IT used to be that if you are a leader in your church, you automatically command respect from your flock. Not today, though. Nowadays, the sheep are more discerning and will dole out respect only to leaders worthy of their deference.
And the determining factor for respect is good character. If the leader is lacking in integrity and Christlikeness, he cannot expect to have influence over his congregation.
This was the challenge posed by Rev Dr Bambang Widjaja to some 100 invited leaders of Bahasa Malaysia churches from various denominations at a recent conference organised by the NECF Malaysia BM Commission.
Dr Bambang, who heads the Indonesia Evangelical Fellowship, gave several characteristics of a respected, successful leader.
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Firstly, he is willing to change and learn, and this willingness comes from a humble attitude.
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He must be focussed in his direction, and has a vision that compels him to move forward. With a focused direction and a compelling vision, he is able to understand what God has done and is still doing in his life, and is committed to self-improvement. Thus, a successful leader views his life and ministry as dynamic and not static.
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He is secure and is thus prepared to serve and develop others. Insecure leaders, on the other hand, feed on people’s praises and flatteries for self-confidence.
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He is not afraid of hardship and does not allow hardship to deter him from attempting bigger things for God. “God allows difficulties in our lives to help strengthen and grow our faith,” Dr Bambang reminded.
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He is willing to bear responsibility, firstly for his own spiritual life, and those of his family members.
Dr Bambang also gave an overview of the current global trends. As a result, we now live in a “fast-food” world where the Church is tempted to dispense “fast-food evangelism”. He cautioned against the “McDonaldisation of Christianity”.
“A good leader must change what is necessary so that the congregation can grow. But he does not make changes for the sake of change,” he advised.
Co-speaker NECF Secretary-General Rev Wong Kim Kong, in his talk “The role of Christians in nation building”, emphasised the necessity to vote during the country’s general elections. “It is our Christian responsibility to choose the government, and this can be done through voting and praying,” he said.
It is not wrong for Christian, especially Christian leaders, to go into politics, but he cautioned them against using their political leadership to influence their church members. |
