LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH

Never before has leadership in the Church become as attractive as it is in our generation or so it appears. Folks who were upwardly mobile before they got born again have their eyes set on it. Others who see it as a measure of social or other achievement/status want it too. There are also those with genuine desire and zeal to serve as God’s champions in promoting His will for the lives of His people.

To continue to improve in our getting it right and avoid disruptions/dysfunctions in the body, it is expedient that we keep looking at God’s word for guidance on the matter.

As we attempt to do this in this write up, our take away in summary will be centered on this fact: we must commit to Christ, learn Christ and live Christ with consistency first to be effective leaders in His Church.

Eph 4:11-16 explains that the work of the ministry is to equip the saints (believers) in preparation of them to do the work of edifying (building up spiritually) themselves in love. This building up is one of the goals of ministry work, so if someone who has understood this and signed up for it (exercising themselves in it consistently) desires to provide support to those called to do the work of equipping the saints, there is no problem with that, God encourages it. (1 Tim 3:1, 8).

The qualifications for leadership in the Church remain as unchanged as the word of God: the man or woman should be blameless as the steward of God, not self-willed (not stubborn, not self-pleasing or arrogant, teachable), not soon angry (not hot tempered, prone to anger, can’t control emotions), not given to wine (not a drunkard, not a drinker, literally- not one who stays with alcohol), not a striker (not one who fights or strives, is quarrelsome, ready for a punch, contentious, vindictive) not greedy for filthy lucre (not covetous, not after money by all means and at all cost – first check is usually how faithful the believer is with giving in and outside the Church), a lover of hospitality (seeks after other’s wellbeing/welfare in deeds not in words only), lover of good men (fond of good, promoter of virtue, not vices or sin), sober (serious minded), holy, temperate (having self-control, disciplined, continent), holding fast to God’s word (demonstrates commitment to God’s word in learning, doing and teaching/preaching/'sharing'), not ashamed of the gospel. (Titus 1: 7-9).

1 Tim 3:3-9 repeats some of these with a few additions, that they must be monogamist, of good behavior, rule well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity (runs domestic affairs excellently, cares for the family), not a novice (a recent convert or a long time convert that has not grown spiritually), having a good report of them that are without (not known by unbelievers as one of them), holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience (sincere, not contending with the truth, not having an evil eye). In this text, it adds that such must first be tested and if found faithful, appointed into leadership positions in the Church.

In the example of the early Church (Acts 6:3), we find criteria similar to these but including being full of the Holy Spirit (different from being filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with tongues, which is key, means living a ‘spirit filled life’ i.e life evidently controlled/influenced/directed by the Holy Spirit). As well as being filled with wisdom (obviously not the wisdom of the world but of God – produced by God’s word).

Something that is common to all these requirements is that they all (without exception) are character traits all believers are both admonished and instructed to develop as a result of the life of Christ in us and as evidence of our spiritual growth (Col 2:6-10).

They are not some special sets of 'rules' necessary for those aspiring to lead in the Church only but rather the character of Christ that all believers are expected to grow into. Attributes that unbelievers in Antioch saw in the believers and started calling them Christians i.e ‘Christ like’ (Acts 11:26).

It goes to mean that any believer who takes their walk with Christ seriously enough to grow spiritually would automatically qualify based on God’s specified leadership qualities for the Church. The focus therefore is on spiritual growth and it well defined.

Let us keep in mind that there is a difference between the Five-fold ministry and leadership in the Church (in the sense of which we are discussing). Five-fold ministry is an ordination of some by God even before they were born. Leadership is a responsibility taken on by matured believers to serve in support of the Five-fold ministry to deliver on the will of God for His Church.

If you ask me, a man/woman of God called to the Five-fold ministry will have to develop capacity for leadership after getting born again (as different from the anointing for the call) in order to be effective in ministry. Not doing this has fatal consequences that are better avoided at all cost.

Let us look at these attributes (qualities) and reference places in God’s word where all believers are told to develop them because it is God’s expectation for us in His kingdom:

Blameless as the steward of God (by being faithful): 1 Cor 1:8, Col 1:21-23 (the same word translated blameless in Titus 1:7) 1 Thes 5:23, Phil 2:14-15, Jude 1:23-24, Phil 1:10 (similar word but having essentially the same meaning),

Not self-willed (not stubborn, not self-pleasing/arrogant, teachable): 2 Pet 2:10 (describing the self-willed as a person that walks after the flesh, controlled by lusts, an example of who the believer should not be), Rom 2:8 (contentious=self-willed), James 3:17 (easy to be intreated = not self-willed)

Not soon angry (not hot tempered, not prone to anger, can’t control emotions): Eph 4:24-27, 31, James 1:19-20, Col 3:8

Not given to wine (not a drunkard, not a drinker, literally-not one who stays with alcohol) Eph 5:18-20, Prov 20:1

Not a striker (not one who fights or strifes, is quarrelsome, ready for a punch, contentious, vindictive): Gal 5:19-20, Rom 14:19, 2 Cor 12:20 (strife undesirable), Phil 2:14 (disputings=strife), 1 Tim 2:8, 1 Cor 1:10, Rom 12:10, 14, 18, James 3:14-16

Not greedy for filthy lucre (not after money by all means and at all cost – first check is usually how faithful the believer is with giving in and outside the Church) – 1 Tim 6:8-10, Jude 1:11, 2 Pet 2:15-16, James 5:1-4

A lover of hospitality (generous to guests) – 1 Pet 4:9, Heb 13:1-2, Rom 12:13, Heb 13:16, 2 Cor 9:7, 1 Tim 5:10

Lover of good men (fond of good, promoter of virtue not vices or sin): Rom 12:9, 21, Gal 6:10, Gal 5:22, Mat 5:15-16, 2 Cor 9:8, Eph 4:29, Tit 3:14

Sober (serious minded): 1 Pet 5:8, Eph 4:27, 1 Pet 1:13, 1 Pet 4:7, 1 Thes 5:6-8, Rom 13:11-14, Tit 2:2,6, Tit 2:11-12

Holy: 1 Pet 1:15-16, 2 Cor 7:1, Heb 12:14, 1 Thes 4:3-7, 1 Jn 3:3, 2 Pet 3:11-14

Temperate (having self-control, disciplined, continent): 1 Cor 9:25, 2 Tim 2:5, James 1:12, 2 Pet 1:6, Tit 2:6,

Holding fast to God’s word (demonstrates commitment to God’s word in learning, doing and teaching): 1 Cor 15:58, Gal 5:1, Phil 4:1, 2 Thes 2:15, 1 Pet 5:9, 2 Pet 3:17, Heb 12:1, Phil 3:13-14, 2 Tim 2:3-4

Must be monogamist: 1 Cor 7:2, Eph 5:31, Of good behavior: 1 Cor 13:5a, 1 Pet 3:16, 1 Pet 2:12

Rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity (giving attention to/taking care of his domestic affairs excellently): 1 Tim 5:8, Gen 18:19

Not a novice (a recent convert or a long time convert that has not grown spiritually): 2 Pet 3:18, James 1:21, Eph 4:15b, Col 1:10, 1 Pet 2:2, Heb 5:12-14

Have a good report of them that are without (not known by unbelievers as one of them): 2 Cor 6:14-18, Phil 4:5, Rom 14:16

Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience (sincere, not having an evil eye, not contending with the truth): 1 Tim 1:5, 19-20, 1 Pet 3:16

Be full of the Holy Spirit (in addition to being filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with tongues, living a ‘spirit filled life’ i.e life evidently controlled/influenced by the Holy Spirit): Eph 5:18, Gal 5:16

Be full of wisdom: Col 3:16, Eph 1:17

Additionally, we will notice that all these attributes draw either directly or indirectly from that of love (agape) as outlined in 1 Cor 13: 4-8. Similarly, they are embedded, directly or indirectly in the fruits of the spirit also as outlined in Gal 5:22-23.

We can conclude therefore that leadership in the Church is an exclusive preserve of believers that have taken their walk with God serious enough to learn and exercise themselves in God’s commandments in the New Covenant, consistently enough to prove they have matured and left spiritual babyhood and childhood (Heb 5:14).

Such are those who would be capable of leading God’s people right into the will of God otherwise, what will they lead God’s people to learn and do? If we follow these guidelines, we will be safe as God has made provision for our safety in His word.

Our leadership consideration and message should have their foundation in these and not the principles of leadership in the world (corporate or otherwise). These principles suffice for the world, handed down at best by the god of this world. They are meant for seducing, intimidating, controlling and herding people to do what their masters want and profiteering by all means necessary without fail.

These are not Christ centered and someway they have found their way into the Church! On the surface they seem innocent and yes, they produce results! The only problem is they never produce ‘Christ’ results. We should be mindful of this; if they are of the world, they are against God and contrary to His kingdom.

If it is in and for the Church, the bible way uncompromised is the only option. Grow up spiritually (into Christ) first, then you become a vessel unto honor fit for the master’s use (2 Tim 2:20-22).

Meditate on these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all (1 Timothy 4:15).


Note: There are other things relating to leadership spread all over the Old and New Testaments, this write up however focuses on character (what defines the leader) hence the basics on which everything else is built, more so being what was handed directly to the Church regarding the matter.

Pastor Gboye Omolayo is the Resident Pastor of Church@Allen (House of Prayer Int'l), Allen TX, USA. He is a prolific writer and preacher who believes the efficacy of the word of God and the potency of the works of the Holy Spirit are still available to the Church today, as they were at the Church’s infancy. He is the publisher of this blog.