"Pastor" is a common description of the Christian leader's role.
Using your own recent observation and experience, discuss the value and the disadvantages in this imagery
The term 'Pastor` is a title most people in western culture are familiar with. Pastoral care and pastoral services are phrases which are not today restricted to the religious world. However, an understanding of what it means to be 'Pastoral` can often be misinterpreted; and, particularly so, within the precincts of the Christian church.
This assignment will assess the value and disadvantages of the image of 'Pastor` in the area of Christian leadership. The paper will be structured to provide a balanced appraisal in which each side of value or difficulty will be considered. Personal pastoral experience; biblical principles, and recent observations will be combined together and used as means of evaluation.
The paper will subtly ask if the title Pastor works well in a local church context. This question will then be more clearly addressed and personally evaluated, in the concluding part of the piece,
A Biblical Portrait
Christian Pastors are not granted the liberty of setting their own model for leadership. Throughout scripture God has laid down the criteria for those who will lead his people. The image which is often used is that of 'Shepherd Leadership`. Indeed, the word 'Pastor` derives from the Latin word which means 'To Shepherd.` Within this paradigm, Christian leadership remains distinct, and pastors who are called to lead the church fulfil a unique role.
As with any area of Christian calling, Jesus sets the definitive example for those engaged in leadership. Jesus described himself as, "The Good Shepherd" (John 10:11). This tex...
... middle of paper ...
... http://www.tms.edu/tmsj/tmsj7b.pdf. Web 31 Oct. 2013.
http://www.theologicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/portrait/portrait_stott-complete.pdf. Web 31 Oct. 2013.
http://david.dw-perspective.org.uk/da/index.php/writings/grace-magazine-kenya/grace-magazine-shepherds-of-gods-flock/bad-shepherds-ezekiel-34/
Kinnison, Quentin P. "Shepherd Or One Of The Sheep: Revisiting The Biblical Metaphor Of The Pastorate." Journal Of Religious Leadership 9.1 (2010): 59-91. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web. 7 Nov. 2013
Hybels, Bill (2009-05-26). Courageous Leadership (Kindle Locations 289-290). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Rev. James Hastings. 'Great Texts of The Bible`. Esword edition
Charles R. Swindoll. Hand Me Another Brick. Kindle Edition.
Lawrence, James, Growing Leaders: Reflections on Leadership, Life and Jesus (Oxford: Bible Reading Fellowship, 2004)
Leadership within Christian community should be with distinct qualities and traits of an effective Christian leader. The author defined leadership by not focusing on profit when Christ said, “Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” The author explored the leadership qualities and practices that are not only distinct within the community of Christian leadership but also applicable in any arena of leadership. Significance comes from working with associates and friends. Similarly, the joy of success comes from the journey toward it than its accomplishment. Grace-full leader is a responsive leader who allows an organization to discontinue practices that are no longer effective and replace them with other good ideas and effective methods.
Transformational leadership also integrates well with a biblical worldview because both advocate valuing followers as well as leaders, the importance of ethical behavior, the need to forgive and learn from mistakes, and the value of a high moral example. Kouzes and Posner advocate leaders having a “moral authority to lead” (2007, p. 41), practicing personal accountability and working to improve all aspects of their follower’s lives. This others-centered leadership approach fits well in the Christ centered atmosphere of a Christian school.
Kelley, R.E. (1988). In Praise of Followers. In Wren, J.T. (Ed.). (1995). The Leader’s Companion (pp. 193-204). New York: Simon & Schuster.
The way person leads a group of people or an organization is key to a successful business or outreach. There are many styles and techniques for a leader to implement. Christian leaders are no exception; some might say being a leader in a church organization can be a more scrutinizing position than other leaders. Since, a church leader has expectations on how they should act or conduct themselves because of the Christian faith. This paper will discuss an interview with a person in leadership brother Larry and will give an account of his leadership approach. Furthermore, what strengths and weaknesses are prevalent according to authors Kouzes and Posner and the model they have in their book, Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge.
The theological issue or topic for further discussion that the work raise is how to get Christian to move from just passively listening to the word to living out the word / applying it to their daily lives. The next issue raised by the work is what are the best ways pastors can encourage their parishioners to read the Word, study the Word, memorize the Word, and meditate on the Word daily. Lastly, I question whether pastors should be encouraged to change their delivery of their sermons from lecture [list of points] to storytelling?
In today’s society, Effective leaders are essential to an organization and exceptional leadership techniques impact the success of reaching goals. Most important leaders often viewed and analyzed as a key component of an organization improperly trained leader can cause both moral and costly negative consequences. Even though unprepared leaders lead in our community today, Billy Graham’s leadership style and communication skills affected the United States because he exhibits characteristic of a leader. There were several obstacles as a leader that Billy Graham endured as a visionary, and his leadership effectiveness and traits observed throughout his ministry.
Billy Graham went through many different stages in his life, and we will discuss a few of them in this paper. How did Billy Graham confront temptations, and how was he able to continue to love his critics. We will look at how he maintained his moral values as his finances began to increase. Billy also found his niche in life when he experienced the Spirit of God in his formative years as a Christian. We will look at how his mentor helped him to establish earthly leaders to imitate, helped him to open up to the Spirit. As Billy formed his team, he allowed the Holy Spirit to direct him in choosing standards to incorporate in the forming of his team. In his quest to be a good leader for the Lord...
Although written for church leadership, everyday church members would also benefit from understanding the concepts that Dawn is directing at God-empowered leaders. Ms. Dawn's work is predominantly scholarly, and she cites several other works at great length.... ... middle of paper ... ...
The authors then go deeper than just leading; they speak of being a leader and growing other leaders. One of the greatest challenges leaders today face is training and developing new leaders. Jesus wanted those around him to succeed. He had vision, values, and purpose, he stated them clearly, and did all he could to see they were carried out. In the book Lead Like Jesus we read how Jesus empowered and gave ownership to those around him, concerned more with their success than his own. It highlights that Jesus is the greatest leadership role model of all time, that He mandated Hi...
When Jesus called His disciples, His invitation was simple. He invited them to follow Him. The same is true today. In Matthew 28, Jesus gave His last charge to His disciples, and the charge was simple. He called his followers to go and make disciples. Much effort has been placed by Christians to fulfill this charge, commonly referred to as the Great Commission. Jesus chose to fulfill the implementation of the New Covenant through 12 men who He called, appointed, and commissioned, and he only had a few short years to prepare them for the task (Willson, 1990). His methods were unconventional and were revolutionary for that time. His disciples were to be trained extensively by Jesus, living with Him for three years prior to His ascension. He taught about servant leadership and its meaning for both the leader and follower Matt. 20:25-28). From the beginning, Jesus put in place a careful plan, and an examination of His actions in the Gospels showed that Jesus left behind the pattern to be replicated. His methods, which included the incorporation of three different levels of discipleship, included His interaction with Peter, His closest three (Peter, James, and John), and finally the group of 12. This paper identified and analyzed the three levels of discipleship Jesus modeled, these discipleship methods were then measured against modern leadership theories, and Jesus’s level of involvement and interaction with his disciples were critiqued in light of these modern theories in an effort to determine the effectiveness of this approach.
Satterlee Anita. (2013), Organizational Management and Leadership: A Christian Perspective. 2Ed. Synergistics International Inc. Raleigh, NC
Philosophy of Ministry: God's desires come first, I must always live my ministry God's way. I must live as a Christian (1 Corinthians 9:27) I must have a proper relationship of surrender to the Leader. In my personal life or in the Church I must understand that Christ is Head and Chief Shepherd (Ephesians 1:22, Hebrews 13:20). The “management” of Church is about relationships with God and Man, not just maintaining a social organization.
In all the general aspects of this particular term one would conclude that, “Leadership” embodies different characteristics, goals, rules, and standards for different positions in society. In the text, Great Leader, Great Teacher: Recovering the Biblical Vision for Leaders, author Gary Bredfeldt states, “The nature of leadership differs from situation to situation. What is required of a leader on the battlefield is quite different from what is required on the ball field or mission field. Leadership is not a one-size-fits-all formula.” This bold statement makes minds take a deeper look at the general definition of leadership and how each individual can theoretically determine what that is for their lives. In addition, from a Christian Worldview perspective what attributes in which the Scripture provides on servitude can be applicable and relevant to becoming a successful leader.
Robert Clinton states “The central task of leadership is influencing God’s people toward God’s purposes” (Clinton, 1988). George Barna defines a Christain Leader as “someone who is called by God to lead; leads with and through Christlike character; and demonstrates the functional competencies that permit effective leadership to take place” (Barna, 1997). It is a shame we as Christians fail to recognize that Christ would have us be leaders in more than the church.
Leadership is an awesome responsibility, and regardless of where leadership occurs, followers want leadership that is trustworthy, inspiring, consequential, and most importantly, effective. Thus, effective leadership is often weighed in theory and common indicators such as the impact on a team or process, follower attitudes and perceptions, and even career longevity (Yukl, 2010). Furthermore, leadership effectiveness may also be determined by the leader’s title, position, skills, traits, and moral behaviors (Carolina College of Biblical Studies [CCBS], n.d.). Often overlooked in all these things are God’s purpose for leadership, and the call for the leader to remain obedient to God while leading (CCBS, n.d.). Since mankind is sinful by