Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer

Godly leadership is more than being the most qualified to lead. Leaders in Christian ministry must understand and practice servanthood as taught by Jesus. Sanders compares the characteristics of "natural" leadership to spiritual leadership. In "natural" leadership, the emphasis is on power- specifically the ability to get subordinates to do things "they don't want to do" and forcing people to act (27). Spiritual leadership is "influencing others spiritually" (28). Spiritual leaders must not only possess leadership skills, but be ready and prepared to fight a spiritual battle (53). Sanders reminds readers that "God prepares leaders with a specific place and task in mind" (51). Even though many Christians are not called to a full-time ministry, all Christians are leaders since they influence people (109). Sanders insists on a leadership model in which leadership is "from the top down"-"never" from the "bottom up" (113). This philosophy is consistent with his other statement, "no cross, no leadership" (116). His description of spiritual leadership seems bleak by "natural" standards: a leader "lives with loneliness" (117), "fatigue is the price of leadership" (119), and "no leader lives a day without criticism" (119). Sanders' leadership model is very biblical in that it reflects the principle of leadership under God's guidance-" Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The LORD your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you" (Deu. 31:6 NLT). Leadership "from the top down" starts with God at the top. God is the Lord over creation, man, and the Sabbath and all is consecrated to Him. Ezekiel 37:23-24 explains, "They will truly be my people, and I will be their God. My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and keep my laws." In the same way, leaders should think of themselves as a vessel that is accountable to God.

Though written over thirty years ago, this remains a classic work on Christian Leadership. And though the book is provocative and inspirational, the author's overall presentation can be best described as, 'feet on the ground' practical. Having served in the ministry for over twenty-eight years, I can attest to the fact that the points he makes and the challenges he forwards are tremendously valuable and 'right-on'. Because of personal experience, I found myself agreeing with him on most every point. I will be using this text for all the classes I teach on Christian leadership - it is that good!

well, spiritual leaders! It is not only informative but makes even a better discipleship material! I've read and used it and have to say it's a very good one!

I make it a habit to read several books on leadership or ministry skills every year. This is the best one I have ever read on the former subject. J. Oswald Sanders left us with a true spiritual classic on what it means to embody the Biblical qualities of true godliness. I found this to be a very FULL book, with incredible insights packed into short epigrammatic sentences which are pregnant with meaning. It demands to be re-read.Spiritual issues are examined from several different angles as Sanders unfolds the Biblical criterion for leaders chapter by chapter. It seemed to me like the book gets better and better as it goes. The two chapters dealing with "Qualities Essential to Leadership" (discipline, vision, wisdom, decision, courage, humility, integrity/sincerity, humor, anger, patience, friendship, tact/diplomacy, inspirational power, executive ability, the therapy of listening, and the art of letter writing - quite an interesting list!) are worth their weight in gold. Several chapters that immediately attacted my attention were "The Leader and His Praying," "The Leader and His Time," and "The Leader and His Reading" - all three instructive and inspiring. Other beneficial chapters deal with the fullness of the Spirit, the cost of leadership, delegation, tests of true leadership, replacement and reproduction of leaders, and perils of the leader (a powerful chapter with a dynamic little section called "Prophet or Leader?").Get this book and devour it - especially those of you who are pastors, elders, teachers, and deacons. Any one involved in roles of spiritual leadership should read this book.

Oswald Sanders was a missionary in Far East Asia, and field director of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship for many years. This book, Spiritual Leadership, is one in a series of three on serious discipleship. The other two are Spiritual Discipleship, and Spiritual Maturity. Chuck Colson called Spiritual Leadership the best book on Christian leadership that he has read.For Christians who have been demoralized by the shallow and superfluous popular "fluff" that abounds on the topic of discipleship, this series will come as cool water in a desert. Sanders deals with the brutal struggles in discipleship, and makes it clear there is no spiritual growth without a price. If we are not willing to pay the price--we will not grow towards maturity. As Oswald Sanders said during a series on dispcipleship at Gull Lake Bible Conference, "There are spiritual Christians, and there are unspiritual Christians. And most are unspiritual."This kind of brutal language needs to be revived, in an age in which most Americans confuse Christian discipleship with self-help or self-optimization. In reality, the gate is still narrow, and the path hard, which leads to life (Matthew 7:14).