From the book, “What People Ask About The Church,” by Dale A. Robbins — 69 — A pastor is always encouraged whenever anyone says they feel the
calling to serve in some aspect of ministry or leadership in the church. There is always a
great need of qualified laypersons to serve in such roles. But before believers seek such
avenues of Christian service, they should understand four common principles that apply to
all Christian leadership: (1) Faithfulness is the chief qualification for leadership.
Persons considered for leadership roles in the church should first show spiritual
character, maturity, and faithfulness. Generally speaking, a pastor will select his
leaders on the merits that they are consistent and cooperative to the basic expectations
that are preached and presented to the whole congregation — that they are outstanding
Christians. Faithfulness in basic things is the cornerstone of leadership, and is the
scriptural method to discern leadership potential. Jesus said, "He who is faithful in
what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust
also in much" (Luke 16:10). Paul shared these same views and instructed Timothy to
commission men of faithfulness to carry on the ministry of the Gospel. "And the
things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who
will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). Regardless of their skills or
talents, if a person does not have some degree of mastery in the basic fundamentals of
Christian faith, morals, and character, they do not yet have qualifications for leadership
and should not be considered. Besides the previous issues mentioned, many churches or pastors will
not consider persons for leadership (a) if they do not attend church and its functions
faithfully, (b) if they do not have an uplifting attitude, (c) if they do not demonstrate
loyalty to the pastor and other leadership, (d) if they do not show voluntary eagerness
and cooperation, (e) if they do not manifest patterns of scriptural stewardship, (f) if
they don't share the same doctrinal views or ministry goals, and (g) if they don't show
some evidence of appropriate giftings or leadership traits. (2) Leaders will be held to higher standards than
non-leaders. To some it may seem unfair to expect more from leadership than the
average believer, especially if they do not understand that leadership is supposed to be a
role-model. But the Bible makes clear that those with higher responsibilities also have
higher accountability. "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be
required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more" (Luke
12:48). The life of any leader, especially a pastor, will always be under a
magnifying glass, being scrutinized and criticized for flaws or imperfections. Whether we
think this is just or unfair, it's a fact — and a matter of necessity, as the
perceived godliness of a leader helps bring credibility to his message. However, keep in mind that the success of leadership does not depend
on the total absence of flaws. There are, of course, prescribed standards of morality and
character that every leader must possess, but if it were possible for a leader to be
completely perfect without any faults, he might fall short as a role model for believers
who are destined to make many mistakes in their lives. It is because leaders are human,
still subject to mistakes and even sin, they provide an attainable role-model for the
average believer. Flawlessness is not the realistic goal that leadership hopes to
demonstrate. Rather, they must show the wholehearted effort of following the Lord, the
example of a humble, repentant heart if they fail, and the determination to rise above
their failures to keep going on for God. Since a leader's Godly lifestyle contributes to the credibility of
his message or teaching, he must make himself accessible to people. As persons observe the
Christ-likeness and genuineness of their leader in a casual environment, they will grow in
their trust and respect of his guidance and counsel. "And we urge you, brethren, to
recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you"
(1 Thess. 5:12). To illustrate this, one church member was a staunch opponent of many
of the pastor's sermons. He would often write letters of rebuttal and openly criticize the
pastor. Finally, in an effort to resolve this discontent, the pastor invited the member to
his home to fellowship on several occasions. As a result, the member began to know the
pastor better and began to trust the content of his messages. It may seem odd to many of
us, but people sometimes view church meetings and services as a "staged,"
superficial environment, where ministers and people act religious only because they're
supposed to. These people have the greatest need to know their leaders outside of the
church meeting environment. Even if persons are not seeking to be leaders, but are given
significant roles of visibility or influence in the church, they are usually also held to
a similar standard expected for leadership. This is because anyone who stands in front of
people performs a role of leadership whether they intend to or not. In times past, I've
known some in the church to be extremely gifted as musicians, singers, or teachers who
could have been a great blessing to the fellowship, but they showed such immaturity,
unfaithfulness, or impure character, that I could not use them, as it would put them forth
to the congregation as an example. Gifts and talents are obviously important, but
sincerity and integrity is far more critical than how talented they are. (3) Leaders lead by example. The basic definition
of a leader is "one who stands in front of." And of course, what they stand in
front of is people. A leader stands in front of people in order to be seen, because a
leader is one who demonstrates a visual example. A leader is a role model who leads the
way, who shows how it's done. "...in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of
good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility" (Titus 2:7). Leaders must be good followers in order to be good role models.
Usually a pastor will not have a problem encouraging the congregation to do what he's been
able to get his leaders to do. When the pastor encourages the people to worship, the
leaders should be the first to worship. When the congregation is invited to the altars to
pray, the leaders should be the first to respond. When the congregation is asked to
sacrifice and give, the leaders should be the first to give. When the people are asked to
go shake hands and be friendly, the leaders should "lead" the way in going to
people introducing themselves and being friendly. When the people are asked to make church
attendance a priority, the leaders should be the first to cooperate. If the people are
challenged to pray, the leaders should lead the way. "...be an example to the
believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy
4:12). (4) Spiritual leaders inspire cooperation from the heart.
The objective of Christian ministry is not merely to influence behavior. Rather, it is to
inspire the attitude of the heart, which affects behavior. While it might be possible to
demand and enforce outward obedience to certain rules or laws, it is not possible to
change inner "spiritual" desires or attitudes by such demands. For instance, one could demand a kiss from one's spouse, and might
get compliance, but it doesn't mean they did so willingly. And what real value was the
kiss if it was only compliance to orders — and not from the heart? Love is something
that comes from the heart and cannot be bought, forced, demanded or manipulated. So it is
with spiritual virtues. You can't order someone to be joyful or peaceful. These virtues
must be birthed in the "want to" of a person's spirit. They can be inspired,
coaxed, courted or motivated, but they cannot be forced, coerced, or pressured. If the church was only concerned with outward results, or in
maintaining a regimented organization, it might be possible to coerce the cooperation of
most people with tough rules and methods of enforcement. Even the unruly nature of
criminals can be contained by the controlled environment of a prison. However, everyone
knows that prisoners are not voluntarily cooperative. In their hearts, they resent their
harsh environment of shackles and chains. And if a gate was left open, or a guard's back
turned long enough, any one of them would willingly escape. The only way a church can accomplish its mission of changing people's lives, is when there is a "want to" born in the heart — a desire to serve God and to do His will. The objective of leadership and the ministry is not to "coerce" people into obeying God, but to "inspire and motivate" faith that will bring about obedience. Our tools for this are God's Word and the person of the Holy Spirit, who invites, convicts, and persuades the heart of men. A hunger for God, peace, love, unity, or joy cannot be forced upon a church. These, and all other spiritual things can only come when there is a desire birthed in the heart of the believer. This is a basic rudiment of spiritual leadership. There is no pastor or leader that will succeed until they understand this. This article is copyrighted © by Dale A. Robbins, 1995, and is a publication of Victorious Publications, Grass Valley, CA 95949. Unless otherwise stated, all scripture references were taken from The New King James Bible, © Thomas Nelson Inc., 1982.You may download for personal use as long as you retain credit to the author. Obtain permission before reproducing copies for any reason, by filling out our simple permission form. For media reproduction rights, or to obtain published quantities of this title, . |
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