Christian Leadership: Defining Its Nature and Significance

Introduction

The Christian life is marked by numerous paradoxes. To name a few, Christians live by dying (John 12:24-25), are exalted by humiliation (Matt. 23:12; James 4:10; Phil. 2:5-11), and are freed from sin by being bound to Christ (Rom. 6:8-22; 1 Cor. 7:22). Moreover, they receive strength through weakness, for “[God’s] grace is sufficient for [them], for [His] power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).¹ These paradoxes do not merely characterize the Christian life altogether; they also define Christian leadership specifically.

This brief paper will argue that the nature of Christian leadership is devotion and bondage to Christ, the sure and steady foundation and cornerstone (Isa. 28:16; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6). Christian leadership matters because it displays Christ and His Gospel by example, sustains the mission of the Church through service, and glorifies God through faithful stewardship and the sanctification of His Body, the Church. To demonstrate this, this paper will first examine the nature of Christian leadership, then elucidate its purpose and importance, and conclude with a brief application and summary.

The Nature of Christian Leadership

True Christian leadership flows from identity as a disciple of Christ. Thus, Jesus says, “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:26). Paradoxically, Jesus’ words demonstrate that leadership is, in fact, a matter of following. Furthermore, he indicates that humiliation in acts of service brings honor. That is, Christian leaders will receive a reward, for “how beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” (Isa. 52:7; Nah. 1:15; Rom. 10:15). Yet, the Christian leader’s initial position while in this world is not an exalted one; it is lowly. Thus, J. Oswald Sanders writes, “in His teaching on leadership… [Jesus] overturned an existing order. In the world’s ears, the term servant spoke everywhere of low prestige, low respect, low honor. When Jesus used the term, however, it was a synonym for greatness.”²

Because leadership is about following, the question “What does following look like?” must be asked. As already hinted, according to John 12:26, following Jesus appears as service, and vice versa. More specifically, however, following Jesus involves imitating Him, and serving and suffering are characteristics of that imitation. Hence, when James and John asked for places of honor, Jesus responded,

You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?… The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized… You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:38-45)

Jesus’ words were countercultural, even shocking, just as they are today. Sanders paraphrases His words, “greatness comes through suffering, and leadership through becoming a slave of all,” and argues that this would have been so against the grain in the time when people understood that “honor and rank are for those who have prepared themselves for them.”³

Still, Christ redefined service altogether through His sacrificial death. Christian leadership, therefore, is cruciform: it takes the shape of Christ’s humility and sacrificial service. The leader’s goal is not to increase, but to decrease (John 3:30). Therefore, the Apostle Paul exposits, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who… being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8). Just as Christ emptied himself to the humble status of humanity (Phil. 2:7), Christian leaders must also empty themselves of self, becoming entirely dependent upon God.⁴

The Prophet Isaiah’s ‘Servant Songs’ anticipate the Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ (Isa. 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12). They portray an obedient leader who suffers on behalf of His people to take away their sin and make them righteous.⁵ Christ fulfilled this pattern in His life, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, and implores His followers to serve like Him, demonstrating that servant leadership was a part of God’s redemptive plan since the beginning of time.

Regarding this humiliation, Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Christian leadership is utter identification with and imitation of the Son of God. Hence, the Apostles wrote things such as “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1), and “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Pet. 2:21). This imitation of God extends past suffering into the areas of holiness as well: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44-45; 1 Pet. 1:15-16). Indeed, it was Christ’s holiness that made His suffering as the spotless “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” a worthy sacrifice (John 1:29).

Thus, Christian leadership finds its essence in imitation of and devotion to Christ, for Christian leaders are merely imitators of Christ and servants devoted to Christ and His Church. However, this language of bondage to Christ is not simply formed out of devotion, but a true union with Jesus. Regarding Leviticus 11:44-45 and 1 Peter 1:15-16, Jared Wilson writes, “[It] is both a command and a promise… Because of this, the pastor [or leader] who is charged with being an example to his flock is promised that his Christlikeness will become more apparent the closer and longer he walks with Christ. Paul writes that by beholding the Lord, we are transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18).”⁶ Just as all Christians are progressively sanctified, so are leaders.

In summary, Christian leadership is modeled after Christ through becoming like Him in service, suffering, and holiness. Paradoxically, leadership is following Christ in such a way that those under a leader’s care, whether as a pastor, commissioned lay elder, or leader of another sort, will see Jesus in and through them, being encouraged in their own walk and imitation of the Savior.

Having established the nature of Christian leadership, the next question arises: “Why does Christian leadership matter?” Its importance becomes evident in how it displays the Gospel, sustains the mission and life of the Church, and glorifies God through faithful stewardship and the sanctification of the Church.

The Purpose of Christian Leadership

Christian leadership matters for three main reasons. First and foremost, because Christian leaders imitate Jesus and become more like Him, they naturally serve as examples and displays of Christ to their groups or congregations. Such is the case when the Apostles implore that they be imitated, for they are examples of Christ (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 1 Thess. 1:6; 2 Thess. 3:7-9; Heb. 6:12; 13:7; 3 John 11). Because they imitate Christ, they effectively display Him to their audience. While most pastors and leaders today are nowhere near the status of the Apostles, such as Paul, they are still faithful men, saved by the Gospel, who follow Jesus and become like Him. Thus, they serve as tangible examples of Christ, and their actions of service display the selfless love found in the Gospel. In Christlike fashion, they love their congregations or audiences as a result of their own transformation and sanctification: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13). This display and service can have profound impacts on those around this image of Christ. Through their example, others are encouraged to grow in holiness and Christlikeness, as leadership functions not merely for administration but for spiritual formation and transformation.

However, it should be remembered that, although pastors and leaders are intended to reflect Jesus, they are still human, prone to sinfulness and brokenness. As Wilson says, “The justified pastor [or leader is still] the man [or woman] justified by grace alone through faith alone, in Christ alone to God’s glory alone, who happens to be a pastor [or leader].”⁷ Regardless of a leader’s intended purpose of reflecting Jesus, they are not Jesus Himself. They are not the hero; the perfect Jesus Christ is. Therefore, the purpose of Christian leadership is never self-exaltation that comes from sinful pride, but rather the faithful representation of Christ’s love, humility, and service that helps the Church and its mission mature.

The second reason Christian leadership matters is that God has intended it to contribute to the Church’s mission. Paul posits, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-12). Regardless of whether one believes these APEST offices continue past the apostolic age, this conclusion is clear: Jesus gave leaders for ministry and the sanctification of the Body.

One of the ways this building up takes place is found in the qualifications for elders.⁸ They are charged to “hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that [they] may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Tit. 1:5-9). In other words, they hold fast to the doctrines passed down by the Apostles and by Jesus Himself (Eph. 2:20) so that they can preserve apostolic teaching for the Church, combating error and heresy when needed. Such is the reminder of Paul to the Ephesian church:

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. (Acts 20:28-31)

Leadership is both formative (i.e., Paul admonished the Ephesian church for three years) and defensive. Paul expects any church to experience “fierce wolves… speaking twisted things.” Thus, he implores Titus and Timothy to combat this themselves and to establish leaders who will stand on the firm foundation of the Apostles (1 Tim. 1:3-7; 3:1-13; 4:1-5; 6:3-5; 2 Tim. 4:2-4; Tit. 1:5, 9-11). Paul even stands on the firm foundation himself when refuting the heresy of the Judaizers in Galatians. Wilson, in response to this, says, “The shepherd is perplexed and heartbroken over the Galatians’ apparent departure from the gospel, and he is livid, indignant toward the Judaizers who are leading them astray… Protecting the sheep from wolves often involves roughly handling wolves.”⁹ Christian leaders guard their flock.

Furthermore, leaders contribute to the Church’s mission by making disciples, teaching them unto maturity, and sending them out to accomplish Jesus’ words in the Great Commission, which states, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).

Finally, Christian leadership matters because it glorifies God through stewardship of the good gifts He has provided, including the resources and people entrusted to the leader, and by cultivating holiness within the Church. The God focus demonstrates that servant leadership is not serving God from temporal and human means, but that even our service to Him is derived from Him, for “the Son of Man came not to be served” (Mark 10:45) and “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (Jam. 1:17).¹⁰ Truly, the means of ministry are from God, the power in ministry is through God, and the glory of ministry is to God, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36).

When leaders teach, preach, or converse with this perspective in mind, God is glorified as the source, power, and goal of their ministry. They emphatically declare that “the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever… [and that] delight in God is their [audience’s] highest duty.”¹¹ When leadership is not only structured as intended but also understands ministry in this light as intended, God is most glorified by His people as the sole source and proprietor of all things good. Thus, He deserves all worship and praise.

Furthermore, such an elucidation of God’s glory as manifested in and through the Gospel will undoubtedly lead to the sanctification of congregations, audiences, and groups under a leader’s care and supervision. They will see Jesus as He truly is, be strengthened by Him, and glorify Him together with the Father and the Holy Spirit as the Triune God. Still, such a conversion or a spiritual maturing is God’s doing; the Christian leader is only the instrument in God’s glorious plan and purpose for His creation.

Conclusion

In light of Christian leadership, its nature, importance, and purpose included, leaders must be resolved first and foremost to become like Jesus. Practically, they can achieve this through resolutions to pray often, be led by the Holy Spirit, suffer for the sake of the Gospel, serve both friends and enemies, fear the Lord, and read Scripture.¹² Theologically and devotionally, they must recognize that only God can equip them for the work of leadership and ministry, and that He has promised to do so (1 Pet. 1:15-16; Matt. 28:20).

In summary, Christian leadership, although paradoxical, involves following Jesus, depending on God for all things, and being bound to Christ in such a way that He and His Gospel, including suffering and service, are demonstrated faithfully. Such leadership matters for the church because it displays Christ to those around the leader, builds up the church in maturity through the apostolic witness, including defending flocks from the ravenous wolves of false teaching and heresy. Furthermore, this ideology and perspective of Christian leadership encourage a high view of God and His glory, which establishes a Christocentric and God-focused community in which maturity and sanctification blossom accordingly. Thus, let Christian leaders around the world, whether elders, teachers, parents, or students, be committed to Christ’s Gospel.

Bibliography

France, R. T. “Servant of the Lord.” In New Bible Dictionary, edited by D. R. W. Wood, et al., 1082. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996. Logos Bible Software.

Lancour, Logan. “Resolved to Be Like Jesus.” Leadership manifesto submitted for MN 5410 Christian Leadership, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, December 2022.

Piper, John. Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry. Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2013.

Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer. 1967. Reprint, Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007.

Wilson, Jared C. The Pastor’s Justification: Applying the Work of Christ in Your Life and Ministry. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013.

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Footnotes

1. Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references are to the English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016). ↩

2. J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer (1967; repr. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007), 21. ↩

3. Ibid., 23-24. ↩

4. Sanders, 25. ↩

5. R. T. France, “Servant of the Lord,” in New Bible Dictionary, ed. D. R. W. Wood et al. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 1082. Logos Bible Software. ↩

6. Jared C. Wilson, The Pastor’s Justification: Applying the Work of Christ in Your Life and Ministry (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013), 41-42. ↩

7. Wilson, 180. ↩

8. These qualifications have yet to be discussed because the focus of this essay is on general Christian Leadership. Still, the expectations of elders and deacons are worthy and necessary aspirations for any Christian leader, elder or not. ↩

9. Wilson, 91-92. ↩

10. John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry (Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2013), 55-56. ↩

11. Ibid., 61, 67. ↩

12. Logan Lancour, “Resolved to Be Like Jesus,” leadership manifesto submitted for MN 5410 Christian Leadership, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, December 2022. ↩