4-MAT Book Review: The Three-Dimensional Leader
Nathan Mitchell
LEAD510: Biblical Foundations of Leadership
November 10, 2023
1
Abstract
The book "The Three-Dimensional Leader" can be summarized by the statement,
"Christian leadership has three dimensions: Biblical character, spiritual power, and practical
methods."1 The rest of the book seeks to show how all three aspects of Christian leadership need
to be present. If a leadership style is not biblically based, spiritually powerful, or practically
effective, then it is not modeling the example of Jesus' leadership. The book is divided into three
sections describing what it looks like to have leadership defined by those three dimensions.
Starting with outlining Biblical character, the book reiterates that "Christian leadership should
not be driven by a desire for position, but the desire for the service opportunities that position
affords."2 This underscores the rest of the character section because if you start with the wrong
desires in leadership, no matter what your character is like, your leadership will not be modeling
Christ's. Biblical character stems from obedience and submission to the Holy Spirit. Biblical
character is not just something evident on the exterior, but living above reproach flows out of a
character that finds its identity through the Spirit in Christ.3 It is essential that leaders maintain
their identity in Christ because that will motivate them to be filled with the Holy Spirit and
redefine the standards of success. This section is an extended reminder that leaders must
consistently live out Jesus's teachings. This lifestyle cannot be only in public; it must extend to
all facets of a leader's life to live above reproach. As a leader is filled with and led by the Holy
Spirit, their identity, motives, and spiritual life will all be radically different.
Christian leadership needs not only biblical character but also spiritual power. This power
comes from actively partnering with the Holy Spirit and relying on God's Word. A Christian
1 Rod Dempsey, Dave Earley, and Adam McClendon, The Three-Dimensional Leader: A Biblical, Spiritual
& Practical Guide to Christian Leadership (Bellingham, WA: Kirkdale Press, 2023), 1.
2 Ibid., 8.
3
Ibid., 17.
2
leader needs to realize they simply need to cooperate with what the Holy Spirit is already doing.4
The Holy Spirit is active, so it is crucial that leaders recognize the work of the Spirit, are reliant
on It, and are filled with It because the most important person in your spiritual life should be the
Holy Spirit. This reliance on the Holy Spirit will translate to leadership practices, as the Christian
leader will no longer rely on worldly practices. This emphasis on spiritual power is rooted in the
example of Jesus, who "did not neglect to take care of his own soul."5 A Christian leader who
relies on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God will be focused on building the Kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God and its priorities become foundational to the leader's decision-making and
behavior.
The last section is on the importance of practical methods in Christian leadership. People
surrendering their lives to Jesus changes their purpose and vision. A Christian leader must
employ that vision in their leadership. They must realize that they are actually not a leader but a
follower of the Leader, Jesus.6 In the mold of Jesus, a. Christian leader will be submissive to the
Father and listen to Him. This will be central to their vision and leadership philosophy and will
impact how they lead others. As they are disciplined in their purpose and spiritual habits, they
will partner with Jesus and make plans to help make disciples.7
4 Dempsey, Earley, and McClendon, The Three-Dimensional Leader, 64.
5 Ibid., 82.
6 Ibid., 142.
7 Ibid., 178.
3
Concrete Response
The growth in the knowledge and application of God's Word reminded me of an
experience I had during an internship at a church when I was 21. It was summertime, so I went
with them and their High School students on their trip to camp. There was a newer student,
Nicholas, who had only come to the youth group a couple of times. One day at camp, he asked
me to talk. He said, "I'm going through a rough time. I need to talk to someone, and I've
appreciated hearing you speak and be honest, so I think you can help me." Nicholas shared that
he was struggling to believe in God and had many questions. When I was his age, I had the same
doubts and questions about God. I had spent much time in Scripture, trying to grow in my
knowledge of God and His Word and preparing for the day I'd have the opportunity to share it.
Nicholas and I walked around the camp for 3 hours talking. He shared with me all that he was
struggling with, and I was able to share the Word of God with him and relate my personal
experiences. I remember telling him, "God is not afraid of your questions, but you have to
earnestly seek Him in his word. You can't say you have doubts and not even try to find the
answer." If I had not spent the time continuing to learn God's Word and apply it, I would not
have had the opportunity to share with this young man. After that week of camp, Nicholas
became a regular youth group attendee, and a month later, he was baptized after professing his
trust in Jesus. Instead of responding to God in anger for what I had experienced, I used them as
opportunities to mature in the image of Christ and learn more about Him. The lessons I learned
from God's Word and their application allowed me to be prepared for this conversation with
Nicholas. It reminded me how important it is to always be prepared to give a defense. It
motivated me to, to the best of my ability, be ready to answer any question a student would ask
me or at least help them find the answer.
4
Reflection
Upon reading "The Three-Dimensional Leader," several questions emerged in my mind
that challenged the way the concepts were presented and inspired some critical reflection.
One notable question I had was the lack of depth in exploring cultural context within the book.
Effective leadership in today's diverse world demands understanding cultural nuances and how to
lead in the midst of them. The book did not address how to lead well amid specific cultural
problems Christians face today. How can Christians use the biblical leadership principles to
navigate the cultural and social issues the church is currently facing? Exploring this question
would have added valuable insights into specifics leaders can do to lead people to reach the lost.
Additionally, the book primarily focuses on individual leadership, but what about in the
setting of a collective or shared leadership model? Specifically, I am only in charge of the student
ministry in my church setting. Still, our church also has a leadership team and elders, so how can
I enact change from a subordinate position in the context of so many people in charge? How do
the three dimensions translate into the leadership context of a church where there are unique
challenges to applying these principles collectively? I understand the book intended to focus
more on a person's individual responsibility to lead like Christ, but when one feels like they can
only affect a portion of the organization in charge, how can systematic change take place?
Furthermore, more examples from Jesus' life and ministry would have been more appealing to
me. Several places in the book used examples of Jesus to draw principles, but the chapters often
started with an example of someone other than Jesus. I would have rather had principles from
Scripture be the main topic with other stories supporting them. It felt like instead of an analysis
of Scripture, it was an analysis of principles with Scripture thrown in.
5
Action
The two actions I will take as a result of the reading are based on two questions posed at
the end of the chapters. In leadership, how are you allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you? What is
your daily plan of Bible reading, memorization, meditation, and application?
In response to the first question, next week, I will list the Holy Spirit's roles in the
believer's life from page 71 and the roles of the Holy Spirit in ministry on page 74. My action is
then to pray about these things before every one of my Student Ministry groups, both on Sundays
and Wednesdays. I will pray these in the mornings when I first wake up, as that is my most
protected prayer time. When I first started in full-time ministry, I was 23, and with no full-time
experience, I relied heavily on God for guidance and to bring students. Our middle and High
School ministries combined for around 25 kids then. Five years later, even though our church has
not grown much, our student ministry now averages around 55 kids a week. Praise God. I have
not changed much except for planting and watering; God has brought the growth. But with this
added growth, my responsibilities and workload have increased, and I am struggling to pray. I
am naturally independent, so prayer was already not my strongest discipline. Still, I must
remember the importance of prayer and reliance on the Holy Spirit in my ministry. I want the
Spirit to move powerfully in my group, so I need to ask for that and all the other ways that the
Spirit works.
I also want to develop a specific Bible reading and meditation plan. My action will be to
read a devotional each morning before my prayer time listed above. I have one from Alistair
Begg that I greatly enjoy. This devotional time will also include meditating on the Scripture and
praying through an application of it. Each week, I will reflect on the Scriptures I read and how I
applied them. Lately, my Bible reading has been focused on my teaching, not my own soul.
