What should Christian leadership look like when it is shaped by Scripture rather than corporate management models? This book examines the biblical principles, character, practical skills, and mentoring relationships that help Christian leaders
serve God’s people with integrity.

Roger Smalling

 

© March 1, 2005. All rights reserved by Roger Smalling
Revision, September, 2023

 

Preface

Most books on Christian leadership leave me frustrated. They seem like compendiums of eloquent exhortations on character and commitment, often with a detailed exposition of 1 Timothy 3. After perusing such books, I think, “Great material. But exactly what do I do?”

Others seem like Christianized management techniques, straight out of corporate America—wise-sounding concepts but lacking soul, weak parodies of worldly administration.

Hopefully, I have avoided both extremes. A person who holds a high view of integrity and honor will have little need for exhaustive character studies. Without integrity, all the management techniques of Wall Street will not help them in ministry.

This is why I take my time in the first four chapters to nail down what a Christian philosophy of leadership is and is not. Hopefully, a deep sense of integrity and honor will be born in the reader.

These principles were born out of pain…the sorrow of seeing good people wounded by abusive leadership…the erosion of character of those in authority who refused to stand accountable for their actions…the anguish of watching leader colleagues end in humiliation.

Among the many stresses of Christian ministry, the worst is laboring under incompetent leadership. Conversely, the greatest blessing a fledgling Christian worker can have is to serve under a godly mentor. Few have that privilege.

I wrote this book in the hopes that someday, because a future leader read this book, someone will say to him, “It was a privilege to know you.”

About the author

Dr. Roger Smalling has been in the ministry since 1964, when he went as a missionary to Europe with an independent mission. His leadership experience includes Field Leader for France, then later in South America as Team and Field Leader for Ecuador, as well as Assistant Regional Director for Latin America with that mission.

Later, while serving with the Presbyterian Church in America in Ecuador, he was instrumental in creating a successful leadership training system for the national presbytery. This book was born out of that system.

Dr. Smalling served with Ministries In Action for twelve years as director of their Hispanic branch, under the title “Visión R.E.A.L.,” an acrostic in Spanish for “Reformation In Latin America.” This involved establishing and supervising leadership-training centers throughout Latin America. He currently cooperates with Miami International Seminary as a lecturer throughout Latin America.

Roger is married to Dianne, his wife of over 50 years. Together, they have authored ten books, available at www.smallings.com.

For those who wish to teach this material as a course, the Teacher’s Manual and the Student’s Manual are available at their website.

 

PART ONE:
Principles

 

Chapter 1: Christian leadership is simple

This does not mean easy. We may follow all the right principles, and things still may not work out. Stressful situations develop. It can be hard work.

By ‘simple,’ I mean the essential principles are easy to understand. They are also simple to apply if we have the moral courage to do so.

Christian leadership is not a mysterious domain for a chosen few with a special gift of wisdom. Even though you have no calling to a biblical office, the principles are available to all. This gives influence in the area of your gifts, with or without titles.

To those God has chosen for leadership, Paul says:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (17), so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17

The point: Everything you need for an effective Christian leader is in the Bible. Note Paul says, thoroughly equipped. You may not know where in the Bible to find a principle or recognize one when you see it. But it is there. That is why this course can be helpful.

Management paradigms in the business world change constantly. Christian organizations often publish or recommend books based on these paradigms. Why? Christians often fail to perceive the biblical paradigm.

To the degree you set up your organization or program to look like the corporate business world is the degree to which you will find yourself resorting to the world’s management principles. You will be unable to avoid them.

Books abound that are a hybrid of Christian principles and worldly management formulas. One reads these with a feeling of discomfort because the writers give the impression they are trying to mix oil and water.

Most of these are written by former businessmen who struggled to be Christian in the business world and managed it with some degree of success.

Then they get appointed to an office in the church and try to apply business principles under the assumption that what is good for business must be good for the church, while ignoring the inherent differences in philosophy and purpose between the two domains. [1]

The biblical view of Christian leadership in ministry

The Bible teaches ONE philosophy of Christian leadership. Christ himself summarized and modeled it in Matthew 20. Principles of service and suffering form the basis of the leader’s relationship to his subordinates while showing respect toward his ministerial colleagues as equals.

Christian leadership philosophy in the modern world is profoundly affected by current hierarchical management paradigms. Some Christian leadership books are merely warmed-over American business culture expressed in religious language. Christians successful in business leadership sometimes imagine they can incorporate their ‘success’ into the church and make God’s kingdom efficient…as though efficiency were the highest value in the kingdom of God.

Such approaches may indeed augment the efficiency of the church, but at the price of the same abuses in the business world. With their hierarchical mindset, they fail to see the forest for the trees.

Businessmen have often said, “If I ran my business like you run your church, I would be broke within a year.” To this we may reply, “If I ran my church the way you run your business, I would end up with about as many sanctified people as you have in your business.”

For this reason, we devote the first part of this section to differences between worldly and Christian philosophies of leadership. We illustrate how Christians sometimes incorporate the world’s view of leadership, to their detriment.

Curiously, sectors of corporate business America have evolved unwittingly to a more Christian philosophy in their treatment of people. This has come about through decades of trial and error in managing people to keep them happy and productive in the workplace.

This has resulted in good literature on leadership and management techniques written by non-Christian businessmen. It is amusing to notice that they consider their ideas original.

I have attempted to build a course that incorporates both theory and practice in an equal balance.

At the risk of appearing self-contradictory, some managerial techniques are in the latter portion of the course. These were chosen when helpful for applying a Christian principle and building relationships without being manipulative. They are not intended to endorse hierarchical authoritarianism in Christian organizations. People, not products, are the focus of God’s kingdom.

From this chapter we learn…

• Christian leadership is fundamentally simple.
• The Bible recognizes one philosophy of Christian leadership, taught and modeled by Christ himself.
• God’s word is sufficient for training in effective Christian leadership.
• Modern managerial techniques may be helpful if usable within a Christian view of leadership.

 

Chapter 2: The foundation virtue

West Point, the U.S. Army officer training college, is known for its strict code of honor. In response to any question, cadets may give only four answers: “Yes sir,” “No sir,” “I do not know, sir,” or “No excuse, sir.” Making excuses is a crime. If a person under a cadet’s responsibility makes a mistake, the cadet takes the blame. This is to teach them responsibility, honor, and most of all, integrity.

One of these cadets graduated and was sent to Vietnam as a lieutenant. His first assignment was to supervise the construction of a runway in the jungle that was already underway. A sergeant was in charge. Unfortunately, he knew nothing about runways. He asked the sergeant, “Are you sure the direction of this runway is correct?” The sergeant assured him it was. So the lieutenant said, “Well, continue on, therefore, and I’ll trust your judgment.”

An hour and a half later, a colonel came by who was an expert in runways and blared, “Who is the idiot who ordered this runway to be built in this direction?”  The lieutenant almost said, “This sergeant here, he said he knew…etc.” But his actual words were, “I did, sir.”

The colonel got into the lieutenant’s face and asked, “Why did you order that?” The lieutenant replied, “No excuse, sir.”

At this moment, the sergeant approached, with his hand upraised as though to speak. The colonel apparently deduced what had happened and asked the lieutenant, “You just came out of West Point, didn’t you?” The lieutenant said, “Yes, sir.” The colonel looked at the sergeant, then at the lieutenant, and said, “Well, in that case, it was an honest mistake.” [2]

This true story illustrates the central virtue in leadership: integrity. In the audio presentation on West Point leadership training from which this true story was taken, the lecturer said if they can teach a cadet to be a man of complete integrity, they can make him into a leader regardless of temperament or natural qualifications. They are prepared to fail men with natural leadership ability if they cannot infuse absolute integrity into their character.

This concept is so associated with West Point that when the colonel encountered an officer with absolute integrity, he assumed he was from West Point.

Is this the kind of integrity we find in the leadership of our churches? If people meet a man of integrity today, do they automatically assume he is evangelical?

God wants leaders to be men of integrity.

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace. 13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. 2 Corinthians 1:12, 13

In this text, Paul declares he has no hidden agendas. He will not indulge in politicking, nor does he plan to manipulate anyone. What you see is what you get. He means exactly what he says, nothing more. No need to examine the numerical value of the Greek letters to arrive at a hidden meaning.

The words used to translate holiness and sincerity in the above verse show Paul means purity of motives and single-mindedness of purpose.[3] Transparency of this sort is simply a question of integrity and takes time to develop.

Integrity is so closely related to humility that we might argue they are synonyms. It would take a better philosopher than I to make such distinctions. Let us agree they are indispensably linked.

Integrity is central to all leadership, religious or secular. Business analysts, such as Stephen Covey in his book, Seven Habits of Effective People, have recently ‘discovered’ the importance of character in business. This book has become a bestseller. [4]

Covey notes, however, a disturbing shift in attitudes toward character in leadership in Western culture over the last 200 years. He classifies this shift as character ethic versus personality ethic.

In the first 150 years of the history of the United States, the philosophy of leadership emphasized the importance of character qualities like integrity, humility, fidelity, etc. Since World War Two, the emphasis has been on personality traits as the key to success rather than ethics, per se. He notes:

Success became more a function of personality, public image, attitudes and behaviors, skills and techniques… Other parts of the personality approach were manipulative, even deceptive, encouraging people to use techniques to get other people to like them… [5]

Christians need to be aware of such cultural shifts and carefully distinguish them from the qualities Jesus calls for in those he chooses for leadership.

In his book Good to Great, researcher Jim Collins presents his analysis of companies that grew from good to great and stayed there. He found a quality in common among the leaders of these companies that had nothing to do with temperament:

We were surprised, shocked really, to discover the type of leadership required for turning a good company into a great one…. Self-effacing, quiet, reserved, even shy—these leaders are a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. [6]

Note the point: The key quality in common among leaders of companies who had moved from good to great was humility. He adds,

[These] leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company. It’s not that [these] leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious—but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves. [7]

Leadership of lasting value cannot exist without this virtue. Management, yes. Manipulation and control, yes…but not a true leadership that earns the loyalty of others at the cost of pain to oneself. It is the integrity of Jesus.

This is the Christian philosophy of leadership. There is no other.

The Caiaphas trap

Caiaphas was a man who sold his integrity for the price of peace. He was the high priest who presided over the trial of Jesus. In John 11:49, 50, we read:

You know nothing! You do not know that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.

In Caiaphas’ perspective, it was better to abandon his integrity by condemning an innocent man than risk widespread destruction by attracting the attention of their Roman overlords. Was he right?

Yes, in the short run. He successfully averted Roman intervention and national disaster. He must have considered himself profoundly wise.

The long run, however, was different. Eventually, the Romans came and destroyed the nation anyway. He won in the short run but lost everything in the end, including his own honor.

Jesus, on the other hand, seemed to lose in the short run. He was humiliated, crucified, and apparently disappeared. Who is King of Kings today, and where is Caiaphas?

Suppose you have a man in church caught in deep sin. You know you must discipline him. He is a very popular person, however, with wealth and influence. If you discipline him, it may divide the church. You might lose your job as pastor. What do you do?

This is a classic test of integrity. If you stand your ground, you may lose in the short run. The church might indeed be divided. You could lose your job. But God will give you far more than you ever lost, and you will have no regrets.

A final example

At a meeting of my presbytery, the moderator asked for a report from the Missions Committee. The secretary of the committee rose and explained he did not have the report because he was unaware it would be required at the meeting.

Immediately the moderator began to reproach the secretary for his negligence. Toward the back of the assembly, one of the pastors stood and said, “Sir, I am the chairman of the Missions Committee. If there is any mistake, I am the one to blame, and you may address any reproaches to me.”

The moderator asked him if he knew about the error. He replied, “No, sir, but that is beside the point. I am the person in charge, and if there is any reproach to be made, you may address it to me.” The moderator dropped the point and continued with other business.

I thought, “It is no wonder this pastor has a thousand people in his church.” Like the proverbial lamp on a hill, such integrity cannot be hidden.

Integrity, which includes humility, is the foundational virtue of leadership. Without it, a ‘leader’ is no more than a manager at best and a manipulator and controller at worst. I thought, “It is no wonder this pastor has a thousand people in his church.” Like the proverbial lamp on a hill, such integrity cannot be hidden.

Integrity, which includes humility, is the foundational virtue of leadership. Without it, a ‘leader’ is no more than a manager at best and a manipulator and controller at worst. Even the worldly notice this.

From this chapter we learn…

• Integrity, sometimes called humility, is essential to Christian leadership.
• This virtue includes:
  • Taking responsibility for the actions of one’s subordinates.
  • Standing for right even when it is costly, knowing God will reward in the long run.

Study questions for Chapter Two

1. Do you agree that integrity is the foundational virtue of Christian leadership? Justify your answer.
2. Explain the dilemma of the “Caiaphas Principle.” Give an example from your own experience.

The central virtue in leadership is integrity.

3. How could the example of the West Point lieutenant be applied in a Christian context? [8]

Chapter 3: The biblical view of  Christian leadership

Matthew 20:20-28

In the scenario described in Matthew Chapter 20, the mother of James and John approached Jesus, asking that her sons sit beside Jesus in his Kingdom. This episode provided the opportunity for Jesus to introduce three key attitudes in Christian leadership: suffering, equality, and service.

Suffering: The pressures of leadership are enormous. A leader must be prepared to suffer, often in secret, to fulfill his calling.

Equality: Ministers are equal in authority in the body of Christ. They relate to one another like knights at a round table rather than ranks in an army. Biblical government is an association of ministers working together in mutual respect as equals. Complex authoritarian hierarchies have no place in God’s kingdom, are worldly in their conception, and lead to the very things for which Jesus rebuked these two disciples. (We’ll see more about hierarchism in the next chapter.)

Service: Christian leaders must have a servant rather than a ruler attitude. People are the whole point of their work, not tools toward their own purposes.

What were James and John seeking, and how did they go about it? They sought status and honor through manipulation. They assumed the kingdom of God would be set up just like any other government, with Jesus as supreme ruler, followed by a series of ranks. Notice they mentioned nothing of actual work to accomplish, just ranks.

We can imagine them plotting, “You know, Jesus can be a little tough on us sometimes. He’s really gentle with women, though. Let’s see if we can get Mama to talk to him and maybe work out a good deal for ourselves.”

This is politicking and manipulation, standard procedure in the world’s leadership paradigm. Notice Jesus does not rebuke them for ambition, because ambition is a good thing if it is for God’s glory. He admonishes against seeking one’s own honor.

Jesus also makes it clear he is not in charge of promotions in the personnel department. The Father is. (V.23) They were asking the wrong person.

From this, we see a hint of the first principle of Christian leadership in the New Testament: it is a gift from God.

Nevertheless, these sons of Zebedee had two good qualities, although seriously misdirected.

Ambition: This is a good characteristic for a Christian if the ambition is directed toward the glory of God rather than our own sense of self-worth.

Confidence: Unfortunately, it was confidence in themselves rather than in God. We are able. They considered themselves eminently able. The garden of Gethsemane taught them otherwise. They abandoned Jesus and fled.

This brings up the first key attitude Jesus taught them.

First key attitude: Suffering

But Jesus answered and said, ‘You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They said to Him, ‘We are able.’  Matthew 20:22

The call to Christian leadership is a call to suffering. The ‘suffering’ involved, especially in the Western world, usually takes the form of psychological pressures and stresses other believers neither bear nor understand.

Frequently, people have high expectations of a leader. They may be looking to a pastor to meet their needs rather than to Christ. When the pastor fails to meet their personal expectations, they may consider him incompetent.

Some under his care may be intractable and will only submit when pressured into it. Sometimes, the leader must hold the line on godly principles, risking the misunderstanding and criticism of others.

Occasionally, church leaders must apply biblical discipline when it may be unpopular to do so. When dealing with a disciplinary case, the leaders often cannot reveal the problem to the congregation. Members with incomplete knowledge of the case may draw wrong conclusions about the leaders’ decisions. They may imagine the leaders are too harsh or too lax in discipline. The leaders may find themselves suffering in silence. God has wisely arranged it so.

Titles and honors that accompany the office of leader are insufficient to compensate for the stress.

Those who highly value titles or honors more than the service entailed soon find themselves disappointed and disillusioned.

 

Similarly, in his book, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, John Piper attacks the attitude of professionalism in pastoral ministry, which puts aside the embracing of suffering as requisite:

We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry. The mentality of the professional is not…the mentality of the slave of Christ. Professionalism has nothing to do with the essence and heart of the Christian ministry… For there is no professional childlikeness (Matthew 18:3); there is no professional tenderheartedness (Ephesians 4:32); there is no professional panting after God (Psalms 42:1).

Second key attitude: Equality

Jesus called them together and said,

‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.’  Matthew 20:25

On a certain mission field, I worked with a newly ordained national who happened to be a medical doctor. He had some rough edges to his personality…a bit independent and opinionated. We became great friends and worked well together. Let’s call him ‘José.’

Eventually, José moved to another city to work with a team. A missionary on the team called me and asked, “Roger, I’m having trouble getting along with José. I noticed you get along with him and work productively together. Can you give me some clues as to how to interact with him?”

This was my answer: “Brother, in the first place, quit trying to control him. Treat him as a colleague. Call him up once in a while and ask his advice. Ask him to help you. Think of him as your equal because, after all, he has the same ordination as you.

The missionary paused for about twenty seconds on the phone, thinking seriously. Then replied, “I don’t think I can do that.” To this I answered, “Then I cannot help you.”

This missionary could not consider any national, even a medical doctor, his equal. He saw himself on the rung of a hierarchy with all nationals on a lower rank. Treating José as an equal would have contradicted his entire leadership mindset, inherited from his North American corporate business culture.

Ironically, I had used the term “equal” to avoid saying I thought José was the better man! (It never occurred to me to think of a medical doctor of any nationality as inferior.) The relationship between the two lasted less than a year before José went elsewhere.

Tip: If you treat a man as an equal, assuming he is wise, he will defer to you in areas he knows you are knowledgeable.

Authoritarianism and hierarchism support each other, and it is hard to tell which is the driving force. Do authoritarian people create hierarchies? Do dictatorial attitudes produce authoritarianism?

Regardless, authoritarianism is a byproduct of arrogance. Authoritarian people often suppose their superior office proves they are inherently superior individuals. This is why they lord it over others. They assume they have a natural right to do so.

Complex hierarchies are inevitable in the world. Armies are hierarchies, with their generals at the top, followed by colonels, majors, captains, and sergeants, down to privates. Likewise, it is with corporations. The CEO is at the top, followed by vice presidents, department managers, and all the way down to stock boys in the basement.

Hierarchies are necessary in such domains. Jesus is not teaching that authoritarian hierarchies are wrong. He is simply saying, “Not so with you.”

The phrase “Not so with you” is literally, in Greek, “It shall not be so among you.” Jesus was speaking in Aramaic, a dialect of Hebrew. In that language, future tenses are used as imperatives. Jesus was probably saying, “I forbid you to put into office people with authoritarian attitudes and temperaments.”

This excludes some “natural” leaders in Christian ministry. Christian organizations often ignore this principle. Along comes a person with natural leadership traits. Sure, he is a bit arrogant. He likes to control. Maybe he’s a bit overbearing at times, but so what? He has “leadership.” So he gets authority in the organization. Result: Wounded people. Good personnel are lost who refuse to be the brunt of his arrogance.

Just because a man has natural leadership ability does not mean he should be a leader in a Christian organization.

If he is prone to authoritarian and controlling attitudes, he is the last person qualified. He must never be allowed to rise above the lowest in their ranks. Controllers must be controlled.

This may be what Jesus meant when he said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” Some scholars have interpreted this phrase to mean, “Servant leadership is the way to get promoted in the kingdom of God.” This interpretation may be valid. Considering the context, however, it seems more likely a prohibition against appointing people with authoritarian attitudes.

The point: Neither natural leadership ability nor experience in business or the military, nor profiles on a psychological test, are final indications a man should be a candidate for Christian leadership. If he holds autocratic attitudes, thinks hierarchically, or tends to use or abuse people, he is disqualified as a candidate, regardless of other considerations.

Third key attitude: Service

…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28

Christian leadership focuses more on helping others than commanding them. It is a life given over to service.

Many are attracted to Christian offices for the honors but wind up as negligent leaders, more concerned for their status than the welfare of the people. These do harm to themselves as well.  (Ecclesiastes 8:9) There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt. 

The goal of a Christian leader is to make his followers the best they can be. In fact, if he can train someone to replace him, this is the best leadership of all.

Servant leadership is essential in the kingdom of God because of the end product. In the business world, people are a resource to produce material goods. People give time and energy to produce something for public consumption, such as automobiles, pencils, or whatever.

God’s kingdom uses material resources to produce sanctified people. The world considers this a non-issue. After all, sanctification is difficult to define, something only God can measure. Sanctified people are what the ministry is all about.

Notice the title of this chapter is, “The Biblical View of Christian Leadership,” not “A Biblical View…” This is deliberate. Christ taught one philosophy of leadership. He did not say, “Try my suggestions and if you don’t like them, invent your own paradigm.”

Christian leadership involves a set of attitudes different from worldly systems. Embracing the inevitable suffering, whether psychological or physical, helps a leader put his own motives into perspective. Serving others to help them reach their full potential and treating fellow ministers as equals is more than the mere duties of an office. It is a way of life.

From this chapter we learn…

• There exists only one philosophy of leadership in the Bible, the one taught by Christ.
• Embracing suffering and service, along with an attitude of equality toward your fellow ministers, are essential attitudes forming Christ’s philosophy of leadership.
• Ambition is good, as long as the ambition is to see God glorified.
• Confidence is good as long as it is based on confidence in God.
• God the Father alone is in charge of promotions in his kingdom. Neither politicking nor “influence” is a means for obtaining them.
• Jesus forbids his disciples to appoint to offices people with authoritarian attitudes.
• Neither leadership temperaments, psychological profiles, nor experience in worldly hierarchies qualify a person for leadership in God’s kingdom.

Study questions for Chapter Three

1. What are the three fundamental attitudes Christ requires of those who wish to lead in God’s kingdom?
2. In your own experience, what are some of the sufferings that come upon those in Christian leadership?
3. Describe what is meant by equality in a Christian context.
4. Describe some of the differences in goals between the world’s leadership philosophy and that of the kingdom of God.
5. Which part of this chapter was new to you? Or which was most interesting to you and why?

Continue reading the complete book

The material above contains the opening chapters of the book. The complete volume, including its sections on practical leadership and mentoring,
available here in PDF format.

 

[1]. Ted Engstrom is the epitome of these. I do not recommend his books.

[2]. This anecdote is taken from a cassette tape series on West Point Leadership, which may be found in your local library. West Point Leadership: Making Leaders. West Point Lectures: West Point, VA, 1989.

[3]. The Greek words are haploteti and eilikrineia..The first refers to singleness of purpose. The second, to sincerity of motive. Together these show Paul’s “no hidden agendas” conduct toward others.

Thayer’s Lexicon, New Testament Greek-English Lexicon. ARCHA Publishers: Lafayette, IN 1979 pp. 55 and 175

[4]. Covey, Stephen. Seven Habits of Effective People. Simon and Schuster: New York, 1990.   p. 14

[5]. Ibid. p.15

[6]. Collins, Jim Good To Great. Harper: New York, 2001 pp. 22

[7]. Ibid pp. 21