Beyond a wide variety of prophets and activists from all the world’s religions who have deepened and enriched their times, the urgent need and objective of the church today is to get back to the warrant of faith and beatitude of leadership (Jude 3, Matt 5). When faith degenerate to subjectivism and moral aberration, we need spiritual leadership as a rudder to steer the church boat as pillar and foundation of truth. Leadership matters. Just as ‘poor leadership cripples businesses, ruins economies, destroys families … bring the demise of nations;’ the church also declines. 

The global list of crises keeps growing, especially, political leadership in such a time of crisis and confusion lack of trust in church leadership. According to Apostle Peter, ‘”there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words” (2 Pet. 2:1-3). The church is being maligned in many respect, thereby relinquishing biblical ethics and doctrine, the truth is becoming error and error is becoming truth (Matt. 16:1-3). Leadership is becoming complex as ‘society becomes more mobile, dysfunctional, and competitive in vying for people’s attention.’[1]  Spiritual leaders looks beyond self to God especially in secular  arenas that demands leadership ‘beyond mere human wisdom and engaging one’s soul, intuition, and discernment.’ In the Old Testament, the Priests were to be the spiritual leaders of God’s people. However, in the church age, Jesus, our High Priest has fulfilled and superseded the Levitical priesthood (1 Pet 2:9). For the church to fulfil her purpose as the pillar and foundation of truth set apart to uphold the Jesus’ mandate, the church need spiritual leaders that functions beyond politically correct religiousity. Jesus’ primary role and function was more of a spiritual leader than a manager and this provides a distinction between spiritual leadership from other forms of leadership. When we follow Jesus Christ as our spiritual leader, we become a spiritual leader shaped by spiritual fruit (Gal 5:2-23, 25).

Spiritual leadership as the focal point and the power plant for the twenty-first century is a call to honour God by walking with Him and teaching His truth. Spiritual leadership is not about the power and the accolades bestowed upon the leader, it’s about the transformation of those whom the leader serves. It is not about seeking high places or leading for personal gratification. At its essence, leadership is about people. At its core, spiritual leadership is about improving the status quo, and inspiring the creation of spiritual change and renewal.[2] In essence, ‘leaders who desire to be spiritual must consciously fight the tendency to lead by their own power.’According to Alan Nelson, ‘because of the inherent conflicts between leading and being authentically spiritual, few genuine spiritual leaders exists.’[3] The church is sent to recognise and voice the values of imitating Jesus and His leadership style. Just as the pinnacle of Jesus’ spiritual leadership and accomplishment was his death, the ultimate expectation and qualification of spiritual leadership is death to self and flesh. Nelson using the analogy of ‘oil and water,’ what make a person spiritual are often the opposite of the process of other leadership. According to him, ‘leaders who desire to be spiritual must consciously fight the tendency to lead by their own power.’ Spiritual leader is beyond the opinion, professional and hierarchical status because they lead and influence others into transformation and not just production or maintenance of structure. Just as spiritual leaders can be found in ‘secular organisation, in the same way managers and organisational leaders can be found in religious one,’ the distinction is that while the spiritual leaders influence and inspire other, managers direct and maintain system.

The goal of a spiritual leader is spiritual growth, health, and healing of people and not just a natural or numerical outcomes. Spiritual leaders are envisioned to lead others into their own encounter with God thereby ‘gain a following because of who they are and follow,’ and not because of a position they hold. Spiritual leaders lead others in to many aspects of their personal journey with God through discipleship, sanctification, vocational, and heavenly hope. Hence, ‘the beauty of a spiritual leader is that if you follow them, you become a spiritual leader also. Pursue your own spiritual growth, and it will affect your relationships, and then, it will affect those you relate to.’ The good news is that ‘spiritual leadership always multiplies — internally and externally,’ rather than decline. Spiritual leadership challenges us to think far beyond the hierarchical and philosophical box, what we do to who we really are.

Historical theology in relation to the call of God to service from the Patristic Period, the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the Reformation and Post-Reformation, and the Modern Period to the present day rather than casting doubt is very helpful in understanding the key purpose of spiritual leadership. According to the book Acts, ‘all that Jesus began to do and teach..’ in the beginning of the Christian Church through the lense of historical theology and church history points to the importance of spiritual leadership (Acts 1:1). The essence of Christianity as a practice and movement is about followership and making discipleship, hence the need for spiritual leadership which is practical, relational and rooted in the eternal love and mercy of God. Spiritual leadership anchored in Scripture prevents relativism and also has potentials to inspire and mentor young leaders into deeper theological engagement and thinking of new ways of spreading the timeless gospel of Jesus and making it relevant.[4] Spiritual leadership is about mission strategic development and planning including leadership succession especially in postmodern context. Churches in decline are suffering from a leadership crisis, and to reverse the decline, we need renewed relational leadership rather than existing maintenance model, caretaker images loaded with activities and programs. People are God’s vessels meant to be empowered for mission and evangelism and not just to stagnate as tools to maintain churches.

[1] Nelson, Alan E, Spirituality and Leadership (Colorado Spring: NavPress, 2002), p. 16

[2] http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2013/10/10/a-crisis-of-leadership-whats-next/#cdfb47f48c4e

[3] Nelson, Spirituality, p. 53

[4] http://www.christiantoday.com/article/church.facing.leadership.crisis.warns.evangelical.alliance/21479.htm