Developing Leaders Within Community

"We'll get a resume from somebody in Nebraska wanting to be an intern here and we'll say, 'Come, move to Portland, get a job and just live here for a year. After a year, let's evaluate how an internship is or is not a fit.' We do this because we believe leadership is best lived and demonstrated in community."

This quote is from a recent article published in Leadership Journal. The article, "Locally Grown Leadership," is authored by Chad Hall, an author, church planter, leadership coach, and the Director of Coaching for Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

The typical church hires using performance-based criteria similar to secular organizations.

"But the Bible talks about leadership in terms of character more than performance. To know a person's character, you must walk in community with that person, not just see the results they got somewhere else," says a Portland, Oregon pastor quoted by Hall.

He says the church's emphasis on calling those who already fit the community (both the church and the city of Portland) results in fewer surprises and more success.

Another reason hiring from within should be the norm is linked to the process of discipleship. Jesus commanded us to make disciples, not train professionals. The natural outgrowth of the discipleship process would be producing solid Christ followers. Some of these are gifted to lead in the church family.

"A biblically-functioning church should produce leaders. If we're not able to pull leaders from within, something's wrong in our community because it means we are not reproducing."

One of the reasons many churches don't hire from within is their congregation is aimed at the wrong target. They have to look outside for leadership because leaders aren't being developed in their church.

Another reason many churches fail to produce leaders that fit their community is the lack of authentic relationship. The performance emphasis the western church has adopted from secular society has focused our measurements of success in areas like event attendance, financial statements, and the like. Healthy communities will be good financial stewards and people will be attracted to their gatherings. But, many Christian leaders fear transparent relationship within a community because it reveals true character (or the lack thereof!). A performance emphasis doesn't produce leaders -- it produces performers.

The four leadership priorities of LeadersHeart aren't aimed at "performance" in a secular sense. We want to help you build a culture/community that produces disciples who effectively lead themselves AND others.