In light of this weekend’s celebration of Easter, let’s turn our attention to one of the most positive pastoral leadership styles that a church can enjoy – Servant Leadership, because Jesus is commonly considered the greatest example of a servant leader to ever live. The essence of servant leadership is that the leader’s primary aim is to serve their followers. This motivation is based on what Greenleaf calls the conscious choice to lead, yet is guided by the choice to be a servant first. “Servant leaders provide vision, gain credibility and trust from followers and influence others by focusing on bringing out the best in their followers.” As stated above, in the Journal of Biblical Perspectives in Leadership, Ayers agreed, “Humility evidences itself particularly well in servant leadership, in which Jesus serves as the quintessential example.”
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul expounds on how one part of the body of Christ is no greater than another, how all parts are necessary, and that those thought of as lesser will be given greater honor. In the book of Philippians, Paul writes, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significantly than yourselves.” Servant leadership in its purest form is the combination of humble intelligence and putting others’ needs ahead of one’s own, both of which lead to unity within the church and the greater body of Christ. It begins with the leader, who models humility for the rest of the team and potentially, as Faulkner stated in the article Honorable Ambition, “opens up magnanimity to gratitude, delight, and wonder at God’s creation.” Pastor Graham Standish adds, “Humility is the willingness to become God- and other-focused rather than being narcissistically self-focused. It’s becoming a servant of God and others.”
Churches with servant leaders as their pastor are fortunate and blessed. They are able to focus on the mission of being the hands and feet of Jesus in their community because they are not saddled with having to place focus on the person occupying the pastor’s office. When the pastor is a truly servant leader, the church is free to be all God would want them to be.
IMPACT: When the humility factor is added to the leadership style of Servant, the humble pastor outcome is that the leader’s heightened self-awareness and brokenness will complete the package of a leader who considers others’ needs before their own. The others will, in turn, desire to be a servant as well, which will cause the organization to take on the same qualities, resulting in a servant serving servants who serve their community for maximum positive impact.
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