(A cruise ship coincidentally passing through when my friends and I went to Milson's point 22Oct, 2017.)
Leadership:
The Chinese
culture is authoritarian, which means the Chinese church has a greater tendency
towards a model of unhealthy dependency, similar to the biblical example of
Moses’ impossible attempt at being the sole leader,[1]
where the pastor is expected to be the caretaker for all, the “spiritual
doctor”, and the “parent” of the children of God.[2]
The pastor may have unhealthy self-expectations, such as having to be
omnicompetent and in control of everything, and be driven by a need to be
needed, or by guilt.[3]
Sometimes congregations may see their pastor as “vicars of Christ” and see
themselves “game” critics.[4] When people seem apprehensive about taking on leadership responsibilities, this could be a signal of the tendency for unhealthy dependency.[5]
Matthew28:18 show
the ultimate authority is Christ himself. The Lordship of Christ, the oldest
and most basic Christian statement of faith, supported the concept of the
church as spiritual and non-hierarchical.[6]
The Baptists are not alone in proclaiming this conviction, but there is a
Baptist emphasis on this.[7]
The Baptist ministers are not intermediary priests between God and church
members, nor are they vicars of Christ to the church. They are members of their
church that walk alongside all the other members.[8]
Winslade suggests that Hebrews13:17 in the original language is better
translated as we are to “be persuaded by those who are in leadership and yield
to them so that they can go in front of you and lead…”[9]
This means leaders should not expect the congregation to submit and follow them
blindly, but to demonstrate courtesy and respect towards those they lead by
giving due time and energy to the process of persuasion when proposing a new
idea. Likewise, followers are to demonstrate courtesy and respect towards those
who lead by willing to listen and be persuaded by the wisdom of the new idea.[10]
The doctrine of
the priesthood of all believers is beautifully seen in Paul’s analogy of the
human body (1Corinthians12:12). If the church can put this into practice, the
likelihood of unhealthy dependency on pastoral leaders will be reduced.
However, this does not imply that all are able to lead or counsel or preach or
administer or teach in the life of the church, because such abilities and gifts
are given to some, but not to others. We all have a part to play, but we do not
all have the same role.[11]
Meanwhile, nowhere does the New Testament (NT) promote the idea of a special
calling to a ministerial office that is somehow inherently higher and holier
than that of others in the church.[12]
Ogden believes that the closest thing to a job description of a pastoral role
is Ephesians4:11-14: “to equip saints for the work of ministry, for the
building up of the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the
faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God…”[13]
“The equipping pastor initiates the maturing of the body by assisting the
people of God to practice the ministries to which they are called.”[14]
McNeal goes
further to suggest that the call in the church today is for apostolic
leadership[15],
a new breed of church leaders that will meet the leadership challenges of what
it will take for the church to become more missionally effective,[16]
so that the church shifts from an inward focus as a refuge (ie. cruise ship) to
an outward focus as doing missions (ie. rescue boat).[17]
Rather than just pushing for a growth in the number of members, it is important
to remember that people outside the church think church is for church people,
and they do not wake up every day wondering what church they can make
successful and great.[18]
To transform communities,[19]
we also need to love the people in the communities. After all, a central focus
in Jesus’ ministry was his care and compassion for the poor, and his healing of
the sick (Luke4:18-21).[20]
The Great Commandment (Matthew22:37-39) tells us to love God and love people.
Discipleship:
While God is infinite,
eternal and perfect, humanity is finite, transient and sinful.[21] Not only is our time on earth limited, our ability to love others
is also limited. As a Christian grows in Christ-likeness, his/her capacity to
love increases while his/her unhealthy dependence on others decreases. It is
important to identify the characteristics of mature disciples so that you know
what they look like when they get there (Acts2:41-47; John8:31; 13:34, 15:8;
Galatians5:22-23).[22],[23]
Since core values are supposed to explain who you are, these characteristics
should form the core values of the church.[24]
Furthermore, discipleship is not about throwing some “church club membership”
stuff on people. Leadership in a Christian context is typically one of
role-modelling, where Paul calls people to follow his example in following the
example of Christ (1Corinthians 11:1).[25]
Spiritual
formation:
Spiritual
formation is the most significant issue facing church leaders for the future.[26]
The implementation of spiritual formation in the life of the church is
imperative for spiritual renewal and revival. In Zechariah 4:6, the angel says
to Zerubbabel, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord
Almighty.” Spiritual formation is not something you begin with but forget as
you take the next step. It is continuous.[27]
Busier Christians are not necessarily more spiritual.[28]
If we are too busy, we have little or no time to reflect, and we lack feedback
spiritually, emotionally, psychologically and intellectually. “Most people who
die of a heart attack enjoy the process right up to the last limit… Adrenaline
feels so good that we actually become addicted to it.”[29]
A balanced personal growth involves physical, intellectual and emotional wellness.[30]
Scazzero believes it is impossible to be spiritually mature when one is
emotionally immature.[31]
Peace (Shalom) is a sign of spiritual
maturity.[32] Furthermore,
we are not simply developing better church members, but people who have a clear
sense of mission and a desire to make a difference in the world beyond their
church.[33]
[1] Winslade, A New Kind of
Baptist Church, 124.
[2] Ogden, Unfinished Business,
115.
[3] Ogden, Unfinished Business,
121.
[4] Ogden, Unfinished Business,
127.
[5] “CABC-WR NCLS Profile,” National Church Life Survey, accessed
Oct17, 2017, http://www.2016ncls.org.au/profile-number
[6] Charles W. Deweese, Baptists
and the Lordship of Christ (Brentwood: Baptist History and Heritage Society,
2008), 8.
[7] Deweese, Baptists and the
Lordship of Christ, 9.
[8] Winslade, A New Kind of
Baptist Church, 222.
[9] Winslade, A New Kind of
Baptist Church, 148.
[10] Winslade, A New Kind of
Baptist Church, 149.
[11] Winslade, A New Kind of
Baptist Church, 108.
[12] Winslade, A New Kind of
Baptist Church, 160.
[13] Ogden, Unfinished Business,
131-132.
[14] Ogden, Unfinished Business,
133.
[15] McNeal, Revolution in
Leadership, 19.
[16] McNeal, The Present Future,
125.
[18] McNeal, The Present Future,
10.
[19] McNeal, The Present Future,
42.
[20] Winslade, A New Kind of
Baptist Church, 92.
[21] Artur Weiser, The Psalms (London:
SCM Press, 1962), 143.
[22] Malphurs, Advanced Strategic
Planning, 195.
[23] Malphurs, Advanced Strategic
Planning, 197. Disciples are devoted to worship, fellowship, Bible study,
evangelism, and service or ministry (Acts2:41-47). John’s gospel: biblical
teaching (8:31), love (13:34), fruit bearing (15:8). Fruits of the Spirit
(Galatians5:22-23).
[24] Malphurs, Advanced Strategic
Planning, 146.
[25] Winslade, A New Kind of
Baptist Church, 134.
[26] McNeal, Revolution in
Leadership, 100.
[27] Malphurs, Advanced Strategic
Planning, 79.
[28] McNeal, Revolution in
Leadership, 101.
[29] Pue, Mentoring Leaders,
38.
[30] McNeal, Revolution in
Leadership, 102.
[31] Peter Scazzero, Emotionally
Health Spirituality. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2017), 17. We are made up of
many deep layers underneath our day-to-day awareness. Only the “tip of the iceberg”
is visible. The 90% below the surface is often untouched by Jesus.
[32] Pue, Mentoring Leaders,
40.
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