How to Become an Effective Leader in God's Church

By Floyd Mathews

One of the greatest desires of the church community in today's society is to have leadership that adds value to the personal growth of its membership while effectively supporting God's plan for building his kingdom. Church leadership whether a pastor, preacher, deacon, teacher, or hopeful prospects of these positions need desperately to know who they are, whose they are, what is their role, and how to effectively carry out their responsibilities as a leader in God's church. The Holy Spirit has blessed me with the vision needed to fashion this book to be a guiding light for those who are and have a desire to become an effective leader in God's church. The purpose of this book is to assist church leaders in their journey to effectively carry out God's plan for themselves, and the people they are called to serve. I challenge you to read this book and apply it to your life style in the interest of being an effective leader in God's church.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9781641407236

Book preview

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How to Become

an Effective Leader

in God’s Church

Floyd L. Mathews, Sr.

ISBN 978-1-64140-722-9 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64140-723-6 (digital)

Copyright © 2018 by Floyd L. Mathews, Sr.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Acknowledgments and Dedication

I want to acknowledge my father in the ministry, Dr. Jesse B. Bilberry, Jr. who patiently nurtured me along early on in my ministry. Further, he modeled before me and others the life of a true pastor that was committed to the cause of Christ as he served humankind from all walks of life. I also want to acknowledge Brother Alvin Hollins, Sr., that cared enough to challenge my faith and prompted me to take a closer look as to who I was in Christ versus where I should have been at age thirty. I thank God for his concern for me and his patience to tolerate me and the attitude I possessed at that time. I grew to better know Jesus as my personal Savior and Lord because he cared. Acknowledgments goes out to my friend and coworker in Christ William Bill McMahan who was a long time prayer partner, supervisor, Promise Keeper, and my partner in Prison Ministry (Kairos). Bill has had a great influence on my life, and for this, I am most grateful. I am both pleased and honored to acknowledge Ida Warren Mathews, my lovely wife for over fifty years. Together, we have been blessed with two fine children, Tonya and Floyd, Jr., both of who are now married and enjoying their own families. I wish to dedicate this book to our four grandchildren, Johrdyn, Sidrah, Micah, and Maxwell. To God be the glory for the blessings of family and friends that surrounds me and love me in spite of my faults.

Introduction

As a human being, a creature of the all wise eternal God of the universe, you have a destiny beyond your journey here on earth. As a leader, you have a calling to rightly divide the word of truth. Your destiny will be determined by how well you come to know, accept and honor your creator and his commands for your life. Those commands are embodied in the Holy Bible. My journey through life has led me to biblical truths like none I have never known before. I have been led by the spirit of the true and living God of Israel to share these truths with you and others who care enough to read or simply listen when I am blessed with teaching opportunities. I am committed to adding value to your journey whether you are a pastor, preacher, teacher, deacon or simply an individual that is upward bound in biblical studies and church leadership skills.

I invite you to join me for this journey that is designed to bless you with insight, foresight, and a vision of hope for your ability to be a value-added leader here and now but most of all, to increase your comfort zone relative to your ultimate destiny in eternity.

I

The Church

Who Are We and Who Is the Church?

St. John 13:34–35 and 1 Peter 2:9

Why does the church exist? God’s program for the local church is to come and worship and to go witness.

Matthew 28:17–20 elaborates on this, it says: And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The church exists to evangelize the world that the world might worship God the Father.

Who and what are we as a church?

1 Peter 2:9 says, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;

God sent his son, Jesus, the Christ, to make a way for you to be adopted as brothers and sisters of Jesus, thus making you part of the family of God. We call this family the Church.

A royal priesthood, a chosen generation, a peculiar people, (the Church).

What is the Church?

The Church is that Christian community which has arisen in response to Jesus’s new commandment. Jesus said in John 13:34–35, And now I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.

The church is the Body of Christ. A person’s body is a single unit, but it has many parts.

If the whole body were an eye, it would not be able to hear.

If the whole body were an ear, it would not be able to smell.

If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body.

God put all the parts in the body as he wanted them to be.

So then there are many parts, but only one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, I don’t need you!

The head cannot say to the foot, I don’t need you!

(1 Cor. 12:12–21).

No one is to be excluded, no matter how different you are.

The eye cannot say to the hand, you are not a part of the body.

Neither can the hand say to the feet, you are not a part of the body.