The nature of the new pt 4

Leadership in the New

Within this new paradigm leadership and authority work in very different ways from the existing structures we have been familiar with. I liken the difference between the two to the way a family as opposed to a corporate organisation functions in terms of structure and authority. There is obviously a big difference.

Instead of there being one or more leaders up front who proclaim their vision and call the troops to rally to the flag and pour out their hearts and souls in pursuit of the vision, these new leaders seek to serve the vision of the believers, to encourage them to pursue everything that God has called them to. So instead of the people serving the leaders it is the reverse. There is no hierarchical structure, no ladder to climb, leaders are simply servants to help the people do the work of the ministry not the other way round, leaving the people to watch while the leaders do almost all of it.

Continuing the family analogy, leaders are like fathers and mothers; their goal is to see every child grow up and become mature so that they can then spread their wings and start a family of their own.

As with all families the nature of the relationship between parents and children will go through several stages and will continue even after they have left home.

Which brings us to the issue of authority; a parent will obviously deal differently with a 3 year old and a 25 year old child. Authority is exercised in a very different way in a family context compared to a corporation. And as the children become more mature and independent, authority is something that is invited not imposed from above or outside. It would not be my responsibility to interfere in the care of my grandchildren (if I had any!) without it being requested by my son and daughter in law.

The feel of this new leadership is radically different from much that I have been familiar with in the charismatic church. The exercise of authority by outside “apostles”, infact the whole understanding of apostleship I think is very different in the new. Due to our propensity to control and manipulate (often with the best of intentions) I believe that we have completely misunderstood what the New Testament conveys in this area. Again I think it is vital that we understand that Paul carried a remarkable trust in the Holy Spirit and His ability. When he wrote his letters to the Corinthians (sometimes used by present day “apostles” to condone heavy handed, top down authority) he was not writing to the ‘leaders’ of the church telling them what to do and how to get things sorted out, he wrote to the whole church, the entire body. Paul recognised that the authority within the church in Corinth lay in the whole body indwelt by the Holy Spirit. So he appealed to them as a whole body to exercise that authority and discipline the one in their midst. At first glance it may appear that Paul was handing down his judgements as a ‘fait a complis’ expecting them to do whatever he said, but read as a whole it is clear that quite the reverse is the truth. He appealed to them again and again as a father to his son, to the whole church together to take responsibility for what was going on and together set things straight. It was not his understanding that a couple of individual leaders held all the authority and needed to bring their ruling from above.

This is a big area and we still have a long way to go to see how this new type of leadership and indeed apostleship, including the other Ephesians 4 giftings, will form and develop.

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