Roles in Local Church Leadership
Church leadership is about serving others in accordance with Christ’s interests so that they can
see and accomplish God’s purpose for them in the world. A church leader needs qualities that
influence and morally support the congregation, the volunteers, and others within the
community. Such qualities include moral trustworthiness, social aptitude, empathy, pastoral care,
and more. The Apostle Paul wrote several letters to Timothy defining his role as the leader of the
church. In his teachings, Paul focused on the importance of following the word of God and being
above reproach. He expected Timothy to stay faithful to the teachings of God regardless of the
opposition that was destined to come. Paul’s teachings remain vital for the health of the church.
The Bible refers to a leader as one above reproach, like the husband of one wife. He must be
sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent
but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with
all dignity keeping his children submissive. The reason being that if someone does not know how
to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? This description is hard to live
up to, but it is what most people expect of their church leaders. When leaders fail to live up to
this expectation, there can be internal strife and a loss of faith in the congregation. This has led to
several splits within the church.
Models of Church Leadership
Divides within the church are not new. The best-known rift is Martin Luther’s Reformation and
split from the Catholic Church. Because of these splits, churches have different models that
define their leadership style and expectations. Within each of these models are the expectations
and roles of the leaders and their congregation.
1. Congregationalism
Congregationalism is based on the belief that each church should have the power to determine
their own future as long as they are led by the teachings of God. Each church following the
principle of Congregationalism is independent of the rest. The Puritans were the first
Congregationalists and fought for their independence from the Church of England. Today,
