1
Outline
Shepherd Leadership
Biblical Basis
In this section, I will provide a strong biblical foundation and basis for the use of the
shepherd motif as an example of healthy and godly leadership, explaining both what it is,
and how it is demonstrated throughout all of Scripture.
Connection to Servanthood
In this section, I will tie in the shepherd motif with the biblical principle of servanthood
as a leader and follower of Jesus, using examples from Jesus’ life and teachings, as well
as early church letters.
Real World Application
In this section, I will evaluate real world analyses of shepherd leadership as a strong
leadership model, demonstrating not only its biblical value, but its practical value as well.
Tom Carson
In this section, I will analyze the life and ministry of Tom Carson, comparing it to the
shepherd leadership model.
Passages (1-2 Sentences Each)
Shepherd Leadership
1. Psalm 23:1-6
oPsalm 23 is among the most famous passages of scripture, poetically depicting the
Lord himself as a shepherd and describing the actions and effects of his shepherd
leadership on us as his sheep.
2
2. Ezekiel 34:1-24
oThis passage presents an incredibly raw critique of those responsible for
shepherding the nation of Israel who failed in their role as shepherd leaders. It
also contains a description of how God is going to step in and shepherd his
people.
3. John 10:1-16
oIn this passage Jesus describes his own leadership through the lens of the
shepherd motif, giving a good picture of some of the expectations on a biblical
shepherd leader.
4. Acts 20:28-30
oThis passage seeks to warn New Testament church leaders in the face of those
who may try to lead the church astray, using the image of shepherd leadership.
5. 1 Peter 5:1-4
oThis is another passage that seeks to use the shepherd motif in expressing
instructions to those that have been called to shepherd and lead the church.
Servant Leadership
1. Mark 10:35-45
oThis section of Mark records Jesus’ interaction with James and John where he
corrects their understanding of leadership through the lens of servanthood.
2. John 13:3-17
oOne of the most famous passages about servant leadership, these verses describe
Jesus’ most clear example of servant leadership: washing the disciples’ feet.
3. Galatians 5:13-15
3
oThis short set of verses reminds believers that the purpose of our freedom in
Christ is the opportunity and privilege to serve one another.
4. Philippians 2:1-11
oA clear reminder of the necessity for humility for Christ-likeness and servant
leadership, Philippians 2 is a call to actual and a reminder of the ultimate servant
leader: Jesus.
5. 1 Peter 4:10-11
oThis passage tells believers the real purpose of our spiritual gifting is to serve the
church of God, which is the core of biblical leadership.
Sources (100+ Words Each)
1. Laniak, Timothy S.;Shepherds after My Own Heart: Pastoral Traditions and Leadership
in the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006.
oIn Shepherds after My Own Heart: Pastoral Traditions and Leadership in the
Bible, Timothy S. Laniak provides a deep dive into the under-shepherd leadership
motif expressed by Moses and the shepherd-king leadership motif expressed by
David in the Old Testament. These motifs then demonstrate themselves in later
applications in the life and ministry of Jesus and in the leading of the New
Testament church. Drawing from a wide variety of passages of scripture, Laniak
presents a biblical theology for leadership from the perspective of the image of a
shepherd that can be used in the development of current shepherd leaders as they
seek to effectively pastor the local church.
2. Earley, Dave.;Pastoral Leadership Is... How to Shepherd God’s People with Passion and
Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012.
4
oIn Pastoral Leadership Is... How to Shepherd God’s People with Passion and
Confidence, Dave Earley presents five key things that he believes every pastor
must learn to do in order to be an effective biblical leader. Among these items are
focuses on godliness, prayer, God’s Word, discipleship, and shepherding. In its
presentation of these things, Pastoral Leadership Is exists as a resource to equip
and empower church leaders to be the biblical shepherds that God has called them
to be. Within the shepherding section in particular, Early explores the concepts of
under-shepherds, counseling, conflict management, and a variety of other
practical applications for a modern day church shepherd.
3. Gunter, Nathan H. "FOR THE FLOCK: IMPETUS FOR SHEPHERD LEADERSHIP
IN JOHN 10.";The Journal of Applied Christian Leadership;10, no. 1 (2016): 8-18.
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-
journals/flock-impetus-shepherd-leadership-john-10/docview/2549055937/se-2.
oThrough a study of Ezekiel 34 and John 10, among other passages, "FOR THE
FLOCK: IMPETUS FOR SHEPHERD LEADERSHIP IN JOHN 10" by Nathan
H. Gunter seeks to present the desperate need for godly shepherd leaders in the
modern Christian world. Gunter focuses on the heart and motivation behind such
leaders, rather than their practical skills and giftings, as the primary foundation for
biblical shepherd leadership. Drawing from resources like Shepherds after My
Own Heart: Pastoral Traditions and Leadership in the Bible by Timothy S.
Laniak, Gunter argues that this heart calling is ultimately what qualifies any
leader to shepherd God’s people.
5
4. Resane, Kelebogile T. "Servant Leadership and Shepherd Leadership: The Missing
Dynamic in Pastoral Integrity in South Africa Today.";Hervormde Teologiese Studies;76,
no. 1 (2020).
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-
journals/servant-leadership-shepherd-missing-dynamic/docview/2377841511/se-2.
oWith attention paid to both the servant leadership and shepherd leadership
dynamics of Scripture, particularly in Jeremiah 23 and John 10, "Servant
Leadership and Shepherd Leadership: The Missing Dynamic in Pastoral Integrity
in South Africa Today" by Kelebogile T. Resane aims to bring the very practical
issue of pastoral integrity under the biblical lens. Speaking from personal
experience in the church in South Africa, Resane appeals to church leaders to
return to the style of leadership the is promoted by scripture and in the life of
Jesus himself. Resane argues that a deep care for the people of God, aka the flock,
should be a driving force behind personal, pastoral integrity.
5. Dami, Zummy Anselmus. “Informal teacher leadership: lessons from shepherd
leadership.” International Journal of Leadership in Education 26, no. 4 (2021).
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13603124.2021.1884749?
journalCode=tedl20.
oIn “Informal teacher leadership: lessons from shepherd leadership,” Zummy
Anselmus Dami presents, from a research viewpoint, the similarities and
differences between the shepherd leadership model and the informal teacher
leadership model of his personal context. Dami arrives at strong conclusions
about the similarities and differences between these leadership methods, making
6
use of both research data and biblical knowledge to present his findings. Some of
Dami’s findings include similarities in the areas of character and method, and
differences in the areas of content, competency, and target. He ultimately
concludes that teaching and leadership go hand-in-hand, and are best expressed
from a position of humility and service.
6. Hermawati, Oki, Erwin Santosa, and Innocentius Bernarto. “The Effectiveness of
Shepherd Leadership and Trust in the School on Teacher’s Work Motivation and
Commitment to the School During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”;Veritas: Jurnal Teologi
dan Pelayanan;19, no. 2 (2021): 215–227.
https://ojs.seabs.ac.id/index.php/Veritas/article/view/407.
oAnother research article dedicated to the effect of shepherd leadership on teachers
and education, “The Effectiveness of Shepherd Leadership and Trust in the
School on Teacher’s Work Motivation and Commitment to the School During the
COVID-19 Pandemic” by Oki Hermawati, Erwin Santosa, and Innocentius
Bernarto presents yet another example of the incredibly positive effect of
shepherd leadership on a practical environment. Hermawati, Santosa, and
Bernarto demonstrate that shepherd leadership greatly contributes to creating an
environment of trust the positively motivates participants towards unified goals.
This research allows for leaders and institutions the recognize the importance of
implementing biblical shepherd leadership into how they function and lead in
their own context.
