A Philosophy for Biblical Leadership
Rev. Rob Taylor

Introduction

      It is important to have a Biblical philosophy of leadership and church administration as a living document for life and ministry. It is also important for this philosophy to be as "Biblical" as possible because this is the only right way of conducting oneself in leadership and administration. This paper is a reflection of my own personal philosophy for Biblical leadership and administration. It is intended to be a shared document with those I serve both present and future in ministry and in service to God. It is the goal of this paper to be a personalized living document that will grow, mature, and evolve with me through my career in ministry. It is not a final document because there is still much to learn from God and his word on the subject area. In my personal philosophy, biblical leadership revolves around 6 core areas of Integrity, Consensus Leading, Visionary Leadership, Teaching, Shepherding, and Praying.

Integrity

      Integrity is a God pleasing character trait as David indicates in his words from 1 Chronicles 29:17, "I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity." When we conduct ourselves with integrity in public and in private, and within the quiet places of our hearts, God sees and is pleased. Integrity mentioned in other places of Scripture can further help us to learn how important integrity is in our lives. Integrity helps one to walk securely, such as in Proverbs 10:9, "the man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out." Integrity helps to guide a man through life, such as in Proverbs 11:3, "the integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." People of integrity are guarded by righteousness, such as in Proverbs 13:6, "righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner." 

Integrity is also a key personal and public character trait of Jesus, "they sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are’" (Matthew 22:16). The Apostle Paul instructs young Titus that "in everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us" (Titus 2:7-8). Integrity is a trait that should be cultivated, imitated, and readily shown in both our private and our public lives.

       Integrity comes first in my philosophy of Biblical Leadership principles because I believe successful biblical leadership begins and ends with integrity. It is an important character trait needed in ministy today. When I have evaluated churches for my self to attend, the integrity of the pastor and subsequent pastoral leadership were among the most important criteria I examined. Unfortunately, it is also the area most lacking in church leadership today. "Integrity is an issue today in all fields" (Weems Jr. 1993, 121). It does not take one long to see a problem with integrity in nearly every branch or sect of Christianity, all of which, seriously impact the Church’s ability to reach the lost and keep the saved. The negative stereotypes of ministers and church life displayed on television and in the movies often revolve around this lack of integrity. This is why I think it is so important and remains one of the key points in my continuing prayers – that the Lord would continue to help me be a man of integrity.

       Personal integrity affects all areas of a person’s private, public, and professional life. Personal integrity determines who you are as a person, but it isn’t something we are born with. It must be a character trait cultivated in someone’s life that begins in early childhood and develops over a lifetime. It is developed through learning about God, His word, learning right from wrong and learning to care about the difference. This is where a Church’s Sunday School program plays a key role in developing integrity in a person. Integrity must also be taught in the home, the primary source of learning in a child’s life, and in our educational institutions. If it is developed right within a person, it will serve as their moral and ethical compass throughout their lives. In church leadership, the personal character that results from a well developed personal integrity is what "laity name as most significant" (Weems Jr. 1993, 125). This means that a person, a leader, in whom people can put trust is probably the single most important character trait a church leader can have.

       Personal integrity is an essential element in both professional integrity and ethics. Professional ethics flow naturally as an expression of personal integrity because "leadership is essentially a moral act" (Weems Jr. 1993, 123). This means that personal integrity shows shows in all aspects of professional and organizational leadership from hospital visits to board meetings to worship leading. If people are anything they are astute students of behavior, sensitive to discrepencies between what is said and what is done by church leadership.

       Another aspect integrity important to my philosophy of biblical leadership is biblical integrity. Professional integrity is reflected in organizational integrity and leadership where there there is a consistency between articulated values and organizational behavior. In church leadership, it is the integrity between what the Bible clearly teaches, what the church says it believes, and church behavior. This stems directly from Scriptural authority and how well it is followed. It is important in biblical leadership to maintain a strong biblical integrity between the pages of Scripture and the pulpit. It is difficult enough when churches are judged by the unbelieving world based on the behavior of church members. "Hypocrisy!" is often the battle cry for the unbeliever to not attend church. But it becomes worse when there is dissonance between what the Bible teaches and what church leadership says and does. 

I believe this dissonance is the culprit for many mainline denominations losing members by the thousands each year. In any other profession this would be called malpractice. "The relationship between belief and action, words and behavior, cannot be stressed too much. No matter what we say, people only pay close attention to what we do. Inconsistency is devastating" (Weems Jr. 1993, 131). There must be a consistency between what the Bible teaches, what the pastor preaches and what the church communicates and does in their practical expressions of faithful life. In any field of endeavor integrity is crucial and the church needs leaders who embody virtues we can respect, who have moral and ethical principles we can look up to, and who can invoke within us diserved confidence and trust.

Consensus Building

      Consensus building is important in my biblical philosophy of church leadership and administration because it is an area neglected by most, but most closely relates to the Apostolic model of leadership. One of the leading causes of fighting and dissension in a church is due to majority voting. When there is majority voting by a congregation or congregational association, there is always a minority attempting to gain a majority vote. With majority voting comes politiking, power struggles, and power hoarding. When a majority makes a decision through a majority vote, there is always a minority that voted "Nay" and thus is left behind, and often walks away discontent. This is not the biblical way, however, of decision making and administering a church. After many years of serving councils I have seen and experienced first-hand the destructive nature of democratic "majority rules" mentality. This is why consensus building is an essential component in church leadership - not to be confused with everybody walking in lock-step – consensus building must be done in the light of Scripture.

       In Acts 2:44 it states that, "all the believers were together and had everything in common." Again, in Acts 4:32 it states that, "all the believers were one in heart and mind." Being together and of one heart and one mind is the only way decisions can be made in a church to maintain harmony and unity. This does not mean a lock-step mentality, however, because the unity the first century church in Jerusalem shared in being together in one heart and mind came from the unity of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of unity and not dissension.

       A unanimous consensus is often more difficult to obtain than a decision by a majority vote, but a unanimous consensus in light of Scripture is more desirable and possible. This principle of consensus enhances the mission purpose and efforts of the church, enhances unity as a body, and guards against strange doctrines, directions, and philosophies subverting the teachings and understandings first given to us through the Apostolic witness. Consensus also guards against clericalism, hierarchical domination, personality domination, and special interest domination. In the council I now serve and will continue to serve, we strive in our decision making for a unanimous consensus in light of Scripture in all our decisions made for the church. In our fourth year of consensus building, council meetings have become a joy. For myself as a pastor, I have found this allows decision sharing without the loss of biblical leadership.

       Unity can not be understressed in biblical leadership because in my opinion it is one of the marks of the true church and a partial answer to Jesus’ prayer in the garden. Consensus decision making in light of Scripture builds unity in the church and allows the Holy Spirit to further that unity, but it must begin with strong pastoral leadership and his willingness to lay aside his own agenda and allow the Holy Spirit to lead the church. The Apostle Luke also stated about the first Apostolic church in Jerusalem that the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved and that much grace was upon them all. In almost four years our church has been able to move progressively ahead, has doubled in attendance and membership, and is inviting and keeping visitors. There is an excitement, genuineness of spirit and purpose that the true Spirit brings in unity. Personally, I will not work under any other kind of church administration model again.

Visionary Leadership

      "The church calls its pastors to exercise effective leadership" (Weems Jr. 1993, 15), but this leadership can only be effective if it is visionary and it is earned. One of the biggest problems I have noticed in churches over my lifetime has been the lack of effective and visionary leadership. I am sensitive to the words of Proverbs 29:18 in that, "where there is no vision, the people perish" (KJV). It has been my observation in the Bible that God spoke to his servants often, especially the prophets, through visions, and it is these visions that provided information, direction and guidance. I believe God still provides a vision today for his servants to follow. That’s why as a church leader, these words in Proverbs 29:18 should be a constant reminder and indeed, they should hang on every pastor’s office wall for him/her to see everyday as they go about administering and leading the church. Vision that can inspire and provide a point around which people can have a passion is of crucial concern and remains as one of the key leadership points in any church leader.

       Vision in church leadership can not come from just anywhere; it must be grounded in Scripture and related to what Rick Warren calls "the 5 Purposes of the church" (Warren 1995, 32). These are God’s purpose for the church. Within this context, "a pastor and congregation develop together a bold vision of what it means for that church to minister faithfully in the present, while they also do those things essential for the church to be strong in ten years" (Weems Jr. 1993, 40). Church leaders, however, as in biblical times, are the generators of vision. God is the source, but the visions come through the leadership.

       Vision casting in church leadership must be a constant process of keeping people focussed on identity and mission, pursuing their "preferred future" through God’s vision. A vision is ineffective if only the leadership knows and understands the vision. It is the responsibility of the leadership of a church to communicate and share the vision in a way people can understand and see themselves a part of it. When a vision is communicated properly, everyone can not only see their place, but can see it is the right purpose at the right time for which they can have a passion. In this sense then, team building for vision following becomes easier. Visionary leadership does not happen in a vacuum, but is most realized in a team environment, operating by consensus with a spirit of unity.

       Another aspect of leadership is what I call practical leadership. This kind of leadership pastors accomplish when they lead worship Sunday after Sunday. It is the leadership that occurs throughout the week in the office as they exercise management and administrative skills. And it is the leadership they exhibit when they lead the Sunday evening church council meetings or the worship and music committee meetings. Practical leadership depends much upon integrity, and that integrity is enhanced when these leadership opportunities are shared with the members of the congregation. Integrity is also enhanced when we follow Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:37, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'"

Teaching

Teaching is another critical aspect of leadership. A good teacher is hard to find, but a good teacher can touch lives in a way that leaves a lasting impact over a lifetime. As a pastor, we have more opportunities to teach than almost any other profession. Nearly every ministry context involves an aspect of teaching from the pulpit to Sunday School to solution focused pastoral counseling, we are privileged by our Lord to teach as he taught. Therefore we must make every effort to make sure we are on solid ground when we teach. We must teach through discipleship, we must teach by enabling others, we must teach as an equiper of gifts, and we must teach by example. We as pastors have an awesome job as teachers, and it is one of the most rewarding aspects of ministry. But also teaching can not be done in a vacuum. It must be communicated within the context of life today and I have found this is most effectively done within the context of small group ministry.

Small Group Ministry is Essential to Teaching

Small group ministry is essential to any growing church, but it cannot happen unless it comes from the leadership of the church. Small groups form the core ministry of the church. They focus relationship building as a model for mentoring-discipleship, and in small group ministry, relationship building between the members and God is essential for ministry to take place; love God and love your neighbor. Equipping the saints for the work of the ministry is a big part of leadership responsibilities for the church leader, and this can readily occur in small groups as well as in larger ministry settings. Identifying and cultivating leadership potential is key to fostering continued small group discipleship and raising up new leaders in the congregation. And just as Jesus identified leadership and enabled them to carry forth what they had learned from the Master, we can do the same through our own small group ministries.

It is clear from the example in Scripture that a key method in discipleship is through small group discipleship. It is my personal philosophy of leadership that leadership is also conducted at small group level as much as in the larger ministry context. Therefore church leaders should be considering and evaluating where small groups can be effectively utilized within the church because small groups can provide for real needs to be met and real ministry to occur in the lives of parishioners. Small groups can foster biblical love, promote fellowship and unity, build up the body of Christ and nurture spiritual gifts. These are all essential for a healthy growing congregation. Small group leadership and formation will not happen with out direction from church leadership. According to Jesus’ example in Mt. 4:18-22 and Luke 6:13-16, Jesus identified group members and personally invited each member to the small group.

Shepherding

Shepherding often gets a less than enthusiastic endorsement in the church leadership books I have been reading lately. In a hurting world full of strife and pain, we must not forget that Jesus himself healed the wounded and the sick, comforted the grieving, and counseled the stricken. This is one of the biggest leadership roles a pastor (undershepherd) can have within the congregation. It must not be taken lightly or given a back-seat in importance. This leadership role can be shared by deacons within the church, but nobody cares for the flock like the undershepherd. Sometimes, that’s the greatest vision we can have as a pastor is to care for our flocks, that is, to bind up the broken-hearted, to bring a balm of healing to the sick, and a good word to the stricken, and thereby follow in the footsteps of our Lord. There needs to be a balance between leadership and shepherding and it is my personal philosophy of leadership that we should not loose site of the commission we are given as undershepherds of the Lord’s flock.

Prayer

I wanted to end this paper on a brief word about prayer. It is just as important as integrity, and probably more so. It is as important as visionary leadership and probably more so. In my philosophy it is the most important aspect of leadership because every good and effective leader of God begins on his or her knees in prayer. This is the example and model from Scripture. There was never a good leader that did not exhibit a life of prayer. The greatest example we have of the greatest leader of history exhibited the greatest life of prayer. It is my personal philosophy of leadership that everything else in leadership comes from following this example of Jesus – especially his life of prayer.

References

Dale, Robert. 1998. Leadership for a Changing Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Donahue, Bill and Russ Robinson. 2001. Building a Church of Small Groups. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

George, Carl F. and Robert E. Logan. 1996. Leading and Managing Your Church. Grand Rapids: Revell.

Lee, Harris W. 1989. Effective Church Leadership. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Publishers.

Malphurs, Aubrey. 1996. Values-Driven Leadership. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Publishers.

Tidwell, Charles. Church Administration, Effective Leadership for Ministry. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Young, David. 1999. Servant Leadership in Church Renewal. Scottdale: Herald Press.

Warren, Rick. 1995. The Purpose Driven Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Weems, Lovett H. Jr. 1993. Church Leadership. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

________. 1990. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible. NIV. Indianapolis: B.B. Kirkbride Bible Co., Inc.