This study reveals the essential spiritual leadership qualities that drive growth within the Christian Church Union in DR Congo. How can these insights transform your understanding of effective church leadership and inspire positive change in your community?
CHAPTER II. THE DEFINITION OF TERMS
II.1. DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP
“The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers.” To gain followers requires influence but doesn’t exclude the lack of integrity in achieving this. Indeed, it can be argued that several of the world’s greatest leaders have lacked integrity and have adopted values that would not be shared by many people today.
« Leadership is the lifting of a man’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a man’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a man’s personality beyond its normal limitations.1
Peter North use (2010) defines leadership as “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (p. 3).2
John Maxwell: « Leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.3
“Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by passion, generated by. Vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.”
« Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” Every spring you have a vision for a garden, and with lots of work carrots and tomatoes become a reality. 4
A simple definition of leadership is that leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal.
John Piper define spiritual leadership as knowing where God wants people to be and taking the initiative to use God’s methods to get them there in reliance on God’s power. The answer to where God wants people to be is in a spiritual condition and in a lifestyle that display his glory and honor his name.5
The word spirituality comes from the Latin word spiritus, which means breath, energy, courage, vigor, and soul. The word spirituality is often viewed as a religious word, but it has a more basic meaning. Spirituality may be conceived as the life force that moves us. Spirituality is that element that makes humans different from statues and robots. Other English words derived from spiritus are aspire, respire, inspire, and conspire6
II.2 THE CONCEPT OF SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP
Spiritual leadership is difficult to define. It involves looking out for the welfare of others in such a way that a task is completed and the group, however large or small, is unified throughout the process. Spiritual leaders create cultures in organizations in which leaders and followers have a commitment to the organization and its mission that leads to action.
They help their followers grow spiritually and become more fully human in the process. The behaviors of followers, in turn, have the same effect on the leader.
Spirituality, the quality or state of being spiritual or of being attached to or concerned with religious questions and values broadly conceived.7
Spiritual means relating to people’s thoughts and beliefs, rather than to their bodies and physical surroundings. Relating to the spirit or soul and not to physical nature or matter; intangible, spiritual qualities.8
II.2.DEFINING BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP
Biblical leadership is defined by Jesus and the Bible. Biblical leadership is servant-leadership.
We looked at Matthew 20:25-28 as Jesus teaches about leading, authority, and service. Jesus-like leadership is radically different from the world. Leading and authority and service in the Kingdom of God is about submission and service. Submission and service. Therefore, we connect servant to leader as servant-leader.
John 13:14-15 Humbling and humiliating service. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords served others like a slave of his kingdom instead of the king. Leaders serve. Biblical leadership is servant-leadership.
Biblical leadership is -1 serving others -2 from a place of selflessness and sacrifice -3 that points to God.
- Serving others. Leadership is not about position, privilege, or power.
Positional, privilege, and power leadership can be identified when a leader does not get their agenda pushed forward, their project highlighted. This secular, divisive, and competitiveness is the opposite of Biblical leadership. Biblical leadership is not about self, but about others. A Biblical leader asks how others can be serviced, how their needs can be met, how others can be lifted. Service is about seeing a need and meeting a need. It is personal. It is giving. It is other-oriented.
- Selflessness and sacrifice.
Attitude and motivation influences everything and every action, seen and unseen. The Biblical leader’s core attitude and motivation are selflessness and sacrifice. If it is selfish or self-serving, it is rejected. It is selfless and sacrificial if it costs the leader and benefits others. If it costs you and aids others, it may come from an attitude and motivation of selflessness and sacrifice.
Pointing to God. Leaders make decisions and if the decision might be questionable, ask if the decision, choice, or action points toward God. That is the goal. The goal is to point people to God. The lost need God and pointed to God for the gospel of Jesus Christ. They need the salvation, forgiveness, and acceptance in Jesus. The saved, Christians, need God and pointed to God for the Lordship of Jesus, surrendering to Jesus’ leadership, submitting to God’s commands, principles, and holiness.9
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1 https://www.corporatelearningnetwork.com ,Drucker’s Top Tips to Successful Leadership, Jun 25, 2019 ↑
2 https://www.sagepub.com › files › 3, Leadership: What Is It? – Sage Publications ↑
3 https://www.forbes.com › 2013/04/09 ↑
4 https://www.forbes.com , Warren Bennis: ,2013/04/09 ,What Is Leadership? – Forbes ↑
5 desiringGod.org, Article by John Piper, Founder & Teacher, January 1, 1995, ↑
6 An Operational Definition of Spiritual Leadership by Kevin G. Bezy , Blacksburg, Virginia , April 1, 2011 ↑
7 https://www.britannica.com › topic, spirituality | human quality | Britannica ↑
8 definition, spiritual qualities meaning | English dictionary Collins ↑
9 https://www.linkeedin.com,pulse,what your definition of a biblical leader?,may,3th 2021, ↑