A Servan Leadership - Early False Concepts
Just as Christianity influenced the Roman
Empire, the Greco-Roman world also affected the course of Christianity. Citing pagan
influences on early Christianity, Kenneth Scott Latourette—renowned church
historian and professor of Christian missions—states that the Roman concepts of
power and rule corrupted the organization and life of the early churches. He observes
that “the Church was being interpenetrated by ideals which were quite contrary
to the Gospel, especially the conception and use of power which were in stark
contrast to the kind exhibited in the life and teaching of Jesus and in the
cross and the resurrection”. This, Latourette goes on to say, proved to be “the
menace which was most nearly disastrous” to Christianity.
I believe it is more accurate to say that the
conceptual and structural changes that occurred within the church during the
early centuries of Christianity proved to be disastrous. Christianity, the
humblest of all faiths, degenerated into the most power-hungry and hierarchical
religion on earth. After Emperor Constantine elevated Christianity to legal
religious status in A.D. 312, the once-persecuted Christians fiercely
persecuted all their opposition. An unscriptural clerical and priestly caste
arose that was consumed by the quest for power, position, and authority. Even
Roman emperors had a guiding hand in the development of Christian churches. The
pristine character of the New Testament church community was lost.
Principles in the
Scripture
When we read the Gospels, however, we see that
the principles of brotherly community, love, humility, and servanthood are at the
very heart of Christ's teaching. Unfortunately, like many of the early
Christians, we have been slow to understand these great virtues and especially
slow to apply them to church structure and leadership style.
New Testament, Christlike elders are to be
servant leaders, not rulers or dictators. God doesn't want His people to be
used by petty, self-serving tyrants. Elders are to choose a life of service on
behalf of others. Like the servant Christ, they are to sacrifice their time and
energy for the good of others. Only elders who are loving, humble servants can
genuinely manifest the incomparable life of Jesus Christ to their congregations
and a watching world.
A group of elders, however, can become a
self-serving, autocratic leadership body. Thus Peter, using the same
terminology as Jesus, warns the Asian elders against abusive, lordly
leadership: “…nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving
to be examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3). Peter also charges the elders, as
well as everyone else in the congregation, to clothe themselves in humility just
as Jesus clothed Himself in humility: “All of you, clothe yourselves with
humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace
to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5b). With similar concern, Paul reminds the Ephesian
elders of his example of humility. In Acts 20:19, he describes his manner of “serving
the Lord with all humility” and implies that they, too, must serve the Lord in
the same manner. Because of pride's lurking temptation, a new Christian should
not be an elder: “And not a new convert, lest he become conceited and fall into
the condemnation incurred by the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6).
In addition to shepherding others with a
servant spirit, the elders must humbly and lovingly relate to one another. They
must be able to patiently build consensus, compromise, persuade, listen, handle
disagreement, forgive, receive rebuke and correction, confess sin, and
appreciate the wisdom and perspective of others--even those with whom they
disagree. They must be able to submit to one another, speak kindly and gently
to one another, be patient with their fellow colleagues, defer to one another,
and speak their minds openly in truth and love. Stronger and more gifted elders
must not use their giftedness, as talented people sometimes do, to force their
own way by threatening to leave the church and take their followers with them.
Such selfishness creates ugly, carnal power struggles that endanger the unity
and peace of the entire congregation.
Humility and Authority
The humble-servant character of the eldership
doesn't imply, however, an absence of authority. The New Testament terms that describe
the elders' position and work “God's
stewards”, “overseers”, “shepherd”, “leading”—imply authority as well as responsibility.
Peter could not have warned the Asian elders against “lording it over those
allotted to your charge” (1 Peter 5:3) if they had no authority. As shepherds
of the church, elders have been given the authority to lead and protect the
local church (Acts 20:28-31). The key issue is the attitude in which elders
exercise that authority.
Following the biblical model, elders must not
wield the authority given to them in a heavy-handed way. They must not use manipulative
tactics, play power games, or be arrogant and aloof. They must never think that
they are unanswerable to their fellow brethren or to God. Elders must not be
authoritarian, which is incompatible with humble servanthood. When we consider
Paul's example and that of our Lord's, we must agree that biblical elders do
not dictate; they direct. True elders do not command the consciences of their
brethren but appeal to their brethren to faithfully follow God's Word. Out of
love, true elders suffer and bear the brunt of difficult people and problems so
that the lambs are not bruised. The elders bear the misunderstandings and sins
of other people so that the assembly may live in peace. They lose sleep so that
others may rest. They make great personal sacrifices of time and energy for the
welfare of others. They see themselves as men under authority. They depend on
God for wisdom and help, not on their own power and cleverness. They face the false
teachers' fierce attacks. They guard the community's liberty and freedom in
Christ so that the saints are encouraged to develop their gifts, to mature, and
to serve one another.
In summary, using Paul's great love chapter, we
can say that a servant elder “is patient…kind … not jealous; … [a servant elder] does not brag … [a servant
elder] is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly …does not seek [his] … own …
[a servant elder]is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; [a servant
elder] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
