Changing Cultural Leadership
Throughout history leadership has rested in the hands of power, or as Debby Thomas states in her work Jesus’ Cross-Cultural Model of ‘Leader As Servant” In Luke 22:24-30, in a patronal system of leadership. [1] The idea of servant leadership is a foreign one to society in general. The strong have the power, those in power take what they want, those out of power live at the behest of those in power. Like Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” If the Bible is not a good source for you, just look at history. Power has always lain in the hands of the few who were strong enough to take it, and they live off the work of those who are subservient.
In the midst of this come Jesus. His radical departure from leadership through power, comes leadership through servanthood. I remember the first time I encountered this idea, (I know, it has been in scripture for 2000 years). I was in Nis, Serbia for my very first mission trip. I had been given a book, (cannot find it) where it introduced the idea of servanthood evangelism and servanthood leadership. The International Mission Board was beginning to see their efforts failing because they were just trying to reproduce the North American church wherever their missionaries would serve. They church would be planted, the missionary would work with the local people, they hymns would be Southern Baptist, the preaching was from a white man and when they left the church would die. Even if they had trained indigenous peoples to run the church, it was not their church. In the face of failures the IMB began to see the value of serving as a way of missions, to go and humble one’s self in service of others to earn the right to share the gospel. In the midst of this idea is the fact that Jesus did just that. In Philippians chapter two Paul tells us, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” If the creator and sustainer of all of creation can humble himself in his leadership, it probably is a pretty good idea to do it ourselves.
Thomas shows us how Jesus thinks in the following excerpt:
[1] Thomas, Debby. “Jesus’ Cross-Cultural Model of ‘Leader As Servant” In Luke 22:24-30.” Theology of Leadership1, no. 1 (2018): 67-77. 2018. Accessed September 01, 2018.
[2] Ibid. 72
[3] Han, Dahee, Ashok K. Lalwani, and Adam Duhachek. “Power Distance Belief, Power, and Charitable Giving.” Journal of Consumer Research 44, no. 1 (2017): 182-195.
[4] Thomas, Debby. “Jesus’ Cross-Cultural Model of ‘Leader As Servant” In Luke 22:24-30.” Theology of Leadership1, no. 1 (2018): 67-77. 2018. Accessed September 01, 2018.
About the Author
Jason Turbeville
A pastor, husband and father who loves to be around others. These are the things that describe me. I was a youth minister for 15 years but God changed the calling on my life. I love to travel and see where God takes me in my life.8 responses to “Changing Cultural Leadership”
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Hi Jason!
“Power Distance” was also a new concept to me. It says so much, and you highlighted it well.
I agree with you on the concept of servant leadership being a key. It surprises me when others say this is not a Biblical concept, as Luke 22:24-30 points out so well. This attached article drove me crazy!!
Jay
https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/38250907/MythServL.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1536434214&Signature=KrdA0LxwYxu82ByZWcz%2FZJWpHA4%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DThe_Myth_of_Servant_Leadership.pdf
Jay,
I get really frustrated with leaders who lead from a me first mentality, there are way to many of them in the church. Thanks for the feedback.
Jason
Jason, this is a great reminder for all of us in every industry. There are many types of people my ministry serves and I reminded am I serving them all? Pastors, students, interns, apprentices and more. To be honest its easy to use one to serve the other.
Kyle,
You are absolutely correct, there are many we serve in different ways, we have to be careful to follow Christ in how we serve no matter where we are.
Jason
Jason,
Hello my friend, where did the summer go? As always, excellent introduction and focus on “power,” from those who have power to those who will try to take it from others.
I have been a student of servant leadership for over two decades and have always seen how it “fits” the needs of the leader and the follower. While there are many models from a myriad of positions and perspectives, the servant leadership model is the ultimate solution for God’s created peoples.
I saw your reference to Thomas’ time in Rwanda and remembered my time as a missionary traveling thru Rwanda. I remember the lush green landscape, the last of the large ape-monkey popultions, the women with infants strapped to their backs working in the fields, the men loitering in their roadside shacks drinking homebrew and smoking, and the horrific images from the Kigali Genocide Memorial that commemorates the 1994 genocide of 250K Tutsi people.
Yes, there is a war over power, the evil ruler of this world continues to wield his Satanic power of those we are called to lead. Praise be to God that Christ defeated Satan’s grip at the cross!
See you in HK.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
Mike,
Yes the evil one wields his power like a hammer, it is such a contrast to the real power of Christ. His hammer is met with a servants heart and is defeated. I cannot wait to hang out with you once again in Hong Kong.
Stay strong brother.
Jason
It is amazing how throughout history we haven’t change in our approach to make ourselves more important than those around us.
The IMB followed a patterns that so many that have gone overseas or moved cross culturally, have followed. I wondered why we are not able to learn from other groups that have gone before? So often, especially with denominations (mine included) we have to feel like we are blazing new trails. I wonder if this is that same pride that makes us want to be the leader?
Good point on servant leadership, I do believe that is a great way to lead. I do think we have to also be careful that we don’t try to put all into a category of how we define servant leadership. I still struggle with those leaders God is using even though I don’t agree with how they are leading.
Greg
That is a great point, I have served under several whom I completely disagree with but I have had to be under authority. That is the hardest thing for me to do.
Jason