Why leaders fails in the Church

Therefore, there is a need for the restructuring of the present church model if she desires to project Christ’s government and leadership to the world. There must be an all-inclusive, team spirit, true unity, and a three-but a single-level model built upon the membership, stewardship, and leadership in a mutual unity.

The bottom line is that leadership is more about stewardship with a vertical and horizontal projection than a top-down model of singularity. Where dedication is first to the Lord who is the Head of the church and had called all to the ministry than to a personal advancement of an agenda.

In addition, leaders in the mold of stewards rest only on believers with spiritual knowledge and understanding, who refuse to look at leadership as a role, and trophy to grasp and embraced. But as a humble calling that resembles the earthly manner of the Lord of Glory who emptied Himself and made Himself of no reputation, importance, and consequences. Who even refused to Use His God-given right as God, and equality to God. Philippian 2:3–11.

Christ Jesus was born Lord, a Leader-King, Commander, and Servant of Jehovah God. He came to serve, and not served as a master by man. He came as a servant, but the Lord of all. By His example, He showed the world what true leadership entails. He appointed Apostles that worked closely with Him to serve and not to dominate the body of other servants. He had dedicated women who served taking daily care of His needs. This is the new model of leadership that the church should study and practice in truth.

This means leadership is no longer the prime focus of those in authority but services and stewardship. Because in the church organization, believers are first stewards before stepping into the shoes of leaders. Hence, making a three-structure model of believers, stewards, and leaders that combines as one unity. In that sense, stewardship is both forward-looking in service to all in and out of the ministry, but more involved with the family of believers that with the world.

While stewardship is the outcome of a believer personal faith services, and commitment to the Lord Jesus. This thrives more in truthfulness, humility, righteousness, and the love of the faith and fellowship. Without stewardship, leadership is a mere show in the flesh without any substantial value to the growth of the fellowship of believers.

Throughout the Scriptures, we understand the important role stewardship plays in the kingdom of God. No doubt, our Lord shall judge our services based on our stewardship at the judgment seat of Christ. On that seat of judgment, the Lord shall not much look at our leadership than our stewardship to receive a reward. Hence, believers need to first be stewards before assuming the role of leaders. Therefore, the steward must let the Lord Jesus lead in any leadership role in life.

In addition, it is important that leaders lead under the power of the Holy Spirit who calls as well as equips for the office.  Therefore, before any leader of believers leads the children of God, they must lead themselves, family, and others in harmony with the grace of God.

Therefore, the Biblical Pastors and Bishop appointed the shepherd of God’s flock is required first to serve the house of the Lord before leading to any degree. The word Bishop is Shepherd in the Greek language. Therefore good shepherds are leaders who lead the sheep at all times, in good or bad times.  They are open to learning and being teachable. They have the ability to engage with other members of the Church. They are visionaries and decisive.

Good church leaders know the importance of raising up other leaders who can lead in actualizing the vision of the ministry. The different departments in the Church need to groom leaders as Paul raised up Timothy. Because there is always, a need for new leaders to function in different departments of the church.

Leaders must not consider themselves as being in competition with others, but give helping hands strengthening those called into the ministry. They are addicted to expanding the kingdom of God.  That is why today, in our world, Christian leadership is the most important subject among believers. It is so because believers shall reign and govern in the rule of Christ in the next dispensation and the future to come. 

In fact, a good number of believers shy away, not wanting the hard part of doing the talking about the role of leadership of the Church in the world, and the kingdom of God.

It is very easy to note that different denominations have different ideas on what stewardship and invariably leadership means in today’s dispensation of the gospel. Hence, this is an area of our spiritual growth greatly misunderstood among believers because of the poor teachings offered in place of the truth.

The effect of such beliefs has created a conflicted atmosphere in the Church with different meanings and stances on leadership. This became obvious at the height of the coronavirus pandemic because the church did not play a clear leadership role in forcing a decisive response to calm the fear of the people worldwide.

Until this moment, the majority of believers still hold on to that view that leadership is a role best suited for those with a strong personality in the community of believers.  At the same time, some still hold on to the belief that leadership, belongs in the world and not in the Church structure. This kind of unscriptural belief has caused the fellowship to suffer much in the hands of abusive leaders.

Also stemming from fear, timidity, many strange and false beliefs have caused many to back out of the truth of their calling to lead in the Church. It is strange how believers in this century still believe that holding and playing a leadership role in the faith is un-Christianly.

Thus, believers with such thought limit leadership to the secular world and the places where citizens socialize, political establishments, corporate business, sporting activities, and professional gatherings in society. The price of having such an idea is the low and unworkable leadership structure in the body of Christ.

These beliefs have robbed the Church of having the true spirit-filled leaders needed in moving the gathering of believers to a new level of spirituality. For that reason, many have not believed the good news of their call to lead and serve as well.  

Nevertheless, it is time to step forward and act, to you who know that every believer is a leader and a steward serving the Lord.  However very few would yet believe they are leaders in Christ Jesus in all circumstances. As well as those, having a false sense of humility, believing it is presumptuous to think like a leader. It is good to have the mindset of a leader in exercising our Christian obligations in services.

The new dispensation of grace has changed the landscape by introducing solid enablement of the Holy Spirit on those who had received the love of God. Thus showing us that real leaders marked by meekness, humility, and dedication are the work of God. 

The gift of leadership bestowed on believers in the kingdom of the Lord is always hidden until displayed. The Lord of glory has released the spiritual equipment desired in any Christian service.

What to do when Crisis comes unexpectedly

Difficult and interesting times are upon us with the coronavirus, outbreak causing untold hardship and pains to many families, not only of the loved ones lost in the heat of the crisis but economic difficulties decimating the base of many families. The story is the same everywhere with people facing hard times due to the coronavirus. In such a situation believers might be tempted to ask the possibility of beating the odds. Some may ask what can a believer do in the midst of the suffering caused by the crisis? 

As believers in the redeeming grace of God, we are not exempted from trouble and persecution when they occur. Therefore, we can do the imperatives beginning with knowing that today is the acceptable and the perfect time to remember the Lord and His promises to believers and the world. In addition, the Bible contains a huge treasure of promises to the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church that can never fail. God had placed them there to be our hope for every situation in life, to increase your faith in tribulation.

Hence, it is safe to present the promises of God before the throne of God as a treasury bill.  God has given His word to believers on the oath He swore, and the working of His power to perform what He had said. In essence, holding them by faith means we believe in who He is, and His power to accomplish what He has promised about our deliverance.   Hebrew 10:23.

However, in times of crisis always remember the promises of God never fails. We have a God who is faithful and keeps his promises faithfully. No matter what you are going through right now, believe God keeps His words. Are you struggling to make ends meet, because of the crisis, remember He keeps His promises? Even if you are worried about the future, remember His words. He had said, “Call on me in the time of trouble, and I will show you great and mighty things”. Moreover, He had said I would deliver you in the time of crisis.

In times of crisis, it is profitable repeatedly to emphasize the Almightiness of the Lord instead of the fear that surrounds us. No matter our circumstances, God Is Greater than our concept of the universe, He has shown us His power in His works. He loves us more than we know and thinks.  He is able to perform His goodness to us.

Again, it is better to dwell in the power of the love of God to overcome any crisis whether caused by a natural force or human errors. Since love is His nature that permeates the entire being of our Lord. God so loved us, therefore He wants a love relationship with us no matter what our position and circumstance might be.  Therein Christians can grow their relationship with him and the result is a full experience of His limitless, transforming love. Hence, it is better to delight oneself in the love of God.

The best time to trust in God is when crisis and trouble relentlessly strike our state of peace. That is the appointed time to believe in the power of the Lord God our Savior Jesus Chris. The strength of God can overcome the weakness caused by the seeming crisis of the pandemic. Believe in the promises of God who is sovereign over all as He is a God that is able to do abundantly above all that we know.

In the period of crisis, believers need to concentrate more on the faithfulness of the Lord instead of our unbelief’s and limited means. In times of crisis, the best response is a call for prayers, so pray until it becomes your nature and place of communicating with the Lord. In addition, believers can engage in online prayer services as much as possible. Prayers and intercession is a necessity at all times, especially times of crisis.

God does respond to the prayers of the humble and the faithful. Therefore, invest in prayer, study about prayer and pray, memorize prayer verses, and read books about prayers. Prayer has the power to make a difference. Prayer has the power to change lives and things in the physical and spiritual realm when we pray according to God’s will. God has commanded us in His Word to ask, seek, and knock with the promise of an answer.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and not in your own might. Learning to wait and trust in the provisions of the Lord is paramount in any crisis. The key to thriving in the midst of the coronavirus is to believe that God is sovereign overall. The pandemic situation is a great opportunity for believers to demonstrate their confidence in the Lord. Often showing the strength of faith. In fact, our disposition reveals itself in times of crisis, and time of trials.

Now is the time to trust in the plan of the Lord for your life, Believe that God has a good plan for you.  The plans of the Lord says, “for I know my plans for you,’ says the LORD. ‘My plans are to prosper you, not to harm you. I have good plans to give you a future filled with hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 and Proverbs 16:9

Since our God is faithful and dependable, He is pleased when we trust him. Then let us live our lives resting on his faithfulness, trusting in him and his character. In addition, God is trustworthy in performing what He had revealed to us with confidence.  Hebrew 11: 1-6

The coronavirus pandemic is the call to walk by faith and not by sight as the Bible says. It is the time to refuse, and reject every incentive to exalt the problem as a giant and see oneself as a grasshopper. More so, when crisis strikes believers must develop the faith to believe in the impossible. Accept the will of God even if you do not them.  The will of God always agrees with His plans for your life and the world in general.

Therefore, be thankful for the grace of God in your everyday life. Try to find the little things to be thankful for that can help you cope during the crisis. Thankfulness is a great virtue. Always be focused on the Lord then you can see the bigger picture and have a wider perspective that can help you feel less overwhelmed by your difficult circumstances. Do not be like Apostle Peter who took his eyes away from the Lord and began to sink.

God can advance his purpose through those times of crisis and adverse experiences, so work out what He had worked in our life.  Sometimes God allows it that He might use the opportunity provided to enhance our growth and build our spiritual character. That is the way to reflect more of his values and strength in our life. That is the way believers can shift focus from the crisis of the pandemic to the peace and stability that our God freely gives to us.

The Great Interruption Ahead in the Church

The present-day churches have for too long imposed religious, doctrinal, ideological divides to separate the united fellowship of children of God. Most have invented types of denominational doctrine to perpetuate conformity among their flock to the exclusion of others. While not all these reflect the will of the Lord who had given the church the great, commission to reach the world with the gospel.

An example is the Church in the early century after the ascension that went that conservative route instead of spreading out until the dispersal that occurred with the religious and state persecution. The unthinkable happened in the pursuit and hell-bent persecution of the Apostles left with no chance to congregate as a new body.

The early church did experience a dark period of divine interruption that did well to focus the intent of leadership of the Church in evangelism.  God allowed and used it as a means to get the church moving in the right direction of fulfilling the commission of evangelism that reach the entire world.

This goes on to show that the Lord can use divine interruption and dislocation as a tool to bring His purpose to pass. In some cases, He can use it to purify and reposition His people for what is to come. In fact, every single divine intervention in the life of a prophet, apostle, priest, king, judge, or institution was to re-focus and direct their spiritual life to reach the goal set for them.

The Scripture records are a convincing example of how God uses interruptions and intermission to bring His plan and purpose to pass. An example is Apostle Paul who had his purpose cut short and dislocated so that he can reach a new level by the Lord. At a point, he met Christ on his way to Damascus. For David becoming the king of Israel, he had his life engagement disrupted to meet Samuel in the field.

Now the terrible and frightening pandemic has interrupted our church service and outreaches.  Out of the fear of spreading the contamination across the world, many churches are closing down the tent. The church authorities in obedience to the state laws are adopting the measures while advising believers and worshippers to refrain from hugging one another, handshakes, handholding, and communion sharing.

Due to this, millions of believers have been unable to take part physically in any church services and that may continue for weeks. With the possibility that they may not be able to again for months. Simply put, the coronavirus pandemic is fundamentally interrupting and changing the way we do and will be a church at the same time. Never before has the church been disrupted by her services. The question then is:

·         If the changes will be long or short term?

·         And to what extent this historic pandemic will change the local church?

·         And what we should expect to remain the same in the church if at all.  In this case, a comparison should be made of the plague judgment against Egypt in the first Passover of the children of Israel

·         What should we expect to see in the coming days?

The answer to all those question rest with the Lord who know why. He can as well reveal the true meaning of the pandemic crisis to the church if there is a need for that. The Bible can also help us have a clear view of the events through the lens of interpretation.

However, some of the changes the church shall witness worldwide due to the outbreak of the pandemic could be in the way and process of services.  Perhaps our Lord can use the crisis of the Coronavirus in educating the church about the expected changes and the new initiative that shall make landfall soon. Hence, some of the changes expected in our churches are these:

·         Most believers shall come to a new definition of the true meaning of the church as a living body different from a building where everyone meets.

·         The pandemic shall initiate many teaching events shedding new light on the end-time theology of the church.

·         There would be inevitable causes to restructure the church organization with new departments created to reflect unity and true leadership.

·         There might be a new and substantial appointment or election of new elders and deacons to run the affairs of the church.

·         The strengthening of the virtualization of the church.

·         The sanctification and the purification of the church.

·         The coming judgment that shall commence in the house of God as prophesied in the epistles of Apostle Peter.

·         The judgment that shall come upon all nations in the world. The separation of the sheep and the goat’s nations.

·         The great tribulation revealed in the Olivet discourse happening eventually.

·         Our level of preparedness to evangelize and meet with the coming of our Lord.

·         The need for a family altar and fellowship reinforced and increased.

·         The need for growth in the church.

·         The balancing of missions and outreaches to the unsaved.

·         Of the necessity of prayer and intercession first for all men, leaders, and the church.

·         And the need to show compassion and care for our neighbors

That way the church can make the necessary adjustments to her in-reach and outreach programs.  She can ensure the wise and prudent among the leaders are shepherding her flock. As in 1 Corinthians 12:18, we have learned that our Lord has arranged the flocks, all the members in the body, and placed each one as it pleased Him.

Share Patrick’s Prophetic sprint

How the Love of God can Reconcile the Races

All it took was just eight solid minutes and forty-six precious seconds, that was the time it took that has changed and redefined history forever. It was the time a police officer took to snuff out the life of his neighbor with hands handcuffed behind his back with his neck pinned to the ground by a police officer.

I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, tell mama, I can’t breathe he screamed out. Breath is a gift of life from God that made humankind a living soul. The Bible says that God breathed into his nostril after creating Adam from the dust of the earth.  Breath is a precious gift from God that no man has the right to deprive others of having the benefits. Nevertheless, the police officer was bent on taking the breath away from his neighbor anyway.

Today that action has touched the conscience of all humankind without exception. The world has changed her outlook with protest rocking all nations. There is an awakening in motion championed by the rejects and the least likely in the society towards a race reconciliation. It is no more a black thing. Now all is involved in the healing process with the racial divide that has long separated the people shattered.

People of all colors are on the street daily marching for the establishment of a just and equitable society. Across the states, more people of all colors are crying out for justice and peace, both white, black, brown representing every race. Black Lives Matters is no more a minority slogan, but representative of all crying with brokenness and indignation against a system that allowed such hatred and wickedness to exist for too long.

The closed seals of trouble are opening one at a time to the utter amazement of the world. Yesterday, it was the pandemic crisis and the great mourning of those who have lost their lives and the damage down to the world economy. But when the world thought the Coronavirus pandemic is waning thin and things would soon return to normal, then the unexpected happened.

Good, but what about the church, our dear Church. Why is the wall still standing? Why is there no lamentation in our Churches that proclaims the name of the Lord and pride in the purity of her doctrine? Why is the Church not speaking out and leading the way? The Church has missed another excellent opportunity to declare the love of God to a dying world. The church is supposed to be at the forefront of the ministry of reconciliation to the nations. The Church has been called to advance the kingdom of Christ reconciling love worldwide. That means the time has come to reconcile, embrace, and celebrate our difference and diversities to the glory of God.

As a Christian, I may be tempted to conclude that whatsoever has happened is of the devil, and concerns only the world that does not know the Lord. At the same time, I may try to use religious acrobats to point fingers at the rioters and looters as socialist and “Antifa” sympathizers bent on fermenting trouble to destabilize our nation. However, let the truth be told to the glory of God. But how can the socialist see beyond the veil to condemn the evil that I justify with my faith? How can the same secular and unbelieving world condemn the wicked acts of racial oppression, profiling, and inequality, and the church stands unmoved without compassion and empathy?

What has happened so far is the revelation of our lip services and the barrenness of our individual heart to the consternation of the world. Church leaders and followers have all tried to maintain the systemic and unholy alliance that perpetuates the status quo. In today’s world, truth is often unpleasant and unwanted as an umpire to moderate social issues that benefits the majority. All because the love of God has taken leave from town. The love of God shed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit has been left to decompose and atrophied.

The crux of the matter is that God’s love has left us in our nakedness, and uncaring and unsympathetic and dry theological expositions that only promote our denomination, and not Christ. That run contrasts with what our Lord has commanded us to practice if we truly love Him. Some may say I love God and my neighbor as myself. That is good if that is true in the ongoing situation unraveling before us. However, the truth must be told no matter how had it seems.

But the big question today concerns our love extended to our enemy. How many of us truly love our enemies? Because Christ Jesus exemplified that love and expressly commanded us to love our enemies. Some may ask who is my enemy?

That is where the test and the difficulties arise that shame us to our outward profession of faith. Do you love your enemies as yourself? Do you see yourself reflected in the image of your enemy? Do you believe all men bear the fearful image of God? If you do, that is love in action. That is love worth dying for.

What does love have to do with the murder of George Floyd? Everything. If the police officer had, an atom of love in his heart events would have been different today. If he has seen the image of God shining brightly in the eyes of George, things would have been different.

Without love, we are subject to the same tendencies that gave way to that act of murder. Surprisingly, many of us do not know what love means in practice. We have so compartmentalized and abused love that we are left with nothing but hatred looking like love. In fact, what we call love is hatred disguised as love. If not so what can explain the wicked act that took the world by storm?  

Unknowingly and knowingly the church has encouraged the doctrine of hatred against those that are different and look different. If you don’t believe then walk into a white evangelical church with your skin-colored black. Including those who do not agree with their core beliefs. Tell an independent and fundamentalist that you are a Pentecostalist and watch what happens.

Many pastors of the fundamental and independent streams have turned “Love your enemies” to “Hate your enemies” with scriptures to back the practice. Whereas neither the Old nor New Testament enjoined the children of Israel or the Church to hate their neighbor. The God we served required of us to love the strangers, the immigrant, and those who hate us, etc. All the writers of the New Testament epistles to the church repeat this teaching.

Now today’s believers are not encouraged to be reconcilers, but to be far, and hostile to those who are different. That is why in some countries, we have the white, black, Mexican, African, the Pentecostal, Evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, and you name it churches.  Today’s Church has separated people, by religious and doctrinal beliefs, political affiliation, and cultural and personal differences. The Pentecostal cannot fellowship with the Evangelicals. The Baptist cannot agree with the Black Southern Baptist that believes in speaking in tongues. The Methodist would not fellowship with the Pentecostals.  Where is Christ in all this?

Let us not deceive ourselves, as long as we refuse to confront the truth and reconcile with one another the evil would continue. And the same hatred that killed George Floyd would haunt our churches. The same virus “I am superior to you” syndrome that killed Eric Gardner’s shall rule among us if we refuse to reach across the racial divide.

When we make enemies of the Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslim, unbelievers, immigrant, drug and alcohol addicted, gay, transgender, Black, White, Brown, socialist, liberal and conservative because they do not follow us, then we are no different in character from the murderous police officer. But glory to God. That is not who we are as believers in Christ Jesus.

How to Love your Enemies.

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Share Patrick’s Prophetic sprint

The seals of trouble are opening one at a time. At a time when the world thought the Coronavirus pandemic is waning thin and things would soon return to normal, then the unexpected happened. All it took was just eight solid minutes and forty-six precious seconds, that was the time it took that has changed and redefined history forever. It was the time a police officer took to snuff out the life of his neighbor with hands handcuffed behind his back with his neck pinned to the ground by a police officer.

I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, tell mama, I can’t breathe he screamed out. Breath is a gift of life from God that made humankind a living soul. The Bible says that God breathed into his nostril after creating Adam from the dust of the earth.  Breath is a precious gift from God that no man has the right to deprive others of having the benefits. Nevertheless, the police officer was bent on taking the breath away from his neighbor anyway.

Today that action has touched the conscience of all humankind without exception. The world has changed her outlook with protest rocking all nations. There is an awakening championed by the rejects and the least likely in the society. It is no more a black thing. Now all is involved with the racial divide shattered and people of all colors crying out for justice and peace. White, black, brown representing every race crying out “Black Lives Matters” with brokenness and indignation against a system that allowed such hatred and wickedness to exist for too long.

Good, but what about the church, our dear Church. Why is the wall still standing? Why is there no lamentation in our Churches that proclaims the name of the Lord and pride in the purity of her doctrine? Why is the Church not speaking out and leading the way? The Church has missed another excellent opportunity to declare the love of God to a dying world. The time has come to embrace and celebrate our difference and diversities to the glory of God.

As a Christian, I may be tempted to conclude that what has happened concerns only the world that does not know the Lord. I may try to use religious acrobats to point fingers at the rioters and looters as socialist and “Antifa” sympathizers bent on fermenting trouble to destabilize our nation. However, let the truth be told to the glory of God. But how can the socialist see beyond the veil to condemn the evil that I justify with my faith? Who is more righteous?

What has happened so far is the revelation of the barrenness of our individual heart to the consternation of the world. Leaders and followers have all tried to maintain the systemic and unholy alliance that perpetuates the status quo. In today’s world, truth is often unpleasant and unwanted as an umpire to moderate social issues that benefits the majority. All because love has taken leave from town. The love of God shed in our hearts has been left to decompose and atrophied.

The crux of the matter is that love has left us naked. That all boils down to what our Lord has commanded us to practice if we truly love Him. Some may say I love God and my neighbor as myself. That is good if that is all the truth. But the big question is do you love your enemy? Because Christ Jesus exemplified that love and expressly commanded us to love our enemies.

That is where the test and the difficulties arise that shame us to our outward profession of faith. Do you love your enemies as yourself? Do you see yourself reflected in the image of your enemy? Do you believe all men bear the fearful image of God? If you do, that is love in action. That is love worth dying for.

What does love have to do with the murder of George Floyd? Everything. If the police officer had, an atom of love in his heart events would have been different today. If he has seen the image of God shining brightly in the eyes of George, things would have been different.

Without love, we are subject to the same tendencies that gave way to that act of murder. Surprisingly, many of us do not know what love means in practice. We have so compartmentalized and abused love that we are left with nothing but hatred looking like love. In fact, what we call love is hatred disguised as love. If not so what can explain the wicked act that took the world by storm?  

Unknowingly and knowingly the church has encouraged the doctrine of hatred against those that are different and look different. If you don’t believe then walk into a white evangelical church with your skin-colored black. Including those who do not agree with their core beliefs. Tell an independent and fundamentalist that you are a Pentecostalist and watch what happens.

Many pastors of the fundamental and independent streams have turned “Love your enemies” to “Hate your enemies” with scriptures to back the practice. Whereas neither the Old nor New Testament enjoined the children of Israel or the Church to hate their neighbour. The God we served required of us to love the strangers, the immigrant, and those who hate us, etc. All the writers of the New Testament epistles to the church repeat this teaching.

Now today’s believers are encouraged to be far, and hostile to those who are different. In some countries, we have the white, black, Mexican, African, the Pentecostal, Evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, and you name it churches.  Today’s Church has separated people, by religious and doctrinal beliefs, political affiliation, and cultural and personal differences. The Pentecostal cannot fellowship with the Evangelicals. The Baptist cannot agree with the Black Southern Baptist that believes in speaking in tongues. The Methodist would not fellowship with the Pentecostals.  

Let us not deceive ourselves, the same hatred that killed George Floyd is present in our churches. The same “I am superior to you” syndrome that killed Eric Gardner’s rules amongst us. When we make enemies of the Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslim, unbelievers, immigrant, drug and alcohol addicted, gay, transgender, Black, White, Brown, socialist, liberal and conservative because they do not follow us, then we are no different in character from the murderous police officer.

The Missing Link in Undersatnding Leadership in the Church

Today, in our world, the most important subject hardly discussed among believers is the reign and the governing rule of Christians with Christ in the present dispensation and the future to come.  In fact, a good number of believers shy away, not wanting the hot seat of talking about the role of leadership of the Church in the world, and the kingdom of God.

Different denominations have different ideas on what stewardship and invariably leadership means in today’s dispensation of the gospel. Hence, this is an area of our spiritual growth great misunderstood among believers because of the poor teachings offered by many denominations in place of the truth.

And the effect was seen in the vacuum created in the Church differing in offering leadership at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, the church did not play a clear leadership role in forcing a decisive response to calm the fear of the people worldwide.  Until this moment, lots of believers still believe that leadership is a role best suited for those with a strong personality in the community of believers. Instead of believing the new dispensation of grace introduced solid enablement of the Holy Spirit coupled with meekness, humility, and dedication are the first element desired in any Christian services.

At the same time, some still hold on to the belief that leadership, belongs in the world and not in the Church structure. This kind of unscriptural belief has caused the fellowship to suffer much in the hands of abusive leaders. Also stemming from fear, timidity, many strange and false beliefs have caused many to back out of the truth of their calling to lead in the Church. It is strange how believers in this century still believe that holding and playing a leadership role in the faith is un-Christianly.

Thus, believers with such thought limit leadership to the secular world and the places where citizens socialize, political establishments, corporate business, sporting activities, and professional gatherings in society. The price of having such an idea is evidenced in the low and unworkable leadership structure in the body of Christ. These are the belief that has robbed the Church of having the true spirit-filled leaders needed in moving the gathering of believers to a new level of spirituality.  

For that reason, many have not believed the good news of their call to lead and serve as well.  Nevertheless, to you. Do you know that every believer is a leader and a steward serving the Lord? However very few would believe they are leaders in Christ Jesus. As well as those, having a false sense of humility, believing it is presumptuous to think as a leader does in exercising our Christian obligations. 

In the few years of my fellowship and ministry of reconciliation to the lost and the faith community, I have put the same question to young believers new in the faith, to find out if they understand the basics of the Christian faith. To my surprise, most have responded nine times out of ten negatively to my question.

Just a few have given back the right answer; most have got it all wrong and failed the test. Some have even gone off tangent offering the wrong answer for a good reason. All leading me to conclude that most believers are yet ungrounded in rudiment of the faith.

However, things are not supposed to be that way in the Church and in the service of Christ. If having leadership skills and services is all wrong, then why did our Lord, focused on this aspect in His teaching? This truth is self-evident in the teachings of our Lord on leadership. In the teaching of the Lord, we discover that a LEADER IS CALLED TO SERVE, BOTH THE LORD, AND THOSE HE LEADS. What a contrast and a strange way to define leadership. Perhaps that is the reason many do not want to lead in the Church.

And it pleases our Lord God in His sovereignty to assign believers as leaders in their calling. All believers have been lightened by Christ to walk and lead in the light that lights the world. Where a leader changes the atmosphere by introducing a vision where there is darkness, a direction where there is doubt, and life where there is hopelessness.

Moreover, every believer is an ambassador of Christ called to represent the kingdom of heaven on earth. The job of an ambassador is more than representing his home country; it also includes leading others in understanding the standard principles of his home government. Therefore, a Christian leader must show a high level of moral and spiritual uniqueness unparalleled in the secular world.

In addition, the difference between leadership in our community and the secular world is the element of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit of God that connects believers with the God of heaven and earth. There is some similarity between leadership in the secular world and church which tends to merge but differs in many aspects.

Besides, the secular leaders of this world are not directly, but indirectly under the control of the Holy Spirit in making and executing decisions except the living God intervenes or overrides.  Therefore, calling an individual a Christian leader is a high calling deserving the full respect of all. Not only because of the origin of the appointment but the power of the divine Leader, our Lord Jesus who is overall.

Christ is the Head and holds the preeminence in the Church and every area of the leader’s life. (Colossians chapter 1: verse 18).  Therefore, to every believer, Christ Jesus is the Head, the Bishop, and the Prime-Leader of the Church. He is also the Head of our external business, including the home of the faithful. Hence, in our churches, leadership is essentially discovered and derived from the Lord.

In addition, the knowledge base of our Christian leadership is the qualitative light of the special revelation of God, the Holy Bible. The Bible also discloses the limits and profiles of what a leader is like. The Bible clearly reveals the details, position, and the distinguishing marks of a true leader as a servant, as opposed to the viewpoint of the world.

Moreover, in line with that, the substance of Christian leadership hangs on the sacred principles in the New Testament teachings of our Lord. He had given the most sublime lessons on leadership in the gospel to the apostles where He had revealed that leadership is servanthood.  (Luke chapter 22: verses 24-27).

Hence, the believer must possess certain qualities of a Christ-like character to be a true leader. For example, submission, as Christ obeyed, is key for the believer assuming any leadership position in the Church. It is voluntary with total submission to the Lordship of Christ Jesus. That is the key reason a true leader in the Church fully submits to the authority and leadership of Christ Jesus as the Head. While completely trusting in the word of the scripture as his constitution and code of practice.  

The essence of the true Christian leadership evolves out of an abiding personal relationship with our Lord. Hence, a godly leader has fashioned in the mold of the Sustainer our Lord Jesus as distinct from the secular leaders. And the sure providence of God is involved in creating in believers a real heart of a steward serving selflessly.

In the administration of leadership, the moral character of a Christian leader is often judged above board in comparison with the secular world.  Because the grid of Christian integrity ties leadership and services to humankind. So Christian leaders often challenge the existing world order and the standard by exceeding the requirements held by the secular world in every aspect of life.

The most important aspect of heavenly leadership is the fact that it originates from heaven. In our community, leadership is the work of the Holy Spirit. Also, leadership is a discoverable gift bestowed by the Holy Spirit. Hence, leadership is a spiritual gift received at the point of salvation when a person puts his trust in the finished works of the Lord Jesus Christ. If it is a gift, then no one can boast and exalt himself.  

In our Christian community, a leader is a person called, gifted by the Spirit, chosen, anointed, and working through the Holy Spirit to advance the kingdom of Christ on earth. Often such individuals are recognized and acknowledged as true Christian leaders not by the strength of personality but by grace. The character of a true Christian leader revolves around the transforming power of the new nature in Christ, and conformity to the image of Christ

The Holy Spirit gives the believer the ability, capacity, and the spiritual gift of leadership. He is the one that calls those He wants to the office of leaders. Therefore, leadership is the effect of the gift of the Spirit. According to the scripture, believers have different gifts according to the grace given to us. Hence, a leader leads according to the proportion to his faith, with sincerity; with diligence; and with cheerfulness.

And the leader in the church reflects a Christian character founded on spiritual integrity. This is a Christ exchanged life derived from the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, a true leader must be persons, both filled and controlled by the Spirit and word of God.  

True leaders show a high level of understanding, wisdom, strength, and endurance supplied by the presence and provision of the Spirit of God. This a process accomplished by joining the believer to the body of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. Believers operating in the realm of leadership are always equipped with the necessary gifts by the Holy Spirit for service in the body. The gift of leadership is under the prerogative of the Holy Spirit.  He divides spiritual gifts among believers. He does not give all the same gifts including the gift of leadership. But the gift of leadership can be sought after by faith.

At the same time, leadership is of the divine sovereignty and purpose of God. When the Lord gives an individual the gift of leadership, it is not only for the Church community, but also in other places such as business, politics, education, and other life activities. Leadership transcends location, time, and culture without the limitation of the Church.

Hence the sphere of leadership includes our responsibility to lead as parents, teachers, and as officers in government and businesses. It is not the prerogative of few but all can partake in any leadership role whenever the need calls for it.

In addition, the believer’s gift of leadership develops in stages of maturity through the grace of God, faith, teachings, growing in stature, and life experience.  The characteristics support accountability, honesty, diligence, faithfulness, commitment, selflessness, and the love of God.

Therefore:

·         Leaders depends more on the authority of the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ in all decision-making and activities.

·         Leaders must have the trust of the believers.

·         Leaders show a high level of commitment.

·         Leaders are visionaries able to communicate with foresight.

·         Leaders use their gift in moving the body of Christ to a new level of spirituality

·         They are purposeful and work for the advancement of God’s kingdom.

·         Effective leaders work to bring changes in the spiritual realm of believers.