spiritual leadership (five gracEmails)part 1
a well-suited shepherdVery many churches suffer today from a lack of spiritual leadership. That diagnosis is true across denominational lines. It fits both urban and rural churches. It applies equally to rich and poor, to people of all races, without regard to their country, state or province, town or village. The truth is that we all can benefit from a fresh look at biblical teaching on this subject.
part 2The first scriptural truth we observe is that spiritual leadership involves lowly service, not legal power. This truth raises a caution -- Do not confuse spiritual leadership with political position.
part 3What does spiritual leadership look like, when one realizes that it involves lowly service and not legal power? Paul describes its conduct under three different circumstances: correcting a wrongdoer; encountering a controversialist and dealing with a divisive person.
part 4"The mission of spiritual leadership is the transformation of God's people into the likeness of Jesus Christ. . . . For all these reasons, we dare not focus on any human marker of worldly success -- whether academic, business, professional or financial -- when selecting leaders for the church of God.
part 5Scripture does not provide a single, uniform list of legal qualifications for spiritual leaders. There are two New Testament passages which people often read in that fashion, written by Paul to his co-workers Timothy and Titus. When we read these passages carefully, however, we discover that they differ in several significant ways.
A gracEmail subscriber who serves as a spiritual shepherd in his church asks whether the passage 1Timothy 3:4-5 means that he should step down from that role because his teen-age child has, for three years, had a bad attitude and has acted out in disruptive and inappropriate ways. The child's parents have lovingly dealt with the situation as best they knew, and are now about to administer tough love in the form of treatment at a faith-based residential facility.
authority of eldersA Church of Christ brother asks about the role and powers of congregational elders. "Do elders have any authority, or does it belong to the church as a whole? Can they force submission in matters of opinion?"
elder selection and tenureAn Alabama brother asks whether church elders serve for life or for a lesser term. "What if a candidate insists on binding his opinions on others? Can that disqualify him, or must there be a moral reason? Can one objector prevent a candidate's appointment? How can an unqualified elder be removed?"
leading or lordingA gracEmail subscriber . . . has a church leader who forbids single Christians of opposite sex ever to ride together unaccompanied in a car. . . . Another subscriber left a legalistic church and received a letter from his former church elders claiming life-long spiritual jurisdiction over his soul. . . . Both readers ask my opinion.
pastors, elders and preachers (two gracEmails)A gracEmail reader writes, "Why do Churches of Christ not call their preachers 'pastor'? We're about the only Christian group which doesn't use that term. I occasionally hear it applied to elders, but I've not seen them do much real pastoring."
religious titlesA gracEmail reader writes, "I am trying to learn to be more tolerant of other Christians. One area that gives me difficulty is the use by many groups of the terms 'Reverend' or 'Father' for the clergy. Is this not in conflict with Jesus' teachings?"