The NEED FOR THE BEST LEADERSHIP in the world for the Lord’s church is pointed up by some of the facts we face in the world today. The scientific study of God’s world is increasing so rapidly we are told we double our scientific knowledge every fifteen years. That means we have 16 times as much scientific knowledge now as we had 60 years ago. We are told that 75 percent of all the scientists the world has ever had are alive today. We are told that there have been about thirty billion people on the earth since its beginning, and we have over three billion alive today. This means that 10 percent of all the people who have lived on the earth are alive now. Science has made it possible for a larger number of people to live longer, so we will see an increase of this percentage.
The NEED TO PREACH THE GOSPEL to every person on the earth challenges the greatest leadership the Lord’s church can produce. To meet the needs of the world with the gospel we need leaders who are GOOD — in character the kind of men God wants us to be. We need leaders who are BIG—-in the way Jesus wants us all to be big. We need leaders who are INFORMED– with the message we must communicate to the world.
We Need Leaders Who Are Good!
They will be the little leaven who will permeate the whole congregation with their goodness. (Gal. 5:9). They will set the tone of the work of the congregation—the atmosphere of the congregation issues from them. If they are wholesome, faithful, firm but kind, the whole congregation will have this atmosphere. Only GOOD men produce a healthy situation for younger members to follow.
We Need Leaders Who Are Big Men!
That is BIG in SPIRIT, in DEVOTION, and in DEDICATION to the cause of our Lord on this earth. They need not necessarily be big in fame and fortune, though men who have these things, but are big in SPIRIT, should not be ruled out. God is no respecter of persons. He will accept those in all situations who put Him first, but a man who has been successful in handling his personal affairs has established a pattern of success, and his knowledge may help the congregation to be more successful in its work.
The slogan of the IBM Co. is “THINK”. Another company has added to that idea and come up with “THINK BIG!” Capable leaders of the Lord’s work must think big, and be willing to make a big sacrifice of their time and effort to the Lord’s cause, (Phil. 2:17). Since the congregation cannot outgrow its leadership we want men who are growing in their own greatness as they lead us.
We Need Leaders Who Are Informed Men!
They have received training (2 Tim. 2:2), so they know what the church is to teach the world so that it may be saved. (Tit. 2:1). We need men who know the difference in FAITH– -that which is clearly spelled out in the Scriptures; in PRIVATE CONVICTIONS –personal conclusions one may draw from that which is not so clearly revealed: and in OPINION— that which is optional and incidental to the Lord’s work, human judgments that cannot be bound upon another. When you have such well informed men they will not allow the congregation to be led astray by false teachers. And, they will not allow the Lord’s work to be obstructed by hobbyists.
Good, strong, informed men will keep the church on the right track while accelerating its program of doing good that it may preach the gospel to the whole world in our generation.
-Harvey A. Childress
[This article was written in 1976]
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