Today's Church is not like the Church in any other age, because the world, in which the Church exists and must minister, has changed and is changing. The time of our Lord's Second Coming is near and his Spirit is preparing people for this glorious Second Advent. The kingdom of God has come and is yet coming in its outward, physical fulfillment. As the visible expression of that kingdom, which has been preached since John the Baptist, the Church must preach the Gospel of the kingdom, model its unity, and reflect its multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-racial, and multinational nature. Today's leaders in God's Church must develop concepts, leadership styles and attitudes that make them effective, compassionate and compatible servants in this winding up and critical phase of God's kingdom. In our rapidly changing societies we must develop the skills needed to continue to effectively challenge mankind with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Static, inflexible, institutional modes of ministry will quickly become irrelevant and ineffective. Thankfully, we have the infallible dynamic of the Holy Spirit's leading to guide and instruct us. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto churches (Rev 2:7a).
The Church Growth Institute of Forest in Virginia holds as part of its philosophy:
“Leadership is the key to Church growth. Leadership is not dictatorship, but influence. Leadership grows a Church while ministry builds people.”
We would do well in the Church of God of Prophecy, to recognise the truth in this philosophy and to seriously attempt the development of the leadership and ministry skills called for in today's church in today's world.

True Leaders are Biblical “GIVEN”

( Acts 20:28   Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Ephesians 4:11   And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13   Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Acts 14: 23  And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.)

I have used the term true leaders” throughout this lesson to distinguish between leaders chosen by the Holy Ghost, leaders chosen by men, and persons who make themselves leaders in the Church by assuming control and asserting influence over others for their own purposes.
Wherever God's people are found, among them or connected to them will be Spirit-anointed leaders, gifted by the Holy Ghost to minister to and advance the interest and purposes of God's work in that community. Much trouble arises when leaders chosen are appointed by the Church and its pastoral leadership, are not the ones truly anointed and or gifted by the Spirit. We need to accept the principle that the Church should recognise and confirm those from whom God has sent, chosen, anointed or provided in and to the congregation rather than just get us some leaders to fill static positions within the Church's structure. God's work in His kingdom in and throughout His church is not simply left to human instrumentality. The Spirit of God, the divine Superintendent of all God's work, is active in and among His people wherever they are found. One of His chief roles is the selection and empowerment of leaders.


Biblical leadership is Plural even in the Local Church

Acts 14:23  And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
Acts 1:21  Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22  Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
23  And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24  And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
25  That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
26  And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Acts 15:2  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
Acts 15:22  ¶Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
Galatians 1:2  And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
Galatians 1:9  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Matthew 17:1  And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
Matthew 26:36  Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
37  And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

The strong suggestion we have from the days of Jesus ministry was that human leadership in His church would be plural. He called and ordained twelve Apostles ( Mark 3:13  And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. 14  And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,).
From among them He specially trained three. Peter,James and John, who seemed to be leaders among the leaders (Matthew 17:1,2; 26:36,37). After the ascension, the Apostles met and made decisions as a group. Usually with one as moderator of the meeting ( Acts 1:15  And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,). Our model of one person as the sole leader within the local Church places an unbearable load upon that individual often resulting in stunted Church growth nod failure. Shared leadership responsibility seems to be the New Testament way as when Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders in every Church (Acts 14:23) or when Peter admonished the Elders in 1 Peter 5:14  Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen. Obviously, there is always leading EIder or as we say in modern term a senior Pastor but this 'primus inter pares” or first among equals as never intended to be the lone ranger type or the sole holder of responsibility and or authority'. Actually plural leadership has always functioned even in systems that were designed to be singularly run.
And God hath set some in the Church (singular) , first Apostles, secondarily Prophets. and thirdly Teachers etc ( all plural).. (1 Corinthians 12:28a). Note: Church singular; aIl ministries plural.

True Leaders recognise what plural leadership is and how it works

Acts 13:1  Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2  As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
3  And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Acts 15:6  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
Luke 22:24  And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
25  And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
26  But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Galatians 2:9  And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

Every man has his proper gift and calling of Cod and it is the same Cod, the same Spirit that calls anoints and empowers all. Plural leadership means that it is Cod that worketh in all both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure). Peter James and John (Galatians 2,) recognised that Paul's ministry' to the other nations. Was just as much a work of Cod as theirs was to the Jews. They did not have to control Paul his itinerary or the content of his preaching. This is not to say that Paul was not to be accountable, for in Galatians 2:1,2 we learn that he went up to Jerusalem to see them for the express purpose of accounting for the validity of his ministry. Paul said, 'For He that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles (Galatians 2:8).

At Antioch (Act 13), five cross-cultural Prophets and Teachers met in prayer and fasting, no doubt seeking direction from God. The Holy Ghost spoke in their midst and directed that from among that leadership group of five, two be separated for special missionary work. The others obeyed without hesitation and indeed without jealousy. They recognised how leadership works and they were comfortable relating to each other. There was a spirit of camaraderie among them and not a spirit of rivalry or competition. Those who loved to have the pre-eminence among them were condemned ( 3 John 9. I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10  Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.).

Plural leadership is a kind of assurance that God is at work among us. It is in this atmosphere that we are asked to submit one to another. ( 1 Corinthians 16:16 That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth) and to those over us in the Lord ( Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.). It is in this context that we are taught that in honour, we should prefer one another ( Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;) and to look not after our own interests but practice looking out for the interest of others ( Philippians 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.). We do not call each other, or, in the truest sense, appoint or commission each other, but we are to affirm each other's calling and ministry so that the church may have confidence in its leadership.

True Leaders will lead responsibly in co-operation with and being accountable to their peers

( Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.,
Galatians 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
Ephesians 4:3 , Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

I earlier mentioned Paul's journey to Jerusalem as recorded in Galatians 2. He was being accountable voluntarily, and not because anyone could hold him to account. Peter submitted to Paul's argument against the practices of separatism, for he, Peter, was clearly in the wrong with his more limited view of the gospel. Returning from their missionary journeys, Paul and Barnabas reported back to the brethren what God had done through their ministries. When Peter was freed from prison and went to Mary's house where a prayer meeting was being held, he was careful to ask them to tell James he was leaving town. When he went to Cornelius' house and was later confronted by the Jerusalem brethren he calmly explained how God had led him. A potential serious confrontation turned into a moment of rejoicing (Acts 11:1  And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2  And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, 3  Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. 4  But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,). Plural leadership must be characterised by co-operation, submission and voluntary accountability. We are to stand for the basic principles of God's Word, which is the gospel, and always seek the truth in love. Team leaders are to complement each other, to build up, to encourage, to inspire and motivate the membership to action and participation in the life and work of the Church.

A word about accountability. True leaders are accountable to their peers not because other leaders have any dominance over their faith, but because the Church is a brotherhood, a community of servants wanting desperately to please the Head and Saviour of the Church, Jesus Christ. They want to be accountable because it is essential for the preservation of unity and good of their own souls. The biblical metaphor 'The Body of Christ demands a certain accountability and spontaneity. since we are members one of another and are all members of Christ.

True leaders are visionaries – they lead the way because they see the way

( 1 Chronicles 12:32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
Galatians 2: 3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: 4  And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 5  To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
2 Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.)

I wish to borrow, rather extensively here, from Leith Anderson's 'Dying for Change,' a book about leadership in the Church in these modern times. Leith says:

“Without a vision of God as He is, there is no vision of the Church as it could be; without a vision of the Church as it could be, the reality of our vision of God comes into questions.”

He gives some characteristics of visions and I have chosen to share four of them below.

1. Visions look to the future. They are the sights and sounds of tomorrow.
2. Visions see the way things could be. “Christians of vision spend little time bemoaning the rough realities of our world and asking, 'Why?' instead, they look at the way things could be if the church were vital in prayer, devout in worship, informed in Scripture, aggressive in evangelism, close in fellowship, and zealous in Missions, and ask, 'Why not?'
3. Visions are in the eyes of the leaders. “This is the way vision usually works. It begins in the eyes of the leader and grows through the experiences of the followers.”
4. Visions drive us to action.

True leaders cannot be content with the status quo or things as they are. They see things that could be and must push on towards them. It is as natural as breathing for them to lead the way because they see the way. Leadership in the Church, as we have known it, has operated much like a presidium, with the ones in office presiding over a given structure, with known rules of operation. In this age, the Spirit is calling us to His leadership, which projects us into the future and causes us to have a leap of faith. It is, literally, a grace awakening as we recognise our true roles as “helpers of joy” rather than owners of the faith of others.”

True leaders encourage and inspire growth through evangelism

( Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
Acts 11:22  Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.
23  Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. 24  For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.