Is Leadership Biblical?

I read a post today on David Fitch’s blog entitled, “Is ‘Leadership’ Biblical? A Few Reasons to say ‘No’” with great interest. First of all, I was immediately drawn to his ideas about what leadership means from a biblical standpoint because I too have often struggled with the ‘top-down’, hierarchical, business style of leadership that has become so prevalent throughout the Church, in all contexts.

His basic argument is one that I share. It isn’t the idea of leadership itself that he feels (and I feel) needs to be confronted, but the notions of leadership that we so often impose on biblical ideas surrounding leadership. Hans Kung articulated it best when he said that leaders in the Church, if they want to more accurately reflect Jesus’ style of leadership, ought to lead from ‘within’ the congregation, as one gift among many (Eph. 4), rather than from ‘above,’ which is so often the case. The idea is one of interdependence and mutual submission.

“I am among you as one who serves” – Luke 22:27.

As David mentioned in his post, his ideas may stimulate more questions than it does answers, but that’s a good thing. We all need to continue the conversation on what biblical leadership looks like and how to implement it, which I hope his post will seek to achieve.

To read David’s post, “Is Leadership Biblical?,” click here.