Some excellent quotes on leadership and their primary work… from Leadership Journal via Dying Church:
Pastors need to redefine success. The popular model of success involves the ABCs – attendance, buildings, and cash. Instead of counting Christians, we need to weigh them. We weigh them by focusing on the most important kind of growth – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and so on – fruit in keeping with the Gospel and the kingdom. (Dallas Willard)
Soul cultivation goes before institution building…The forming of the soul that it might be a dwelling place for God is the primary work of the Christian leader. This is not an add-on, an option, or a third-level priority. Without this core activity, one almost guarantees that he/she will not last in leadership for a lifetime or what work is accomplished will become less and less reflective of God’s honor and God’s purposes. (Gordon MacDonald)
The way of a Christian leader is not the way of upward mobility in which the world has invested so much, but the way of downward mobility ending on the cross…It is not a leadership of power and control, but a leadership of powerlessness and humility in which the suffering servant of God, Jesus Christ, is made manifest. (Henri Nouwen)
Comments
3 responses to “Leadership Journal on Spiritual Formation”
These are great quotes. There should be a striving for accountability among leaders, a place or group where one can continue to learn and grow spiritually. It shouldn’t rely on just pastors though, although that could be the starting point for change,because I’m in a church that changes pastors every four years or so. We recently had a pastoral change (the first since I’ve been there). Here I am in a leadership role, and have little support other than an occassional “atta girl.”
Spurgeon said when asked about his congregation:
“Don’t count my congregation,weigh them”
…and think if we maintain this approach, we’ll not be swayed of balance…we don’t need any more celebrities in the church..
Yeah it’s a great article-top blog too, i’ll definitely be back.