THE ROLE OF CHURCH LEADERS IN  GROWING LOCAL CHURCHES

THE ROLE OF CHURCH LEADERS IN  GROWING LOCAL CHURCHES

By

REVD.  T.  R.  MILLER.

 (revtr.miller@yahoo.com; revrandymiller@gmail.com)

Introduction

            Leadership is one difficult but very important area in any organization including the Church. It can be very exciting and interesting with the right leaders, but can also be frustrating and boring with the wrong set of people.  Therefore, the choice of the right leaders become a very sensitive matter especially as it concerns the Church. Jesus,  even though He is the Master and the All-knowing one, yet, he sought the Father’s face before calling his servant leaders (the disciples), Luke 6:12-16. In other words, any Church or organization who appoints leaders based on sentiments, relationships, status, positions, wealth etc has already decided to fail.

Spiritual leadership and Christian leadership as used in this write up are almost equivalent terms and they will be used interchangeably. The overall aim of the paper is to establish the truth that spiritual leaders have much to do in the growth of the church with the right understanding and willingness to be led by the Holy Spirit.

Consider these Definitions of Leadership

1.  “Spiritual Leadership”.  “Leadership is influence, the ability of one to influence others”. – Oswald Sanders  
2. “Spiritual Leadership is moving people on to God’s agenda”. – Blackkaby
3.  “A Christian leader is someone who is called by God to lead: leads with and through Christ like character: and demonstrates the functional competences that permit effective leadership to take place”. – George Barna
4.   “A Christian leader is one who is passionate about God’s work and willing to lead others in fulfilling his kingdom here on earth”. The direction is towards God and people. – Janvier and Thaba.
5.  “The central task of leadership is influencing God’s people toward God’s purposes”. – Robert Clinton

Generally, leadership styles are classified as dictatorial,  authoritative, consultative, participative, democratic and laisser-faire. Since our consideration is leadership  in the Church, it then means that we are talking about spiritual leadership the biblical model of servanthood is our interest (Mark10: 45; Luke 22:27).

            Servant leadership is characterized by;

• A God fearing Christian leaders who responds to opportunities to lead to  glorify God.
• Live by the power of the Holy Spirit
• Develop people and to serve the  purpose of the kingdom of God.
• Approaches work as a God-given task.
• Understand of been accountable unto God.
• Willing to take instruction and be teachable

The Idea of Church Growth

Growth is understood generally to mean an increase in size, number and significance. But remember that,  “The church, therefore, is defined as an incarnate community of those who receive the word of God, believe in Jesus Christ and seek to express that word in their own lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.” The Church can grow in an ‘holistic’ manner which are numerical, organic, conceptual and incarnational.

1. The numerical growth has to do with an increase in numbers of the membership of the church. This according to Pointer can occur through conversion, biological, transfer, and restoration.
2.  Firstly, Growth by Addition of New Converts: This is the fundamental dimension of growth, but there are obviously many other areas of growth that relate to the nature, function, structure, health and multiplication of Christian churches.
3. Second, the biological growth occurs when the children of Christian parents come to a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and join the church, usually by a rite that recognizes their status as responsible members through believers’ baptism
4. Third,  is  Growth  by Transfer which is recruitment of members who are

already committed Christians, by transfer from other congregations. This may be due to movement of Christians from one area to another but occasionally may be as a result of social or doctrinal reasons.

1. Fourth,  is Growth by Restoration. This describes the phenomenon where some Christians who have withdrawn their active participation in religious activities are successfully brought to fellowship with Jesus Christ and into active church membership.
2. Organic Growth. This, describes the growing together in community. The  Christian faith can only be lived in a relationship with and in service to others. The commitment to Christ includes commitment to a community. It is “Internal development of a local community of faith (that is, the system of relationships among its members), its form of government, financial structures, leadership and types of activities in which its time and resources are invested.  Organic growth is concerned with such issues as depth of fellowship: quality of worship; training of new members; discovery of gifts and the exercise of ministry.
3. Conceptual  Growth (growing up in maturity). This dimension of growth describes the personal and corporate development of the Christians’ understanding of his or her faith. Conceptual growth “is the degree of consciousness that a community of faith has with regard to its nature and mission to the world”. The idea is that the church grows when its activities are aimed at fulfilling the Great Commission which is making disciples for Christ. The progress of preaching the gospel and the growth of the church are even described as the increase of the word. This is to say that the key factor in conceptual growth is the word of God. How much knowledge has the Christian about the word of God? To what extent is the believer able to apply the word of God to practical life situations? Conceptual growth points to the Christians’ ability to interact with the word of God meaningfully in order to discover the will of God for their lives and order their lives accordingly.
4. Incarnational Growth: Describes ‘the degree of involvement of a community of faith in the life and problems of her social environment’.  That is the church’s participation in the afflictions of the world in which the church finds  itself; it’s prophetic, intercessory and liberating action on behalf of the weak and destitute;  the intensity of its preaching to the poor; the broken-hearted, the captives, the blind and the  oppressed. This kind of growth describes the development of the ministry of a local church as an extension and continuation of Christ’s ministry. 

The signs of growth are constant prayer, respect for biblical authority, effective leadership, mobilized membership,  continuous evangelism, community life, compassionate service, openness to change and released resources.  

The Role of Church Leaders on Church Growth.

The Christian worker’s character and attitudes toward people are of utmost importance.

• Unity among the leaders (Amos 3:3)
• Be humble and ready to serve others 1 Peter 5:6; Matt. 23:11
• Walk by faith, believe the impossible can happen and be patient. (Hebrews 11:6;Luke 18:27; 22:25-26;  Romans 8:25)
• Submit to authority and be teachable (Ephesians 5:21; Proverbs 4:7; Hebrews 13:17)
• Be Self Controlled  (Galatians 5:23; 1 Corinthians 6:12; 9:25-27)

Practical Issues on the Role of Leaders

The desire today is we discuss practically from the views of different members so as to learn from one another. We will attempt considering the actions based on the different ways of growth identified.

Numerical/Physical Growth

• Evangelism: How can we be effective in evangelism?
• Effective Follow up and Visitation:
• Warm Welcome and Care of New Members:  Presentable Ushers and their apt response, New comers class, Visitor’s Palour
• Effective Prayer Programmes / Teams: Prayer Service, Revival, Seminars, Night Vigils.
• Small Groups Dynamics: Cell Fellowship, Other Ministry Oriented Fellowships.
• Inspiring Worship Atmosphere: Sensitive and responsible Choir, Committed Instrumentalist, Time consciousness, Leaders prayer/Meeting before Service,  Beautiful and Clean environment.
• Functional and Encouraging Missionary Departments: WMS, BMF, R. A, Lydia, G.A, Sunbeam.
• Other Special Programmes / Activities: Drama Ministrations, Family Enrichment,    Family Game show, Family Thanksgiving,   Family / Children Road walk, Prayer Walk, Naming Ceremonies.

Organic Growth / Relationship Among Members in the Church.

• Encourage the Right Attitude: Caution as necessary, Encourage in private and love
• Birthday Celebration   ….Making it Special like making  the Cake for those in the month
• Showing care and love to Members : Moments of Crises, Child Birth, Sickness, Marriages
• Reaching out to Students and Others in Need:  …Little Transport, Provisions, Relevant Books, Collect C. V and submit where there are Job opportunities
• Discover Spiritual Gifts: Encourage and help to develop, involve such persons in the appropriate areas of ministries.
• Help to Develop Skills of Members… Announcing opportunities, Providing little assistance

Conceptual Growth / In-depth Understanding and Its Application to Life Situations

• Inspiring and Participatory Bible Studies…. Character Study, Doctrinal, Thematic, Allows members suggest challenging areas
• Effective Sunday School: Teachers with a sense of Responsibility.
• Discipleship Groups: Consistent
• Prayer Programme
• Small Groups
• Discipleship
• New Convert Class
• Commitment
• Leadership Prayer forum

Incarnational

• Medical
• Water supply
• Tutorials…WAEC AND JAMB COACHING
• The use of the different groups …..E,G Decoration
• Reaching out to elderly people
• Jesus Market: Present materials for people. 

CONCLUSION

Conclusively, whatever position you are holding, ask Him why he kept you there so that you will be fulfilled and do not allow anyone to mar your zeal for God’s service, knowing that you are first accountable to volunteer workers. Also, as a follower, you must follow well because you may be in that position tomorrow. Faithfulness is what God requires from all of us.

      Remember, Jesus established the model for Christian leaders. It is not found in his methodology, rather in his absolute obedience to the Father’s will. That is to say, as Christian leaders, we must also be good followers of God.    

Materials Cited

Janvier, George and Bitrus Thaba. Understanding Leadership , An African

Christian Model. JOS: African Christian Textbook. 1997.

Anyandokun, Esther. O. “Servanthood: The Biblical Model of Leadership”

Practical Theology, Lagos: Baptist College of Theology. 2009.

J. B. Leonard, Church in Dictionary of Christianity in America, (Intervarsity

Press, 1990), Electronic Copy.

Richard Foli, Toward Church Growth in Ghana (Accra: Trust Publishers, 1996