Table

of Contents
Chapter 1: Stating The Problems
Chapter 2: We Need Answers
Leaders speak the Word of God
His life reflects what he teaches from God's Word
Imitate their faith
Chapter 3: The Good Shepherd
Chapter 4: Qualities of the True Leader
Chapter 5: Biblical Leadership Positions
Apostles, Bishop & Overseer
Elders
Priests
Deacons
Pastor
Prophets
Teachers
Evangelist
Group leaders
Chapter 6: The Place of Women
Chapter 7: Recognising Spiritual Leaders
The heart
The believers walk
Outstanding issues
The soul exposes the revelation of the spirit
The leaders response
Desire to pass on revelation
Immediate application to ministry
Kingdom Faith Resources
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HORSHAM West Sussex, RH12 4RU.
Tel: 01293 851543
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First published in Great Britain in March 2002 by Kingdom Faith

Kingdom Faith Trust is a registered charity (no.278746)

Copyright © 2004 Colin Urquhart

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the
prior consent of the publisher. Short extracts may be used for review purposes.

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Hodder and Stoughton Limited.

ISBN 1-900409-53-4
Acknowledgements

My thanks to the Lord for over forty years experience in church ministry and
leadership. I have come to understand that leadership is a vital subject, for
whatever happens in a local congregation will be a reflection of the spiritual
leadership they are given!

My thanks to Michelle and Sandy for their work on the text and to Chris for the
design and layout. I am also thankful to the Lord for all who share in leadership
with me for Kingdom Faith, which has now become a multi-faceted worldwide
ministry. Together we are thankful to the Lord, whose grace has alone enabled
this.

Colin Urquhart
Stating The Problems

For many years, while teaching extensively in nations around the world, I asked
myself again and again: "How is it possible to make leaders lead?" It was
apparent that Churches often lacked decisive, anointed, visionary leadership.
And without visionary leadership God’s people cannot prosper spiritually, and
His purposes for the Church cannot be fulfilled.

The question became a cry of desperation in prayer, for I soon learned that it was
possible to visit a congregation, see a strong move of the Spirit take place within
a few days of ministry and the people encouraged and motivated to move ahead
in God’s purposes. Yet on a return visit, a year or so later, I would often discover
that the people had not moved on at all; lacking positive leadership that would
have enabled them to grow and develop, the people were in need of similar
ministry to that received on the previous visit. Once again they needed to be
lifted, inspired and motivated. But to what end? The blessings received would
not become fruitful in their lives without the appropriate local leadership.

If this was an occasional experience, one could put it down to a lack of

leadership in that particular situation. But when I saw how frequently this was
the case, it made my prayer that much more urgent.

One day the Lord answered my question, but not in the way I had anticipated.
He showed me that it is not possible to make a leader lead; that if he is not
leading he is not a leader!

This was so simple and yet obviously true! However, it faced me with a real
dilemma. It was obvious that in the Church generally there are many in positions
of leadership who are not leaders!

God is not foolish; He is infinitely wise. One of two things must be true. Either
He did not call some in positions of leadership to those particular ministries, for
He never calls anyone without making it possible for them to fulfill their call
effectively, or if called, those in leadership were not being obedient to the Lord
in leading His people in the way He wanted.
It is inconceivable that Jesus as Head of the Church would want His people to be
without true direction and purpose. Surely He would choose men and women
who would be faithful, obedient and dependent on Him! Surely among all those
who could rightly be called Jesus’ disciples there would be many that fulfilled
those criteria!

If those in positions of leadership do not lead, then presumably either they raised
themselves into leadership, or they were appointed by others rather than being
specifically chosen and called by God to those particular ministries.

However there is such a widespread lack of true spiritual leadership, perhaps

there are other factors to take into account. It could be that the leadership
structures are wrong; that there are leaders with the anointing and ability to lead,
but they are prevented from doing so by the structure of which they are a part.

This would certainly seem to be the case with some. But this raises a further
question: would true leaders allow themselves to be restricted by a system?
Would they not have sufficient influence to change the system? Would they not
choose to move out of a system that was impossible to change, so that their call
to leadership was not stifled?

It seems there are several non-biblical forms of leadership in local Churches,

systems that seem immovable and intransigent. God has given scripture for our
learning. However it is possible to take such biblical titles as ‘elder’, ‘pastor’,
‘bishop’, ‘deacon’, and make them mean something they certainly did not mean
in the New Testament. Even at that time there were those who called themselves
‘apostles’, but were not!

Is the answer, then, to seek out some more biblical form of Church government?
As laudable as that seems, men have sought to do just that for centuries, and they
always end up having to face the same issues that I am raising now. It seems that
there is no system that can provide the answer. Structures seem to increase the
problems of control and legalism that have often beset the Church.

Why are there many leaders in the world of business and industry who, when put
in a position of spiritual leadership, cease to lead? Can they not apply the
principle of man management that they learned in the work-place, to their
leadership of people in the Body of Christ? Do the same principles not apply?
Even if a person has a natural flair for leadership, does this mean he has no
spiritual charisma to lead God’s people?

Perhaps there is another factor to consider. Are Christians far more difficult to
lead than people who belong to the world? Do they actually want to be led? Are
they concerned to fulfill God’s purposes for His Church? Or is each his own
oracle believing only in personal direction from the Lord, without any regard for
the Body of Christ? The Lord needs good Leaders, but also people who are
willing to be led!

Certainly a person in business, a soldier in the army, or even a student at college,

would not be a candidate for acclaim or promotion if he or she continually
obstructed those over them, refusing to obey orders, saying instead that they only
obeyed personal revelation from God!

So many questions! But where are the answers? It seems so difficult to

encourage leaders to work together, even when they do emerge as true leaders!
And yet Jesus prays for unity that the world might believe! It is a wonder that the
Church continues to have the world-wide impact that it does when we consider
how many leadership problems that seem to exist.
We Need Answers

The only place to look for answers is in the Bible. This is always the ultimate
authority for those who are true believers in Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives!
Does the New Testament give us any definitions of leadership? If not definitions,
certainly there are essential clues.

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the
outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever. (Heb. 13:7-8)

This is, perhaps, the nearest we have to a definition of spiritual leadership in the
New Testament. The statement that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and
forever, is readily quoted by Christians, but not the context within which that
truth is revealed. The previous verse points to three essential elements of
spiritual leadership.

1. Leaders speak the Word of God.

We can understand this in two ways, both of which are true. True spiritual
leaders are men or women of God’s Word; they hold to the authority and truth of
scripture. This does not mean they have a legalistic application of biblical
principles. Rather, they focus on the heart reality of God’s Word, the Spirit and
life contained in the inspired scriptures.

They do not want to impress people with their own ideas or opinions, but with
what God has revealed of Himself and His purposes in His Word. Whenever
there is good, strong leadership in the Church, there is always this strong
dependence on the truth of scripture. The course and direction of events and
the decisions that are made, are an outworking of clear, biblical principles.
Certainly nothing will be countenanced that flies in the face of the clear
teaching of scripture. In this sense spiritual leaders will not compromise,
neither will they be pragmatists. Even when it is difficult to do so, they will
"hold fast to the word of God with an honest and good heart" as those who bear
hundred-fold fruit! (See Luke 8:15)
To speak the word of God suggests that a true leader will also be prophetic. He is
not concerned about any Word from God, but the Word that is the right word for
the people He leads at that particular time.

This will influence him in what he preaches, his choice of priorities for the
congregation, and the vision he imparts to others. His concern is to know what
God is saying to His people in that place at that time, knowing that the Holy
Spirit of truth and the Word of truth always work together in God’s purposes and
are never at variance.

2. His life reflects what he teaches from God’s Word.

A true leader is not a hypocrite who preaches one thing (from the pulpit or in
conversation) and lives another. He gives the example of a godly life to others,
even though he is aware of his own personal weakness.

This brings us to a cardinal principle of leadership in the New Testament: it

is principally by example. People follow what they see in their leaders,
rather than a series of instructions.

It is so important for leaders to appreciate this. I have spent much of my life

living in community with as many as twelve to twenty people in my home with
my family and myself. You have to be seen to live out what you preach in the
home, especially when there are very sensitive and hurting people living with
you. Such people are quick to seize on any failures in others because they are so
conscious of their own failings.

For twenty years we have had a residential Bible College as part of Kingdom
Faith. Students are quick to seize on any inconsistencies they see in the lives of
those who teach them. They can see whether they live the teaching they give,
and they see much more of their leaders than most congregations ever see of
their leaders.

I made an agreement with the Lord when a young man, that I would not preach
anything that I was not seeking to live myself. This does not mean that I was
able to hold myself up as a person of virtue or someone who was always
successful in pleasing God. It did mean, however, that I have genuinely sought to
live what I preach. If I was not seeking to live it, I would not have any freedom
to preach it! Sadly, I can think too readily of my own failures. I have sought to
be honest about these, and have not preached to others until I have found my
way through to victory first.

People need role models in the Church, as in any other walk of life. This is what
leaders are to be. It is sad when their lives do not reflect what they teach or
expect of others. It is even more sad when leaders have a low expectation of
others because they have such a low expectation of themselves! This hardly
seems a recipe for what God intends for his people!

3. Imitate their faith.

Just as the leader’s life-style is to be an example, so is his faith. Leaders are to be

men and women of such faith that others can see how to live by faith not only
from listening to them, but also by watching their actions and reactions to
circumstances, demonstrating that their actions are based on faith principles. In
other words, leaders are to have a living faith, not simply an academic or
theoretical faith. They are to have a faith that works so that in their lives it
is possible to see the works of faith. A vital element of their leadership will be
to inspire others to trust God, to depend on Him, to believe His Word and obey
the leading of His Spirit.

It is clear that all three of these principles can only be born out of a genuine love
for God. Such people do not lead because they want position, prestige or
prominence. The very opposite is the case, for it is the humble that God raises
up! He resists the proud.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves,
therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Pet.
5:5-6)

Jesus described Himself as having a ‘humble and gentle’ heart, and He was the
greatest leader of all time! He fulfilled all these principles! He spoke the Word of
God – not His own words, but the words the Father gave Him to speak. He lived
His message, which brought Him into direct conflict with the religious leaders of
His time, who spoke one thing but lived another because of the nature of their
hearts.

Jesus had a faith to be imitated, not only through what He taught but the actions
He performed. It was clearly His expectation that all who believe in Him should
do the same things as He did. He showed the disciples what to believe and to do,
and then sent them out to do those same things. And they did!
If true leadership depends on love for God, a living, vital relationship with
Jesus Christ is essential! Even though Son of God, He knew His total
dependence on His Father in His earthly ministry. He was a Man of prayer and
no matter how busy in His ministry, He would not allow anything to disrupt that
prayer relationship with His Father. He would pray all night if necessary. And it
is clear that He made no decisions without prayer.

Jesus said clearly that He could do nothing of Himself; everything had to be

done in dependence on His Father; hence His focus on prayer. For it is in prayer
that we express our dependence on our Heavenly Father.

If the statistics are correct that on average pastors spend less than five minutes a
day on personal prayer, is it any wonder there are so many leadership problems
in God’s Church? Where is love for God expressed in such neglect of fellowship
with Him? Is it not a matter of pride, rather than humility, to attempt to fulfill the
purposes of God without prayerful dependence on Him?

Jesus wanted to glorify His Father, not Himself. We are warned: ‘Do nothing out
of selfish ambition or vain conceit.’ (Philip. 2:3) Selfish ambition is seen in
scripture as a work of the flesh and therefore in opposition to God’s Spirit. James
says it is ‘earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.’ (James 3:15)

The idea of anyone seeking leadership out of selfish ambition is clearly a recipe
for disaster and is totally the opposite to the principles of servanthood and
humility that characterised Jesus’ ministry!

This has to be true of anybody seeking position at any level in the Church, not
only of those in the five-fold ministry. To seek any position out of selfish
motives is clearly of the flesh and not the Spirit. There needs to be a clear call
from God, and He raises up the humble!
The Good Shepherd

There can be no greater model of leadership than Jesus Himself! How did He
lead the disciples? What did He teach about leadership? He came as the Good
shepherd and made clear that the Shepherd or pastor is a leadership ministry.

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. (Jn. 10:14)

There is to be personal relationship between the Shepherd and sheep, who are to
listen to His voice. His is prepared to lay down His life for the sheep. He is not
like the hired hand who runs off when the sheep are in danger. No, the Good
Shepherd owns the sheep and will actually be prepared to die for them! There is
a sense in which all those called to leadership are to reflect the principles of
shepherding God’s people in the right way, even if they are not called
specifically to the ministry of a pastor.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish. (Jn. 10:27-28)

A shepherd in Israel would lead his sheep several miles a day to enable them to
have sufficient pasture. They would recognise his voice and follow him. Jesus
says His ‘sheep’ are like that. They will recognise His voice, obey Him and He
will lead them to rich pastures, ensuring their safety and that they receive the
fullness of God’s life! In his well-known Psalm, David speaks of the Lord as his
Shepherd:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. (Ps. 23:1)

This divine Shepherd supplies all the needs of His sheep. He causes them to lie
down in rich pastures; and He leads them ‘beside quiet waters.’ He leads them in
paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. He leads them through the darkest
valley so that they fear no evil.

This is a wonderful portrait of Jesus: concerned for the sheep, even to the point
of being prepared to die for them. Concerned about their welfare, protecting
them from attack from the wolves that would come in among them. He leads
them in rich pastures, ensuring they are provided for amply. He leads them to a
place of peace. He leads them in right ways. He leads them through the valley of
deepest darkness, freeing them from fear. He ensures goodness and mercy will
follow them all their days.

All leadership ministries are to take their lead from Jesus. No one should seek to
be a shepherd of God’s people simply because he has the security of a house and
income that goes with the job. That is to be a hireling, who will inevitably feel
that he has to please the people in order to retain his job! A true shepherd or
leader loves people, rather than his ministry!

Jesus says we are to love one another as He has loved us; that this means laying
down our lives for our friends. The true leader gives an example of what it
means to live for others rather than himself. In that sense he is ready to lay
down his life for the sheep. He is concerned more for their welfare than his own.
He recognises he has the responsibility to feed them bountifully with the best of
spiritual food, feeding them with the Bread of Life that came down from heaven,
Jesus! In other words, he ensures they are well taught from God’s Word.

No matter what their personal circumstances, the leader is to lead God’s people
to the place where they can be at peace with Him, with one another and each
with himself or herself.

The leader is there for the sheep, even when people pass through the valleys of
deepest darkness, through temptation, failure, affliction, sickness or whatever
tribulation they have to face. He guides them through these times of intense
difficulty, seeing them set free from their fears and coming out into the light of
God’s love for them in a fresh way! He recognises He is there to strengthen the
people and lead them in paths of personal righteousness, and in the purposes
God has for His people corporately!

Such a ministry is a great privilege and very rewarding, but will be demanding.
We see at once that the shepherd or leader is not problem-centred, although he
will help to see people through their problems. He is purpose centred. He is
leading the people in the right way, in the way Jesus wants them to go. The
sheep are to be absorbed, not with their own needs, but with following
Jesus! They are called to be disciples!

The leader follows Jesus, indicating to the congregation, the way in which they
are to go as a congregation in order to obey Him and fulfill His plan for their
lives. He wants to obey the Lord, rather than please the people!

Here is the dilemma of leadership in God’s Church. The Holy Spirit indicates the
way in which His people are to go, and supplies all they need to enable their
obedience! However, the flesh, the natural self, does not want to obey the Lord.
The pastor therefore has a dilemma: Does he please the Lord in leading the
people in the way the Holy Spirit is indicating, in which case he will certainly be
leading the people in the way they would not naturally choose to go? Or does he
seek to please the people, by pandering to their desires, or by reducing God’s
demands to what they consider an acceptable level? In which case, he will
displease the Lord by compromising His will!

To put this briefly: A leader can either please the Lord and inevitably at
times displease people; or he can please the people and inevitably displease
the Lord!

The true leader will choose the first option. He recognises the call on his life
(indeed, on all Christian’s lives!) is to please the Lord, no matter what the cost.
If this proves to be unpopular he must be prepared to face the consequences.

The anointed leader will be able to inspire people and motivate them to obey the
Lord, even when costly to them. He will not compromise God’s purpose which
is always obedience to His Word and Spirit! God’s purpose can never be
disobedience, or even to compromise His will!

Clearly a leader has to be surrounded by other leaders who will cooperate with
him in leading the people in the ways God intends, and not obstruct that purpose
out of a desire to control or manipulate the congregation by their own ideas or
opinions.

The Church is a spiritual body, and can only be led truly by spiritual men and
women. However, it is clear that so far we have been talking of individual
leaders. Should there not be corporate leadership in the local Church?

No matter what the structure of leadership in a particular congregation,

there always has to be a leader of the leaders. The Church is not a
democracy and God’s will cannot be subject to a vote; it can only be known
by revelation from the Holy Spirit, and then obeyed by His people.
The leader of the leaders will need a stronger anointing on his life than the other
leaders, and has to be a person of vision, who has the ability to envision and
inspire the others in leadership positions.

It is never God’s purpose to have a board of elders or deacons that stifle the
anointing, or seek to exercise control over the one whom God has chosen to
anoint with particular grace to lead His people. Many congregations have been
robbed of God’s purposes and have been subjected to frustration by the
controlling antics of such boards, some of whom are jealous of their power and
influence.

The corporate leadership should see their task as supporting the leader of the
leaders in his desire to lead the people forward in God’s purposes. They need to
be those who encourage the leader and pray for him, not seek to control him!

The true leader of the leaders is just that because of the anointing God has placed
on his life, not because he is power hungry!
Qualities of the True Leader

First, he will be a person of prayer, for everyone ministers and leads out of his
relationship with God. This should be true of leaders at every level, not only the
leader of the leaders. If he neglects his personal relationship with God, his
ministry will suffer and so will the people he has the responsibility to lead.

He will need to be a person of vision. Without vision he will be the blind

leading the blind, and all will fall into a ditch! He cannot envision the people
concerning God’s purposes unless he has vision himself. Without vision the
people perish, or cast off restraint!

He will be a man of action. You cannot follow a stationary car! He has to keep
moving in God’s purposes himself, so that others will follow him.

He will be obedient to the Holy Spirit. He will not allow himself to be

manipulated by those in the congregation who do not want to move in God’s
purposes. To go at the pace of the slowest is a tragic mistake, and is not a sign of
true leadership. There is always someone or a small group, who do not want to
go anywhere, but simply desire to maintain the status quo. To obey the desire of
such people is to allow the whole congregation to be manipulated into
disobedience to the Lord. His purposes are always change. The only
congregation not to need change would be the perfect Church; that does not exist
anywhere!

He will be a man of the Word, for he will test whatever revelation he received
against the revelation of scripture, for he appreciates that the Holy Spirit of truth
is never at odds with the Word of truth!

He will be able to teach the Word, one of the Biblical requirements of a leader.
He has to be able to communicate God’s vision to other leaders and the people
generally. He has to lead the people in the faith that will enable them to fulfill the
vision; and faith comes from hearing the Word proclaimed under the anointing
of the Holy Spirit that becomes revelation in the hearts of the people. He will
express faith in love, for the people can only obey God’s purpose out of love for
Him and for one another.

His personal life, and that of his family, will be a good example.

If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of
God’s Church? (1 Tim. 3:5)

This is said of the overseer, someone regarded as the leader of leaders! Other
qualities mentioned are:

The husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,

able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome,
not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his
children obey him with proper respect. (1 Tim. 3:2-4)

Paul says similar things about those who are elders (see Titus. 1:6-8). To these
qualities is added another important dimension.

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he
can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. (v.9)

Those today who advocate the Church adopting worldly standards of behaviour
instead of holding first to the revelation of biblical truth, disqualify themselves
from leadership, biblically speaking! Paul describes such people as "mere talkers
and deceivers"! He says:

They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching
things they ought not to teach. (Titus 1:11)

He says further that ‘both their minds and consciences are corrupted.’ (v. 15)

It is obvious that if leaders adopt the corrupt standards of the world, they are
truly encouraging others to do likewise, thus seriously undermining the witness
of the Church, whose call is to impact the world with the values of God’s
Kingdom! So we can also say the true spiritual leader will hold firm to the
truth in the face of worldly pressures to compromising the faith!

There is another important element in his leadership. The local leader will need
to be in submission to someone of great spiritual experience and anointing.
Every leader needs to be under proper covering from a true apostle, who
will both care for him and encourage him on the one hand, but will also
hold him accountable for his own personal life and the way in which he
leads God’s people. A person can only exercise spiritual authority by being
under authority.

We shall speak of the nature of true apostolic authority later. Here we must
simply say that God has ordained a five-fold leadership for His Church:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be

evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. (Eph. 4:11)

These are not self-appointed people but those whom God has Himself raised up
and made gifts to His Church. These ministries are not so much positions as
distinct anointings. The anointing on a pastor is very different from that of the
evangelist, for example. It is for this reason that few pastors make good
evangelists and few evangelists make good pastors! Their callings are
distinctive and so are their anointings!

However, it is also important that these five different ministries all combine for a
common purpose:

To prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be
built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of
God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
(Eph. 4:12-13)

This is God’s intended purpose for His Church everywhere. He knows that all
five of these anointings are necessary to fulfill such great objectives. If a local
congregation tries to function with only two or three of these anointings, it will
inevitably fall far short of the great purpose God has for His people. It is trying
to fulfill His purpose in a way He never intended!

Many Church people are spectators rather than participators in ministry, because
there is not the combination of ministries able ‘to prepare God’s people for
works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up’ (Eph. 4:12). Instead
of dynamic faith and spiritual maturity, there is often little revelation of the
biblical truth of our inheritance in Christ. And sadly, there are congregations
where there is little emphasis on evangelism, on needing to reach out to the
world with the gospel of salvation.
The leadership in the local Church has to relate in some meaningful way to
something bigger than itself, for not many Churches will have a true apostle. The
leader needs to be submitted to such a person and to encourage the whole
congregation to receive the input that the apostle can bring from his anointing!

And in the Church God has appointed first of all apostles (1 Cor. 12:28)

To be in relationship with an apostolic ministry will enrich the leadership

capacity of the local pastor and elders and will be a blessing to the entire
congregation. However, we must make clear that true apostles are not control
freaks. They have a spiritual authority that is readily recognised. Those who get
into authoritarian ways lack true spiritual authority! True authority gives
direction without control!

The spiritual principle is important: to be in authority you must be under

authority. Jesus Himself recognised how important it was for everyone to
understand that He was under His Father’s authority throughout His earthly
ministry. Even His opponents questioned Him as to where He obtained His
authority.

All true authority is God-given. It does not come from promotion to a position,
but by being submitted to God’s authority! Those who claim authority from their
position will not be able to lead God’s people in His ways. As soon as you hear
someone say: "As an elder…" or "As your pastor…"; you know he has lost the
plot! Do the people not know that he is their pastor or an elder? The question is
whether they recognise that he has true spiritual authority, in which case he will
speak and act with divine authority, truly ‘in the name of the Lord.’

Such authority is God-given and comes from a relationship of love and

submission to Him. The more a leader is submitted to the Lord, the greater
the spiritual authority that will be evident in his ministry.
Biblical Leadership Positions

In the modern Church there is much confusion because of the different

interpretations that people have placed on the various words used in the New
Testament to describe leadership ministries. We now want to see what these
terms actually mean in the New Testament.

Apostles:

We have seen that it is important that every leader is under apostolic authority
and in a relationship where he can be held accountable for his personal life-style
and ministry. What is a true apostle? Even in New Testament times there were
some who were calling themselves apostles but were not. This is certainly the
case today. It seems that if someone plants one or two Churches or oversees a
small group of Churches he regards himself as an apostle, and may even have
the title placed on his business card!

If a person is a true apostle, he will be generally recognised as such because of

his spiritual stature and anointing, not because of some claim of his own or some
function that he performs. An apostle is more than an overseer.

Obviously there was a uniqueness about the original apostles who were Jesus’
disciples during His earthly ministry, but it is clear that other apostles were
raised up during the New Testament period, of whom Paul and Barnabas are the
most prominent!

An apostle is literally one sent by God with a particular mission. The sending
comes out of direct knowledge of the Lord Jesus and a personal commissioning
from Him. Paul says that through Jesus and for His sake:

We received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to
the obedience that comes from faith. (Rom. 1:5)

This is the heart of true apostleship: to assure that the Church of Jesus Christ is
moving with faith in obedience to Gods call and plan. Apostles have a care for
the wider Church, not just for their own ministries and spheres of influence. So
their remit is beyond simply planting Churches.

An apostle is a ‘father’ to other pastors and leaders. The stature of his anointing
is seen in the nature of the signs and wonders that accompany his ministry. God
gives him the ability to lead people to experience breakthrough in the purposes
of God, breakthrough that is then consolidated by the local pastoral leadership.
Clearly not every congregation will have an apostle in residence.

An apostolic congregation is a focal point for other Churches and ministries that
draw from the apostolic authority and anointing on such a congregation. The
people are not only taught; they receive training to be effective in ministry.

Even among the original apostles there were significant differences both of
lifestyle and stature. Peter was very different from John, yet both showed the
same apostolic life and power. As the Church has developed, we can see that
there are apostles in local areas, national and international apostles, not because
they claim to be such, but because they are widely recognised as such.

Because Paul spoke of this as being the first of the ministries, many want to
consider themselves apostles. Those who seek position and prominence do not
have the kind of father heart required of an apostle! God raises up the humble,
but resists the proud!

Bishop or Overseer:

The Greek word ‘episokopos’ means literally an ‘overseer’ and is also translated
by the term ‘bishop.’ The overseer is simply that, one who oversees a Church or
group of Churches.

In the New Testament there is no concept of a bishop having authority over a

great number of Churches. He would have overseen Churches (some of which he
may have helped to plant) over a relatively small geographical area. He would
have sufficient on-going contact and input with each Church and would have
been truly involved in the affairs of these Churches. He was not regarded as
some princely overlord who was a somewhat remote figure.

When addressing the elders from Ephesus, Paul calls them overseers, suggesting
that the terms elder and overseer were interchangeable. He addresses his letter to
the Philippians to "the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the
overseers and deacons." Again the local eldership were seen as the overseers. So
the Churches in Philippi would have had a group of ‘bishops’, not one!

Timothy was being schooled by Paul as a young apostle with the authority to
appoint overseers (elders) and deacons. We have already seen the qualities that
Timothy was told to look for in such leaders. Paul gives similar instructions to
Titus.

Peter refers to Jesus as ‘the Shepherd and Overseer of your soul.’ (1 Peter 2:25)
Just as Jesus is our chief Apostle, so he is our Shepherd (Pastor) and Overseer
(bishop). All human ministry is a reflection of the overall ministry of Christ
Himself.

So the modern concept of a bishop has strayed far away from its biblical origins.
If we see this office as being that of an elder, there would be several ‘overseers’
in every local Church! If there is to be some distinction between an elder and
bishop, the bishop would only have authority over a small number of
congregations in a local area. Those who pastor three or four Churches are really
overseers of these Churches, not apostles. Paul says:

If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task (1Tim. 3:1)

However, he does have to fulfill the requirements of life-style and ministry to be

eligible for such a position. Remember, apostles, overseers, elders need to
receive their authority by their submission to the Lord’s authority, not
simply by virtue of their position.

Desiring a noble task is very different from seeking advancement for the sake of
your career, or because you desire greater status and recognition in the Church.
All those leadership terms in the New Testament refer to ministers, not to
offices. It is totally outside biblical teaching to assume that a leader has status
because of his office. He is to command respect and even honour, not because
of his office, but because he is found to be worthy of honour through the
way in which he discharges his ministry and exercises the responsibility
given by the Lord!

Elders:

The Greek word ‘presbutersos’ is commonly translated as ‘elder.’ We have seen

that he is regarded as an overseer, one equipped by the Holy Spirit for oversight
in the local Church or Churches. (There may have been a number of
congregations in a city, but they were regarded as part of the one Church of Jesus
Christ in that city. Elders (or overseers) may have had responsibility for one or
more than one congregation in that city.)

The word ‘overseer’ speaks of the responsibility to oversee the Church,

while ‘elder’ indicates the spiritual maturity and experience needed to
exercise such responsibility.

It is these qualifications that Timothy and Titus are to look for when appointing
overseers or elders, an apostolic function. The idea of electing people to such
offices seem foreign to the New Testament.

After the election of Matthias to replace Judas there is no further evidence of

leaders being elected. Matthias was chosen before the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Since then the stature of the anointing on a person should determine the
nature of his ministry. And this anointing will be seen and appreciated
generally. It will become obvious that they have been raised up by God, not men.
They have not sought recognition. They have the anointing and character that
will enable them to be used for the Lord’s glory and the good of His Church.

Priests:

The Greek word ‘hiereos’ is translated as ‘priest.’ This is another much

misunderstood and misused word in the Church today. The New Testament
speaks of what is usually referred to as ‘the priesthood of all believers.’ All
believers are called to be a ‘kingdom of priests’ (Rev. 1:6), a ‘holy priesthood.’ (1
Pet. 2:5), a ‘royal priesthood.’ (1 Pet. 2:9)

In the New Testament there is no specific office of the priest or appointment of

specific people to a priesthood! A priest is one who offers sacrifice to God, and
all believers are to offer their bodies ‘as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to
God.’ (Rom. 12:1) This is regarded as the believers ‘spiritual act of worship.’
Believers are not called upon to repeat the sacrifice that Jesus made once
and for all on the cross. Their sacrifice is to be offering of their own bodies
and lives to the Lord, a living sacrifice, a continuous giving to God for His
Kingdom purposes!

Paul speaks of ‘the sacrifice and service coming from your faith.’ (Phil. 2:17).
He receives the gifts sent to him by the Church as ‘a fragrant offering, an
acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.’ (Phil. 4:18). The writer to Hebrews
encourages all believers:

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise –

The fruit of lips that confess his name. (Heb. 13:15)

Clearly this again refers to all believers, not some priestly class. With such
sacrifices God is pleased.

Peter says that all believers are like living stones ‘being built into a spiritual
house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ.’ (1 Pet. 2:5). These sacrifices are the offerings of our
bodies and lives to serve the Lord, and the offering of our worship to glorify
Him.

As Jesus is our High Priest, all who love Him, all who are born of His Spirit, are
called to be a royal and holy priesthood. So where does the idea of a priesthood
of specifically appointed individuals come from? Certainly not the New
Testament! In fact it was nearly two hundred years after the beginning of the
Church before there are references in historic documents to such a position.

The idea of the priest came to replace the concept of the presbyter or elder in the
Church. One of the corrections brought about through the teaching of the
Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century was to seek to restore the biblical
concepts of leadership in the Church. Literally for hundreds of years the Church
was marked by a historical structure of bishops and priests that cannot truly be
justified from scripture. Such a structure helped turn the Christian faith into a
religion, something Jesus never intended. He came with the good news of the
Kingdom, not to start yet another religion! He came to offer His life on the cross
as a unique sacrifice on our behalf, to make it possible for us to become part of
that Kingdom.

Historically, the priesthood became particular people set apart to offer the
sacrifice of the Mass! To evangelical Christians this is a denial of the true
meaning of both the cross and the Lord’s supper or Holy Communion. The
sacrifice of Jesus need never be repeated. Communion is not offering the
sacrifice again, but thanking the Lord for all the benefits we have received for
the one sacrifice already made for us by Jesus Christ.

The non-biblical views of priesthood led to many unsavoury practices, such as

paying priests to say masses for the dead, implying that it was possible to offer
the sacrifice of Jesus afresh on behalf of the dead. Such denials of the teaching
of scripture became prime causes for the Reformation.

The term ‘priest’ does not signify the above in all denominations. Nevertheless,
the term does generally signify a class of people set apart, but on a non-biblical
foundation. All believers form the priesthood under the New Covenant.

When the term ‘priest’ is used today to signify one who performs the function of
a presbyter or elder, then the biblical requirements for fulfilling such a position
should be fulfilled. And we have seen that Paul instructs both Timothy and Titus
as to what these requirements are!

Deacons:

The Greek word ‘diakonos’ is usually translated ‘deacon’ and in the New
Testament refers to a servant ministry. Deacons are appointed to serve the
Church in particular ways. Jesus said:

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. (Matt. 20:26)

Here Jesus uses the word for ‘deacon’. He says further that ‘the greatest among
you will be your servant.’ (Matt. 23:11) Jesus was himself happy to fulfill that
ministry during His manhood. Again we see that all ministry is a reflection of
His ministry. He is an Apostle, our Shepherd, our High Priest – and our Deacon!
He emphasized the need of servanthood to His disciples:

Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he
must be the very last, and the servant of all.’ (Mark. 9:35)

Jesus’ attitude towards deacons is certainly not that they are people seeking
office for their own prestige or advancement. Far from it, they are to be ‘the
servants of all’!

What was the nature of the deacon’s service in the New Testament Church? Paul
refers to apostles as ‘servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord
has assigned to each his task.’ (1 Cor. 3:5). Even if someone is raised up by the
Lord to be an apostle, he never ceases to be a deacon!

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great

endurance, in troubles, hardships and distress; in beatings and imprisonments
and riots, in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding,
patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech
and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and
the left; through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet
regarded as imposters; known yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live
on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor yet making
many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. (2 Cor. 6:4-10)

What a description of the basic Christian ministry and of the servant of Christ! I
wonder how many who aspire to recognition as deacons would be prepared to
accept their appointment in the light of this passage! Clearly a servant or
deacon is one set apart in a leadership role because of his example in faith,
perseverance, in demonstrating the life and qualities of the Holy Spirit. He
is not concerned about cost, if only he might be found faithful to whatever
God asks of Him, or whatever he might have to face as a witness to the
truth. Paul says:

I became a servant of the gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the
working of his power. (Eph. 3:7)

Here is a truth for all servants or deacons. God will give both the grace and
power necessary for the servant to remain faithful to the Lord and fulfill his call.
He will be one who will continue in his faith ‘established and firm, not moved
from the hope held out on the gospel.’ (Col. 1:23)

Phoebe, a woman, is referred to as ‘a servant of the Church’, one who ‘has been
a great help to many people, including me.’ (Rom. 16: 1-2)

Obviously all believers are to serve the Lord, but some are set apart for
particular ministries as servants or deacons. Because this is the basic ministry,
we could say that all apostles, overseers or bishops, presbyters or elders are all
called to be deacons! So what are the requirements for this basic ministry.

Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in

much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep
truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if
there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. (1 Tim. 3:8-10)

This is a far cry from the elected board of deacons in some Churches! Biblically,
even the wives of deacons are to fulfill certain criteria:
In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious
talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. (1 Tim. 3:11)

The deacon’s home and family life are to be a good example for the Church as
well. He must ‘be the husband of but one wife.’ So he is not expected to be
divorced! ‘He must manage his children and his household well’ (1 Tim. 3:12),
for if he cannot manage his household how will he be able to manage the
Church?

It seems the standard required for this basic ministry is high! However, Paul
commands those who serve well as deacons:

Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in
their faith in Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 3:13)

Pastor:

The term ‘pastor’ is one of the ministries mentioned by Paul in Ephesians 4:11.
As we have seen, the pastor or shepherd of God’s people reflects something of
the nature of Jesus’ ministry, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the
sheep.

The pastor is not to be like the hireling who runs away at the sign of danger. He
guards the sheep, cares for them and protects them. However, the shepherd in
scripture is also one who leads the sheep in the right way, in the way God wants
them to go! Regardless of the cost to himself!

He is not a paid ecclesiastical functionary! He is one who out of love for the
people will put their welfare first. The hired man, who sees his pastorate simply
as a job, runs and protects himself at the sign of advancing trouble!

The pastor should not live in fear of losing people, for if he feeds the sheep well
they will not want to leave. If he feeds them with the word of truth in the power
of the Holy Spirit, the people will prosper spiritually and in every other way!

So to be a pastor or shepherd is not to feed the people with what they want,
but with what the Lord wants for them, for only then will they prosper
truly.

The pastor is one of the ministries given to the Church by God ‘to prepare God’s
people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we
all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.’ (Eph. 4:12-13)
Elders are not even mentioned in that list of ministries that have these
objectives! Nor are they mentioned in the complementary list of ministries in 1
Corinthians, chapter 12.

Certainly God does not want any tensions between, the pastor and other elders.
So, how can we best understand what the scripture intends?

The pastor is raised up by God with the ministry to lead God’s people in the way
God wants them to go and to care for the people God places in his care. We have
seen that he, and the whole of the local Church, needs to operate under apostolic
authority. Organisationally the pastor would be the senior elder, the leader of the
leaders. The rest of the eldership is there to support him in his shepherding
capacity and to share the burden of responsibility for the welfare of the entire
congregation.

There should be mutual submission to one another within the eldership, the
pastor not lording it over the others, and the others not trying to control the
pastor. They should seek to be of one heart and mind.

Prophetically, the pastor should be responsible for the direction in which the
Church is to be led. First he should share his prophetic vision with the other
elders and in this way they can pray together and help to sharpen the vision and
see best how to support the pastor in its implementation!

Where such unity exists the local body of Christ can continue to grow, develop
and move ahead in God’s purposes. Where the pastor wants to lord it over the
others, there is usually resentment, division, or the elders stifle the vision,
creating frustration and a lack of progress in God’s purposes.

The pastor is not first among equals, for none of the other elders is usually called
to the five-fold ministry. He is the leader of the leaders. In other words, with a
right spirit of submission, the other elders want to follow the prophetic vision of
the pastor.

As always, it is a matter of the heart! When the elders have a right heart
towards God and towards one another there is unity; and where there is
unity the Lord commands the blessing.
Prophets:

Strictly speaking, the role of the prophet is not in itself a leadership ministry. The
local Church is not led by a prophet; yet the leadership needs to be prophetic!

The role of prophecy is to bring to the local congregation a word from God. This
is always to be tested, not by the person who brings the word, but by the
leadership. It is certainly out of God’s order for a congregation to be manipulated
by so-called ‘prophetic’ voices from the members, especially on a Sunday
morning!

The leader of the leaders will be prophetic in that he will spend time listening to
the Lord, rather than his own soul. As he shares what he believes to be the
Lord’s direction with the other elders, they can together weigh and test this
prophetic direction. It may be confirmed by other voices in the congregation, but
the Lord will not pass the prophetic leadership of his people over to
someone He has not Himself raised up in leadership! He is a God of order!

True apostles are prophetic and so the local congregation will be blessed and
strengthened by the apostolic covering it enjoys. The apostle will help the local
leadership to discern God’s will and direction for the congregation.

It is good for local congregations to be visited occasionally by those with

accredited prophetic ministries, for they can speak a word into the life of the
local congregation, free from any personal involvement or influence. A true
prophet can be far more objective and less likely to be influenced by soulish
attitudes. However, no matter how high the standing of the prophet, everything is
to be tested as ordered by scripture.

What is definitely to be discouraged are those claiming to be ‘prophets’, who

suddenly appear at a service suggesting God has sent them with a prophetic
word for that congregation. Upon examination you will usually find that such
men or women are travelling mavericks. They are not built into any particular
congregation, are accountable to no one and are therefore not to be trusted. If
they are not submitted to authority, they cannot speak with the Lord’s
authority.

Of course they will claim that they have been sent directly by the Lord to ‘help’
the Church. If allowed to speak they inevitably cause confusion and even
division. If asked what word they would bring to the congregation, they usually
refuse to answer saying that the ‘revelation’ must only be given to the whole
congregation.

Good leaders will never allow such a person to speak. Should he do so

spontaneously, he should be interrupted by the leader of the meeting for being
out of order. The leader will probably be accused of grieving the Spirit and
suppressing God’s will, whereas in fact he is guarding the flock entrusted to him
from false and deceiving voices, who usually speak with much criticism and
judgment. God’s Word is clear; it is to encourage His people, not condemn or
devastate them!

True prophetic words, on the other hand will be a blessing, which is why Paul
says:

Do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold onto the good.
Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Thess. 5:20-22)

Teacher:

Some believe that the office of pastor and teacher belong together. This is
sometimes the case, but by no means always. Some pastors are good teachers of
God’s Word, others are not. Some are anointed preachers, others are not!

In many congregations the pastor is expected to teach and preach whether gifted
in these areas, or not! Sometimes there are more gifted teachers and preachers
among the elders or even in the congregation! In many places, the pastor would
feel threatened to allow others into the pulpit! Such an attitude displays his own
lack of confidence in his leadership ability and authority, and his unwillingness
to allow those with speaking gifts to use them, thus depriving the people of
blessing.

This is often an overhang from the completely non-Biblical type of leadership

that still persists in some denominational systems. A man (or woman) undergoes
a course of teaching and then is expected to do everything! Such a system can
even be supported by the attitudes of the people, who think he (or she) is paid to
do everything!

God wants to run His Church by anointing rather than appointing! Men can
appoint people to positions of leadership, but they cannot anoint them. This is
the perogative of the Holy Spirit alone. Nothing is worse than seeing someone
struggling in a leadership position because he has been appointed to that
position, or has even appointed himself, but without displaying the necessary
anointing for such an appointment.

Most people are a great blessing to the Body of Christ when flowing in their
anointing, but a great menace when they are dependent on their natural strength
rather than on God’s enabling! Every congregation needs anointed preaching and
teaching.

An overseer or elder must be ‘able to teach’; so this is considered a pre-requisite

to leadership. They ‘must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear
conscience.’ (1 Tim. 3:9) ‘He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it
has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute
those who oppose it.’ (Titus. 1:9)

So any leader must obviously be well versed in the scriptures, and not someone
who is easily swayed by the latest spiritual ‘fashion’! Christians are not free to
believe whatever they like; they are to remain true to the revelation of truth
found in God’s Word. The Holy Spirit will never act in conflict to God’s Word!

Evangelist:

The evangelist is not usually in a leadership position in the local Church, as his
ministry is to reach the world with the gospel. He needs to be free to do this
rather than be concerned about the internal workings of the congregation.
However, the work of the evangelist is essential to the purpose of every
congregation, for this is one of the ministries God has brought into the body to
build up the Body of Christ, and to enable the Church to fulfill God’s
commission to make disciples of all nations.

In the Body of Christ every believer is to have a care and concern for other
believers. In this way many can share in the pastoral work of the Church,
without being pastors themselves. In the same way, every believer is called to be
a witness, without necessarily being an evangelist. So it is not a matter of leaving
all the pastoring to the pastor or all the evangelistic work to an evangelist.

Sadly in many Churches there is little evangelistic activity and what there is
centres around itinerant evangelists being brought in for a mission or crusade. As
valuable as these can be, they are not a substitute for the ongoing evangelistic
work that needs to be happening in the local Church.
If the pastor is left to lead everything as a one man show, then it is
understandable that there is little evangelistic activity. The callings of a pastor
and an evangelist are very different. Seldom are these two combined
satisfactorily in one person. The true evangelist is leading people to the Lord
continually, and often is confrontational and even aggressive in doing so. The
pastor does not catch the fish; he processes them. He does not produce the
sheep; he cares for them. This requires sensitivity and gentleness and that is
not always obvious in an evangelist! The evangelist is to lead people to the
Lord; the pastor is to make disciples of them. Both ministries are vital and
complimentary. Pastors and evangelists need to have a healthy respect for
one another.

When a Church is led by an evangelist, as sometimes happens, it usually has a

big front door as people are regularly brought into a saving relationship with
Jesus Christ. But it will also have a large back door. The people are not
necessarily pastored well, because their pastor is more interested in winning new
people for Christ.

We can see the wisdom of God in calling all five ministries of apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors and teachers to work together in teams, each bringing their
distinctive anointings and giftings. However, for such teams to exist a radical
change of thinking is needed in many churches, where individuals and even
independence has become the norm.

In any Church there are those who will take initiative and those who need to be
led. Just as most people will need help to develop pastoral skills, so they need
encouragement to develop evangelistically in learning how to lead people to the
Lord and begin the process of discipling them. For this reason it is a great asset
to have someone who will lead the evangelistic aspect of the work – someone
anointed and gifted in that ministry.

If people are only led to the Lord in a superficial way, only superficial
disciples will result. Sadly this is often the case. People are only truly born
again through repentance and faith. Repentance involves more than the
forgiveness of sins. It includes a wholehearted surrender of one’s life to the
Lordship of Jesus Christ. People need to have revelation of the truth of who God
is and what he has accomplished for us in Christ before they can turn to Him in a
meaningful way. For a person is only truly evangelised if he or she is drawn
into the life of the Church, becomes a disciple, fruitful in ministry in his or
her own right. Both the evangelist and pastor need to work together with this
common aim.

Evangelists usually cannot understand why everyone is not an evangelist.

Leading people to Christ is so natural to them because of their anointing that
they do not see why it is not natural to all who have received the gift of the Holy
Spirit. They fail to appreciate fully that there are different anointings, different
workings but all of the same Spirit.

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do
all have gifts of healing? (1 Cor. 12:29-30)

To be used by God in a particular way on occasions does not make that person a
pastor, prophet, evangelist or healer. The pastor is caring for people continually.
The evangelist is always leading people to the Lord. The healer constantly sees
people healed and set free through the faith that operates in and through him.

To see Church members develop in these particular giftings, leadership is

necessary. This cannot always be given by the pastor, for he can only develop
others out of the anointing he has himself. It needs an anointed pastor to
develop pastoral gifts in others; an anointed evangelist to develop others
evangelistically. It needs someone who is used consistently to heal in the
name of Jesus to develop the healing ministry in others.

As a Church grows there is a need for departmental leaders to encourage the

different ministries which need to operate within the local Church. These leaders
will grow spiritually themselves by having to teach, motivate and disciple others
in this way!

Group Leaders:

There has to be leadership at various levels in a congregation. Most Churches

will have a system of groups which may be called house groups, cell groups,
fellowship groups, covenant groups, healing groups, ministry groups –
depending on their particular emphasis. Leadership of such groups is the greatest
contributing factor to their success or otherwise. To put it bluntly, a group (or a
congregation for that matter) is only as good as its leadership! Here we can touch
on only some of the essential principles for leading such groups.

Those leading should have an anointing to lead in the particular kind of

 group envisaged. Without such anointing the people will not prosper as it
will be led then by the soulish endeavour of the leader: by self, rather than
the Spirit.
The leader of a Church group is not necessarily the ‘best’ person to lead.
Often the more able people have the busiest work schedules and are not free
to give themselves to the members of the group in the way necessary to
develop them. Availability is essential for successfully leading a group of
people.
The group does not exist for the ‘ministry’ of the leader. The leader is there
to serve the group.
The leader should not be free to do his ‘own thing’. Divisions are easily
caused in congregations where groups are left to their own devices, and
they are placed at the mercy of the one appointed to lead the group.
Every group needs to be part of the one vision of the congregation, and its
activities part of that vision. The pastor, as the one in central leadership,
needs to meet regularly with the group leaders, both to encourage them and
hold them accountable for what is happening in the groups.
The purpose of the group is not to have a mini Sunday service. This is the
opportunity for people to interact, to love one another, relate together and
work together for the purposes of God’s Kingdom.
If teaching is deemed necessary it should relate to what the Holy Spirit is
doing with the whole congregation at that time.
Where groups pray together, proper supervision and accountability needs to
be exercised regarding prophetic words, ensuring that no one is deceived by
false utterances that have not been properly verified and tested.

Sometimes groups are led by frustrated people who have an unrealistic estimate
of their anointing, ministry, giftings and abilities. Such people can cause much
damage in the lives of the group members. The frustrated leader will produce a
frustrated group!

This is something we have seen again and again in this short book: leaders
reproduce themselves in those they lead. Ideally, the leader who allows the
Holy Spirit to have prime place in the way the group is led, will produce a truly
spiritual group. By contrast, the one who depends on his personality and soulish
gifting and knowledge, can only produce a group that admires him rather than
the Lord, something to be avoided at all cost.

It is also important for every group to have a clear understanding of how its
activities (whatever they are) relate to the vision of the Church and its call to
make disciples of all nations!
The Place of Women

The place of women in ministry and particularly in teaching is a very

contentious subject in some circles.

Pragmatically my attitude is simple: ‘look at the anointing rather than the sex.’
Better to have an anointed woman than a man who obviously lacks anointing!
After all, only the Holy Spirit can impart anointing, and when He chooses to
anoint a woman, I am sure that He is aware that it is a woman He is anointing!

However, we have a serious question to consider: Does such an attitude conflict

with the teaching of scripture? After all, Paul says:

A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman
to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. (1 Tim. 2:11-12)

There are a number of things we need to take note of here if we are to

understand the apostle:

Paul is not anti-feminist! There are many places where he and other New
Testament writers refer to the ministry of women.
We have to remember the context into which Paul was speaking. The early
Church was modeled on synagogue practice because of its Jewish roots.
Women did not have to attend synagogue and played no part in the services.
They sat totally apart from the men and were screened from them; out of
sight, so that they would not be a distraction to the men.
The women were, therefore, only observers rather than participants. It
would have been considered scandalous for a woman to interrupt the
service!
Paul is always concerned to keep good order. Remember that, although he
was the apostle to the gentiles, he had a passion to see his fellow Jews come
to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He would not want to encourage
anything that Jewish worshippers would consider scandalous. It took many
years for the Church to transition into a body relatively free from Jewish
culture.
 For these reasons Paul was adamant that women should not be allowed to
teach or even speak. However, elsewhere we hear of female prophetesses,
who must have spoken in some context.
Paul always makes a clear distinction in his letters between revelation he
has received from God, and that which Paul himself deems to be the best
course of action in the circumstances. When giving his own views, he uses
the pronoun "I", as here: "I do not permit…" He does not say that the Lord
does not permit!
In Paul’s writings generally, there is a clear distinction between the
unchanging word of truth (logos) and the practical word for the moment
(rhema). These verses, I believe, fall into the latter category.

Today there are a number of anointed, gifted women who are powerful teachers
and preachers of the Word. Only in very legalistic situations are their ministries
not permitted. Remember, the Holy Spirit must have anointed them and so God
must have chosen them!

The position of women in leadership is more complex, for throughout scripture

women are to function under the authority of men. This goes right back to the
fall of man. Because Adam deliberately sinned, we speak of the sin of Adam
rather than the sin of Eve, although she was the first one to taste of the forbidden
fruit. However, God’s judgment on Eve for allowing herself to be deceived by
the devil was that man would rule over her!

Of course the effects of the fall have been cancelled out by the cross. However,
even in the New Testament, man is the head over the woman. So is it right for a
woman to be in leadership?

Some would say they can accept the ministry of women, but not the leadership
of women. Others accept that woman can be in leadership positions, but not in
ultimate leadership; they must always operate under the covering of a man.

Those who use women extensively in leadership, usually insist that they have the
consent of their husbands before being allowed to accept positions of
responsibility. Certainly it would seem difficult from a biblical perspective to see
a woman in the position of ultimate authority in a congregation unless she is
under apostolic authority of a man and is therefore accountable. But we have
seen that a male pastor or elder should also be subject to such apostolic
covering!
Jesus said that people (male or female) will be recognised by their fruit. It is this
that determines whether a person is called, anointed and used of God. Let us
look for the anointing and praise God for every anointed man and woman of
God!
Recognising Spiritual Leaders

The best spiritual leaders, at whatever level, are men and women of the Spirit
rather than those who depend on their natural giftings and abilities. Having
taught Bible College students for many years, I have learned that those who will
develop into true leaders are those who process rapidly the revelation God gives
them through the Holy Spirit.

True leaders want to raise up others in leadership. If they are confident in their
relationship with the Lord and their own anointing, this need not be a threat to
them. Yet they need to know how to recognise potential spiritual leaders, as
opposed to those who are naturally gifted with leadership qualities. The way
people process revelation indicates their spiritual leadership potential.

God speaks to His people by His Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, through
preaching or reading, through conversation and through the lessons learned from
daily experience. This process is called revelation. This is different from
information or knowledge that is acquired with experience.

Leaders process revelation very quickly. Those in lower levels of leadership

process revelation more slowly, while those who are led often need considerable
encouragement to process revelation at all. Here are some principles that need to
operate in the way leaders process revelation, that which God speaks to them
directly or indirectly through others.

1. The heart

The condition of the leader’s heart towards God is the most important factor. The
Lord always speaks to the heart of the believer. A stubbonhearted person will not
be moved by what is said, even though the revelation came from God. The
unbelieving heart will neglect what is said, believing it to be wrong or
impossible to accomplish.

God raises up the humble in heart. They readily hear and receive what He says.
They have a right respect for whatever the Lord says and want to obey readily.
They recognise that He does not give advice; He commands, but without
forcing people to obey. Such obedience has to come from a loving,
submissive heart.

2. The believer’s walk

Even though he may have basically a good heart towards God, the leader’s
current relationship to the Lord and his daily walk with Him will affect the way
he responds to revelation. The closer he is to the Lord the easier to hear his
voice, and the greater his will to respond to whatever the Lord says. This should
be an encouragement to help keep his prayer life in a vital condition.

3. Outstanding issues

Sometimes issues arise in the leaders experience that can cause tension between
the Lord and himself, even though his heart might be basically good and his
walk close to the Lord. A good example would be resenting the circumstances in
which he finds himself. Such resentment will cause difficulties until he makes
the decision to forgive, regardless of the nature of the offence, against him, if
this is the cause of his disquiet. He may have to come to a fresh place of
submission to God, if He asks him to go where he does not want to be!

We are told to rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances, as this is the
Lord’s will for us. These scriptural directions are revelation and need to be
outworked irrespective of circumstances! Remember the leader is one who gives
an example of faith to others that can be imitated. Grumbling, complaining and
dissatisfaction are sin and disobedience, and give a poor example. Revelation
cannot be outworked through such attitudes. Such outstanding issues are best
dealt with rapidly as they are a hindrance, not only to the leaders personal walk
with the Lord, but with his ability to lead others.

4. The soul exposes the revelation of the spirit

When God gives revelation to the spirit it has to be expressed in the believer’s
soul or self life, his natural being. This involves submitting his soul life to the
spirit; ‘losing’ his soul, as Jesus puts it – dying to himself! Without such
submission, the leader will express his own life, rather than the life of the Holy
Spirit within him. There is little point in receiving revelation from God and then
trying to fulfill what He is saying in your own strength and ability. The Spirit
who gives revelation also empowers you to obey it!
5. The leaders response

This is twofold: Faith in the word that God has spoken and obedience to the
leading of the Holy Spirit. Immediately this relates to the first point, the nature
of the heart. A seeking and loving heart is needed to process revelation readily.
Jesus says that if we love Him, we will obey what He commands.

These five points relate to the way every believer needs to process revelation.
However, there are an additional two points that are of particular relevance to
leaders.

6. Desire to pass on revelation

The leader realises that whatever God reveals to him is not for him alone.
Having ‘seen the light’ concerning a particular aspect of truth, he wants to pass
that truth onto others. It is a common experience to find that, once you have
received revelation concerning a certain matter, within days a number of people
will cross your path who would benefit from receiving precisely that revelation.
You thus realise that God has not shown you something just for yourself, but to
use that revelation for the benefit of others.

7. Immediate application to ministry

Even while he is receiving revelation, the true leader sees the immediate
implications of this for his ministry as a leader, for the way in which he is to lead
other people. He sees how the revelation will affect his personal life and witness,
but also how it will enable him to develop others and see them liberated by the
truth.

The above is an analysis of something that needs to happen spontaneously. The

faster this process of revelation from hearing to action, the more God is able to
use a person. A leader needs to understand readily the relevance of what God is
saying, not only for himself, but also for all those for whom he is responsible.

Although God gives revelation to all believers, many depend on their leaders to
hear clearly what God is saying because their hearts are not in the same place
and they do not walk as closely to the Lord. Their leaders can help them to apply
the revelation to their lives, so that they can see and understand clearly what they
are to do in response to His voice. As they grow and develop spiritually they will
be able to process revelation for themselves.
Leaders are quick to hear what the Lord is saying and to translate it into
action. They listen to the Spirit, are led by the Spirit; they walk in the Spirit and
bear fruit through the activity of the Spirit. The more they develop their spiritual
lives, the greater their capacity for leadership!
The True Series:

The True Series comprises of the following titles:

TRUE AUTHORITY
TRUE CHURCH
TRUE COVENANT
TRUE DISCIPLES
TRUE FAITH
TRUE GOD
TRUE GRACE
TRUE HEALING
TRUE KINGDOM
TRUE LEADERSHIP
TRUE LIFE
TRUE LOVE
TRUE PEACE & JOY
TRUE PRAYER
TRUE PROMISES
TRUE REVIVAL
TRUE SALVATION
TRUE SONS
TRUE SPIRIT
TRUE WORSHIP

All these books by Colin Urquhart and a catalogue of other titles and teaching
materials can be obtained from:

Kingdom Faith Resources, Roffey Place, Old Crawley Road, Faygate, Horsham,
West Sussex RH12 4RU.

Telephone: 01293 854 600 | Email: resources@kingdomfaith.com