made possible by the
Spirit of God. The reward of grace is revealed in the
promise of Revelation 3:21, wherein we are promised
a seat with Jesus on the throne of God—the very seat
that was coveted by Lucifer.
The service of pastoral leadership was instituted by Christ himself
when he made the apostle Peter the shepherd of the first church,
asking him, “Do you love me?” and commanding him, “Feed my
sheep.” We affirm the shepherd’s task in this sense as a gift of God
to the church.

 John 21:15–19
 1 Thess 5:12–13; Heb 13:17

It's a difficult concept to define, perhaps because it means so

many things to different people.

Here are 100 of the best ways to define leadership--choose

the ones that fits best for you.

1.     "A leader is best when people barely know he exists,

when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it
ourselves." --Lao Tzu

2.     "A good leader takes a little more than his share of the
blame, a little less than his share of the credit."  --Arnold
Glasow

3.     "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in

moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge
and controversy." --Martin Luther King Jr
 4.    "You don't need a title to be a leader." --Mark Sanborn 

5.     "It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front,
especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur.
You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will
appreciate your leadership." --Nelson Mandela

 6.     "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each

other." --John F. Kennedy 

 7.     "The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does

the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do
the greatest things." --Ronald Reagan

 8.     "Successful leadership is leading with the heart, not just

the head. They possess qualities like empathy, compassion
and courage." --Bill George

 9.     "The task of leadership is not to put greatness into

people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already." --
John Buchan

 10.  "A great person attracts great people and knows how to
hold them together."--Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

 11.  "When the leadership is right and the time is right, the
people can always be counted upon to follow--to the end at all
costs." --Harold J. Seymour

 12.  "Leaders must be self-reliant individuals with great

tenacity and stamina."--Thomas E. Cronin 
 13.  "Leadership: The capacity and will to rally people to a
common purpose together with the character that inspires
confidence and trust." --Bernard Montgomery

 14.  "All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in

common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the
major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much
else, is the essence of leadership." --John Kenneth Galbraith

 15.  "Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into

reality." --Warren Bennis   

 16.  "Leadership defines what the future should look like,

aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it
happen, despite the obstacles." --John Kotter

 17. " I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to

produce more leaders, not more followers." --Ralph Nader   

 18.  "I think leadership comes from integrity--that you do

whatever you ask others to do. I think there are non-obvious
ways to lead. Just by providing a good example as a parent, a
friend, a neighbor makes it possible for other people to see
better ways to do things. Leadership does not need to be a
dramatic, fist in the air and trumpets blaring, activity." --Scott
Berkun

 19.  "Leadership is the capacity to influence others through

inspiration motivated by passion, generated by vision,
produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose." --Myles
Munroe
 20. "Leadership is unlocking people's potential to become
better." --Bill Bradley

 21. "The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is

very easy to say yes." ----Tony Blair  

 22.  "Effective leadership is not about making speeches or

being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes."  --
Peter F. Drucker  

 23. "One measure of leadership is the caliber of people who

choose to follow you." --Dennis Peer

 24.  "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a

follower." --Steve Jobs

 25. "Leadership is simply causing other people to do what the

leaders want. Good leadership, whether formal or informal, is
helping other people rise to their full potential while
accomplishing the mission and goals of the organization. All
members of an organization, who are responsible for the work
of others, have the potential to be good leaders if properly
developed." --Bob Mason

 26. "Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do

something you want done because he wants to do it. "--Dwight
Eisenhower

 27. "The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a

vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully
 on every occasion. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet." --
Theodore Hesburgh

 28. "Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to

struggle for shared aspirations." --James Kouzes and Barry
Posner

 29. "A leader takes people where they want to go. A great

leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go,
but ought to be." --Rosalynn Carter

 30. "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more,

do more and become more, you are a leader." -- John Quincy
Adams

 31. "Leadership is not a person or a position. It is a complex

moral relationship between people, based on trust, obligation,
commitment, emotion, and a shared vision of the good." --
Joanne Ciulla

 32. "The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude;

be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but
not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant;
have humor, but without folly." --Jim Rohn 

 33. "Leadership is lifting a person's vision to high sights, the

raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the
building of a personality beyond its normal limitations." --Peter
Drucker
 34. "Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet
call to self-importance." --J. Donald Walters

 35.  "Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and

gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you're in control,
they're in control." --Tom Landry 

36.  "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and
shows the way."  --John Maxwell

 37. "Leadership is the process of persuasion or example by

which an individual (or leadership team) induces a group to
pursue objectives held by the leader or shared by the leader
and his or her followers."--John W. Gardner

 38.  "My definition of a leader... is a man who can persuade

people to do what they don't want to do, or do what they're too
lazy to do, and like it." --Harry S. Truman

 39. "Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into

reality." --Warren Bennis

 40.  "A leader is a dealer in hope." --Napoleon Bonaparte

 41. Leadership is the collective action of everyone you

influence. Your behavior--your actions and your words--
determines how you influence. Our job as leaders is to
energize whatever marshals action within others. --David
Caullo
 42.  "A leader has to be somebody who's getting people to do
things which don't seem to make sense to them or are not in
their best interest--like convincing people that they should work
14 hours a day so that someone else can make more
money." --Scott Adams

 43.  "Leadership is the ability to guide others without force into

a direction or decision that leaves them still feeling empowered
and accomplished." --Lisa Cash Hanson

 44.  "The task of the leader is to get his people from where

they are to where they have not been." --Henry Kissinger

 45. "Leadership is about service to others and a commitment

to developing more servants as leaders. It involves co-creation
of a commitment to a mission." --Robert Greenleaf

 46. "Leadership is working with and through others to achieve

objectives." --Paul Hersey

47. "Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is

about nurturing and enhancing." --Tom Peters

 48. "Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and

character. But if you must be without one, be without the
strategy." --Norman Schwarzkopf 

49.  "A leader's role is to raise people's aspirations for what

they can become and to release their energies so they will try
 to get there." --David R. Gergen

 50. "Leadership is unlocking people's potential to become

better." --Bill Bradley

 51. "Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective

management is discipline, carrying it out."  --Stephen Covey

 52. "Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop

bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped
leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can
help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of
leadership." --Colin Powell

 53. "Leadership is the key to 99 percent of all successful

efforts." --Erskine Bowles  

 54.  "Leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do it." --

Frances Hesselbein

 55. "Leadership is the ability to establish standards and

manage a creative climate where people are self-motivated
toward the mastery of long-term constructive goals, in a
participatory environment of mutual respect, compatible with
personal values." --Mike Vance

 56. "Leadership is getting people to work for you when they

are not obligated." -- Fred Smith

 57. "One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a

problem before it becomes an emergency." --Arnold Glasow
 58. "Leadership is the art of influencing others to their
maximum performance to accomplish any task, objective or
project." --W.A. Cohen

 59. "A good leader is a caring leader -- he not only cares about

his people, he actively takes care of them." --Harald Anderson

 60. "There are almost as many definitions of leadership as

there are persons who have attempted to define the
concept." --Ralph Stogdill

 61. "The growth and development of people is the highest

calling of leadership." --Harvey S. Firestone

 62. "Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with

others." --Robert Louis Stevenson

 63. "Without passion, a person will have very little influence as

a leader." --Michele Payn-Knoper 

64.  "Leadership is an intangible quality with no clear definition.

That's probably a good thing, because if the people who were
being led knew the definition, they would hunt down their
leaders and kill them." --Scott Adams.

 65. "Leadership is doing what is right when no one is

watching." --George Van Valkenburg

 66. "Leadership is someone who demonstrates what's

possible." --Mark Yarnell
 67.  "Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in
attitude and in actions."--Harold Geneen

 68. "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do

and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."  --George
Smith Patton

 69. "Leadership by example is the only kind of real leadership.

Everything else is dictatorship." --Albert Emerson

 70.  "The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal

shared by leaders and followers. ... Leaders, followers and
goals make up the three equally necessary supports for
leadership." --Gary Wills

 71. "The leader must know, must know that he knows, and

must be able to make it abundantly clear to those around him
that he knows."  --Clarence Randall

 72. "Leadership is about taking responsibility and not making

excuses." --Mitt Romney

 73. "Leadership is difficult but it is not complex." --Michael

McKinney

 74. "Great leadership is about human experiences, not

processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program, it is a
human activity that comes from the heart and considers the
hearts of others." --Lance Secretan
 75. "Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences
a group of individuals to achieve a common goal." --P.G.
Northouse

 76. "Followers are the gem cutters of leadership coaxing out its

full brilliance." --Ira Chaleff

77. "A leader cannot lead until he knows where he is going." --

Anonymous 

 78. "Leaders aren't born, they are made." ―Vince Lombardi

 79.  "The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in

other men, the conviction and the will to carry on." --Walter
Lippmann

 80.  "The function of a leader within any institution: to provide

that regulation through his or her non-anxious, self-defined
presence."  --Edwin H. Friedman

 81.  "The greatness of a leader is measured by the

achievements of the led.  This is the ultimate test of his
effectiveness." --Omar Bradley

 82.  "The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone.
You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with
it." --Elaine Agather

 83. "The best way to lead people into the future is to connect

with them deeply in the present." --James Kouzes and Barry
 Posner

84. "Leadership consists of picking good men and helping

them do their best." -- Chester W. Nimitz

 85.  "To get others to come into our ways of thinking, we must

go over to theirs; and it is necessary to follow, in order to
lead." --William Hazlitt

 86. "Leadership requires using power to influence the thoughts

and actions of other people." --A. Zalenik

 87.  "The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set
aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital
ones." --Brandon Sanderson

 88.  "Our work is our most important resource to develop our

people." --Jim Trinka and Les Wallace

 89.  "Successful leaders see the opportunities in every

difficulty rather than the difficulty in every opportunity." --Reed
Markham

 90.  "The most important thing about a commander is his effect

on morale." --Viscount Slim

 91.  "While a good leader sustains momentum, a great leader

increases it." --John C. Maxwell
 92. "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher
inspires." --William Arthur Ward

 93. "He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good

leader." ―Aristotle

 94.  "For me, leadership is making a difference. It's using your

agency to bring about change." --Melanne Verveer

 95.  "That is what leadership is all about: staking your ground

ahead of where opinion is and convincing people, not simply
following the popular opinion of the moment."--Doris Kearns
Goodwin

96.  "The way I would measure leadership is this: of the people

that are working with me, how many wake up in the morning
thinking that the company is theirs?" --David M. Kelley

97. "You don't lead by pointing and telling people some place

to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case." --
Ken Kesey

 98. "Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to
fly and follow." --Chinese Proverb
  99. "To command is to serve, nothing more and nothing
less." --Andre Malraux

 100. "Leadership is leading people with your whole heart."

- Lolly Daskal  

When I teach leadership, I walk through a few definitions, including:

“Leadership is a dynamic process in which a man or woman with God-given capacity

influences a specific group of God’s people toward His purposes for the group.”
(Robert Clinton)

“Leadership is influence, nothing more nothing less.” (John Maxwell)

“The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers.” (Peter Drucker)

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” (Warren Bennis)

Here is the definition I use today:

Christian leadership is a process of influencing a community to use their God-given

gifts toward a goal and purpose as led by the Holy Spirit.

49
Leadership must be based on trust. Such trust has to be earned; no
one can demand it as a right by virtue of office. Pastoral leadership
does not depend on fixed offices, natural talents, or seminary
training, but on God’s grace and the working of the Spirit. Not even
the most gifted person has anything to say in the church community
if what he represents is himself.

 1 Cor 9:1–18
 Eph 4:7–13; Num 11:24–25
  1 Sam 16:14
 View More

A person entrusted with leadership must always let himself be

guided by the Holy Spirit. He must remain deeply humble and must
honor and respect the body of members. Under no circumstances
may he force anything on those around him; he is not placed in this
task to control or dominate, but to serve. When Jesus entrusted his
church to Peter, he did not give him any rights over the other
disciples. Instead he taught: “The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over
them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so
among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be
your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be
your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to
serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

 John 14:26; Zech 4:6

 Num 12:3
 2 Cor 1:24; 1 Thess 2:7–12
 1 Pet 5:3; 2 Tim 2:24–26
 Matt 20:25–28 NRSV

50
Because pastoral leadership means service, we call those who carry
this responsibility “servants of the Word.” According to the New
Testament, this task can be given only to a brother who fulfills
scriptural requirements as regards his personal conduct and life of
faith.

 1 Tim 2:11–12; 3:1–7
 Titus 1:5–9

Any brother who is baptized and has taken membership vows can
be suggested for the service of the Word by any other member, and
if the church community agrees, he may be appointed. If he is
married, he does this service together with his wife, who shares and
is essential to his particular obligation to care for souls. An
appointment to the service of the Word is made on a trial basis. If
after a time of testing and preparation a brother’s service is
unanimously recognized as given by God, the appointment will be
publicly confirmed through the laying on of hands on him and his
wife, conferring the authority of the church.

 Acts 14:21—15:2
 Acts 18:26; 1 Cor 9:5
 2 Cor 12:15
 1 Tim 4:14

Each Bruderhof usually has several servants of the Word. They work
together as a pastoral team among themselves and with the other
brothers and sisters who are responsible for the various spiritual and
temporal aspects of the common life.

 Acts 14:23; 20:17

51
The task of a servant of the Word is to care for all in the church
community in body and soul and to witness to the gospel.

 1 Pet 5:1–4; 1 Tim 4:12–16

A servant of the Word’s main concern should be pastoral care. He

and his wife are called to bear the compassion of Christ toward each
person, with the goal that each one can flourish with the fullness of
life of the gospel. They both must seek to be led by the Spirit in
offering counsel and guidance in reverence for any soul who turns to
them for advice or to find freedom from sin through confession.

 John 21:15–17
 John 10:10
 Acts 20:28–35; Gal 6:1
 View More

A servant of the Word is charged to express that which is from God

and which moves in the hearts of the members. He is authorized to
baptize, to serve the Lord’s Supper, to perform weddings, and to
pronounce forgiveness of sins. A servant of the Word must be ready
at all times to be sent out to proclaim the gospel, wherever the
church community may send him.
  1 Cor 2:12–16
 Matt 16:18–19
 Matt 28:18–20
 View More

Ultimately, carrying out the service of the Word simply involves a

sharpening and intensification of the responsibilities laid on every
member. This also holds true the other way around: every member
is called to carry out the shepherd’s task in his or her own family
and sphere of life, caring for souls and proclaiming the gospel.

 1 Pet 2:9
 Gal 6:2; Phil 1:27–28

52
Just as a ship needs a helmsman, so the church community needs
clear leadership. For this reason, the body of members unanimously
commissions one brother for the shepherd’s task for the church
community as a whole, to serve together with his wife for as long as
he is able. Known as the elder, he is entrusted to the fullest degree
with the care of souls, the spiritual oversight of all communities, the
order and authority of the church, and the proclamation of the
gospel.

 Eph 4:11–13

Like every other servant of the Word, the elder must follow the
guidance of the Holy Spirit speaking among the members. He must
not isolate himself or put his trust in his own abilities. In deep
humility and in close cooperation with the body of members and all
those it has appointed to various tasks, a clear direction in all
matters can be found.

 1 Cor 2:1–5; 2 Cor 3:4–6

53
To support the elder in his task, the members may appoint servants
of the Word as bishops who care for the communities in a particular
geographic region. Bishops are responsible not just to the members
of the communities they serve, but to the elder and the worldwide
body of members.

 Titus 1:5

54
If anyone appointed to a service of leadership falls into serious sin or
abuses his position, or if his service is ineffective or harmful, he
should lay it down, or he will be relieved of his service by the body
of members. In accordance with our vows, each member has a duty
to intervene if someone is misusing a position of leadership.

 1 Tim 5:20
 3 Jn 1:9-10

If there is a question of relieving the elder of his service, this step, in

light of its seriousness, can be taken only by the worldwide body of
members after meeting day by day for prayerful consideration and
in the fear of God, heedful of Scripture’s warning never to admit a
charge against a church leader except on the evidence of two or
three witnesses.

 1 Tim 5:19

55
In a church united by love, the service of leadership will always point
to Christ. Among us we know no difference in rank. We are all
brothers and sisters, all members of the one body, each serving the
other. Governing this body is its sole head, Jesus Christ.

 Col 1:28–29
 Matt 23:8–12
 View More
What is Christian leadership?

Question: "What is Christian leadership?"

Answer: What is Christian leadership? What should a

Christian leader be like? There is no finer example for
Christian leadership than our Lord Jesus Christ. He
declared, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). It is
within this verse that we see the perfect description
of a Christian leader. He is one who acts as a shepherd
to those “sheep” in his care.

When Jesus referred to us as “sheep,” He was not

speaking in affectionate terms. In truth, sheep rank
among the dumbest animals in creation. A stray sheep,
still within earshot of the herd, becomes disoriented,
confused, frightened, and incapable of finding its way
back to the flock. Unable to ward off hungry predators,
the stray is perhaps the most helpless of all
creatures. Entire herds of sheep are known to have
drowned during times of flash flooding even in sight of
easily accessible higher ground. Like it or not, when
Jesus called us His sheep, He was saying that without a
shepherd, we are helpless.

The shepherd is one who has several roles in regard to

his sheep.

ROLES OF A LEADER I Corinthians 4:1-5

- He leads,
- feeds,
- nurtures,
- comforts,
- corrects and
protects The shepherd of the Lord’s flock leads by

modeling godliness and righteousness in his own life

and encouraging others to follow his example. Of

course, our ultimate example—and the One we should

follow—is Christ Himself. The Apostle Paul understood

this: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of

Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). The Christian leader is

one who follows Christ and inspires others to follow

Him as well.

The Christian leader is also a feeder and a nourisher

of the sheep, and the ultimate “sheep food” is the Word

of God. Just as the shepherd leads his flock to the

most lush pasture so they will grow and flourish, so

the Christian leader nourishes his flock with the only

food which will produce strong, vibrant Christians. The

Bible—not psychology or the world’s wisdom—is the only

diet that can produce healthy Christians. “Man does not

live on bread alone but on every word that comes from

the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

The Christian leader also comforts the sheep, binding

up their wounds and applying the balm of compassion and

love. As the great Shepherd of Israel, the Lord Himself

promised to “bind up the injured and strengthen the

weak” (Ezekiel 34:16). As Christians in the world

today, we suffer many injuries to our spirits, and we

need compassionate leaders who will bear our burdens

with us, sympathize with our circumstances, exhibit

patience toward us, encourage us in the Word, and bring

our concerns before the Father’s throne.

Just as the shepherd used his crook to pull a wandering

sheep back into the fold, so the Christian leader

corrects and disciplines those in his care when they go

astray. Without rancor or an overbearing spirit, but

with a “spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1), those in

leadership must correct according to scriptural

principles. Correction or discipline is never a

pleasant experience for either party, but the Christian

leader who fails in this area is not exhibiting love

for those in his care. “The LORD disciplines those he

loves” (Proverbs 3:12), and the Christian leader must

follow His Lesson 58: The Responsibilities of Church Leaders

(Hebrews 13:7, 17-19, 22-25)

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Many writers agree that there is a leadership crisis in the churches

of America, but they do not agree on the solution to the problem.
Many import American business principles into the local church,
without much regard for what the Bible says about the requirements
and responsibilities of church leadership.
Thus many modern pastors minimize their responsibility of
preaching God’s Word and focus rather on being the CEO of the
church. As church entrepreneurs, they envision and implement
growth plans. They view the church as a product to be marketed to
the consumer. As in the retail business, you have to give the
customers what they are looking for. Many of these pastor-CEO’s are
very successful, building impressive church campuses that cater to
thousands of weekly “customers.” They write “how-to” books that
share their proven principles for building the church.

If Scripture is sufficient for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3-4), and it

equips God’s people for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17), it should
say something about the important matter of church leadership.
Since Christ promised to build His church (Matt. 16:18), we should
look to His inspired Word for direction on what church leaders
should be and what they should do. Two weeks ago, we looked at
our text from the standpoint of the duties of church members
toward their leaders. Today we will reverse this. While our text is not
comprehensive, it does give some vital principles about the
responsibilities of church leaders. We learn…
Godly church leaders are responsible to lead God’s flock by
walking personally with God and by working together to
help church members do the same.

There are four main aspects of this statement:

1. Godly church leaders are responsible to lead.

That sounds like a tautology, but it needs to be said. The New

Testament does not teach a distinction between “clergy” and
“laity,” in that every believer is a priest with full access to God (1
Pet. 2:9). But it does teach a distinction between leaders and
followers in the local church. The New Testament uses different
names or titles to refer to church leaders. They are
called elders (Acts 20:17), which refers to maturity in the faith. At
other times, they are called overseers (1 Tim. 3:1, 2), which refers to
their function of superintending the church. (In Titus 1:5, 7 and Acts
20:17, 28 the two terms are used of the same office.) They are
called pastors (Eph. 4:11), which means shepherds. Peter uses all
three of these terms (1 Pet. 5:1, 2) when he exhorts the elders to
“shepherd [pastor] the flock of God among you,
exercising oversight ….” He goes on (verse 4) to refer to Christ as
“the Chief Shepherd” (or, Pastor).
Another word for church leaders is the Greek verb, prohistemi, (lit.,
“to stand before”) which is translated “have charge over” (1 Thess.
5:12). It refers to the function of elders “who rule well” (1 Tim. 5:17).
It also refers to a man’s responsibility to “manage” his own
household (1 Tim. 3:4, 5, 12). The word in our text (Heb. 13:7, 17,
24) is a different word (our English word, hegemony, comes from it)
that simply means, leaders. It is used of Paul, to distinguish him
from Barnabas (Acts 14:12) as “the chief speaker.” It is also used of
Judas Barsabbas and Silas, who are called “leading men among the
brethren” (Acts 15:22).
But the point is, leaders should lead. Leadership is primarily
influence, and the way that church leaders influence others is by
their godly example and by their teaching of God’s word (Heb. 13:7).
Because elders in the local church must lead by example, most of
the qualifications for that office in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-
9 are godly character qualities. The one exception is that they
should be “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2), or to “exhort in sound
doctrine and refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9).
Leadership requires having a clear biblical picture of what the local
church ought to be and what it ought to be doing, and continually
communicating that to the church. It also requires dealing with
problems that arise in the church. President John F. Kennedy
observed (source unknown), “No easy problem ever comes to the
President of the United States. If they are easy to solve, somebody
else has solved them.”

Often, out of an attempt to please everyone, church leaders dodge

difficult problems. They don’t want to confront an influential church
member who is in sin. They don’t want to teach on doctrines that
are not popular, even if they are biblical. They don’t confront
someone who is teaching error, for fear of stirring up conflict. They
don’t want to get involved in resolving relational conflicts in the
church or in church families. But to dodge such difficult matters is to
fail to lead the church. Church leaders must actively pursue God and
His truth, and help others to do the same.

2. Godly church leaders are responsible to walk personally with

God.

In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul exhorts his younger co-worker, “Pay close
attention to yourself and to your teaching….” In Acts 20:28, he told
the Ephesian elders, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the
flock….” Our text brings out four aspects of the personal walk of
church leaders:
A. GODLY CHURCH LEADERS MUST BE CAREFUL TO MAINTAIN A GOOD CONSCIENCE BEFORE
GOD AND OTHERS (13:18).

Paul told Felix (Acts 24:16), “I also do my best to maintain always a

blameless conscience both before God and before men.” The
conscience is that inner sense of right and wrong that God has put
in every human heart (Rom. 2:15). It is not infallible, in that it must
be informed by God’s Word of truth. It can become seared or
hardened (1 Tim. 4:2; Eph. 4:18-19). Even if your conscience is
misinformed, it is always a sin to violate it (Rom. 14:14, 23; James
4:17). Thus Paul told Timothy (1 Tim. 1:5), “The goal of our
instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a
sincere faith.”
The main way to keep a clear conscience is to walk in daily
obedience to God’s Word. If you knowingly sin, confess it
immediately to God and seek the forgiveness of the one you sinned
against. Personal obedience to God is the prerequisite to leading
others in obedience to God.

B. GODLY CHURCH LEADERS LIVE WITH A VIEW OF ANSWERING TO GOD SOMEDAY (13:17).

They are continually cognizant of the fact that they will “give an
account” to God, both for their own lives and for the church over
which God has placed them as overseers. No man or group of men
has final authority over the church. We are merely under-shepherds,
accountable to Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd. It is His church, not
mine! Church leaders are stewards or managers of the church for
Christ, who bought it with His blood. Keeping this fact constantly in
mind prevents any abuse of authority or any taking advantage of
people for personal gain. Every church leader should read
often Ezekiel 34, where God confronts the shepherds who have not
tended and cared for His flock, but have used it for their own selfish
ends. He will call us to account!
C. GODLY CHURCH LEADERS ARE MEN OF FAITH AND PRAYER, WHO ENCOURAGE OTHERS
TO PRAY (13:7, 18, 20-21).

In verse 7, the author tells the Hebrews to remember and imitate

the faith of the leaders who have gone before them. In verse 18, he
asks them to pray for him, and in verses 20-21, he models prayer by
praying for them. (See also Hebrews 11 on faith.)
Here is precisely where American business principles do not apply to
the local church. The church is not to be run as a business, where
we make plans and implement those plans according to the best of
human wisdom. The church is to move forward by faith in the living
God and by dependence on Him through prayer. Our aim as church
leaders is certainly not to lead by our collective wisdom, but rather
to seek the mind of the Lord for His church as we wait upon Him by
prayer and faith.

Speaking for myself (and, I’m sure, for all of the elders, too), I’m in
way over my head! I don’t have all the answers that I need to lead
this local church. I don’t know enough to guide people through
complex personal problems. Because of this, prayer isn’t just a
formality at the beginning of elder meetings or counseling sessions.
It’s an essential lifeline to the living God! Everything that we do as a
church should be done through prayer and faith!

D. GODLY CHURCH LEADERS ARE WILLING TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST IF NEED BE (13:23).

The author mentions Timothy, who has just been released from
prison. Paul had exhorted Timothy (2 Tim. 2:8), “Therefore do not be
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join
with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.”
Apparently, Timothy had followed Paul’s admonition.
We easily could face persecution for our faith in the years ahead,
and the leaders are always the main targets for the enemy. Even if
we do not suffer persecution from without, leaders must be ready to
suffer criticism and personal attacks, often from those in the church.
Charles Spurgeon’s Autobiography ([Banner of Truth], 1:303-327)
contains an entire chapter on the early criticisms and slanders that
were leveled against him, often by other pastors. Late in his life, he
went through many other unfair attacks because he stood against
the growing liberalism in the Baptist Union.
Leaders who hold firmly to biblical truth will face such attacks,
because no matter how kindly you say it, God’s truth always offends
someone. They don’t dare attack God directly, so they attack the
leader who delivered the message. It is never fun, but it goes with
the job. Spurgeon’s wife helped him deal with the attacks by
putting Matthew 5:11-12 on a plaque, which he read every morning,
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and
be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Thus godly church leaders are responsible to lead, and a main way
that they do so is by walking personally with God.

3. Godly church leaders are responsible to work together.

“Leaders” is plural. The New Testament clearly teaches that

leadership in the local church is to be plural (Acts 14:23; 20:17; Titus
1:5). Plural leadership is a safeguard against the abuse of authority.
Also, the task of shepherding a local church is far too great for one
man, unless the church is very small. There are two implications of
this truth:
A. GODLY CHURCH LEADERS ARE CALLED TO WORK TOGETHER.

In our text, the author works closely with Timothy (13:23) and with
the leaders of the Hebrew church. He tells the church to greet their
leaders (13:24). It is the leaders (plural) who keep watch over the
souls of the flock (13:17). Obviously, they could only do this by
working together as a team.
In the New Testament, the only example of one dominant leader is
negative. The apostle John confronts Diotrephes, who loved to be
first among them, and who took it upon himself to put people out of
the church (3 John 9-10). By virtue of personality, spiritual gifts, and
spiritual maturity, there are examples of spiritual leaders who were
first among equals. Peter was the spokesman for the twelve. James
was a dominant leader in the early Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13-21;
21:18-26; Gal. 2:6, 9). Paul became the leader of the first missionary
team, even though Barnabas had been a believer longer than Paul
had. But all of these men submitted to one another in the Lord and
taught that as believers, we must do the same (Eph. 5:21).
B. GODLY CHURCH LEADERS PUT A PRIORITY ON GODLY RELATIONSHIPS.

The author is concerned that the Hebrews work harmoniously with

their leaders, so that they may lead with joy, not with grief (13:17).
He asks for prayer, stating his intention to conduct himself
honorably in all things, and his desire to be restored to them soon
(13:18-19). He mentions Timothy, and traveling with him to visit
them. He asks them to greet both the leaders and all the saints on
his behalf. Relationships ooze throughout these verses.

The whole Bible is summed up by the two great commandments,

which are both relational: Love God and love others. This means
that godly church leaders must work at relating to one another in
love, and they must work at helping church members relate to one
another in love. This was Paul’s concern when he wrote Philippians,
that two women, Euodia and Syntyche would “live in harmony in the
Lord” (Phil. 4:2). (How would you feel if Paul named you like that in
an open letter!) He was concerned for the Corinthian church
because Chloe’s people had told him of the quarrels that were
taking place there (1 Cor. 1:11-13).
Whenever you get several hundred people together, especially when
the group consists of those from different backgrounds, ages, and
even nationalities, you have a huge potential for conflict. When you
throw in different personalities, differing preferences, and the need
to confront sin and false teaching, it’s a miracle that the church has
survived all of these centuries! One of the main responsibilities of
church leaders is to be examples of godly relationships and to help
others work through relational problems. Thus godly church leaders
are responsible to lead the flock by walking personally with God and
by working together in godly relationships. Finally,

4. Godly church leaders are responsible to help those in the church

walk personally with God.

Again, our text is not comprehensive, but it reveals at least four

aspects of this task.

A. GODLY CHURCH LEADERS HELP CHURCH MEMBERS BY KEEPING WATCH OVER THEIR
SOULS (13:17).

The Greek word translated “keeping watch” means “to keep oneself
awake,” and thus, “to keep watch, guard, or care for” (A Greek-
English Lexicon of the New Testament, Walter Bauer, William Arndt,
and F. Wilbur Gingrich [University of Chicago Press], Second Edition,
p. 14). The image was drawn from shepherds keeping watch over
their flocks (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament ([Harper & Brothers], 1887, p. 9). Shepherds had to stay
alert in order to guard their flocks from predators. They had to know
the sheep and observe them carefully enough to know when a
sheep was sick or missing. They had to go after the strays and try to
restore them to the flock. They had to lead them to pasture and
clean water (see Ezek. 34:1-16).
These tasks require the discernment to know where people are at
spiritually and when they are heading toward spiritual danger.
Leaders must love God and people enough to have the courage to
confront those who are drifting. While you can only lead those who
are willing to be led, godly leaders must always make the effort. The
task is more difficult in our day when there are many different
churches in town. If people get upset at one church, or if the leaders
there try to confront some sin in their lives, they just move down the
road to another church that welcomes them. Sadly, they usually
carry their problems with them.

“Keeping watch over souls” is an overwhelming task, and the

responsibility for it does not fall only on church leaders. Every
spiritually mature believer is responsible to help restore those who
are caught in any trespass and to bear one another’s burdens (Gal.
6:1-2). If you know of someone in the church who is straying from
the Lord, but you don’t know what to do, go to one of the elders for
counsel. We do our best to keep watch over the flock, but often we
are not even aware when someone is in need. We all need to work
together to care for one another spiritually.
B. GODLY CHURCH LEADERS HELP CHURCH MEMBERS BY FAITHFULLY TEACHING GOD’S
WORD (13:7, 22).

In verse 7, the author mentions the leaders who spoke the word of
God to the flock. In verse 22, he mentions his own brief “word of
exhortation” (the Epistle to the Hebrews). While all elders should be
“able to teach,” some especially “work hard at teaching and
preaching” and should be financially supported for that task (1 Tim.
5:17). I assure you that it is hard work, although spiritually
rewarding! In one of the strongest admonitions in the Bible, Paul’s
almost final words to Timothy were (2 Tim. 4:1-5),
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and
His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of
season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for
themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and will
turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But
you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an
evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

C. GODLY CHURCH LEADERS HELP CHURCH MEMBERS BY AIMING AT THEIR JOY AND
SPIRITUAL PROFIT (13:17).

“Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be
unprofitable for you.” This refers first to the leaders’ joy, but it
obviously extends to the joy and spiritual profit of all of the
members. Those who are walking in obedience to Christ will know
His joy (John 15:10-11). Godly leaders rejoice to see those in the
flock walking in the truth (3 John 4).
D. GODLY CHURCH LEADERS HELP CHURCH MEMBERS BY EMPHASIZING GOD’S GRACE
(13:25).

“Grace be with you all” is a salutation, but it is far more than a mere
formality. It is a spiritual desire and emphasis throughout the New
Testament. In Hebrews, he mentioned that Jesus, “by the grace of
God… might taste death for everyone” (2:9). He encouraged us to
“draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (4:16). He has
warned against insulting the Spirit of grace (10:29) and falling short
of God’s grace (12:15). In 13:9, he cautioned against legalism,
adding, “for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace….”
Far too many Christian churches and homes are marked by legalism,
but leaders are responsible to create an atmosphere of God’s grace.
Grace is never a license to sin, but rather, it instructs us “to deny
ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and
godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12). When we sin (and we all
do!), God’s grace forgives and restores. God’s grace is patient with
the weak, encouraging them to grow in the Lord.
Conclusion

D. E. Hoste, who was a missionary leader with the China Inland

Mission, wrote (cited in D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, by Iain Murray
[Banner of Truth], 2:423),
What is the essential difference between spurious and true Christian
leadership? When a man, in virtue of an official position in the
church, demands obedience of another, irrespective of the latter’s
reason and conscience, this is the spirit of tyranny.

When, on the other hand, by the exercise of tact and sympathy, by

prayer, spiritual power and sound wisdom, one Christian worker is
able to influence and enlighten another, so that the latter, through
the medium of his own reason and conscience, is led to alter one
course and adopt another, this is true spiritual leadership.

Before all of our elders (including me!) resign and run for their lives,
and no others ever aspire to the office of elder, I conclude by
reminding you of Paul’s words regarding the ministry. After asking,
rhetorically, “Who is adequate for these things?” he stated, “Not
that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming
from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who made us
adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the
Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 2:16; 3:5-6).
The responsibility of church leadership is impossible, but with God’s
strength, all things are possible! As leaders, we join the author of
Hebrews in asking you, “Pray for us.”

-
 1. REMEMBER THAT GOOD LEADERSHIP IS MAKE OR
BREAK FOR MY CHURCH.
 My church needs me to lead well. The greater leadership I demonstrate, the more my
church benefits. If I neglect my role to lead well, my church is the one that suffers. While
a healthy church has lots of leaders, not just one, if the pastor is a poor leader, everyone is
affected. Show me a healthy church and I will show you a healthy pastoral leader. Show
me a sick or dying church, I will show you a pastor not leading well. 
 2. REMEMBER THAT LEADING WELL HAPPENS IN THE
CONTEXT OF DAILY CHOICES AND ACTIONS.
 We often imagine leadership is displayed by vision talks or meetings where the church’s
future is being decided. While those are certainly leadership actions, most of our
leadership will play out in the everyday business of interacting with people, choices about
events, messages, handling conflict, and so on. Leading well is a day-to-day affair in the
small things.
 3. REMEMBER THE SHORT LIFE SPAN OF MY
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY.
 Someone is going to replace me. I am pastoring someone else’s future church. While
recognizing this is sobering and humbling, it also motivating to lead well and
courageously while I have the opportunity. I need to lead recognizing that I am a steward
of something bigger than me.
 4. REMEMBER THAT MY POSITION GIVES ME A SEAT AT
THE TABLE, BUT MY ACTIONS DETERMINE THE EXTENT
OF MY INFLUENCE.
 I am the Lead Pastor at The Journey Church. This gives me a seat at the table on
leadership discussions and decisions. I have built in authority because of my position. But
my position does not determine my influence, my actions do. This leads me to focus
on what I do instead of where I am on the org chart. The most influential people are not
always the ones with the most authoritative positions. 

 5. REMEMBER THAT GETTING BETTER DOESN’T HAPPEN

BY TIME AND CHANCE BUT BY INTENTIONALITY AND
INVESTMENT.
 The passage of time does not guarantee development as a leader. Growth happens as it is
pursued and sought. Purposeful action breeds results. Intentional growth as a leader
includes reading books, attending events, networking with others to learn from them, and
 taking time to examine the roots of your successes and failures. Many leaders have not
grown in years because they assume tenure makes them better leaders.
 6. REMEMBER THAT MY LEADERSHIP CREDIBILITY
HINGES ON MY CHARACTER. 
 There are too many stories of pastors and leaders falling into sin and leaving ruin in their
wake. Great leadership capacity and abilities without character is failure. Period. Our
leadership is only as valid as our character. We must be men who pursue holiness and
obedience over our positions and platforms.
 We all need reminders. It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work and forget the
bigger picture of our job. John Maxwell re-popularized the saying, “Everything rises and
falls on leadership.” If he is right, then these reminders—and whatever others you need to
add to the list—can serve to help us remember how important it is that we lead our
churches well.
 RELATED
