Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Biblical Model for Church Leadership?

Been reading a book entitled "Go Big". The theme is explosion growth as a God given mandate for the church. He uses several examples from Acts that are convicting.

In the book he makes this statement, "The pastor lead model is the most Biblical model of church leadership." Now, if he had said that the pastor led model was the most practical - I may be in agreement with them.

I want to raise a question that I'm wrestling with: what is "the" most Bibical model for church leadership? What is the most practical model? Is one at the expense of the other?

The authors of "Go Big" assert that most dying or stagnant churches have a democratic or "committee" led model while most, if not all, growing churches have a "pastor" led model.
Just because "it works" - does that mean that we should follow the model?

Is the Biblcial role of "shepherds" lost in our corporate model of church goverment?

I'll share my thoughts in a day or so. What thinking have you done along these lines? What model of leadership do you think we (as the church) should adopt?

Is the model of church leadership where you worship producing disciples? A growing church? A vibrant church? Is it producing people who are equipped for ministry?

2 comments:

Hooper said...

Tough questions, Randy. I have seen pastor-led churches where the pastor is humble, concerned with making disciples, and the church grows in faith and in numbers. I have seen elder-led churches where the elders are humble, concerned with making disciples, and the church grows in faith and in numbers. I have also seen churches where pastors and elders are power-hungry and their churches suffer. It seems to me that our concern should be more about the character of the leaders than the actual model of leadership.

Randy said...

Hooper,great point! I appreciate that. Let's chew on this some more next Thursday!