This brief series by Brett Jacobsen is not intended to be an in-depth study of the subjects throughout. It is a light introduction into the heart of what God is reforming in His church in this prophetic season. The articles, audios, videos, books, dialogues and blogs on this site www.livingthekingdom.com and www.christisall.org examine in greater depth the many pressing reformational issues in the current church.
Church Leadership
Examples amongst, not lords over
For about 1900 years we have continued in our inherited church and leadership institutional system. It robbed (and still robs) the church of Jesus’ servant-hearted, heaven-graced leadership, substituting it for hierarchical, humanistic CEO’s, lords and stage strutting for the most part.
Christian leadership is perverted from many pulpits as all sorts of leadership principles and examples are taught as gospel. The fact is though, that New Testament leadership cannot be viewed in the light (or dark) of regular non-church leadership because it is vastly different. As Jesus clearly declared:
“the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you:” (Matt 20:25-26)
As this is only a brief introductory article to biblical leadership, I will just list a number of key issues with church leadership and how it should function. In chapter six of my book Heaven’s Underground Blueprint I delve deeply into New Testament leadership attitude and function [1].
- Lead doesn’t mean follow – Yes there are leaders in the Kingdom of Christ, however, they are primarily examples to the believers and often they are teacher/equippers too. Biblically, we are called to ‘imitate’ Christ’s attributes in leaders rather than ‘follow’ them and their ministry [2].
- Leaders should be amongst, not over the people – “The elders which are among you […] Feed the flock of God which is among you […] Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” (1 Pet 5:1-3)
- They don’t own or rule anyone – Jesus alone is “the good Shepherd” all other leaders are “hirelings” [3] who don’t own the sheep at all (John 10:11-14).
- NT leadership is always plural (an equal team) not singular – We’ve had the most part of 2000 years with Senior- Bishops, Popes, Pastors, Apostles and other types of Senior Ministers in the church… to our detriment. Jesus sent the apostles out in pairs and elders were always a team [4]. In fact there is not one NT scripture which props up singlular leaders, or the fancy titles which they don to officiate their extra-biblical ‘offices’.
- Leaders should lead only when necessary – Our addiction to over-leading and over-following has caused the largest part of the body to neglect the many functions which all believers are called to: we have made spectators out of the church. The Sunday sermon has hindered daily dialogue in the Word; Pastoral follow-up has caused the saints to not consider ‘considering one another’, and the list goes on (Heb 10:24).
Now finally and briefly- how NT leadership should work:
Apostles go as a team and plant the Kingdom in an area and for a season, nurture the new community as examples and teachers. Then local elders (an equal team, not a single Pastor) simply oversee, teach and equip. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers should move around the body equipping and training the saints rather than presiding over institutions and people. The believers should do most of the pastoral and other work locally with the help of elders/leaders when necessary. All this should be done without denominating or starting any “church” organisation but rather continuing in Christ as a spiritually relational family.
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*For part four of this short series Be the Church Pt 4 – Prayer/Worship click here.
*For more info on this topic see the authors book Heaven’s Underground Blueprint or these articles:
Heavens Underground Leadership Blueprint – Pt 1 of 5 by Brett Jacobsen click here.
Heavens Underground Leadership Blueprint – Pt 2 of 5 by Brett Jacobsen click here.
Heavens Underground Leadership Blueprint – Pt 3 of 5 by Brett Jacobsen click here.
Heavens Underground Leadership Blueprint – Pt 4 of 5 by Brett Jacobsen click here.
Heavens Underground Leadership Blueprint – Pt 5 of 5 by Brett Jacobsen click here.
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Endnotes
[1] To obtain a copy of ‘Heaven’s Underground Blueprint’ click here
To read chapter six- ‘Heaven’s Underground Leadership Blueprint’ begin here.
To begin the video series ‘Pastoring in the New Testament’ click here.
[2] In the NT where we are told to follow leaders it is the Greek word mimites (and mimeomai) which means to imitate their Christ traits, not follow after them.
[3] The specific hirelings that Jesus was referring to in John 10 were the wayward leaders in Israel at that time. That doesn’t say that all hirelings are bad (as has been erroneously declared so often). In Jesus’ analogy there is only the Shepherd and hirelings. The Shepherd owns the sheep, no one else does, not even the hirelings who do herd and direct the sheep.
[4] “sent them two and two” (Luke 10:1), “The elders which are among you” (1 Pet 5:1)
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