Spiritual Leadership

Spiritual Leadership

Brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.

Acts 6:3

Who we grow up to be is set in motion from infancy. We have personalities, habits, and character traits that point back to those who raised us. Equally important are the conditions in which we live. My grandmother, who grew up during the Depression, is very frugal. She has never used a credit card. She believes you shouldn’t buy something unless you have the cash to pay for it. Likewise, the way Amish churches are run today can be traced back to the infancy of the Anabaptist movement:

Local congregations were self-standing, each with its own ordained leadership who preached and provided pastoral care, as well as looking after the material needs of members and collecting and distributing money for the poor. Swiss Anabaptists allowed lay members to lead worship and teach if no ordained leader was available, though performing the rites of baptism, communion, ordination, and marriage was reserved for senior ministers called “elders” (later, in North America, they came to be called “bishops”). However, the most important roles for Anabaptist leaders—elders or junior ministers—were modeling daily Christian discipleship and guiding church discipline.

Amish today follow the same model. Laymen are called into leadership. Deacons oversee the material needs of members and the collection and distribution of money for the poor. Ministers (also called preachers) are responsible for delivering the messages on Sunday and spend a lot of time preparing for that by reading God’s Word in both German and English. Bishops are the spiritual leaders over one or two church districts. All those who hold these positions are untrained and unpaid.

Who are the men or women God has called to ease your spiritual and emotional burdens? Take time today to pray for them. It’s not easy caring for others and leading them toward God. Pray God will give them a fresh joy and strength as they face the responsibility.

Dear heavenly Father, I often find it easier to point out others’ faults than to appreciate their hard work. Thank You for those You’ve brought into my life to lead me closer to You.