15 TIPS ON GOOD LEADERSHIP IN A LOCAL BAPTIST CHURCH
by Pastor Ayodeji Jegede
1. Be converted. Your salvation experience is the foundation of your testimony as a believer. Without it, you are not qualified to lead.
2. Be consecrated to God wholeheartedly. Your dedication and separation is basis for divine results and rewards. It makes you a vessel of perpetual praise to God.
3. Be convinced of the area of your call to serve God. Start small and grow steadily identifying areas of spiritual giftings through discipleship and service.
4. Be committed to whatever is committed to your hands. Spirituality in God's kingdom is not a function of the size of tasks, what matters is faithfulness. God does not expect what He has not given to you. It is your responsibility to find out what He has given.
5. Be Spirit-filled at all times, not only in the church. This is command that is continuous and requires our conscious obedience. Christian leaders must do only what Jesus would do.
6. Be commissioned for assignment. God delegates power to the local church to act on His behalf through the Holy Spirit by recognizing and approving the giftings of individuals for relevant service within the local church. The local church must ensure that she tastes the competence, tests the convictions and trust the character of the individual before approval for service.
7. Be concerned about matters of the church. Leaders who are functional update themselves with information about the church not for gossip but for actions towards growth. Leaders are the first point of call when issues arise, therefore they must be updated.
8. Be compassionate about fellow workers. Biblical hierarchy is for order not superiority, this makes all workers in the local church partners rather than superiors or surbodinates. Our work is inextricably interwoven, therefore, one of us cannot truly succeed without the other. We must synergize.
9. Be passionate about the sinners. Effective administration of the local church is critical to her success. But it must supplant evangelism and discipleship. Our primary aim as a church is to bring sinners to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We must be careful of majoring on the minor.
10. Be exemplary in your character and conduct. Local church leaders are primary representatives of Jesus Christ. They must visibly incarnate His personality and embody His principles for all to acknowledge, approve and imitate.
11. Be friendly with other members and followers of Jesus Christ. Leadership comes with attendant challenges of pride, busyness, and burnout. Don't get involved in leadership without a genuine for God, people and service. Come to church with the aim of loving God by serving people.
12. Be empathetic with people without downplaying their problems. The leader's ears must be bigger than his mouth, and his heart must be open to identify with the challenges of others. Don't assume you know what people are going through, please hear them out. Listen to all sides before you express your own side.
13. Be available for assignments and errands. Leadership is responsibility and it is not compulsory. Unavailable leaders are unacceptable in a local church where more hands are needed for progress in kingdom business. Work out your schedule to be available during the week. No matter how busy you are, God is more important than your job.
14. Be sacrificial ly-driven to support your local church. Leaders give the best of themselves; their time, money, ideas, and energies to the local church. They often work late, labour to exhaustion, neglect much needed personal matters, pray at odd times and visit members to confirm their consecration to God.
15. Be a learner at the feet of Jesus Christ. Local church leaders must have learnt how to sit, kneel and stand for the Master. Don't sacrifice your relationship for activities. Set your priorities right to get the best of God before you give your best to men. Don't always be at the giving end, also learn how to receive from God and from other Christian leaders or members.
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