Elements of a Leader’s Calling: Calling, Lesson 4
Series: Calling
Author: Steve Childers
Title: Elements of a Leader’s Calling
Now we come to the question, “How can someone know if they are called by God to be a church leader–one whose secondary calling is to equip followers of Christ to do the work of ministry?” What are the essential elements of such a calling? We're going to look at four elements:
true spirituality
proven ability
virtuous affinity
confirmed opportunity
These concepts summarize the major characteristics of someone we would call a church leader.
True Spirituality
Let's begin with a look at true spirituality. God cares so much about having qualified church leaders that he has actually placed in Scripture a detailed job description of a church leader. Two of the most familiar passages in the New Testament are in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 where we find the description of an overseer/elder.
This divinely inspired church leader job description places its greatest emphasis not on theological knowledge or even on ministry skills, but on Christian character. This runs contrary to the common view of what a church leader should be in that its primary focus is not on the leader having charisma, skill, or theological knowledge–but godly character.
As Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne once said, “My people’s greatest need is my personal holiness.” McCheyne understood holiness to not be dutiful legalism, but a deep abiding love for God that shows itself in a deep love for people. The apostle Paul writes, “Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
So the first mark of a Christian leader, the first qualification, is true spirituality–a person who has a deep love for God that is manifested in a deep and sincere and authentic love for people.
Proven Ability
The second element of a call to be a church leader is proven ability. A called church leader has both the spiritual gifts from God as well as the ministry experience through which these gifts and skills have been developed, tested and proven.
Spiritual gifts are listed primarily in four places in the New Testament: in Romans 12, 1st Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1st Peter 4. The nature and overlap of these lists of gifts in Scripture imply that they should not be seen as either absolute or exhaustive.
This means that it's possible for some gifts to be listed in Scripture that are not given today, and it's possible for some gifts to be given by God today that are not listed in Scripture. For example, there is no gift of prayer or evangelism listed in Scripture but that does not necessarily mean there isn't a gift of prayer or evangelism.
The key question is regarding what gifts are needed to be a church leader. And the answer is those gifts that are necessary to equip followers of Christ to do the work of the ministry.
So the gifts implied in the names of the offices in Ephesians 4:11-12 will be needed, such as pastoring and teaching. In the use of these gifts, the church leader is to reflect the person and the work of Christ in his offices as prophet, priest, and king.
Prophetic Role and Gifts
The church leaders’ prophetic role is reflected in ministries of preaching and teaching using the kinds of communication gifts listed in Romans 12:6 and 1 Corinthians 12:19, and Ephesians 4:11-12, especially if you understand the gift of prophecy as being similar to preaching.
Romans 12:7 refers to the gift of teaching as a different gift from merely preaching. And 1st Corinthians 4:11 actually refers to a gift of speaking, which is a different Greek word than a gift for prophecy or the gift of teaching.
Priestly Role and Gifts
The church leaders’ priestly role is reflected in the use of gifts of shepherding and encouraging/exhorting listed in Romans 12:8. The Greek word translated “exhorts” in Romans 12 is also found in 2nd Corinthians 1 translated as “comfort” referring to how God comforts us in our affliction. This is the gift of being able to comfort, tend, and care for God's people.
A pastor or a shepherd must have the necessary gifts necessary to love and care for the sheep well. Jesus said “if you love me, tend my lambs, and feed my sheep.” A good Shepherd has the ability to feed them well in terms of Scripture, care for them well when they’re hurt or sick, and even defend them well against anything that threatens them–especially false teaching and sinful practices.
Kingly Role and Gifts
Examples of gifts needed for church leaders to fulfill their kingly role can be found in Romans 12:8, the gift of leadership, and in 1st Corinthians 12:8, the gift of faith.
A word of caution. These lists of gifts in the New Testament for church leaders do not mean that all church leaders must have equally strong gifts and skills in all these areas.
Leaders’ awareness of a lack of giftedness or skills in an important ministry area can be very good because they must intentionally focus on developing those gifts and skills more. This can be good because it forces leaders to serve more out of their weaknesses and depend on Christ more who often loves to show his strength in weakness.
Virtuous Affinity
The element of virtuous affinity speaks to the desire and the heart motivation to plant or pastor a church. Paul writes in 1st Timothy 3 “the saying is trustworthy, if anyone aspires to the office of overseer he desires a noble task.” The word translated “desires” is a strong Greek word that desires strongly a noble task. The assumption seems to be that those called to the office of overseer/elder/leader desire it, they feel compelled to do it.
People can aspire to be church leaders but not be gifted or called to be church leaders. Some people aspire to this office for wrong reasons. For example, they need to be in control or in authority.
But the opposite can also be true, in that people who do not aspire to be church leaders may not aspire presently but will aspire in the future. For many church leaders, the desire and aspiration does not come until after their gifts have been stirred up while they are serving for an extended time.
But it would not be normal for someone called to be a church leader not to desire it, just as it would not be normal for someone called to marry someone not to desire it. It can happen, and the desire can come later, but normally the church leaders who are called to ministry desire and aspire to that calling.
Confirmed Opportunity
The last element is called a confirmed opportunity. It is possible for someone to have true spirituality, proven ability, virtuous affinity, and still not have the necessary element of a confirmed opportunity.
There must be people who see these elements in your life and confirm God's calling by giving you an opportunity to use your gifts in serving them. So there must be a need somewhere and an opportunity where people want and call the leader to equip them by preaching/teaching them, shepherding them, and leading them.
Pastor and author Tim Keller teaches that everyone does not have the same starting point in seeing and developing these calling elements of ability, affinity, and opportunity.
For example, some leaders have the entry point of ability and only later move to experiencing affinity, that’s then followed by a confirmed opportunity. Other leaders begin with an affinity to be a church leader and do not have a ministry opportunity until later. And when the ministry opportunity is before them, that’s when they see their need to develop their gifts and abilities.
Others begin with an opportunity that is thrust on them first, followed by having an affinity to be a church leader and develop the abilities necessary to fulfill their calling.
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