Making Disciples and Servants
In the newly published journal Theology of Leadership, several subjects are utilized as topics for research including discipleship. Although the idea of discipleship is ancient, it continues to be analyzed for how it functions (or doesn’t) in the Christian world. In Triku Fufa Gemechu’s article, “Discipleship Life Experience in a Servant Leadership Context,” the reader learns about discipleship research done with a non-profit in Zimbabwe. The author notes that the specific method (phenomenological) with a servant leadership philosophy applied to the discipleship research is easily transferable to other ministries.
In my research of discipleship, I have found that Gemechu’s content is helpful though limited. Most of Gemechu’s article focuses on the method and questions that shaped the research while minimally relating the results or their effectiveness for the context. In addition, little is said about servant leadership as opposed to other types of leadership. Perhaps Gemechu’s results are elsewhere or were permitted only for the direct use in Zimbabwe. Regardless, Gemechu does ask several important questions in his study that may be utilized for further research in varying settings.
Two primary ideas of Gemechu’s work stand out. First, the need for discipleship to be in life experience as well as education. The second is his use of servant leadership philosophy.
Gemechu begins his article with a quote from Greg Ogden, “it is alright to be a Christian without being a disciple.”[1] This sentiment is similar to Dallas Willard’s content in The Great Omission. Specifically, the omission is focused on the church neglecting discipleship from its practice.[2]
“So the greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as “Christians” will become disciples—students, apprentices, practitioners—of Jesus Christ, steadily learning from him how to live the life of the Kingdom of the Heavens into every corner of human existence.”[3] This idea of living a life of discipleship and teaching others to do so as well is a key point in Gemechu’s research. The difficulty is that most churches focus on the large gathering and education of the mind of the Christian while omitting the day to day actions of apprenticing.
In leading a college internship program and teaching apprenticeship courses for the last several years, I have discovered first hand that apprenticing requires close proximity to those being apprenticed so they may observe, question, practice and eventually own for themselves what is being taught and lived. Thus, few can be apprenticed well by any one advisor at a time. Gemechu sites both Robert Coleman and Ogden’s work in recognizing the inability to make or mature disciples when attempting to do so on a mass scale.[4]
The reality from the study is that disciples begin to be and do what they see their teacher being and doing. To become a disciple or leader in the way of Jesus the apprentice must be close enough to those who are walking in that way so they may “reflect the transformed life producing the fruit of the Spirit.”[5] Unprogrammed or natural settings allow the transfer of character and action and therefore, a full education and discipleship of the person.
The use of servant leadership philosophy is another aspect of Gemechu’s article that is of interest. This article capitalizes on the idea of servant leadership as the context for disciple making. The underlying assumption is there are multiple philosophies but for the research of this study, servant leadership is the method used to make disciples. The question the article raises is, “if not servant leadership then what type of leadership?” What other philosophies are out there that reflect Christianity with a different or more nuanced approach? A quick glance at the other articles in the Theology of Leadership journal reveal servant leadership as a popular leadership theory of the church though it has not been well researched and has many variations. The most common definition of servant leadership is from Greenleaf focusing on a desire to serve and “to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.”[6]
One of the myriad of leadership websites defines eight types of leadership, including servant leadership. The eight methods include charismatic, innovative, command and control, laissez-faire, pace setter, servant, situational, and transformational.[7] After reading through the differing types, it seems servant leadership is not the only method employed in scripture. Though being a servant is a character quality, often a combination of leadership types was used by Jesus and the disciples. The variations of leadership in the bible, in particular, that advocated by Christ is a whole study of its own.
Overall, the article provides well cited content for the reader to bolster the need for practitioners to make disciples in more meaningful and lasting ways. In addition, it offers a template of questions for research interviews to add to research and hone in on problem areas to be modified and grown.
One of the limitations of Gemechu’s article is that it does not provide concrete examples or outcomes of discipleship life experience via servant leadership model. The article merely explains how research was conducted. Small excerpt cuts away from the stories and, truly the depth of research and outcomes that make the research worth doing.
The Theology of Leadership Journal create a new base of research on the thinking theologically about leadership. New bibliographical content, insight on leadership philosophy and content for my own research on discipleship are all aspects of the journal that I and other practitioners and scholars are able to glean from. The journal creates a crossover from the academy to the church in an accessible way with much food for thought and practice.
[1] Ogden, Greg. (2007). Discipleship Essentials: A Guide to Building Your Life in Christ (Expanded ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. 2007, 27.
[2] Willard, Dallas. The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’ Essential Teachings on Discipleship. New York: NY, Harper Collins, 2006, 3.
[3] Willard, Location 162.
[4] Coleman, RE. The Master Plan of Evangelism. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell. 2010.
[5] Gemechu, Triku Fufa. “Discipelship Life Experience in a Servant Leadership Context,” Theology of Leadership Journal, Vol 1, No 1, 43. Accessed September 1, 2018. http://theologyofleadership.com/index.php/tlj/issue/view/v1i1/v1i1
[6] Greenleaf, R. K. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press. 2002, 27.
[7] https://www.asaecenter.org/resources/articles/an_magazine/2013/january/8-common-leadership-styles
About the Author
Trisha Welstad
Trisha is passionate about investing in leaders to see them become all God has created them to be. As an ordained Free Methodist elder, Trisha has served with churches in LA and Oregon, leading as a pastor of youth and spiritual formation, a church planter, and as a co-pastor of a church restart. Trisha currently serves as leadership development pastor at Northside Community Church in Newberg, OR. Over the last five years Trisha has directed the Leadership Center, partnering with George Fox and the Free Methodist and Wesleyan Holiness churches. The Leadership Center is a network facilitating the development of new and current Wesleyan leaders, churches and disciples through internships, equipping, mentoring and scholarship. In collaboration with the Leadership Center, Trisha serves as the director of the Institute for Pastoral Thriving at Portland Seminary and with Theologia: George Fox Summer Theology Institute. She is also adjunct faculty at George Fox University. Trisha enjoys throwing parties, growing food, listening to the latest musical creations by Troy Welstad and laughing with her two children.16 responses to “Making Disciples and Servants”
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Lack of outcomes in ministry endeavors (be it discipleship or mission work) is becoming a MAJOR issue in my mind. Why are Christians so bad at evaluating their ministry efforts?
The word “proximity” stood out to me in this sentence because it was the title of the sermon I preached last week: “In leading a college internship program and teaching apprenticeship courses for the last several years, I have discovered first hand that apprenticing requires close proximity to those being apprenticed so they may observe, question, practice and eventually own for themselves what is being taught and lived.”
I love what you notice here. This is why we live and work in community and in a monastic rhythm of prayer–it keeps us doing life together and turns everything–whether a community lunch in our co-working office space, going out for a beer after work, or helping a friend move–into a discipleship opportunity. However, we still do intentional Bible stuy discipleship as well. It seems to me that there must be a balance.
Your thoughts?
Jenn, I would love to hear your sermon on proximity! I would say that the need for both planned and unstructured time with others is really important and must always be intentional so that discipleship can be both caught and taught. This way people learn why we do what we do and how through watching us do it with them and them trying things on themselves.
I am often frustrated by the lack of evaluation and measurement to see how we are growing or not in our ministry. This is something we are going to be working on in our church over the next season.
Hi Trish!
Anyone who quotes Dallas Willard is a friend of mine. Well done.
My favorite quote from your writing is this, “After reading through the differing types, it seems servant leadership is not the only method employed in scripture.” I agree with you so much. Thank you for highlighting this point.
I look forward to hearing more of your research on leadership and discipleship in the future.
Jay, I once had the opportunity of meeting Willard and having him sign a book of mine. Of all the famous people I have met he is probably the one I admire most.
I am learning about various types of leadership. From my own experience in church, I really thought servant leadership was the only way of Jesus. This is an enlightening journey.
Trisha,
Greetings my good friend. Where did the summer go?
I too am a student of discipleship. Thanks for zooming in on Gemechu and his Zimbabwe context. When we served in Botswana, we had many “Zim” friends and came to know and understand their struggle with their nations politics, leadership, and poverty. We came to know many professionally trained refugees who migrated illegally across the border to find work, sell their handicrafts, and do anything they could to earn a wage to help their families back home survive. It was heartbreaking to watch the military-police led “roundups” of the Zim refugees who were living and hiding in our neighborhoods. We found many ministry opportunities in the migrant “holding camps” extending food, clothing, love, and grace.
Greenleaf’s idea on meeting “people’s highest priority needs” may not be the same as Maslow’s, but in practice, extending Christ’s love, grace, and ministering to the “least of these” with food, water, clothing is a start.
Good post and see you in HK.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
Mike, Thanks for your insight on your personal experience in Botswana and Zimbabwe. I am still awed by the regular experiences of people throughout the world and how far from my own they are. I am glad for your service both in Botswana and your current travels.
Trisha,
Great job drilling down on discipleship. The one thing I ave to remind myself in discipleship training is one you brought out, a disciple is made best not by a program but living life under a mentor, being taught and given the opportunity to take what is taught and put into practice.
Thanks
Jason
Jason, I think you are not alone in needing the reminder. It seems so much easier to do programs rather than mentor and live life with people in intentionally discipling ways. Besides, programming can afford many more people gain knowledge quickly where mentoring is much more personal and can’t be done with as many (and is much more vulnerable).
Trisha,
I think you are ‘spot on’ in your recognition that the Church has lost much of its impetus toward genuine discipleship and instead has replaced that with indoctrination and intellectual fodder. I wonder if this article and the research conducted by Gemechu was instructive for you as you seek to develop research on discipleship in your own right.
Dan, mostly it confirmed what I have been reading and thinking which was helpful. It also gave me some great questions for interviewing. I just wish I had their data to compare findings.
Hi Trisha!
First of all, congratulations on welcoming your new little one! Can I please have the privilege of holding her in HK? 😉
I appreciated your thoughts on discipleship in this post. You stated, “To become a disciple or leader in the way of Jesus the apprentice must be close enough to those who are walking in that way so they may “reflect the transformed life producing the fruit of the Spirit.” Unprogrammed or natural settings allow the transfer of character and action and therefore, a full education and discipleship of the person.”
The statement “unprogrammed or natural settings” line caught my eye and rings so true to me. This is when discipleship truly occurs… when there is no program to guide, but rather when vulnerable interactions shape who we are and what we are becoming. Remember how Peter was discipled so lovingly by Jesus at the fire pit on the beach? It was such a natural setting for a vulnerable conversation, and Peter’s life was forever changed.
Mark, I love the example you mention about Peter. It seems like so much of Jesus’ mentoring (or at least what we see highlighted by the writers) is in smaller settings with only a few people – especially the deeply transformative times like with the woman at the well. The hardest part seems to be the intentionality in realizing every moment has the opportunity for discipling. This makes us ‘on’ all the time. Hmm, that seems hard in our performance oriented world but it also seems like how we are supposed to be with people all the time- not performing, just living an authentic discipleship with others.
Trisha, I too am excited about having the opportunity to hold your baby. We are excited to meet this new little one.
This concept of living out ones discipleship is a focus of our training schools in my context. So many nationals want to sit at the feet of the master for many years gaining knowledge
But don’t feel worthy to go out, live, teach or serve as they have been taught.
Proximity discipleship is something we have learned the hard way as well. We went from many living together and a daily mentoring time to sending disciples out in a place where digital communication is limited and monitored. We have struggled to keep accountability and focus with those sent to cities in which they are alone. Finding those ways of periodic touches, training, encouragements have key to longevity in some that have been more isolated.
Greg, I am glad for the good work you are doing but see how that could be difficult. Do you find that the people who are sent out are continuing to reproduce what has been taught to them? Do they do so organically, intentionally, or default to having one sage with many sitting at their feet as you mention? I am really curious how the second and third generations of disciple operate and how closely it mirrors the original mentoring.
Thanks for your thoughtful contribution and the work you continue to do on discipleship. I agree about the necessity of closeness in proximity for the teacher and apprentice. There’s something incarnation about it that seems critical to me, too. Looking forward to meet your new little one!
Trish, I rwally liked your post, and Im consistently reminded by how much our work overlaps.
I like your positive thoughts about all of this but your pushback about, where is the proven track record is very valid. I’m wondering if this theology falls under things that look great on theory but dont actual translate well, or the “fascinating but useless” category