Church as Family, Part 3: Kingdom Leaders

Last time, we radically deconstructed, making the case that Jesus doesn’t structure His Ekklesia with a hierarchal chain-of-command. This is because Ekklesia isn’t modeled after the businesses and corporations of our modern world but after the family of the Godhead. So, how must Kingdom leadership and authority look like?

Leaders in the ekklesia are first and foremost servants[1], as Jesus said:

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant” (Matt. 20:25-26).

This means that while worldly leadership is about directing others, Kingdom leadership is always about serving others. Instead of steering someone towards a goal I have decided upon, I ought to assist, help or support someone in achieving their goal. This makes sense considering the familial nature of Ekklesia.

I have a brother named Joseph who is currently pursuing a license to be a semi-truck driver. Being a good brother means serving him in any way I could to help him become the best truck driver he can be. But if I try to lead him to do something else, I have stopped serving him and have started the process of trying to control him.

Leaders in the church today, if they are to be Kingdom leaders, need to come alongside and support their brothers and sisters instead of trying to direct them. One way to deconstruct the chain-of-command in the American church is to come alongside our brethren and assist them in pursuing their goals with our gifts and skills.

Notes:

[1]While “servant” is the more palpable and politically correct term we use, the terms generally translated as servant or servants in the scriptures actually mean “slave(s).”