Priorities for Christian Leadership
For educational leaders, the summer months are a unique time of the year. Administrators are finalizing staffing and educational priorities for the next year. Teachers and faculty are holding on to the last vestiges of a well-earned summer respite, and everyone is cautiously looking forward to another school year. Although the priorities of the coming school year can tend to take precedence in our thoughts, I believe summer should also be a time to look back and reflect on the past year.
Each summer, I find it valuable to take some time to examine myself—particularly in response to this question: “How have I stewarded the responsibility that God has given me as a Christian leader?” It helps if you have a separate evaluation to provide some guidance outside of your own self-perception, but even a time of prayerful consideration can be extremely valuable as we seek to grow and develop into the leaders God has called us to be.
For Christians, I believe the priorities of leadership are unique, guided by the high calling that God has placed upon us. This year, there are three areas that I believe should rise to the top of the list when evaluating how we, as followers of Jesus, lead.
The Priority of Character
First, Christian leadership must be marked by character. While the world gives lip service to character and integrity, for the Christian leader, character is not only a priority but the foundation. With a heavy heart, I read that clergy had reached an all-time record low in Gallup’s 2023 ethics and honesty poll. Additionally, it seems that every day there is a new report detailing the moral failures of Christian leaders across our nation. Some of the most prominent and visible Christian leaders have once again fallen from grace, dragging their ministries, coworkers, and the name of Jesus down with them.
We live in a fallen world, and the schemes of the enemy are not only real but deadly and targeted for the utmost destruction. To allow the thought that one is immune to temptation and failure is hubris. Two aphorisms should give Christian leaders warning. One from the scriptures: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18), and one attributed to Lord Acton: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Leadership and power are irrevocably connected, and how a leader stewards the power and influence they have been granted is a definitive marker of their character. Perfection in this area is, as with all moral virtues, impossible on this side of heaven, and mistakes and failures are bound to occur. However, catastrophic failures in these areas impact not only the Christian community at large but also defame the name of Christ.
It is crucial for Christian leaders to maintain an attitude of humility when it comes to their leadership. It is God who has granted the gifts as well as the ability to grow and develop those gifts. Scripture tells us that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of heavenly lights, and the gift of leadership is no exception. Perhaps Christian leaders might do well to implement the practice of Marcus Aurelius. It is said that the Roman emperor would have a servant follow him around, and when the crowds would praise him and shout his accolades, the servant would continually whisper in his ear, “You are just a man… you are just a man,” so that his power would not go to his head. More than ever, we need Christian leaders who are people of great character and who understand that a good name is to be more desired than great wealth (Proverbs 22:1).
The Priority of Charity
Second, Christian leadership should be marked by biblical charity. Oftentimes, the word charity is misconstrued and thought of only in terms of giving money. But the biblical term refers to an unconditional love. I personally believe that Christian leaders are responsible for the people they lead. Here again, the principle of stewardship applies. Jesus modeled servant leadership by washing his disciples’ feet and loving them unconditionally, even when they were not acting as he expected them to act. Similarly, Christian leaders are responsible for shepherding and caring for the people they lead.
Charity means at least two things here. First, it is understanding and seeing your team members with a covering of grace. We should realize that not everyone will get it right all the time. People will make mistakes. People will drop the ball. But Christian leadership is taking the weight of that on your shoulders and walking through those situations with love and grace, seeking to help and grow people through the inevitable errors, recognizing the inherent dignity that each person has as a human being designed and made in the image of God.
Second is what I would term goodness. Many times, people want to be nice, to smooth things over so that people don’t get offended or mad. But being truly good is not necessarily the same as being nice. Charity demands that we are good and kind, but sometimes a leader must speak hard things for people to hear, and those actions may not always be perceived as nice. Goodness in this sense doesn’t give a leader license for harsh words or demeaning language, but it does demand having hard conversations when they are needed. Again, scripture give us guidance: “Speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).
The Priority of Courage
Finally, Christian leadership must be marked by courage. Today, we live in a world where the Christian worldview is under severe attack. The words of the apostle Paul describe the experience of the Christian leader today: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). The nature of our circumstances and the world in which we live demands courage.
I’m reminded of the children of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12. The passage describes them as mighty men who were gathering to support David in the battle. It says they understood the times and knew what to do. Not only that, they had the courage to take action and come to support David in his time of need. Today, we need leaders who recognize the times in which we live, who know what to do, and who possess the courage to lead into and through these spiritual battles.
I love the quote by C.S. Lewis, which says that courage is the virtue at the testing point of every virtue. Any time we are confronted with a choice of virtue, courage is what we need to choose it. Courage to say what needs to be said, though it is unpopular or countercultural. Courage to stand upon the convictions of our faith. Courage to look inward and examine the depths of our own hearts. There is no room for cowardice in Christian leadership, and though we are often confronted with difficulties and challenges—some harder than others—we must have the courage to press forward, guided by the Spirit of God.
Conclusion
I don’t remember scripture telling us that following Jesus would be easy. I don’t remember Jesus saying we wouldn’t be tested. I don’t remember any of the biblical heroes living a life of comfort and ease. In fact, the opposite is true. So, why should we hope or expect that the life of faith and the calling of God should be any different for us? As it has always been, our world needs Christian leaders who are people of character, people of charity, and people of courage.
About the Author:
Dr. Jeff Bogaczyk holds a Master’s Degree in Leadership and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric, both from Duquesne University. He has served in educational leadership for over 13 years and is the current Head of School at Christian Life School in Kenosha Wisconsin.