"A leader is one who influences a specific group of people to move in a God-given direction."
— J. Robert Clinton
What do you think is the greatest challenge facing the church of Jesus Christ today? Is it relativism seeping into the church? Biblical illiteracy? The loss of the Christian mind? The lack of a comprehensive world and life view?
I think all of those are serious issues facing the church. But without leaders, who will move us in a God-given direction to address any of those pressing concerns? That is why I want to suggest that the need for leaders and a vision to develop them is the greatest challenge facing today's church.
Rev Edmund Chan hit it out of the park, in his address at the 2003 APCOD.
The critical need of the church is leadership. Yet this is an area of its greatest lack. Many churches face a shortage of leaders. Often there is no coherent strategy for leadership development (or for leadership transition) in the local church. I am convinced that mentoring of disciples is the key to the critical need for leadership emergence.
Leaders in local churches are in short supply. Paul and Titus faced a similar challenge as they planted churches on the island of Crete in the first century.
Paul writes, "This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you"
Paul's letter to Titus is a gold mine of information about leadership.
Leadership guru, Dr. Robert Clinton writes,
"Today we live the church leadership era. Titus was a book written to an apostolic leader in that leadership era. It is right on for today's world. I consider it, along with 1, 2 Timothy and the two Corinithian books, to be the most important leadership books in the New Testament. Each of these five books deals with important leadership issues, most of which, leaders today face."
Consider this:
- It is one of the last books Paul wrote ... meaning we have Paul's accumulated wisdom in dealing with a multiple-church / regional situation.
- It is filled with cross-cultural application.
- It highlights leadership selection.
- It shows the importance of obedience to truth.
- It highlight's Titus' apostolic ministry.
- It serves to illustrate the development of a leader, Titus.
- It illustrates Paul's variety of leadership styles.
Clinton adds, "What does it mean to establish a church - to ground it so it can continue to be effective in its culture? The book of Titus gives strong answers to this question."
That is why I am so excited to explore the leadership themes embedded in this little gem of a letter. I cannot overstate its relevance to the church today.
Leadership. Okay, I'll agree - in a sense that's true. And yet we are flooded with leaders everywhere we look, aren't we? I think the issue is, as you say, HOW does one establish a chuch... (how did Titus, I would say)... or, rather, WHERE does the leader lead them?
I think the greatest need facing the church today is leaders who will lead us to Jesus Christ and away from all the other stuff!
What do you think? (Great question, by the way.)
Posted by: herobill | November 06, 2005 at 19:08
I agree.
Bobby Clinton in his book, The Making of a Leader defines leadership this way: “…a dynamic process in which a man or woman with God-given capacity influences a specific group of God’s people toward his purposes for the group.”
My view of leadership is Bible-centric ... i.e. moving God's people in a God-given direction. So I think you and I agree.
Posted by: Dawn Treader | November 06, 2005 at 20:13
Is "J. Robert Clinton" you? :)
Posted by: tgirsch | November 07, 2005 at 15:55
Actually ... yes and no. The "J" in this guy's name stands for James ... otherwise, a perfect match. :)
Posted by: Dawn Treader | November 07, 2005 at 17:37