3 principles on Christian leadership

“Leadership is a thing,” someone recently said to me. And it’s true; leadership is a God-ordained phenomenon for relationships and accomplishing his mission. From the beginning of time, we have naturally looked to leaders - whether informal leaders like parents or teachers, to more formal leaders like Kings, generals, CEOs, or senators. We trust them to guide us, to teach us, and even to equip us for reaching a goal or accomplishing a vision. The Bible is full of leadership structures and examples. Moses was a reluctant leader, yet charged with the task of leading the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. David was a strong leader, but whose weaknesses caused great turmoil in his family and eventually the nation. Oftentimes we find ourselves in the role of leader whether we were looking for leadership responsibilities or not. As believers, how do we faithfully carry out a leadership role? 

One of the assignments for my Christian Leadership class at Southeastern Seminary this summer was to read through all of 2 Corinthians and highlight twenty leadership principles found in Paul’s letter. I won’t list all twenty that I discovered, but I’ll give you what I think are three of the most helpful and instructive ones:

1. Christian leaders lead by example.

In chapter one Paul talks about his afflictions and sharing in the sufferings of Christ as well as the comfort found in Christ. When he writes “If we are afflicted it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort....” he reveals an understanding that, as a leader, he must experience and understand what his followers experience and demonstrate a proper theology and understanding about those things. Paul is not above those he leads. Rather, he relates with those he leads and demonstrates a godly perspective on their common experience of suffering.

2. Christian leaders champion others, not themselves.

In chapter four Paul writes, “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” First, Paul champions Christ, and then he champions the Corinthians, seeking to be a servant to them for the sake of Christ. Later he writes that “death is at work in us, but life in you” meaning that part of his service to the Corinthians has been to suffer and experience pain and despair, but that all of this has been for their sake and for the purpose of giving life to the entire church at Corinth.

3. Christian leaders will be challenged and opposed. 

In chapter 10, Paul has to defend his authority over and responsibility for them - a church he himself planted - “for building them up.” Paul states that he will not be ashamed of that authority either, since it comes from God. There are some who will balk at any authority. There will always be those who attack and oppose leaders even when they are good leaders, called and given authority by God. Paul refuses to apologize for the call he has to speak truth to the Corinthians even if they experience it as offensive or harsh. In other words, sometimes leaders must lead in the face of opposition, relying on the call of God and gently, but boldly moving toward what they know is best for those they lead.

So much more could be said about the specific leadership challenges that Paul was up against in Corinth (they were many and complex), and I’ve got seventeen more principles I could share, but maybe you’d like to read through 2 Corinthians and find them yourself? I think you’ll be greatly encouraged if you do.

“The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve,” is how John Stott, Anglican minister, theologian, and author put it. He sums it up well: Christian leaders lead with love, by example, with persuasion and humility. The apostle Paul demonstrates all of these and more. He’s a great example for any who find themselves in a leadership role today - whether a mother, a small group leader, a pastor, or president.

Melanie Krumrey is a pastor’s wife, serves as the women’s ministry leader at MERCYhouse church in Amherst, MA, and blogs at www.dwellabideadorn.com.