EPIC25 DAY 2: THE CALL OF LEADERSHIP AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES BY Pastor Fasina

June 4, 2025 EMMANUEL ADEBAYO AJIBOLA

EPIC25: CONFERENCE OF ALL Evangelists, Planters, Prophets & Prophetesses

TOPIC: THE CALL OF LEADERSHIP AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES

1 Timothy 3:1-13; Acts 1:2-6; Eph. 4:11 The importance of leaders in the Church of the Living God, like ours, cannot be undermined. Christ is the founder of the Church, and His goal is the salvation of humanity by the regeneration of their hearts through faith. His method of spreading the good news of salvation is not through political, educational or even religious philosophies but through his disciples, that is, those who constantly put God’s will above personal wants and wishes.

It is, therefore, imperative that people who are called to be leaders in the house of God are from His disciples and possess the basic qualifications and qualities of life and character that should make them a shining light among their followers. A leader must be qualified spiritually, morally, socially, intelligently and administratively.

Concept of Leadership

A wide variety of concepts come to people’s minds when the word ‘leadership is mentioned. To make it simple, leadership is the act of guiding a group to its goal. It possesses the capacity and will to mobilise both human and material resources to achieve objectives. From this definition, a leader is identified in a group by a unique set of personal qualities: a leader acts. Leadership is an act and an action to be affected.

Must be in a relationship: the leader relates with the members in such a way that he gains:

Respect for members
Motivates them

Builds personal and good morale

Stimulates group cohesiveness

Strengthens group identity

Ability and skill to communicate a sense of direction to others.
Goal Setting – They have a vision, mission, and goal. It’s the leader who determines the group’s purpose.
Group direction and group goals.
A leader needs the courage to dare and act. Possess persistence, guts, and a willingness to take risks.

For his managerial role, a leader possesses enough knowledge and skills to guide the group in their area. A leader knows the way, shows the way and goes the way. This is the difference between a leader and a boss.

All the above-mentioned qualities are intellectual, and if absent in a person, these functions make a leader of the group. More than one person may share in the leader’s plans and lead. guides, motivates, inspires, directs and influences others towards a common goal.

FUNDAMENTAL CRITERIA OF CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP.

If God’s objectives will be fulfilled, the men who champion His cause must be special men whose lifestyle must be above reproach – the true disciples. Only spiritual leadership fits the Church.

The fact that somebody has been a leader in the secular setting does not automatically qualify them to take up spiritual leadership in the church. Biblical leadership takes place only when divinely appointed men and women respond in obedience to God’s call. Such leaders will recognise the importance of preparation, allowing the Holy Spirit to develop tenderness of heart and skill of hands.

They carry out their leadership roles with a deep conviction of God’s will and an acute awareness of the contemporary issues they and their followers face. Only biblical leaders will exercise leadership as servants and stewards, sharing authority with their followers and affirming that leadership is primarily ministry to others, modelling for others and mutual membership with others in Christ’s body.

Three essential factors of Christian leadership

CALL, CHARACTER, CAPABILITY.

This ORDER of Call-Character-Capability is Crucial. The sequence reflects the ORDER OF PRIORITY. The world reverses this order! The wrong order of priority brings serious problems for both the church and the person.

CALL – hearing & receiving God’s will and purpose for us.

The ONLY WAY to be a spiritual leader is to hear a call from the Lord to serve Him as a leader in His church. Every Christian is called to serve, but Leadership Call is just one type of call that a disciple receives from the Lord.

Not every call is a call to leadership. To be a spiritual leader, a Christian needs to personally hear & know that Christ has called him or her – Sine Qua Non calling to the Christian leadership.

The call is the basis for the two other essential qualities, such as character and capability.

The ministry originated with a divine call, not a human contract. Vocational ministry has its roots in the call of God. The ministry begins with a response, a vowed commitment before God, not a contractual agreement with employers. You must lead people in worship, teach and obey the word of God, guide people in what it means to follow the Lord Jesus, pray for people and love them in Christ.

Professional mindsets are interested in the latest findings and techniques, but a true Christian leader devotes himself to ancient and spiritual disciplines. There is a difference between a calling and a career. The call originates with God and is guided by God’s grace, God’s gifts and God’s glory. But careers are shaped by market forces: supply and demand competition, financial rewards, and quantitative success.

CHARACTER – growing in Christ-likeness in what we are like as a person. Character needs cultivation and is developed by responding to the call first. It comes after Call because it’s based on a personal response to the LORD and His Call.

Built on the person’s personal walk with God
Requires Nurture & Time to Grow and is a Life-Long Process – At a level of genuine submission
Aims at maturity in Christ & bearing the fruit of the Spirit
It must be a higher priority than capability because only the spiritually mature can model Christ to those he leads, & character is needed to guide the proper use of capabilities.

CAPABILITY – Capability is guided and used in the service of the call. It is the abilities, gifts & ministries that God has given us that must be guided by our call. It is essential, but it is the 3rd priority, as it needs the guidance of CALL & CHARACTER. It is based on the gifting of the LORD – Gifts of the Father, of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Until you start serving, you won’t know they were there.

Some gifts are natural; that is, one is born with them, and they are available from birth. They just need to be discovered, used & developed – e.g., playing piano.

III . THE QUALIFICATIONS OF CHRISTIAN LEADERS

(I TIM 3:1-13) The apostle first sets forth those qualifications which respect the personal life of the leader and afterwards those which affect his family life. His qualifications are those of a spiritual and moral order presented positively.

The following characteristics must mark out the life of a man or woman approved of God as the leader of His people :

1 . HE OUGHT TO BE BLAMELESS. It may be hard for a faithful man to avoid the criticism of a critical society, but he must be irreproachable as being guilty of no scandal and, above all, free from the vices enumerated under the negative aspect of his qualifications. He must be held in high moral repute by the community around him

2 . HE IS TO BE THE HUSBAND OF ONE WIFE. “The husband of one wife”, avoiding the polygamy that was then so common among the Jews and the system of divorce still so common in that age, and remaining faithful to the wife of his choice.

3 . SOBER. He must be not only so in eating and drinking but also watchful over himself, his work, and his actions.

4 . DISCREET. With sound judgement and good understanding, capable of directing himself wisely amid difficult situations.

5 . ORDERLY. With a due proportion in his life, modest in deportment, courteous to all, of a calm temper and grave demeanour.

6 . GIVEN TO HOSPITALITY. In an age when Christians travelled from place to place and were exposed to the risks of evil companionship in public inns, it was important that Christian leaders should be able to show hospitality and assist with their counsel as well as with the necessaries of life.

7 . APT TO TEACH. The Christian leader must have the capacity to impart Christian knowledge, the ability to interpret Scripture, to explain its doctrines, to enforce its precepts, and to defend it against errorists of every class. He must possess the gifts of utterance and knowledge. He must have both “skill and will, ability and dexterity, being neither ignorant of his duty nor negligent in the performance of it”.

8 . NOT VIOLENT OVER WINE. In allusion not so much to drunkenness as to the noisy and quarrelsome temper which is generated by wine bibbing. The word implies both cause and effect.

9 . NO STRIKER. In evident allusion to the previous temper. The leader must never lift his hand in anger or violence. Going to social media to protest is unacceptable for a minister of God.

10 . FORBEARING. Reasonable and gentle, rather disposed to take wrong than avenge it.

11 . NOT CONTENTIOUS. Neither litigious nor quarrelsome , seeking peace with all men.

12 . NOT A LOVER OF MONEY. He must appear to be perfectly disinterested , not mercenary in his aims , not seeking his own things rather than the things of Jesus Christ , but , on the contrary , he must himself be generous and hospitable and kind , with a heart and a hand ever ready to relieve distress .

IV Christian Leadership Responsibilities Leadership involves various responsibilities , including strategising, motivating teams , coaching , communication , conflict resolution , delegation , innovation , and adapting to changing circumstances. A leader may not be the best in all these responsibilities but the following responsibilities are non-negotiable: Acts 1:2-6 ; Eph. 4:11

Christian leaders must be imitable. The leader is human and can fail in some areas , but he must be above reproach and have a life worth imitating. Others are following and your character is your highest asset in leadership. This is why when Paul is reminding us of the qualifications of elders/pastors/overseers in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 , he doesn’t list SKILLS but 22 CHARACTER TRAITS and says that leaders “must be ” these things. They are not an option , for the church will rise no higher in godliness than her leaders .

Christian leaders must keep watch over souls. Leaders are responsible , like a literal shepherd with his flock, to “keep watch ” over the souls of those under their care. A leader must “know well the condition of his flock and pay attention to his herds ” (Proverbs 27:23). And he is to oversee them constantly and tend to their life and growth.

This is a strong word that means to “stay alert , pass sleepless nights, and stay watchful without falling asleep.” Spiritual shepherds are not watching over a flock for their own financial gain but over the “souls” (the mind , emotions , wills and inner lives ) of those entrusted to their care. ( Acts 20:28-31 )

Christian leaders are to be spirit-led: leadership without the power and presence of the Holy Spirit is not spiritual leadership. Spiritual leaders are indwelled with the Holy Spirit so they can set their hearts , eyes , and minds on God’s call to serve His people. The Holy Spirit enables the ministry of the spiritual leader .

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Christian leaders are to cast vision: casting vision is essential to every spiritual leader. By enabling people to see the bigger picture based on the Word of God , spiritual leaders clearly communicate what it is that God requires of his people and the amazing benefits of a life lived with God .

Christian Leaders are to Promote Unity: In John 17 , Jesus prays for the unity of the future church. Unity is vital to any ministry. If a church is not unified , the leadership will be distracted by trying to solve quarrels rather than with casting vision , building confidence , discipling , and equipping God’s people for God’s work .

Christian Leaders Build Confidence : By communicating a consistent message and through encouraging those around them , spiritual leaders share the wonders of God’s love and the truth of his grace. They challenge others to live in the confidence of Christ by giving them opportunities to serve , lead , and share .

Christian leaders must lead as those who will give an account. In New Testament days , a shepherd could not and would not lose a sheep. He knew he must give an account of how well he was taking care of his flock. Our account for the souls under our care is unto God , so we must be willing to get up early and stay up late – all night if need be – to watch over them. These are not OUR sheep; they are God’s , and we are stewards of these lives before God. We must willingly pay the highest price to fulfil our task fully and faithfully.

Conclusion We are to do our task “with joy and not with grief”. Leadership is tough work because we are dealing with a wide range of people with all kinds of needs in all stages of spiritual development. Sometimes it’s frustrating and sometimes incredibly rewarding and wonderful if done right. We must stay at our task joyfully , realising it is the highest honour to care for God’s sheep. If you have the power of the Holy Spirit , you have the ability to be a Christian leader. Let us pray.

Content Credit| Ajibola Emmanuel

Image Credit| phm.live