Churches Need Leaders Who Reflect Christ

Faith Facts

• Leadership in the local church shapes its health and spiritual direction.
• Jesus modeled servant leadership by washing His disciples’ feet.
• Healthy churches flourish when leaders prioritize humility, trust, and Scripture.

Leadership matters. When it comes to the health of a church, as the leadership goes, so goes the church. A new series of guest columns is launching to address this critical need.

The writers will come from different regions, congregations, and traditions. Some churches use songbooks while others employ praise teams. Some preach from the KJV and others from the NIV.

Yet all share key convictions. They hold an authoritative view of Scripture. They believe the God of Scripture remains active in the world today. They believe the Gospel must stay the first priority of the church. They share a deep love for the Churches of Christ.

“Leadership is more than a position or title. It is influence. It is stewardship. It is the responsibility to help people see what God may be calling them to become and then create an environment where they can grow into it.”

Jesus redefined leadership. He picked up a towel, knelt before His disciples and showed us that greatness in the kingdom is measured by our willingness to serve. That kind of leadership requires humility.

It requires leaders who can say, “I may be wrong.” Leaders who listen before they speak. Leaders who can disagree without becoming disagreeable. Leaders who are secure enough to celebrate someone else’s success. And leaders who understand that the church belongs to Christ — not to the elders, the preacher, the staff or any individual leader.

Healthy leadership also requires trust. Trust is built over time through integrity, consistency, transparency and keeping our word. It gives teams the freedom to have difficult conversations without becoming divided. It creates an environment where people can challenge one another, extend grace and pursue what is best for the kingdom rather than simply what is most comfortable.

Leadership requires teamwork. The biblical picture of leadership is rarely one person doing everything. God has always worked through communities of people with different gifts, experiences, personalities and perspectives. Healthy teams do not require uniformity; they cultivate unity.

Faithful leadership requires a high view of Scripture coupled with an understanding of the culture in which we minister. We do not change the Gospel to fit the culture. But neither should we ignore the culture around us. Effective leaders remain deeply rooted in biblical truth while learning how to build bridges to people who desperately need the hope of the Gospel.

Over the coming months, the series will explore humility, trust, teamwork, spiritual discernment, cultural awareness, courage, communication, succession and the intentional development of other leaders.

After more than two decades of ministry in the same congregation and walking alongside churches across the nation through seasons of remarkable health and painful transition, one conviction stands out. One of the great opportunities before the Churches of Christ is for our leaders to become better leaders.

Not simply more effective leaders. Not simply more strategic leaders. Leaders who look more like Jesus. Because leadership matters.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.