The Holy Spirit in Leadership: A Case for Spiritual Leaders

By Dr. Denise Norris and Jeffrey J. Boone

The Holy Spirit in Leadership: A Case for Spiritual Leaders

This book aims to promote the Holy Spirit's role in church leaders. Spiritual leadership is the opposite of secular leadership. They may share some things in common, but they are not the same, nor are they equal in the church. Spiritual leadership is biblical, holy, and it is mandated upon the words and the works of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught his leadership style by example to his disciples. The first-century disciples absolutely modeled the words and works of Jesus Christ.

One of the biggest problems today in the church is secular leadership. Secular leadership is the root cause of inaction and declination of the church which promotes selfishness. Spiritual leadership promotes selflessness. This book's answer is the church's answer for spiritual leadership in the church over secular leadership. The church's solution to secular leadership is Christ's spiritual leadership implemented and lived by the first-century disciples.

This book seeks to elevate spiritual leadership in the church through the Great Commandment, the Great Commission, and biblical conflict resolutions. This kind of leadership is indispensable to spiritual leadership in the church. The teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in the first-century apostles' doctrines are the guidelines that identify spiritual leadership.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638441038

Book preview

cover.jpg

The Holy Spirit in Leadership

A Case for Spiritual Leaders

Dr. Denise Norris and Dr. Jeffrey J. Boone

ISBN 978-1-63844-102-1 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63844-103-8 (digital)

Copyright © 2021 by Dr. Denise Norris and Co-author Dr. Jeffrey J. Boone

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

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Dr. Denise Norris, D. Theology

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Obie and Hattie Lumpkin, who barely had an education but continuously encouraged me to pursue my education to be the best that I could be. My father only had a third-grade education, and my mother could not read or write at all. Thank you for what you instilled in me.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I give thanks to God for allowing me to achieve and accomplish my spiritual and educational endeavors. I acknowledge my children for whom I have always been motivated to move forward in life because I wanted to be an example for them to follow. I acknowledge the late Pastor Shirley J. Nicholson who led me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I acknowledge Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Boone who has been by my side since day one of my desire to gain my doctoral degree. And finally I acknowledge Dr. Claudine Head who is not only the founder and president of New Hope and Life School of Religion, Theology and Seminary, Capitol Heights, Maryland, but one who has been a dynamic mentor and awesome woman of God to me.

Biography

Dr. Denise Norris earned her Doctoral Degree in Theology in 2020 (Sumna Cum Laude—4.1 GPA, Valedictorian, and Honor Roll Student), from New Hope and Life School of Religion, Theology and Seminary, Capitol Heights, Maryland. She also received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Studies and Master of Divinity Degree from the same distinguished school. Her primary desire is to be an example of a Christian believer where ever she is.

Dr. Jeffrey J. Boone, D. Min

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the most dedicated servant of God that I have ever known, my mother, Shirley Jean Nicholson. Her love for Jesus is the reason that I am the man that I am. Had it not been for her, I would have never given my life to the Lord and subsequently, countless thousands of others would not have been saved. Mom, I love you! Kiss Jesus for me, and one of these days, I will see you soon in eternity.

Acknowledgment

Words cannot articulate the adoration and sentiment of a heart ablaze by the Holy Spirit given by Jesus Christ and promised by God. To Him belongs all the glory, amen!

Biography

Dr. Jeffrey James Boone Sr. earned his Doctoral Degree in Leadership (Summa Cum Laude) from the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, Liberty University. He also received his Bachelor of Science in Religion, Master of Arts in Religion, and Masters of Religious Education degrees at Liberty University. His primary desire in life is to be a giant and champion for Christ.

Abstract

The Holy Spirit in Leadership: A Case for Spiritual Leaders

The purpose of the research is to promote the role of the Holy Spirit in leadership: a case for spiritual leadership in the church. Spiritual leadership is the opposite of secular leadership. Spiritual leadership and secular leadership may share some things in common, but they are not the same, nor are they equal in the church.

Spiritual leadership is biblical and holy. Biblical leadership is mandated upon words and the works of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught spiritual leadership to His disciples. The first-century disciples modeled the words and works of Jesus Christ. One of the biggest problems in the church is secular leadership. Secular leadership is the root cause of inaction and declination of the church. Secular leadership promotes selfishness, and spiritual leadership promotes selflessness.

The problem this research will answer is the need for spiritual leadership in the church over secular leadership in the church. The solution to secular leadership in the church is spiritual leadership as taught by Jesus Christ and implemented by the first-century disciples. This research will seek to elevate spiritual leadership in the church through the Great Commandment, the Great Commission, and biblical conflict resolutions. The Holy Spirit in leadership is indispensable to spiritual leadership in the church. The teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrines of the first-century apostles are the guidelines that identify spiritual leadership.

Introduction

Times are changing. The world is coming out of the closet, and the church is going in the closet. The voice of the Gospel is being strangled by silence, trepidation, and apprehension. Discerning right from wrong is being confused between legal and illegal. The time for holy leadership in the church is now. The Christian leader is needed more so than ever before to show the way of the godly life of Christ. The godly life of Christ is holy. Therefore, the role of the Holy Spirit in leadership is critical to spiritual leadership in the church.

The teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrines of the first-century apostles are the guidelines that identify spiritual leadership. The teachings of Jesus Christ are thorough in the ideation of spiritual leadership. The first-century apostles were influenced by the Roman Empire’s model of leadership. The Roman’s model of leadership was based on lordship and status. The rich ruled over the poor. The superior ruled over the inferior. The haves ruled over the have nots. Born in the right family was matrix to political and public leadership.

The aristocrats ruled from privileged and nobility. It was their birthright to rule. It was their inheritance to rule and to exercise authority over their subjects. They were considered superior, and their subjects were inferior based upon privileged, prestige, and power. The problem of secular leadership initially was the erroneous concept that the first-century apostles regarded. Jesus reconceptualized and redefined leadership for His twelve disciples. Jesus taught against lordship leadership. There are many Christian leaders in the church today that do not understand the leadership teachings Jesus and the first-century apostles’ adherence to Jesus’s words and works. The basis of the apostles’ doctrines were the words and works of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’s leadership was not dictatorial, tyrannical or totalitarian. His leadership style was humble, submissive, and unintrusive. He lived His life to serve others and not to be served. Jesus’s leadership was unlike the Roman Empire’s leadership. The Romans practice lordship. Jesus practiced servant-ship. The Romans believed in ruling over people, and Jesus believe in serving people. Jesus expressed to His disciples:

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:25–28)

Jesus’s leadership style was the opposite of the Romans. The Romans made people serve them, but Jesus made Himself to serve others. The disciples were accustomed to the Romans’ style of leadership because the Romans dominated that part of the world. The disciples of Jesus had to learn a new leadership style. They had to learn to serve others rather than to have others serve them.

Martin Luther King Jr. was keenly aware of the human need to first, to be served, to have dominion, and rule over others. He preached a sermon entitled The Drum Major Instinct. The sermon dealt with people wanting to be first over others. He said:

We too have those same basic desires for recognition, for importance, that same desire for attention, that same desire to be first… It’s a kind of drum major instinct––a desire to be out front, a desire to lead the parade, a desire to be first.¹

---

¹ James M. Washington, A Testament of Hope; The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. (New York: HarperCollins, 1991), 259–260.

Chapter 1

Statement of the Problem

The problem of spiritual leadership in the church is the problem of the church that needs correction and rectification. Spiritual leadership is based upon the Word of God as taught by Jesus and practiced by the first-century apostles. The world’s method of leadership is personal lordship. The church’s leadership is Jesus Lordship. The distinction between the two is one is secular and the other is spiritual.

Background of the Problem

Secular leadership is competition. Spiritual leadership is completion. The problem of secular leadership in the church is the problem that the church must not ignore and confront. A Christian leader may have good intention for implementing secular leadership in the church, but secular leadership is antithetical to biblical, spiritual, leadership.

Purpose of the Research

To correct secular leadership in the church, biblical and spiritual leadership needs to be taught and trained to Christian leaders. An uninformed Christian leader may erroneously mistake secular leadership as spiritual leadership. Apart from knowing what the Bible teaches about spiritual leadership, a Christian leader might possibly blunder secular and spiritual leadership as one and the same. Therefore, spiritual leadership should be taught to all Christian leaders in the church.

Significance of the Research

The significance