Leadership Development
Liberty University
John W. Rawlings School of Divinity
Submitted to Dr. McKerley
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion
of RLGN 489 – D03
Ministry Praxis Capstone
In order to build an effective and successful ministry it is important to develop key
leadership principles and a biblical foundation. Key leadership principles can be found through
deliberate self-study, reading, and from speaking to experienced leaders who have already been
about the work of leading others. A firm biblical foundation comes from the reading, study, and
application of the truths found in scripture. In order to create a biblical foundation for leadership
I have sought to do the things listed above and will present what I have learned in the following
pages.
In working to create a biblical foundation for leadership I have spent time reading the text
“Great Leader, Great Teacher: Recovering the Biblical Vision for Leadership.” My time spent
studying this text has been informative and beneficial to say the least. As a result of this reading
and study I have found that a biblical foundation for leadership should be focused on three
things. Commitment, Virtues, and Competencies. According to the text “Biblical leadership
begins with commitment to biblical authority.”1 This is critical as we begin to build our biblical
foundation for leadership. We can see clearly in 2 Timothy 3:14-17 that all scripture is God-
breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training. We can glean two things
from this passage of scripture. First, all scripture is God breathed, meaning that scripture is God’s
revelation of himself to us. It was written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit and contains
objective truth. There is no error or inconsistency. This commitment to biblical authority is what
serves as the bedrock for our foundation. When we submit to the authority of the bible, we are
able to lead others and follow objective truth, something that is becoming harder to do in a world
that is becoming more pluralistic with each passing day.
Virtues are the second integral part of forming a biblical foundation for leadership. It is
important to note the difference between values and virtues as we move forward. Values are
beliefs that a person holds that creates in them investment and commitment. Values are
important, but it is important to note which values we choose to follow or embrace. Everyone has
values. They can be beneficial or detrimental. “From a Biblical perspective, we must state clearly
that not all values are created equal, notwithstanding what our culture may claim to the
contrary.”2 According to Bredfeldt, “Virtues on the other hand, are moral excellencies and
qualities of righteousness corresponding to the nature and character of God.”3 Virtues are things
that we can find through the study of scripture that will enable us to lead biblically in a way that
is profitable and effective for every generation and in every setting. When we focus on these
virtues that include truthfulness, compassion, love, and courage we are able to form a foundation
that guards the leader against temptation and makes them effective in inspiring others to follow
them. The apostle Paul leaves us clear instruction on how we can strengthen these virtues in our
lives in Philippians 4:8-9.
1 Bredfeldt, Gary, and Mohler Jr R Albert Albert. Great Leader, Great Teacher Recovering the Biblical Vision
for Leadership. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2006.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
Lastly, when forming a biblical foundation for leadership it is important that we consider
the competencies of the leader. A leader can have commitment to biblical authority and virtues
that reflect biblical principles, but it doesn’t matter if the leader isn’t able to do the tasks
required. A leader needs to be able to lead others in a way that affects change in the person they
are leading. This can be done when the leader is competent in establishing a team, equipping a
team, empowering a team, and encouraging a team. A leader who is competent to do these things
will serve in a way that enables the people under their care to be successful in their own ministry
and also be able to empower others to enter into leadership roles themselves. We can see clearly
that this is part of the role of biblical leadership in Ephesians 4:12-16.
In preparing to create a biblical foundation for leadership I had the opportunity to
interview a local church pastor and get their views on what different aspects of leadership looked
like to them. It was an informative process and one that I taught me just how little I actually
know. I was able to interview Owen McKnight the senior Pastor of the local Methodist church.
He was able to share with me about the personal habits he uses to continually hone his leadership
skills. These include constantly reading books and articles on leadership and attending
continuing education conferences and seminars. In particular I asked, “What are your reading
habits?” and he replied “I tend to read at least one article on leadership a day at least. I really
enjoy John Maxwell. He puts out a daily leadership video/devotional that take less than ten
minutes to finish and provide some great insight and information.” I think that in doing these
things he is maintaining his competencies in leadership and reinforcing the virtues that are
needed to form a solid biblical foundation for leadership. I found that his thoughts on leadership
and how he goes about empowering others to lead some of the best parts of our talk together.
Through these questions I was able to see that he did not want to create a monopoly out of his
ministry but wanted to equip and empower others to do the work that God had called and created
them for. This was made apparent when I asked him the questions “What are your main goals in
leadership?” and “Do you have a plan to intentionally develop others into leaders?” His answer
to the first question was “My main goal is to be able to train others up who can do the ministry
that God has called them to do. I want the people around me to feel like they are equipped to lead
in their ministry area and that they are enabled to make the decisions to do so without me being
around. Ultimately, I feel like I’ve done my job as a leader if I’m hit by a bus tomorrow and the
ministry of this church can continue on without me.” His response to the second question was
this “I do have a plan to intentionally develop others into leaders. I take a pretty practical
approach to it. See one, do one, teach one. I show or teach the leaders around me what we do and
what we expect. I next allow them to do whatever it is we are training them to do while I am
around to instruct and guide them. Lastly, after I’ve trained them and observed them in their
ministry area, I release them to serve and teach others in their ministry area.” Through this I was
able to see that the competencies of leadership were being taught, observed, and replicated in his
leadership development plan. Pastor Owen has a wealth of knowledge that I plan to continue to
utilize as I form my own biblical foundation of leadership.
It is important as a person seeks to build their biblical foundation for leadership that they
work to develop key leadership principles. This can be done through the study of scripture,
reading, and listening to the advice of leaders who are already serving in their communities.
When these things are done the leader can work on strengthening their commitment to biblical
authority, the virtues found in scripture, and the competencies required for a strong biblical
foundation for leadership.
Bibliography
Bredfeldt, Gary, and Mohler Jr R Albert Albert. Great Leader, Great Teacher Recovering the
Biblical Vision for Leadership. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2006.
