The Gift of a Leader

In Romans 12, the Apostle Paul provides a list of some of the ways that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to people for the purpose of Kingdom work. While this list is not exhaustive, he does, interestingly enough, list the gift of leadership. “…if it is leadership, let him govern diligently…” (Romans 12:8)

There is often a palpable tension around the gift of leadership. One of the most obvious examples of this tension is found in the management/union relationship of our day. Stereotypically, management is viewed by the union as trying to take advantage of the worker; and so one must view the leaders with suspicion. Union workers, stereotypically, are viewed by management as trying to get something for nothing; and so one must view followers as lazy and uncooperative. Unfortunately, this mentality is also a familiar tension in the Church.

Over the past couple of years we’ve been going through a transition in our leadership structure – moving away from the ineffectiveness of a large board to a smaller group of congregationally elected Council members. In this transition, I have seen this management/union tension come to the surface on more than one occasion with the complaint that the Church Council is “a secret group and nobody knows what is going on.”

As I have been considering what feelings and experiences are behind such a statement, a couple of things have surfaced. First, we have developed a culture in the baptistic tradition referred to as “one person, one vote.” We have come to think that the biblical model of church governance is a pure democracy where we all get to vote on every decision that is made – from carpet colors to ministry programs. But I would encourage you to consider whether our baptistic tradition of “one person, one vote” and biblical teaching really match up on this point. What is the point of the Spirit gifting the church with leaders if the entire group is to make every decision anyway?

Second, I have observed that some of us simply are not willing to trust the very leaders that we have chosen to lead us. For a variety of reasons, including some bad experiences in the past, we put people in positions of responsibility and then refuse to give them the authority to do the ministry that we have asked them to do. We choose a person to serve as our Team Leader, but then we go around the leader we just voted for in order to get done what we want done. As a group we have chosen a Council of leaders to serve us by leading, yet we come up with conspiracy theories about how they are trying to sneak things through.

In Hebrews 13:17 we read instructions, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” The way that many of us want to apply this verse is by re-writing it to sound something like this. “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority if you agree with their decision. If you don’t agree with their decision you should resist at all cost, or kick them out and pick a new leader who will do what you want them to do – then you can submit to them in good conscious.” This, of course, is not what the writer of Hebrews actually says. There is responsibility on both sides of leadership. On the one hand, leaders will have to give an account to God for the way we have led; and on the other hand, followers will have to give an account for the way we have followed. The result of distrust, suspicion, and conspiracy theories is an experience that is burdensome and joyless for leaders and anxiety laden for followers.

God has given us a great gift in leaders whose hearts are seeking the life and way of Jesus, and are diligent in leading us as a body in Kingdom work. Instead of treating our leaders with self-centeredness and suspicion, the Bible calls us to pray for those who are in leadership on all levels (church, state, family, etc.)and to submit ourselves to them in love and cooperation – even when we don’t agree with every decision they make. When leaders lead with diligence and followers follow with participation and prayerful support, we will find our partnership in Kingdom work to be a joy!