Chapter Nine

When A Congregation Selects Leaders



Inevitably, a congregation must “choose” the persons it places in the “role” of congregational leaders. Through some process, the congregation will select those people it wishes to guide them closer to God and to represent them when legal agreements or compliances are required.

Most societies demand to know “who speaks for these people” before the societies recognize the group’s right to exist. For example, missionaries in other countries often are required by the government of that country to register the group before the missionaries have the right to obtain visas, privately teach, publicly preach, or conduct assemblies.

Let’s begin this consideration by acknowledging the obvious. The persons recognized by a congregation as its leaders should be committed Christians who surrender their lives to God. These persons should fit the profiles in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9; should be people of faith in God and the resurrected Jesus; should love God, the resurrected Jesus, and their people; should be compassionate and merciful; should have God’s balance between justice and mercy; should be devoted to producing the fruit of the Spirit; and should be committed to allowing the Christian graces to characterize their lifestyles.


Congregations Have Many Forms of Leadership


Practically speaking, may we as Christians proceed beyond the obvious qualifications. As Christians, all of us lead in some capacity. When Christians speak of personal influence, they acknowledge the capacity in every Christian to lead. Christians allow Jesus Christ to transform the way they live their daily lives by changing the values for which they live. As people who are not Christians observe the obvious spiritual formation occurring in Christians, some who are not Christians are attracted to the power source that makes Christian transformation possible.

Christians lead by encouraging others to enter Christ. They lead when they encourage those in Christ. They lead when they teach classes. They lead when they teach individuals. They lead when they serve needs in the congregation. They lead when they apply their Christian values to community existence.

In every situation, some are excellent followers. Such Christians have the gifts expressed through good following. All these Christians need is a sense of direction, a sense of organization, a sense of purpose, and a sense of usefulness. They know how to “do.” They just need someone they can trust for guidance in their sense of “doing.” It is very frustrating to work sacrificially in “doing” only to discover you “did” for nothing—you exerted great effort to no end, no usefulness, no meaning.

There are Christians who have the gifts of directing, of organizing, of recognizing, of communicating purpose, and of helping others feel useful. Read Ephesians 4:11-16. Christ is the head. The values, the purposes, the objective, and the destination are determined by Jesus Christ.

There are people under the head that direct Jesus Christ’s body (the ekklesia) to achieve Christ’s values, purposes, objectives, and destinations (both in this world and the world after death). Their gifts do not lie in the “doing” but in giving others a proper sense of direction as they “do” (consider Acts 6:2-4). It is not that “doing” is inferior to “guiding.” It is merely a use of gifts. Guidance is a matter of desire and ability.

Some have the desire to lead as an elder (the willingness), but not the ability to lead as an elder. Consider an example. Both a healthy heart and a fibrillating heart live and move. However, life and movement are not the issue. A living, healthy heart moves in a way that pumps blood throughout the body, and it makes possible useful body function and continued body life. An unhealthy, fibrillating heart does not pump blood. Instead, its erratic movement warns the body that it could face sudden death.

Both hearts move. Both hearts are alive. Yet, the fibrillating heart threatens the existence of the body.
 

When Selecting a Leader

When selecting a leader in a congregation, select a person who is leading others. Select a person who is involved with others. Select a person who is respected, appreciated, and provides leadership on other levels. Select a person who cares for the congregation, who encourages the saved, who has compassion for people who do not know Christ, and who loves both people and the Lord.

Why?

The task of providing leadership for a congregation often is overwhelming. More than once I have known men who were certain that when they became elders that (a) they quickly could address obvious congregational problems, and (b) they quickly could get things “moving in the right direction.” In less than six months, the “new” men discovered that working with people was far more complex than they imagined. Situations were not as easily addressed as they previously thought! The “new” men developed an appreciation for those before them: men who patiently worked on problems, who did not get discouraged with people, and who spiritually endured even in the most trying hours. There is a lot to learn when a man becomes an elder!

Applying leadership skills is often a challenge! What an elder sees clearly in scripture, some others do not see at all. What to an elder is sound logic is to some others purely personal opinion. What to an elder is godly emotion is to some silly sentimentality. Often differences in definitions and concepts of entertainment, unity (or oneness), church, or spiritual mission mystify.

Elders quickly discover that communication is a continuing challenge, quickly discover that it is easier to be misunderstood than to promote understanding, and quickly discover that some attack motives when they do not understand the person or his actions.

At times Christians whom an elder patiently, compassionately loves see that elder with question marks. When the elder seeks to promote healing, some think he is championing division. To some, faithfulness is expressed in championing 200-year-old thoughts (not first-century thoughts). To some, faithfulness is expressed in demanding immediate change. To some, faithfulness is expressed in defending local traditions and perspectives. Faithfulness is often found in devotion to a cause rather than devotion to our Savior.

Before one becomes an elder, “church politics” is the basis of jokes. After one becomes an elder, “church politics” is no joking matter. “Church politics” too frequently is an attack on those for whom Christ died.

In a climate such as this, congregational leaders can find themselves in a constant “putting out fires” mode rather than a guiding to the next level of spirituality mode. That seems to be one of Satan’s favorite tactics—to get those dedicated to guiding to God’s higher level of good so involved with current problems that there is neither time nor energy to be concerned with God’s good.

The point: leadership in the eldership is not a place for “on the job training” to acquire leadership skills. The demand for applying leadership skills is so great in congregational leadership that the eldership role is not the place to learn what leadership is. (Certainly one learns the scope of congregational leadership, but not the skills necessary to be a leader.) There is so much that must be learned in “shepherding the flock” that one does not need to learn what a “shepherd” is or does.

Congregational leadership at its highest level is not a position. It is a work dedicated to serving! Those who know how to serve as leaders need to be selected for the work of congregational leadership.

Leadership skills that should be considered by the congregation when selecting an elder:

  1. The ability to communicate his ideas and concerns understandably,
  2. The ability to love distressed or troubled people,
  3. The ability to empathize with those who suffer the consequences of mistakes,
  4. The ability to encourage,
  5. The ability to understand this will never be a perfect world with perfect relationships, and still not be pessimistic,
  6. The ability to serve because Christ’s blessings are a constant, seen reality.

One is not an elder in a congregation because he will make all things “ideal.” One is an elder in a congregation to let Christ minister to broken people through him. One is not an elder in a congregation because every Christian is a spiritually mature person who acts with godly motives. One is an elder in a congregation knowing if the congregation is successful it will always have spiritual infants (the newly converted), spiritual children, spiritual adolescents, and spiritual adults. All of these Christians have times of struggle. A reason for being a mature leader is to provide guidance to the immature.

If congregations struggled in the first century when apostles (men in the twelve) still were alive (read 1 Corinthians lately?), why should we conclude we will have no struggles today? Satan always will look upon God’s servants in this world as his enemies!


An Awareness


The spiritual quality of the person prior to appointment as congregational leader will likely be the spiritual quality of the person a year after appointment. Long ago I heard Ira North say (in a different consideration) that Christians do not change with time; whatever they “is,” they just get “iser.”

Time does not change us. Jesus Christ changes us. We learn, and Christ grants us the strength to be transformed. Spiritual formation is the result of faith, learning, and Christ’s power. When we stop growing in faith (for whatever reason), we stop learning. At best, spiritual transformation halts. At worst, spiritual transformation reverses. We dare not demand so much of elders that they become too weary for spiritual growth! We dare not stop growing spiritually as individual Christians or as a congregation!

Congregations need to understand that this is a demanding, challenging time period to serve as a congregational leader.
  1. We have numerous generation gaps.
  2. We have numerous economic differences.
  3. We have numerous spiritual needs.
  4. We come from diverse spiritual backgrounds.
  5. We have diverse personal spiritual concerns.
  6. We (individually and collectively) must deal with the information explosion.
  7. We face continuing attacks on Christian moral values expressed in diverse ways either favoring or opposing Christians.
If ever there was a time in our society for congregations and their leaders to work together in understanding and encouragement, now is the time. It would be an enormous tragedy for Christians to destroy congregational effectiveness through internal fighting instead of increasing effectiveness by shining Jesus Christ’s light.

Paul was deeply concerned for the Christians in Galatia. Among other things, they had forgotten the importance of Christian love and mutual Christian service. In this concern, Paul wrote:

But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. (Galatians 5:15)


IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE A SHEPHERD, WALK IN THE PASTURE, Chapter Nine
Copyright © 2008, David Chadwell
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