Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

CHAPTER 5 Servant Leadership

“IfI then, the Lord and Teacher, washed yourfeet, you also ought to wash one another’sfeet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as 1 did to you.” John13214,15

prayed for a newly installed elder in our church, a brother from another country who had been attending our church during the previous year ran up to me and asked enthusiastically, “How do six such strong, natural leaders work together so harmoniously as you men apparently do?” His question was stirred by the appointment of the new elder because he was a dynamic leader in his own right. The newly appointed elder had planted churches in Spain for twelve years and had previously planted churches in America. So he wasn’t, as they say, a “yes man.” His strong personality and drive had the potential to create conflict within the eldership team. ' I didn’t have to think about my reply. “Each of our elders,” I ex plained, “is committed to working together, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in humble, Christlike love.” We had thought about and discussed the issue of working together in unity and love for more than twenty years. We didn’t think we had an option as to how we were to relate to one another in our work for the Lord. Jesus Christ lived and taught the principles of love, humility, oneness, prayer, trust, forgiveness, and servanthood. After His ascension into heaven, the twelve apostles put these principles into practice by working together humbly and lov ingly as a leadership team. Thus they became the first model of collec tive servant leadership. 0 n a Sunday morning after we had publicly commissioned and

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