Principles of Leadership - McCarthy Part 1

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters. During 2022, my theme has been “10 Principles of Spiritual Leadership”. Today and in our next episode we take a brief pause from these principles as I feel led to share some teaching from Dr. Daryl McCarthy who was the keynote speaker for the recent One Mission Society Missionary Council.

During one of our sessions, he spoke on the theme upon which I focused in 2021. The Character of a Leader. His five points were:

1.  Godly leaders are resilient- we don’t give up. 2 Corinthians 4:1

2.  Godly leaders are clear- we specialize in truth and transparency. 2 Corinthians 4:2-4

3. Godly leaders are Christ-focused. We do not promote ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:5

4. Godly leaders are humble - We rely on God’s power because we know we are weak.

2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 2 Corinthians 2:16

5. Godly leaders are confident in Christ- we have everything we need in Him. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 2 Peter 1:3. Today we will elaborate on his first three points.

Godly leaders are resilient- we don’t give up. 2 Corinthians 4:1 reminds us that “Therefore, since

through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” I think of the impact of Covid around the world – and particularly in Africa – over the past 27 months. Yet, despite the challenges, delays and setbacks, the work of Village Church Planting is advancing. During 2021, we recorded nearly 1200 new worshipping groups, over 100,000 decisions for Christ and nearly 50,000 baptisms. These are numbers to celebrate! And, we celebrate our VCP team, all of those who worked tirelessly to produce this Kingdom harvest.

Godly leaders are clear- we specialize in truth and transparency. 2 Corinthians 4:2 continues,  “ Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God… Godly leaders “correctly handle the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) The Message version says it this way. “Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple.”

Godly leaders are Christ-focused. We do not promote ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:5 expresses this thought so well. “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” Note the three points here.

 We do not preach ourselves. The world – and, I would suggest, the Church as well - has too

much of this.

 We preach Jesus Christ as Lord. This is the simplicity, and the Power, of the Gospel.

 We are your servants for Jesus’ sake. Godly leaders are servant leaders.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.