In the next few editorials, we will consider Christian leadership. My goal is not necessarily a be-all-end-all discussion of leadership, but an exploration of Christian leadership. I hope to be general enough that the principles apply to pastors as they lead their churches, to husbands as they lead their wives, to mothers as they lead their children, and to ministry directors as they lead their non-profit organizations.
As we start, we’re going to think about two simple questions:
- What is leadership?
- What is distinct about Christian leadership?
What is Leadership?
First of all, leaders meaningfully influence people so that they follow them. If no one is following you, you aren’t a leader, regardless of what you call yourself. You may be the director of a ministry, you may be the father in the home, you may be the pastor of a church, but if people aren’t following you, you aren’t their leader. Leaders have followers.
Second, leaders have a goal for their followers. If you don’t know what you are working toward, you can’t lead with any certainty or confidence. Leaders know where they want people to go. Business owners lead their employees toward growth and success. Parents lead their children toward responsibility, maturity, and independence. Pastors lead their flocks toward Christ-likeness.
Third, leaders take the initiative to move people toward that goal. This means communicating your goal, creating buy-in from your people, and implementing a plan that moves people toward the goal. If you aren’t out front showing people where they should go, you aren’t leading.
John Piper summarizes leadership this way: knowing where you want people to go and taking the initiative to get them there in such a way that they follow you.1
While this definition applies to many kinds of leadership, I want to focus on Christian leadership. Let’s consider the three aspects of leadership (influence, goal, and initiative) and how Christianity shapes them.
Christian Leadership
Influence
Christian leaders have followers. There’s a wrong way to do this, one that seeks self-aggrandizement and fame. Jesus condemned those who sought leadership for its notoriety and titles. “All their works they do to be seen by men. …They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ …But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant, and whoever exalts himself will be humbled” (Matt. 23:5-7, 11-12). Jesus chastised those who led to be noticed.
But there’s a right way to lead, exemplified by Paul when he said, “follow me as I follow Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). God instituted leaders to help His people mature spiritually. Jesus commissioned Peter to “feed my sheep” (John 21:17), a role that involved teaching spiritual truths to others. Paul told Titus to “speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you” (Titus 2:15). Leadership is appointed by God, with appropriate titles and respect (cf. 1 Tim. 5:17-19).
If you are a leader, people will follow you. Christian leadership means fulfilling your God-given responsibility with humility, not leading people to make much of yourself but instead leading people to make much of your Master — Christ. Rather than working to be noticed, Christian leadership leads to serve others by giving them direction and purpose — and a meaningful path toward accomplishing those goals. Leaders must truly lead, but they lead to serve. In short, Christian leadership is others-focused rather than self-focused.
Goal
But what should you lead them toward? What are your goals? If you are a father or a mother, your goals probably include helping your children develop into mature, clear-thinking, self-controlled, responsible adults. Leadership means helping them reach that goal. If you are a pastor, your goals should include helping those in your care “grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ” (Eph. 4:15). Christ-likeness is your ultimate goal, and as a pastor, you should lead your people toward that goal.
For leadership to be distinctly “Christian,” its goals must be defined by Scripture. It’s possible to lead people in many directions that are outside of or contrary to God’s will. Leadership is only Christian if it leads people toward God’s goals for them as revealed in His word, which, among other things, includes doing “all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).
Additionally, Christian leadership must be done according to God’s appointed means. Christian leaders help others “minister…with the ability that God supplies” (1 Peter 4:11), not by their own strength. They lead people to do their good works in such a way that those who see them will glorify their Father in heaven (cf. Matt. 5:16). Christian leadership is conscious that, without God’s help, all our efforts are in vain. That means intentionally leading in ways that communicate that we depend on God. Praying frequently and regularly turning to God’s word (rather than depending on our own wisdom and methods) are two ways we can practically develop a culture of conscious dependence on God’s means.
Christian leaders must be familiar with what God wants for His people so that God’s goals become the leader’s goals. His goals must be God’s goals.
Initiative
In order to move people toward his goals, a leader must take initiative. This involves three steps: communicate the goal, create buy-in, and implement a plan. What does it look like for Christian leaders to walk through these steps? For an example, let’s think about what this looks like for a pastor.
First, he must communicate his goals (remember, these must be defined by Scripture, not by his preferences). He communicates these through public leadership — preaching especially — and through personal interactions (“publicly and from house to house,” Acts 20:20). He will probably have the greatest impact through his regular exposition of God’s word Sunday by Sunday, but he can develop, nuance, and apply his goals through personal interactions after the service, at social events, and during visits to people’s homes.
He also needs to create buy-in. This requires listening to the concerns, questions, and ideas of his flock. It will be difficult if not impossible to establish buy-in unless he is willing to understand his people. He also should help them understand the reasons for moving in one direction rather than another. If the church needs to decide between starting a kid’s club or a counseling ministry, he should help them weigh the options and see the merits and liabilities of each option. If he believes one will be better for the church’s long-term health and effectiveness, he, as the leader, should explain his rationale.
He can also create buy-in by showing that the goal he is pursuing is good. For example, if his goal is Christ-likeness, he should show that Christ Himself is good. He needs to do more than tell his people to be holy; he must show them that the holy life is the best life — filled with joy, peace, and hope. Spiritual growth requires more than ought-to; it needs want-to. A leader can tell people that they are supposed to be more like Christ, but he will be largely ineffective (or legalistic) until he stirs their affections to love Christ. If a leader wants buy-in, he needs to appeal not only to people’s minds but also to their hearts. He does this by showing the goal is worth pursuing.
When getting buy-in, the leader aims to make his goal his people’s goal. He should not move ahead with a plan until most if not all of his followers agree with him on where they want to go. Communication and consensus on the front end helps avoid fallout later on.
Once he and his followers have agreed on their goal, he must implement a plan to move people toward the goal. This will look different in various situations, but it probably means developing a plan with timelines and goals, perhaps creating a planning committee, discussing funding, and arranging other related details. Even an overarching goal like growth in Christ-likeness requires specific steps to move people toward it. What kind of preaching will encourage Christ-likeness? How can our Sunday School programs help people know, love, and obey Jesus? What curriculums will help our children and adults see and savor Him? How can our worship service — singing, prayer, Scripture reading, and preaching — be structured to point people to Jesus? These questions help move us toward reaching our goal.
A Final Definition
Drawing this together, we can define Christian leadership as fulfilling your God-given responsibility to lead by taking the initiative to help others achieve God’s goals for them. We will develop this further in future editorials by exploring the nature of Christian leadership and the character and skills of a Christian leader.
- “Ask Pastor John,” Marks of a Godly Boss, https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/marks-of-a-godly-boss. ↩︎
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