By
Genevieve Hamer
March 7, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
RLGN 489-B02
Ministry Praxis Capstone
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Submitted to Dr. Vander Wiele
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
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2
Bibliographic Entry
Bredfledt, Gary. Great Leader, Great Teacher: Recovering the Biblical Vision for Leadership.
Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2006.
Summary
George Barna is noted for being the founder of the Barna Group which is a market
research group that specializes in studying the religious beliefs and behaviors of Americans and
the intersection of faith and culture. In the article, Leadership Issues for the Church, Barna says,
“So we did a series of studies to look at different possibilities toward figuring out what
leadership is and the implications and potential of leadership. We found that becoming a
leader is not a choice you make but a calling that God gives to you. If you start with that
perspective, You are so far ahead of the crowd. But very few people do start there; they
enter the leadership arena based on emotions and desire. they feel like they want to lead
because that's where the action is, or those are the people who get the perks, or those are
the individuals with power and control. Often they claim they need to lead because they
have been told by others that they should lead. Well, all of that's nice, but it's generally
irrelevant. the issue is not what you feel or desire or need-it's What does God say? What
has he put in your heart about the nature of your gifts and your service to him? “ 1
Is a calling all it takes to make a good leader? According to Albert Mohler in the foreword to
Great Leader, Great Teacher, “In today’s church, leadership, has become something of an
obsession.”2 In the book, Great Leader, Great Teacher, author, Gary Bredfeldt develops a
biblically based vision for effective church leadership by utilizing case studies and detailed
oriented research. Bredfeldt moves through each chapter of his text pulling from the words of
proven leaders of the Bible, such as Ezra, the apostle Paul, and Jesus Christ. He also adapts his
examples to more contemporary leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Reverend Billy Graham.
Freed, Shirley. "LEADERSHIP ISSUES FOR THE CHURCH." The Journal of Applied Christian Leadership 8, no. 1 (Spring, 2014): 18-35,
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1754574178?accountid=12085.
Gary Bredfeldt, Great Leader, Great Teacher, (Chicago: Moody Publishers) 2006
The themes of Great Leader, Great Teacher examine the eight competencies to effective
leadership, identify pitfalls along with cultural traps to avoid and provide a comparison of virtues
to values to give a better understanding of why character matters. Furthermore, the text delivers
a method to discover the style of a congregation an understand the type of leadership it requires.
This book provides a realistic paradigm for leadership and provides a biblical pathway to lead in
each situation. Bredfeldt leaves the reader with no doubt that great leaders are great teachers
calling them to realize that the biblical vision for leadership is solely on teaching as the main
focal point if the leader plans the be effective in his role.
Critique
Upon reading Great Leader, Great Teacher, it is hard not to agree with the vision of
author, Gary Bredfledt. From the beginning of Chapter One, he sets the tone for the books
mission:“THE greatest of leaders among us are not powerful senior executives, commanding
military strategists, celebrated athletic coaches, or respected political figures. No, the greatest
leaders among us are the great teachers among us. In a hundred ways and in a hundred different
arenas, great teachers, every day, influence through their passion, their character, and their
words. Teachers shape, challenge, and change people, and in doing so, they lead. Great teachers
are leaders, and conversely, great leaders must be teachers.” 3This statement is the entire concept
of this book. The greatest leaders among us are the greatest teachers. Thinking back over life
experiences, the people that have been the most influential in one’s life will most likely be the
ones that taught the biggest lessons. Thomas Jefferson was considered to be one of the greatest
and most influential leaders in the history of the United States. Yet, most fail to recall that he was
also a remarkable statesman. Most notably, he is credited with authoring the Declaration of
Independence and he had part in building West Point. His passion and influence were used to
3 Gary Bredfeldt, Great Leader, Great Teacher, (Chicago: Moody Publishers) 2006
3
change the course of history.4 Perhaps, other great teacher/leaders are more close to home for
most people. Many can recall a grade school teacher that challenged and shaped their life.
Passion comes in so many forms and can be used in ways that great leaders can only imagine. No
truer words concerning church have been written: “The church is fundamentally a teaching-
learning organization. Its future depends on the effectiveness of its leaders and members as they
function as both teachers and learners.” 5
If a church is not always in the mode of learning and expanding its knowledge, then the
results seem inevitable that it will become stagnant and die. In chapter two Bredfeldt writes,
“Once, in the earliest days of the first-century church, the leader-teachers of the Jerusalem
congregation were experiencing struggles similar to those Brian Hill faced. They too were being
drawn away from the priority of teaching the Word of God to the always-demanding task of
managing the church. A problem had arisen in the young church, a problem of politics and
prejudice. Factional interests intermingled with valid issues of human need.”6 This problem is
completely relatable. Young churches, old churches, no church is free from issues. Even today,
churches struggle with the problem of politics and prejudices and forget to focus on the priority
of discipleship. Jesus said, “The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you
know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.”7 Even when faced with
the denial of Simon Peter, Jesus was more focused on the teaching of the people. There is
nothing to do but concur with the author on his stance.
4 Hersey, Jon. "Thomas Jefferson: Word and Deed." The Objective Standard, Fall 2017, 11+. Academic One
http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/apps/doc/A515013756/AONE?u=vic_liberty&sid=AONE&xid
5 Gary Bredfeldt, Great Leader, Great Teacher, (Chicago: Moody Publishers) 2006
6 Ibid.
7 The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.
4
It is difficult not to like the author with his unpretentious style. He is relatable and
always ties in a biblical basis for each point he is making. While his text is full of case studies
and research, he uses the material to challenge the reader to become a more effective teacher and
therefore a more effective leader. Great Leader, Great Teacher provides a valuable and absorbing
view into biblical vision for church leadership.
Evaluation
In Leadership as an enabling function: Towards a new paradigm for local church
leadership in the 21st century, it says, “Ministry leadership presents unanticipated challenges to
those seeking to serve the church. Whilst formal theological programmes provide essential
education in Christianity and ministry, they do not equip new ministry leaders to navigate the
complex adaptive system that is ‘The church’.”8 How then does one prepare for an effective
leadership role in ministry? Rick Thoman writes, “Despite all that has been written, conferences
that have been attended, and our best efforts, leadership development remains a critical need for
our churches.”9 The need for great leaders prevails across themes in journal articles, books and
other publications. The greatest Christian leader of all times was Jesus. Jesus’ primary role when
he was ministering was always discipleship. The Christian leader is one who follows Christ and
inspires others to follow Him as well. To that end, Great Leader, Great Teacher offers insights
for those that desire to lead in a biblical fashion. This text contributes to the field of Christian
ministry in the church by providing clear focus on the importance of the scriptures in leading. It
also offers a strong critique on the leadership tendencies of today’s church and focuses on
modeling a ministry after Jesus. From the opening to the final chapter, this author makes is clear
8 Elkington, Rob, Darryl Meekins, Jennifer M. Breen, and Suzanne S. Martin. "Leadership as an Enabling Fun
for Local Church Leadership in the 21st Century." In Die Skriflig 49, no. 3 (2015): e1-e14.
9 Thoman, Rick. "Leadership Development: Churches Don't have to Go it Alone, Part II." Christian Educatio
27-45, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/863690854?accountid=12085.
5
Bibliography
Bredfledt, Gary. Great Leader, Great Teacher: Recovering the Biblical Vision for Leadership.
Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2006.
6
that the primary focus of this text is on contemporary Christian leaders. There is definitely a
spot on the shelf of this one in all potential leaders libraries.
Elkington, Rob, Darryl Meekins, Jennifer M. Breen, and Suzanne S. Martin. "Leadership as an
Enabling Function: Towards a New Paradigm for Local Church Leadership in the 21st
Century." In Die Skriflig 49, no. 3 (2015): e1-e14.
Freed, Shirley. "LEADERSHIP ISSUES FOR THE CHURCH." The Journal of Applied
Christian Leadership 8, no. 1 (Spring, 2014): 18-35, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?
url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1754574178?
accountid=12085.
Hersey, Jon. "Thomas Jefferson: Word and Deed." The Objective Standard, Fall 2017, 11+.
Academic OneFile (accessed March 7, 2019).
http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/apps/doc/A515013756/AONE?
u=vic_liberty&sid=AONE&xid=9956dee2.
Thoman, Rick. "Leadership Development: Churches Don't have to Go it Alone, Part II."
Christian Education Journal 8, no. 1 (Spring, 2011): 27-45,
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/863690854?accountid=12085.
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.
