Sometimes people put unrealistic expectations on their church leaders. Here, however, are three things people want that have some biblical merit.
What do people want from their Church Leaders?
1) People want church leaders with character marked by integrity and authenticity.
People have seen enough moral failing and political compromising in those who are supposed to be looking out for their welfare that authentic church leaders with integrity truly stand out. Leadership skills still matter, but people tend to want true servants of the Lord, not those who enjoy the limelight and desire power and control. They want leaders who aren’t hypocritical, saying one thing and doing another. They want leaders who really care and aren’t merely pursuing selfish ambition.
Let’s remember that God has always looked at the heart.
The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Sam. 16:7)
2) People want church leaders with whom they can sense a camaraderie.
People have seen enough divisiveness in the world. They want leaders who are team-oriented rather than lone rangers out to accomplish their own agendas. They want leaders who promote true unity in the Church and who truly value the input and contribution of others.
Let’s remember that God designed the church to be interdependent.
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. … Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. … so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. … Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Cor. 12:12-27)
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Eph. 4:16)
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Eph. 5:21)
3) People want charity in their church leaders.
People don’t want to feel condemned when they attend a church. They want church leaders to be agents of God’s grace not merely dispensers of truth or justice. To be sure, some people don’t really want to hear truth but they will tend to more readily accept it from leaders they feel truly care about them and speak the truth in love.
Let’s remember that Jesus came full of both grace AND truth. He exhibited that in how He responded to the Samaritan woman caught in sin.
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (Jn. 1:17)
… Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (Jn. 8:3-11)
