In the late eighties Dr Robert Clinton, no relation of Bill wrote a landmark book called the The Making of a Leader. What was landmark was that he introduced the concept of 'leadership emergence theory' - sounds boring, but what he did essentially was to clarify the process that we go through in developing as a leader.
He gave 6 stages of leadership - although most of us only get through 4! And identified what God does and what we do to develop and grow in our leadership gift.
This is where God providentially works through family, environment and historical events. It begins at birth. You may find it hard to believe that God worked through the events of your early life, especially if they were not godly influences, but He was. It is often difficult to see the influences until you are at the later stages. The other problem is that most people are not very self aware!
Key points –
You have little control
The primary lesson is to respond positively and take advantage of what God has laid in you in these Sovereign foundations.
The second phase is
Inner Life Growth
It is mainly about character development. It starts with salvation and early discipling as you get to know God, learn to pray and hear from Him and grow in the spiritual disciplines. Most people want to bypass this stage, but character development is key.
G Campbell Morgan was riding with DL Moody when suddenly asked "What is character anyway?" Morgan knew that the evangelist wanted to answer his own question, so he waited."Character is what a man is, in the dark"
The NT qualifications for leadership all focus around character and its heart is integrity – that uncompromising adherence to a code of moral, artistic or other values that reveals itself in honesty, sincerity, candour and avoids deception or artificiality.
As part of inner life growth God will test you in various areas - these tests form your character. Frank Damazio identifies 14 and Clinton adds 1more!
Time Test
God does not seem to be fulfilling the word he has given you in the past. The Time test tests your patience and grows you in faith. It will also purify your motives and attitudes. A biblical example is Abraham wait for a natural heir 25 years, starting at the age of 75!
Promise Test
The leader experience circumstances that seem to nullify the written or living Word of God. How can it come to pass. This is about endurance, patience and obedience and is intended to cause us to reject our own resources and depend on God. An example is Joseph who had so many contrary experiences to the promise of God – false accusations, imprisonment and being overlooked.
Word Test
This is about our ability to receive truth from God. Word tests grow the word gifts (teaching, prophecy and exhortation) in our lives. They are essential because they build spiritual authority which is the basis for spiritual influence. 1 Samuel 3:1-10 is a Biblical example. They test a leader's ability to understand or receive a word from God and then allow God to work it out in their life.
Character Test
The leader is surrounded by ungodliness that attempts to pull him or her in its direction. Could be lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh or pride.God develops the fruit by allowing us to be in fiery places to learn to stand strong in him. Samuel is a good example who avoided the corruption of Eli's sons in the Temple and grew to be a great spiritual and secular leader.
Motivation Test
God will arrange situations to reveal our true inner intentions, thoughts, values and priorities that cause to make choices or act in certain ways. This will purify our motives. Balaam is a Biblical example. God tested his motivation - would he sell out or be faithful? Sadly he failed the test as several NT passages record.
Servant Test
We are asked to do menial tasks below our calling. Barney Coombs got one of his interns who moved to Canada to be the Church janitor for 6 months before discipling him. He is now a Church leader. Elisha is a good Biblical example.A ploughman of the 12 pair of oxen - behind 11 pairs oxen. He then poured the water on Elijah's hands This larger ministry began with menial service. Servanthood is not just a test but continues. Christian leadership is Servanthood!
Wilderness Test
God directs to a materially and or spiritually dry place for a season - wonder whether you have been called at all. Some are left with no-one to talk to except God. The test cultivates our life in God and his Word.
Misunderstanding test
Occurs when those hearing a leader do not receive or reject his words. People may misinterpret or mistake the true significance of his actions, words, attitudes or motives. It helps us find better ways of putting things, and to examines ouyr attitudes and motivations in communication. Jesus is a great example of a misunderstood communicator –John 6:60 is one example!
Patience test
The word Patience comes from suffer! God will challenge is to wait patiently or to endure some tribulation without complaint. Noah is a Biblical example -it took some 120 years to build the ark and to preach repentance without success.
Frustration Test
This is when we feel our life or ministry goals cannot be achieved. People pr circumstances prevent us fulfilling conscious or unconscious desires. It causes us to re-examine our spiritual priorities and to put more fervour into the primary spiritual battle against opposition to the Gospel. Paul often faced this test!
Discouragement Test
A leader is going through this one when he allows circumstances or people to dishearten him and deprive him of his courage in the Lord. It should cause us to go to prayer, especially in the Psalms. Times of stress and trial are not wrong, but our attitude can be. So we learn to delight ourselves in the Lord and not in our circumstances. Elijah faced a Biblical example of the discouragement test when Jezebel was after him. David also faced it when his men wanted to kill him< 1 Sam 30:6
Warfare Test
This happens when a leader faces violent opposition to his progress in the Spirit or the extension of God's Kingdom. It happens in the realm of the Spirit, but it has natural expressions in conflict, lack of response, and struggles. This test forces us to grow strong in the Spirit. Our spiritual muscles grow stronger through use, exercise and resistance Heb 5:14
Self-will test
When a leader realises that God is asking him to do something that is against his own plans or desires, then the self will test has begun. God has to break our own self will and personal ambition, so He can trust us to do whatever He requires in the Kingdom. Jesus faced this in the garden when he prayed 'yet not my will, but yours be done.'
Vision Test
Occurs when contrary people and circumstances besiege a leader's spiritual insight into the purposes of God. Natural and physical vision is not enough. We must have spiritual eyes of faith to see God's will and desires for his people. This test shows how shallow our spiritual insight is. We have a little from education, experience, maturity etc, but it is never enough and we need to depend on God not our own resources. God receive more glory when a vision is fulfilled supernaturally and his way. So often it may seem to die once or even twice, so that its final fulfilment gives God much more glory than an uninterrupted march to success. Nehemiah is a Biblical example - he did not allow the enemies to discourage him from the vision, instead he gave himself to prayer. We should never allow negative people or circumstances to cause us to lose the vision God has given us for the Church.
Usage Test
This where we feel put on the shelf -there is no outlet for what we have to offer. This can be showing us we depend too much on our ministry for joy and fulfilment, or it may God humbling us. Again it purifies our motives and deepens our message can't live on past insight. The test may give time to deepen who we are in God, for fresh insight and revelation. John the Baptist was a great example –3- 30 years prep for 3.5 years ministry. He was wiling to be used by God for only as long as God wanted to use him.
I have spent a long time on the tests, because they are key to our inner life growth, but they will also occur in the next two phases.
Let's take a moment to consider what tests we have experienced so far. So in groups of three identify the tests you have gone through and what you learned from them.
Luke 16:10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
Faithfulness is the yardstick by which God measures the maturity of our ministry. In this phase of our leadership development God is moving us from receiving to giving.
The phase starts with a ministry task, an assignment which tests our faithfulness, obedience and use of gifts. It will have a beginning, an end, accountability and evaluation. For me it was leading a youth group Bible Study! We need to be deliberately assigning ministry tasks to others to develop them!
Then we are given a ministry challenge that requires self initiative and will cause growth. The interesting thing here is that those with self initiative in the Church are often regarded as disruptive and threaten insecure leaders over them! The next part of this phase will thus inevitably be about
Relational learning - dealing with conflict and influencing and motivating others.
The hardest part in this phase is for many learning spiritual authority. Transition to the next phase - life maturity is characterised by significant progress a mature use of spiritual authority.
Many of us learn the lessons of submitting to spiritual authority, authority structures, authority conflicts and how to exercise spiritual authority like this
1 Negative lessons of authority
2 A search for and understanding of legitimate authority
3 A desire to model legitimate authority
4 Insights about spiritual authority
5 Increasing use of spiritual authority as a source of power
The final part of the ministry maturing phase is growing discernment learning the spiritual principles that govern God pleasing ministry which include spiritual warfare, the power of God, faith challenges (often financial start of plant and now!) and prayer challenges
Example my 3 spiritual gifts and what order, but prophetic drives them
Split into three again name 3 spiritual gifts and what order
There is often a leadership backlash in the ministry maturity phase - these can be negative reactions of followers, or other co-leaders. The leadership backlash will test a leaders perseverance, clarity of vision and faith.
The end of ministry maturing phase is one of these three
1 Plateau - no more growth
2 Disciplined/ limited/ set aside
3 Major philosophical shifts - competency in doing to effectiveness flowing from being results from leader reflecting on God's involvement in life and ministry.
Note that in these first three phases, God working in leader more than through him/her
Many get frustrated
Mature ministry flows from mature character
Mature character comes through difficult situations such as sicknesses, crises or conflict
Most people grow through the difficult situations without realising the benefit of it.
Leaders are by definition busy people -but we need to learn to be reflective. We are often not aware of how God is growing us and using difficult situations to mould us.
There is a spiral of growth between being and doing up to and during this phase. The being cycle involves knowing God and in each doing cycle ther is an increased depth of effective service for God
A typical expression is this
Being - conversion or sense of awareness of salvation
Doing -leadership commitment
Being - inner life growth
Doing - development and use of ministry skills
Being - ministry philosophy becomes life based (John 15:15)
Union of life -being and doing are fused!
Some of the heroes of faith are Hudson Taylor, George Meuller, Praying Hyde, billy Graham and so on. The average for these guys was 15 years after they entered their life work, before they knew Jesus as their life and ceased trying to work for him and began allowing him to be their all in all and do His work through them. Can’t short-circuit the process, so don't be discouraged, but puts your sights on eternity and by faith “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Phil 3:12
God moves a leader to a role that matches the gift mix and experience so effectively that ministry is maximised
It is the peaking of ministry and life maturity
Not all make it
Personal development
Organisation reasons - their workplace doesn't allow then to get there
Providence- some go home early!
Fruit of a lifetime - era of recognition and indirect broad influence. Others will seek them out because of their consistent track record in following God. Their storehouse of wisdom gathered over a lifetime of leadership will continue to bless and benefit many