I’ve talked with lots of friends who say their pastor operates in a heavy-handed, preacher-centered fashion. Just what are the New Testament marks of a Christian leader?
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could always look to leaders as models of those who look out for the good of their company, organization, employees or church? They are offered positions of great authority and responsibility, and we expect they will take the two together, yet that’s not always the case. We have watched as business leaders looked out for their own pocketbook rather than the welfare of the organization they were supposed to manage. We’ve seen others lose everything because they were caught lying, cheating or manipulating to their own advantage. Should we be surprised to see those who are chosen to lead and shepherd would put their personal needs out front — even in the church?
Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised, but we still expect Christian leaders to act like Christ. While the New Testament does not exactly paint a picture of the church or its leaders that looks like our current reality — they were, after all, living in a different time — Scripture does have something to say about the way we should behave in the church and what we should expect of leadership.
The first passage that comes to mind is Jesus’ instruction to the disciples when they were worried about the potential of being passed over for a promotion. They even brought their mother with them to plead their case (Matthew 20:20-26). Jesus told them leaders have a tendency to lord it over their followers, but in his kingdom, things follow a different order. Rather than seeking to be great or looking out for oneself, the leader in Christ’s kingdom must come as a servant. We see a similar sentiment directed to those in authority in the early church. 1 Peter 5 instructs leaders to care for and serve those whom they lead. In 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul indicates an overseer ought to be self-controlled, hospitable, gentle and not quarrelsome.
But perhaps the greatest instructions for the Christian leaders really are no different than the instructions Jesus gave to each of us. What did he say was the greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God. And coming in a close second: Love others as we love ourselves.
Jesus’ intent, he said, was not to lay a heavy burden on us, but to help us to find a better way to live (Matthew 11:28). All of us should be living with the same gentle and humble spirit of one who came to serve and to love. In doing so, we don’t become heavy-handed or burdensome to those around us. We don’t seek to put our own needs ahead of others’. We lead out of a sense of service. Together, we find a better way to live as we take Jesus’ yoke upon us.
Emily Row Prevost is team leader/coordinator leader and communications/spiritual formation specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Right or Wrong? is sponsored by the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology. Contributors include Baptists in Virginia, Texas, Missouri and other states. Send your questions about how to apply your faith to btillman@hsutx.edu.