Leadership styles

We often view leadership through the worlds broken lense of 'the senior person' or the one 'in charge' and yet it's important to remember that true leadership has very little to do with titles and positions but everything to do with function and fruit. There are so many resources available to us today to help us discover what kind of a leader we are. Resources such as the Myres Briggs test and the strength finders test can be very useful tools in helping us hone in on our leadership style and yet we must remember that human psychology can get us so far but the best framework for leadership can be found in the Word of God and the example of Christ.

In Ephesians 4:11 we can see some of the gifts that were given from Christ to the church and again it was never purposed to exalt the gifts in people but to exalt the gift giver. In fact the real emphasis should not be placed on verse 11 but rather on verse 12 where we see the purpose of the gifts being given... "to prepare Gods people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up".

So what are these gifts of Christ given to the church? In verse 11 it says some in the church are to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. It's important to recognise that Jesus was all of these things and we all reflect different parts of his personality. So lets look at these distinct gifting's and explore why each are significant for the body today.

Apostles
Apostles in the church look different to the Apostles in scripture and while todays apostles are significant and crucial to a healthy church they do not carry the same weight as those ordained by Jesus or who wrote scripture. Apostles are builders and if you have an apostolic calling the first question you need to ask yourself is 'what are you called to build?'. For the advancement of the church we need your gifting and yet there are some things that apostles need to be aware of that could hinder them from progress. Apostolic people can often be so driven to perform or achieve that they can prioritise the work and lose their peace along the way. They can also lose sight of their need for other people and it's important for them to remember that in order to achieve success, they need to recognise their need for the other gifting's too.

Prophets
Prophetic people are usually very intuitive and creative. Because Prophetic people are often thinking outside the box sometimes the people you are leading may find it difficult to follow you. It's vital therefore for prophetic people to surround themselves with people with other gifting's such as pastors and apostles so they can be somewhat grounded in their ministry. The prophetic gift can be very evident in the market place through people who are on the cutting edge of innovation and/or research development. As prophetic people we need to be very careful that our passion for justice does not make us self righteous and alienate ourselves from people and lessening our impact.

Evangelists
Evangelists tend to be extremely positive. They love the good news!! You have an incredible ability to propel people forward which can be of huge benefit both in the church and in the market place. You are wired to want to see change. You're boldness can often trigger people in the wrong way and yet we as the church need your boldness and need to recognise the gift of God on your life. Something to be aware of as an evangelist is that sometimes your boldness can stretch people too far and you can make people feel embarrassed and not cared for.

Pastors
The pastor means shepherd and your primary focus is on people and you are driven by compassion. You don't want to see anyone left out and you love to see people cared for and walking in healing. You have a strong emphasis on inner healing and pastors make great counsellors and mentors. You create an environment for people to thrive and yet you are not the main driving force of the church. The mistake we can often make in the church is to over emphasise the role of the pastor in the church and forget that its not all just about care for the flock and community focused but that there is also a mandate given to advance the Kingdom on earth.

Teachers
You care about truths, facts and accuracy and yet the goal is not the expression of information but to see real transformation. In a postmodern day your gift is crucial to the body of Christ. Pastors can sometimes fudge the truth because of their focus on people and so they in particular need your gift. It's important to recognise potential downfalls if you are a teacher. Pride can rob teachers of their influence as sometimes they can be condescending and appear to be 'know it alls'. Humility in your teaching is of paramount importance for you to have the greatest impact in your leadership.

In summary, it is important in our churches to recognise that everyone is unique and has different styles of leadership. None is greater than the other as all styles in one way or another reflect the leadership of Christ. Learning to work together appreciating the gift of God in one another will see the most fruit in our churches as we lead and advance the Kingdom of God.