Line: Understanding What Leadership Is and Is Not
(see also Authority, Church Administration, and Apostles and Elders)
Leadership is a hot topic among many Christians but the biblical concept of leadership in the both the Old and New Testaments is different from that in the world and in much of Christianity. The real leadership among God’s people rests not with the merely gifted, eloquent, or charismatic, but with those who know God Himself in an intimate way, those who know His heart’s desire and His ways. Actual biblical leadership is not vested in the persons themselves. Rather, leadership resides in the vision they have received from God and that they can impart to the people of God. This concept of leadership is absolutely contrary to the leadership prevalent in the world today as this line of articles makes clear.
The Lord’s Concept of Leadership Versus Man’s Concept In this three-part series we will examine the matter of leadership among the local churches in the Lord’s recovery and how it conforms to … Continue reading Leadership in the Lord’s Recovery, Part 1: The Lord’s Concept of Leadership versus Man’s Concept
In the previous article we saw that man’s concept of leadership and authority is directly opposite to the Lord’s concept. For the natural man leadership is an organizational, hierarchical, and prestigious matter. … Continue reading Leadership in the Lord’s Recovery, Part 2: The Biblical Pattern of Leadership
As we have seen, God’s intention is that He, the unique source of authority, would lead His people directly. No person, organization, or system should usurp God’s leadership over His people, which … Continue reading Leadership in the Lord’s Recovery, Part 3: Applying the Biblical Pattern of Leadership
Some have asserted that the saints in the Lord’s recovery merely follow men—Brothers Watchman Nee and Witness Lee—rather than God. This claim denigrates the saints, who are said to exalt Brother Lee above … Continue reading Following the Vision or Following a Man
The local churches in the Lord’s recovery function according to the principles of the Body of Christ as an organism, not as a hierarchical organization as some have mistakenly claimed. We should not … Continue reading Concerning Hierarchy and Organization