I think there is a common misperception that simple/house churches do not have leaders, do not want leaders, and are, by definition, leaderless. I suppose there is truth to this if our definition of leadership involves position, hierarchy, and title along with roles that prescribe leadership to only a few people.
But I would like to suggest that the purpose of the church ought to be to develop ALL believers into leaders. For this reason, I would say that simple/house churches are ALL about leadership. Furthermore, the problem in the past has been that, too often, we have limited the leadership development of others because there is only so much room for the few who are prescribed to lead from the top.
Think about what it is that ALL believers are called to do:
- To be salt and light in the world.
- To love neighbors sacrificially.
- To make disciples.
- To serve as priests.
- To be an example of the incredible wealth of God’s kindness and grace.
- To bring a song, a word, a prophesy when we gather.
- To be ready to share God’s word of grace with others in season and out.
- On and on and on.
By getting hung up on certain, particular leadership roles (apostle, evangelist, teacher) we miss the true meaning of what it means to be a follower of Jesus: it means to be an influencer. Oh yeah, that’s what leadership is.
Imagine when the Body of Christ reaches its potential of every member a leader in his/her own right, shining forth God’s glory in his/her unique way. What a powerful vision of a church that is unleashed to change a world!
Every member of the Body of Christ… a leader! Should we have any other vision and should we pursue any model of Christian life that does not set this forth as THE priority?
Comments
6 responses to “House Church is ALL About Leaders”
Interesting post, thank you!
Hello Roger! Felicity tweeted your article. I’m one of those people that just doesn’t like the term ‘leader’ in the context of the body of Christ.
The term ‘leader’ is problematic imo. There is a problem with the term for me and its connotations, its meanings and values in our modern Western world (and church circles). In scripture with regards to the ecclesia, I see that it is only used in Hebrews, 3x. WHY do we need to use the term, the concept ‘leader’ AT ALL? Scipture uses much more ‘shepherds’ and ‘elders’. NB—Whatever we do we should have the heart of the Good Shepherd–which therefore makes you a ‘leader’ in whatever you are doing) but without the self-promotion, lack of dying to self, being in a spotlight, connotations the term ‘leader’ has come to have across the world, today. Everything about that awful term is OPPOSITE to the message of the gospel.
the great leaders I know are invisible and foundational…my spiritual Mum, Bunty Collins taught me YEARS ago, that you can’t see the foundations of a building. I know this is not new thinking now in Simple Church circles, but I first heard it from that great invisible leader/teacher. She role-modelled it to us.
I will never be comfortable with the use of the term ‘leader’ in the context of the Body of Christ.
Hi Roger,
I know it’s been a while since I’ve been here, but the title of this article caught my attention and my thinking is along the same lines as lauraselvak. I don’t believe the Church (in any form or fashion) is ALL about leaders. To put it plainly, the Church (in any form or fashion) is ALL about Jesus Christ.
In the Church, there is only one REAL leader. If we wear any sort of title it is that of “follower.”
You said:
“By getting hung up on certain, particular leadership roles (apostle, evangelist, teacher) we miss the true meaning of what it means to be a follower of Jesus: it means to be an influencer. Oh yeah, that’s what leadership is.”
We are all to be followers of Jesus Christ. In being a follower of Christ, we allow His leading in our lives. In us He grows, works, moves, tears down our flesh, builds up His desire, reveals and ultimately exalts Himself. Through that outworking in us He influences, presents Himself, brings to light, transforms and wins the hearts of those around us.
If the Church gets caught up on anything other than Jesus Christ, even though those things may be “good,” it will stray, even if slightly, from the Way, the Truth, and the Life, who is Christ Jesus.
Christ Jesus, is the head of His body. The Head is not separate from the body, but they are in fact one. As the Head, Jesus is fully capable of leading His body, and He doesn’t need our help.
The hand doesn’t tell the brain how to make the leg function. The leg doesn’t tell the brain how to make the arms function. Neither do the limbs tell each other how to follow the brain. The brain leads and communicates with the body, giving it instruction on how it should function.
I find it funny that we seldom, if ever, hear about raising up followers. Yet, Jesus, himself was a follower. He told us I do not act on my own accord, but I do what I see the Father doing. He followed the Father. Just as Jesus, on earth, was the visible expression of the Father. So we are to be the visible expression of Jesus, and we will only be that expression of Him by following what we see Him doing.
To me, the vantage point makes all the difference. In the “leader” point of view it is about us, what we become. In the “follower” point of view it is about our death, death to self and flesh, and it is about His life, how He lives, breathes, and moves in, around and through us all. Christ IS ALL.
Tobias
The “Jesus Virus” blog just last week talked about discerning God’s Spirit in leading us, thereby allowing Him to truly be the “Leader”. I’m in total agreement, but still believe in the role of “eldership” (as opposed to “Leadership”) in the sense of utilizing wisdom given from God in order to keep things in order. Point in case would be, most of us have met young exuberant believers who feel that all that comes to their mind must be from God. Not that elders have a position which would enable them to “curtail” or “put a lid” on things, but to be a “sounding board” and respected council.
as I commented to Felicity Dale
Excellent article. BUT I still stand by the thrust of my argument to Roger…the problem of the term itself; its understanding and connotations in world AND in bulk of church. you cant give lengthy expositions of what the term actually means in Christ EVERY time its used. And the NUMBER of times it is discussed, used, focused on is also the problem relative to its use and focus in NT Church itself. Isn’t there another term we can use to break away from the flesh-ridden, anti-cross connotations which surrounds the term ‘leader’in the world we live? Most people, outside your own circle of influence, will be drawn to the subject for far less than New Creaton purposes (imo No. 1 problem with institutional churches).
and also can we break away from our obsession with it and its function which is out of ALL proportion to the time and space NT gives the subject?
Don’t we have enough dogmatic alpdas in society already? lol