The great Christian revolutions come not by the
discovery of something that was not known before. They happen when somebody takes radically something that was
always there –
Challenges facing the church, its leadership and each of us, have always
been there – in Scripture, in Jesus’ call and commands, and in the
Spirit’s persistent regenerating and renewing of people and communities.
One of the great challenges facing Christians is how we understand and
exercise leadership. We all lead.
It may be in the home, with our children or youth, in the community, and
in the church. Leadership in the
church is not just from the platform or pulpit.
We’re all involved, and can all take initiatives such as contacting
people by phone, over coffee, in home groups or in a huge range of activities
such as taking food to the sick or bereaved.
Jesus demonstrated and insisted on servant leadership.
To lead is to serve. We lead
by serving. Kingdom leadership is
fundamentally different from leadership in society.
Jesus emphasised this when James and John wanted recognition or
prominence (Mark 10:35-45). How do
we demonstrate kingdom leadership here and now?
The timely, significant articles in this issue of the Renewal Journal
explore some of these challenges in contemporary ministry facing us in the
church. The articles were
presented and discussed as papers in 2001 at the first annual Contemporary
Ministry Issues Conference hosted by the School of Ministries of Christian
Heritage College at Citipointe International Christian Outreach Centre,
Mansfield, Brisbane.
You are invited to offer papers for future annual Contemporary Ministry
Issues Conferences. We’d be glad
to hear from you.
This conference demonstrated many responses to current challenges.
Keen to interact, teachers, students and visitors packed the seminar
lounge at Rivers Café, an integral part of Citipointe Christian Outreach Centre
at Mansfield. All the conference speakers are involved in leadership and
ministry, not stuck in libraries. Most
of them are so ministry and people-focused that their research is constantly
tested in the lively interface of practice and theory.
Irene Brown examines the transforming power of the kingdom within: the
kingdom of God is within you. We
can be liberated from the prevailing bondage to Christian law, and made free to
really love and serve one another. Jesus
insisted on that as the true mark of his followers: “By this shall everyone
know that you are my disciples, if you have love for another.” Irene emphasises that approach in her Christian counselling
courses.
Jeannie Mok challenges churches in multi-cultural Australia to embrace
our changing context with courage and sensitivity. Our ethno-centric pride or prejudice can increase barriers
between people, when the churches should lead the way as radical bridge-building
communities of compassion and equality. Jeannie
co-pastors the multi-ethnic International City Church in Brisbane and is
principal of the Asian Pacific Institute which offers a range of multicultural
courses. These include the
pioneering Pentecostal external studies from Manchester University in England to
masters level.
Sue Fairley tackles some sacred cows enshrined in our church traditions.
The place of women in ministry and leadership raises temperatures all
over the world. Tradition easily
suppresses fresh movements of the Spirit who calls and liberates women as well
as men to be leaders, missionaries, pioneers, and equal partners in ministry.
Many traditions need to be challenged, and Sue does so in her ministry as
Principal of Trinity Theological College in the Uniting Church in Queensland.
Her article may surprise you!
Susan Hyatt reports on a significant international conference on women
and religions. She emphasises a
return to a biblical pattern of equality in ministry and service in her writings
and speaking, including ministry with her husband in seminars and publications.
Susan’s report provides further insights into the place of women in
Pentecostal and charismatic ministry in addition to those quoted by Sue Fairley
in her article.
Mark Setch,
senior pastor of a progressive Uniting Church in Brisbane, applies his doctoral
research on leadership to ministry. He
takes seriously Jesus’ command to make disciples – not just make church
members, pew sitters, or meeting attenders.
Mark is also pro-active in united prayer and ministry among pastors and
churches in the Redcliffe area of Brisbane where some leaders pray together
regularly, some churches now gather for combined services, and some pastors
exchange pulpits.
Sam Hey has been researching and teaching about biblical renewal and
revival movements which confront the secularising pressures on all Christian
institutions. He applauds Harvey
Cox’s conversion from The Secular City thinking of the sixties to the Fire
from Heaven thinking of the nineties!
This issue of the Renewal Journal provides inspiring, informative
articles which we pray will help you understand and embrace what the Spirit is
saying to the contemporary church.
©
Renewal Journal #18: Servant Leadership (2001:2)
www.renewaljournal.com
Reproduction is permitted so long as
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