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This article aims to articulate a foundational understanding of Christian leadership and a strategy for building Christian leaders. (This author chooses the term "building" leaders instead of "leadership development" to align more closely with Jesus's terminology of making disciples.) The vast numbers of books on leadership development reveal the myriad of strategies for developing leaders. Furthermore, the endless variety of platforms from which one can lead inspires unique perspectives on developing a leader based on its inherent culture. The vastness of strategies in the leadership arena increases when one discovers principles of leadership that apply to all cultures (Plueddemann, 2009, p. 68). David Livermore (2010) argues that because of global diversity in leadership, it is important to "get rid of one-size-fits-all leadership mantras" (p. 228). Based on these realities, one could propose that the breadth of leadership literature is too complex to limit to one particular strategy. However, this article argues for a root strategy in building Christian leaders based on the command to make disciples found in the Great Commission. Why is the Great Commission so important to Christian leadership? All Christians are leaders by God's design, and disciple-making is foundational to building Christian leaders.
Every Christian as a Leader
Strategic leadership instills strategic implications for the organization (Hughes & Beatty, 2005). For Christian leaders, God sets strategic implications throughout the Bible, particularly in the Great Commission. This study defines a Christian leader as one entrusted with God-given authority to make disciples for God's glory.
Matthew 28:18-20, often referred to as "the Great Commission" (Wallace, 2014), is the core biblical text in this understanding of Christian leadership. The framework of Christ's commission begins with Jesus's kingly declaration of His supreme authority and dominion in verse 18. Jesus follows this declaration with a command for His followers to "go and make disciples" (Matt. 28:19) and concludes with His promise of continued presence in the life of His disciples (Matt. 28:20). The Great Commission decrees God's ongoing granting of authority first seen in Adam and now given to all those who are in Christ. Furthermore, the granting of authority for God's purposes displays the core of Christian leadership with the strategy to build leaders through disciple-making.
Christian Leadership and God's Authority
When God created the earth,...