This paper is an attempt to do the impossible. In a handful of pages, I will dig into the Bible to build a theology of leadership, look at history to see important influences on the pastoral vocation, and build a personal structure for my call to the pastorate. Fittingly, this paper faces many of the challenges of ministry. The job description is massive in scope, the resources are scant, and the hope for success lies squarely on the work of the Spirit.
Before I begin building this theology, let me talk about myself for a moment. It is important for us all that we location in this conversation is clear. I grew up in a tight-knit, conservative, evangelical family. My father was an officer in the Coast Guard and my mother was mostly a stay-at-home mom. We moved often and that meant that there were many church communities we called home. There were many similarities in the churches we joined including a suburban setting, a strong commitment to the Bible, an emphasis on personal transformation and holiness, conservative politics, and congregational governance. The differences included churches on a spectrum from very charismatic to very rational, churches that were community minded and churches that were very insulated, and churches that were located across the country from Maryland to St. Louis to Seattle.
From a young age, I was deeply involved in the community of faith and that swiftly led me into leadership in the church. My sense of rootedness in the church and my success in children and student ministry leadership, led me to Seattle Pacific University to pursue training in theology and educational ministry, and from there to my first call in vocational ministry as a student pastor at Kent Covenant Church where I served for e...
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The way person leads a group of people or an organization is key to a successful business or outreach. There are many styles and techniques for a leader to implement. Christian leaders are no exception; some might say being a leader in a church organization can be a more scrutinizing position than other leaders. Since, a church leader has expectations on how they should act or conduct themselves because of the Christian faith. This paper will discuss an interview with a person in leadership brother Larry and will give an account of his leadership approach. Furthermore, what strengths and weaknesses are prevalent according to authors Kouzes and Posner and the model they have in their book, Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon explained there is nothing new under the sun, so it should not surprise anyone that many times that which appears to be new was conceived earlier. As the body of knowledge enlarges in a particular discipline, that expansion sometimes bumps into something previously revealed. Great men and women from times past have provided a very rich source of material for the development of theology of leadership. These individuals applied godly principles to form deep, yet practical theologies, sometimes even during the darkest periods of human history. Two of these individuals were Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Mother Teresa, whose theologies of leadership contributed greatly to shaping the concept of God-centered leadership. Their efforts resonate throughout the church today, and impact church leaders around the world.
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Philosophy of Ministry: God's desires come first, I must always live my ministry God's way. I must live as a Christian (1 Corinthians 9:27) I must have a proper relationship of surrender to the Leader. In my personal life or in the Church I must understand that Christ is Head and Chief Shepherd (Ephesians 1:22, Hebrews 13:20). The “management” of Church is about relationships with God and Man, not just maintaining a social organization.
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