Alexander K. Oduro at The Church of Pentecost 2019 Leadership Retreat:

Role of Church Leaders in Church Building

– Matt. 16:18; Jhn.21:15-17; Titus 2:13-14

Introduction

“There is no way someone can be a leader without followers…” (Peter Cracker)

Leadership as considered as the ability to direct a group of people towards attainment of desirable goal does not happen as bolt from the blue, but calls for familiarization and implementation of tact for effective ministry and administration of the Church to achieve the corporate agenda. This is because Church growth is mandatory not a matter of option.

A growing Church encounters high growth in quality, quantity, and organization- the three essentials of a matured Church- in the physical and spiritual level. It is therefore entreated that:

1. Church Leaders Know The Ideal Leadership Style And Skill To Use (Titus 1:5-9; 1 Sam. 30:1-30)

Leaders are encouraged to be certain of who they are in the light of Autocracy, Democracy, Transformational, Team, Cross-Cultural, Laissez-faire, Transactional, Coaching, Charismatic, Visionary, among other leadership styles.

Not all leadership styles work best for all groups and at all times. Each group comprises different people. Identification and implementation of a particular style(s) which works better for the group are encouraged. Nevertheless, skills such as creativity, effective communication, recognition and supervision, target setting, management, team building, vision sharing, motivation, service, honesty, integrity, innovativeness, good human relationship, and following laid down principles, are essential requirements of successful leadership.

Leaders Must Be Caretakers, Not Undertakers.

2. Church Leaders Shun Complacency (Phil. 3:12-14; Prov. 18:9)

Complacency is a silent killer. It leads to pride, inability to catch up with current trends, duress, losing confidence in oneself, inability to achieve desired goals, having outputs below expectations, etc.
To avoid the above, leaders must start every day from the scratch and be consistent.

3. Church Leaders Exhibit High Sense Of Responsibility (Matt. 24:45-46; Luk. 19:13; Jhn. 9:4; 2 Tim. 4:1-5)

Leaders must not cover sin, be sincere, preach the gospel, exhort, rebuke, correct, guide, instruct, mobilize, love, care, visit, organize prayer convocations, support superiors, mentor, etc. A clear vision of the local assembly and the church in general must be attained. Know that God has handed over the keys of the local assembly to you.

4. Church Leaders Recognize And Exercise Their Authority In Christ Jesus (Gen. 1:27, 28; Acts 1:8; Luk. 9:1-6)

Leaders are encouraged to identify whether they possess charismatic, traditional, and legal authorities to be able to use to achieve the desirable result of the group.

5. Church Leaders Live Exemplary Lifestyles (1 Tim. 3:1-7; 4:12)

They must live above reproach in relation to self, the home, the society, and the world at large. They must not lost cognition of the fact that they are light and salt of the world.

6. Church Leaders Spot Other Leaders In The Group (2 Tim. 2:2)

They must look for people who are faithful, available, initiative, teachable, and hungry for the job considering their temperamental backgrounds (melancholism, phlegmatism, etc). They must let the followers have access to them by creating enabling environment, being teachable to them, creating a can do spirit within them, among others methods. Leaders must speak well of followers and minimize criticism where possible, remembering that there can be honey in the belly of the carcass. This is geared towards making leaders of their followers to assenuate them in their absence, attributed to incapacitation or destruction of their earthly tents.

7. Church Leaders Master The Ethics Of Homiletics And Hermeneutics (1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11)

Leaders must know that they are messengers of God, thus must learn to preach and teach Scriptures accordingly. They must endeavor to interpret Scriptures well to the understanding of the flock. This can be achieved by walking and talking to God daily, being sensitive to the Spirit, living chaste lives physically and spiritually, being time conscious, and knowing what to do at what time.

8. Church Leaders Increase Their Momentum (Phil. 3:7-15; 1 Cor. 9:24)

Leaders must be able to overcome resistance at all time by staying on course, praying fervently, relying solidly on the Spirit, planning ahead, trusting always in God, desiring to be of value, ignoring unconstructive criticisms, being discipline, among others.

9. Church Leaders Be Evangelistic Minded (Matt. 28:18-20; Mrk. 13:15-17)

Evangelism is the heart beat of God. Leaders are encouraged to be spiritual to determine which areas to take for the Lord, plan effectively in that regard, organize members to that effect, and deploy them after getting to know their abilities.

10. Church Leaders Keep Track Of Their Destinies In Christ (Col. 3:1-25)

Church leaders must be mindful of the fact their eternal destinies are knitted with Christ in heaven, not earthly. They must distinguish themselves from earthly Israel, whose destiny and promises are earthly and sensually bound. Knowledge of this calls for setting up their treasurers in heaven, not on earth. This will mean that they shun insatiable quest for materialism and unflinching inclinations to fleshly desires. By so doing they will accomplish with all earnestness and eagerness the mandate to finish the Master’s commission that requires haste.

Conclusion

Earnest adaptation of above strategies will yield desirable output in the building of a holistic body of Christ with less worldly inclinations to the glory of God.

Reference

Oduro, A. K. The Church of Pentecost 2019 Leadership Retreat Notes.
The King James Version Holy Bible.