Electing Leaders & Ingredients of Leadership

It was not planned. I thought I was going to have a relatively relaxed schedule this week but twice I was called upon to preach, first in the Tuesday's Prayer meeting and last night in our mid-week Wednesday service. Twice I used the occasion to preach about picking the right leaders in the context of our denomination. This year is election year and on Saturday we have our District level AGM (hosted by my church) and 26 local churches will send three representatives each to the AGM and together with the District Council of 15 members, about 93 people are entitled to vote. The most important position is obviously the District Superintendent (DS), together with his Deputy, Secretary and Treasurer make up the Executive council of the District. For pastors, the DS is our immediate superior and when I first came up to Ranau, I reported to the DS and my acceptance of the pastoral position was witnessed by him and a copy returned to our HQ.
Thus, on Tuesday I preached from Acts 6 where the apostles asked the gathered church community to pick among themselves capable men who were considered of good standing, filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom. The assumption is that the early Christians knew whom to pick as leaders to support the apostles. They knew who among them were especially filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom, two essential ingredients of leadership even at the diaconate level. It is sad that we can no longer make such assumptions today and hence, my teaching albeit limited to my own local church.

Tomorrow my first initiative as the Chairman of Pastors' fellowship (18 SIB pastors in Ranau) is to call for a special prayer session for the District AGM. Did not the apostles say that they should not be distracted from serving tables but that they ought to focus on prayers and the ministry of the Word? Again, being consistent in praying, engaging in constant prayers together with other apostles and leaders and a faithfulness to Scriptural exposition are two essential ingredients of top leadership in any denomination.

Last night I preached from Ezekiel 34 on the promise of a new shepherd, David and when the right kind of leadership is in place, the people of God experience peace and blessings as the Lord will bless the land and send rain in its time. I ended with John 21 where Jesus asked Peter thrice whether Peter loved him and thrice the response of Peter is met with the command to feed (bosko) and shepherd (poimaino) Jesus' sheep. Feeding the flock with God's Word is the primary ingredient in any spiritual leadership and I pray that all the representatives have eyes to see and hearts to perceive whom God has appointed shepherds over his flock.