Purposeful Leadership

Have you ever tried to follow a directionless leader? It is challenging. God created different leaders for different purposes, each driven by their unique gifts and experiences.

Oral Roberts was a leader of purpose. He acted on the words he heard from the Lord throughout his ministry. He even tested God to be sure it was from the Lord. The example of the “City of Faith” comes to mind. Oral Roberts received the word in 1986 to close the doors; however, over the next couple of years waited for confirmation. He received several confirmations and finally closed the doors in 1989 (Roberts, 2009). Oral Roberts always had a clear direction and then ventured into something new. He measured against the words he received when he was eighteen years old. He formed a philosophy in his foundational phase of leadership, which gave him discernment of where to spend his time and resources to be more effective in his ministry. In Clinton’s book, The Making of a Leader, he makes observations of leaders over the years to confirm that leaders who want to be effective and reach the final phase of leadership should have a philosophy to help guide them throughout their ministry and empower others (Clinton, 2012).

We need to spend some time going into more depth on our ministry values. Our ministry philosophy is to imprint Jesus on cultures around the globe through evangelism and discipleship. We use our values, such as the word, prayer life, faith, and community, not only to help guide us when discerning the next steps in ministry, but also to keep us grounded and focused on our mission.

In ministry, there are no easy tasks; nonetheless, having a guide is essential to discern your ministry’s focus. What is your philosophy? Remember, you are not alone in these challenges, and having a clear philosophy can provide the support and guidance you need as your leadership grows. 

References:

Clinton, Dr. J. R. (2012). The Making of a Leader, Second Edition: Recognizing the Lessons and Stages of Leadership Development (Second Edition). NavPress. https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-making-of-a-leader/id1377836035

Roberts, O. (2018). The Ultimate Voice: God’s still small voice: The clearest and loudest voice you’ll ever hear. XanEdu. https://x2.xanedu.com/course_packs/761372/article/a4navPoint-1/