This document discusses several qualities of spiritual leadership based on courses from EBI and chapters from the books Spiritual Leadership by Blackaby and The Leaders Character by Sanders. 1) It examines characteristics like a leader's character, patience, anger (when used appropriately), friendship, tact, diplomacy, inspirational power, executive ability, listening skills, and letter writing. 2) Leaders need virtues like patience, which is not passive acceptance but courageous endurance to empower followers. Anger can be used rightly when motivated by love rather than personal injury. 3) Successful leaders draw people through genuine affection and acknowledging people's worth, balancing authority with wisdom and care for followers.

1. Spiritual
Leadership
LTCi course 602
EBI courses 115 & 224

2. 115 - This course focuses on how to teach and practice
the principles of spiritual leadership. Topics include
the leader’s challenge, role, preparation, vision, character,
goal, influence, decisions, schedules, pitfalls, and rewards.

3. Section 5 - The Leader’s Character
Group Activity: Create a one-page
visual summary of a life that moves
others to follow.
Study chapter 5 in Blackaby
Study chapters 9-10 in Sanders
Print an article on leadership at:
http://www.oneplace.com/
Ministries/Bibl e_Answer_Man/
Article_Archives.asp

4. The Leaders
Character
More Essential Qualities of Leadership
J Oswald Sanders, Chapter 8

5. 1 Tim 3:8-10
In the same way, deacons are
to be worthy of respect,
sincere, not indulging in
much wine, and not pursuing
dishonest gain. They must
keep hold of the deep truths
of the faith with a clear
conscience. They must first
be tested; and then if there is
nothing against them, let
them serve as deacons.

6. Humor
...is a gift from God - should be clean and wholesome,
cultivated and controlled.
CH Spurgeon was criticised for including humour in a
sermon, someone said of his humour...

7. “What a bubbling fountain of
humour Mr. Spurgeon had! I
laughed more, I verily believe,
when in his company than during
all the rest of my life besides. He
had the most fascinating gift of
laughter … and he had also the
greatest ability for making all who
heard him laugh with him. When
someone blamed him for saying
humourous things in his sermons,
he said, “He would not blame me
if he only knew how many of
them I keep back."

8. Spurgeon knew the value of
laughter and humor...in tough times
and sick times, humor was a means
for him to deal with his situation. It
was a coping mechanism for him.
There will always be seasons of
sadness and joy for the
conscientious leader. But, the
leader who learns to balance the
two, will learn the discipline of
employing laughter and joy in his
life. It could very well make a
difference in his fulfillment and
purpose in his service to the Lord.
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9. Anger
Is a leader allowed to be angry -
can such a situation be right?
Sanders quotes Jesus:
Mk 3:5 -He looked around at them in
anger and, deeply distressed at their
stubborn hearts, said to the man,
“Stretch out your hand.” He
stretched it out, and his hand was
completely restored.
Matt 21:13 - Jesus clears the
temple
The ultimate source of the anger
Jesus felt was the genuine love he
had for the people in each situation

10. William Wilberforce, who did
more than any man to abolish
slavery in England, did so out of
great anger at the injustice of the
situation which saw the weak
oppressed.
Martin Luther claimed that “he
never did anything well until his
wrath was excited, and then he
could do anything well.”
We need to be careful too - for
anger can be a source of a
leaders downfall - Bishop Butler
suggests six things that make
anger sinful:

11. - when wanting an argument we
imagine an injury done to us
- when we make the injury done
to us greater in our mind than it
was in reality
- when without real injury, we feel
resentment on account of pain or
inconvenience
- when our indignation becomes
such that we fail to control it
- when we take revenge due to
pain caused to us
- when we are angry or saddened
at sin in our own live to such a
degree that we “find” it in others

12. Eph 4:26 “In your anger do not
sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go
down while you are still angry,
TM v. 26-27 Go ahead and be
angry. You do well to be angry
—but don't use your anger as
fuel for revenge. And don't stay
angry. Don't go to bed angry.
Don't give the Devil that kind of
foothold in your life.
Such anger is not selfish and
does not focus on the pain
you might feel - it has to be
zealous for truth with the
glory of God as its prime
objective.

13. Patience
The wrong idea of patience is of
someone half asleep, totally
passive and utterly submissive.
William Barclay says of patience,
“the word never means the spirit
which sits with folded hands and
simply bears things...it is victorious
endurance, Christian
steadfastness, the brave and
courageous acceptance of
everything life can do to us, and
the transmuting of even the worst
that can be done to us into another
step on the upward way...

14. ...it is the courageous and
triumphant ability to bear all things,
which enables a man to pass
braking point and not break”
Sanders suggests that in
relationships patience is most
tested:
- Paul lost patience with John
Mark
- Hudson Taylor confessed “my
greatest temptation is to lose
patience with the slackness and
inefficiency so disappointing in
those I depend on”

15. How patient would you be faced
with doubting Thomas, Peters
reactive nature or the treachery of
Judas?
Leaders need to ensure they are
ahead of the people - but not too far
- setting the way but not out of sight,
slowing down when necessary -
they should be strong and yet still be
able to show sympathy in the
weakness of those following.
Rom 15:1 - We who are strong ought
to bear with the failings of the weak
and not to please ourselves.

16. Leaders should lead by
persuasion not command - and in
this patience is vital for when a
person is persuaded they “own”
the plan - as a leader (often) you
wait for agreement and support
before you can go on. It was said
of Hudson Taylor,
“again and again he was obliged
to either greatly modify or lay aside
projects which were sound and
helpful but met with determined
opposition...Later, in answer to
continued prayer many of these
projects were put into effect.”

17. Friendship
“You can measure leaders by the
number and quality of their
friends”
Paul had Timothy stretching
across generations and Luke
modeling friendship between
contemporaries.
“No man in the NT made fiercer
enemies than Paul, but few men
in the world had better friends.”
People followed Paul cheerfully
knowing he asked for great
commitment and that they would
risk much.

18. David was so good with people that
even a casual wish became a
command to them - 2 Sam 23:15 -
they would die for him because they
knew he would die for them!
Leaders have to draw the best out of
people - intellect and Bible
knowledge does not do this but
affection can.
CH Spurgeons biographer wrote of
him that “he exercised an absolute
authority, not because of his sheer
willfulness...but because of his
acknowledged worth.men bowed to
his authority because it was backed
by united wisdom and affection”

19. David was so good with people that
even a casual wish became a
command to them - 2 Sam 23:15 -
they would die for hasbecause they
Hugging him been
proven to have health
knew he would die for them!
Leaders have to draw the best out of
benefits. One study has
people - intellect and Bible
shown that hugs
knowledge does not do this but
increase levels of
affection can.
CH Spurgeons biographer wrote of
oxytocin, andan absolute
him that “he exercised
reduce
blood pressure.
authority, not because of his sheer
willfulness...but because of his
acknowledged worth.men bowed to
his authority because it was backed
by united wisdom and affection”

20. Jesus - Jn 13:1 - Having
loved his own who were in
the world, he loved them to
the end.
One cannot doubt the
affection which Jesus gave
and received from his own
disciples.

21. Tact and Diplomacy
Tact is the ability to deal with
people sensitively, to avoid giving
offence, and to have the right
‘feel’ for the words and things to
say in any given situation.
Diplomacy is the ability to
manage delicate situations
especially involving people of
differing opinions and/or cultures.
Leaders need to recognise and
reconcile differing viewpoints
without compromising their own.

22. You have to recognise the rights of
people and the validity of their
argument and still come to a good
solution
- to put aside your own preferences
and work out what is best for all
concerned.
- to negotiate and bring parties
together in harmony.
- to rule and overrule others without
incurring their wrath
Joshua demonstrated this in dividing
the promised land (under God’s
instruction) ensuring divisions already
present did not divide the nation.

23. Inspirational Power
Leaders inspire others to sacrifice
and service - such leaders draw
other people to themselves and
the vision God has given them.
Leaders seem to have an innate
ability to sway others, to make
them follow and trust them and to
be inspired in love and service.
Nehemiah changed the minds
and hearts of the people - Neh.
4:6 - So we rebuilt the wall till all of
it reached half its height, for the
people worked with all their heart.

24. Executive Ability
Executive
- Having the power to put plans,
actions, or laws into effect
- Relating to managing an
organization or political
administration and putting into
effect plans, policies, or laws
It is worth noting that organising
ability can be a poor substitute
for Holy Spirit anointing and
ability - but at the same time we
should organise well.

25. Looking back at creation it is
clear that God is a God of order,
who does all things well.
We should reflect God’s
orderliness in what we do.
We depend on the Spirit but plan
and act in an ordered, systematic
way.
John Wesley was a superb
organiser - something still seen in
the small group structure and
processes within the churches
bearing his, and Methodism's,
name.

26. Lake Pontchartrain
Looking back at creation it is
Causeway consists of two
clear that God is a God of to
parallel bridges that used order,
who does all things well.
be the world’s longest bridge
We should reflect God’s
in total length. This bridge
orderliness in Pontchartrain
crosses Lake what we do.
We depend Louisiana. Total plan
in southern on the Spirit but
and act in an two bridges is
length of the ordered, systematic
way. miles (38.42 km) long.
23.87
John Wesleyare supported by
The bridges was a superb
organiser - something still seen in
9,500 concrete pilings. The
the small group structure and
two bridges feature bascule
processes within the churches
spans over the navigation
bearing his, and (13 km) south
channel 8 miles Methodism's,
name. north shore.
of the

27. The Therapy of Listening
Many people are poor listeners - leaders do not
give the answer before the question, or situation,
has been stated.
Do you genuinely listen with sympathy to a
person, do you prejudge them? Do you allow
people to simply share their problem at times? Are
you too busy to listen?

28. “To be able to listen to
others in a
sympathetic and
understanding
manner, Is perhaps
the most effective
mechanism in the
world for getting
along with people, and
tying up their
friendship for good.”
Justice Oliver Wendell
Holmes

29. The Art of [Letter] Writing
In Paul’s day a leader
needed to write letters -
nowadays phone calls,
sms’ and emails are more
prevalent - which ever
form of communication we
use we need to do it in a
God glorifying and
honouring way.
He wrote in pain and tears,
not in acidic comments - 2
Cor 2:4

30. Paul generously apologised for any hurt he might
have caused - 2 Cor 7:8-9 - he did not write to win
an argument but to see people reconciled to Christ.
He was willing to correct people that they might live
in truth - Gal 4:16, 20
Ensure in all that you write that it is in the right spirit
- written communication is limited in many ways,
there is no facial contact, no tone of voice.

31. • Do you think humour is
important to a leader - or is it
simply a useful gift?
• Can you think of situations
and circumstances when
anger has been well used?
• How do you tie together in
the life of a leader, all of the
characteristics suggested by
Sanders?