Beth Grant serves as chairperson for the AG Network for Women in Ministry. Today she joins the conversation by sharing her perspective on what AG leadership should look like.
My definition of godly leadership has been most shaped by the model of Jesus, servant leader, and by ministering for 30 years in very different cultures. As I pray about the future of the Assemblies of God and feel a personal sense of responsibility to be the kind of minister-leader we want “AG leadership” to be, I would love to be known for the following:
1) Like Jesus, let’s be a friend of sinners. I pray the Assemblies of God will be known as a church in which people without God are welcome on their spiritual journeys.
Why are we surprised when people without Jesus live like sinners?
We have tried to teach our daughters as they were growing up to genuinely care about teachers and classmates that were broken people and who were far from God. We wanted troubled young people to be welcome in our home around our kitchen table after school. Brokenness and messy lives are the natural outcome of lives without a Savior. Jesus died for those in sin, and our hearts as His people should reflect that love. It means befriending them and weeping over them rather than avoiding them. (It’s hard to lead people to Jesus & disciple them unless we as allow them to be close to us.)
2) Like Jesus, let’s walk in spiritual authority and humility. I pray the Assemblies of God will be characterized by ministers who have spiritual authority, but not spiritual pride.
One of my greatest fears for us as a movement is that we have developed a measure of spiritual pride, personally and corporately. God is pretty straightforward about the outcome of pride and how He views it. The only way we have a future as a denomination is if we as leaders llve on our faces in our hearts before Him. The only thing life-changing we have to offer real people, real cities and a real world is Jesus.
3) Like Jesus, let’s have servant hearts. I pray that when we accept responsibility “to serve” in a particular ministry role in the AG, those words are not a euphemism for ruling “like the Gentiles do.”
When I decided to follow Jesus at 7, I became a servant. I gave up my rights to make conditions on my service. He’s my Master. He can use me as He will. (Being female does not excuse me from obedience or give me the right to define how He can use me) Am I available or not?
Amazingly, one can find servant leaders in hierarchical, authoritarian structures and tyrants in democratic ones. The structure is not our greatest problem. The heart is. If a man or woman genuinely has a heart to “take up the towel”, we can do so in any structure or system. (This doesn’t mean systems shouldn’t be re-evaluted or improved upon. But without heart-change in us as leaders, its window-dressing.)
Images are helpful to me personally in capturing truth and its practical application. In my mind, the higher one is placed in a hierarchy of leadership, the greater lengths one must go to serve (the greater the “stoop” if you will to take up the towel.) It only makes the being-like-Jesus-as-servant-leader factor more critical.
A servant heart is a servant heart all the time in every direction. We not only serve Jesus, we serve those we lead, we serve those we follow and we serve one another as fellow ministers. The true servant heart does not practice selective servanthood. The image of Jesus knowingly washing His betrayer’s feet is unsettleling but compelling.
4) Like Jesus, let’s be engaged in our world on all levels. David and I love our heritage in the Assemblies of God. However, if we have one regret its that our church leaders did not encourage us to be engaged in our world outside the church. Looking back, we feel a generation lost the opportunity to influence our secular world by being overly concerned while sincere about being separate.
Jesus was engaged wherever He went. I believe the Body of Christ is to be engaged in all aspects of our society and world. How can be salt and transformational as the Assemblies of God and individual leaders if we are not?
God led David and me to become involved in ministering to women and child victims of forced prostitution in India and Nepal. It is the worst face of evil we’ve ever been exposed to and perhaps the greatest injustice in our world today. However, we’ve seen that the love and liberating power of Jesus Christ and His truth shine most brightly in the darkest places. God is not intimidated by evil or darkness, and His people must not be!
As the church engages the most challenging issues in our world today in His Name, secular people without faith will see the face of a compassionate relevant Jesus they rarely associate with the church in America today. And they like us will be drawn to the One we love and serve.
Let’s get out of our churches and engaged in our world in the love and power of Jesus Christ!
Beth Grant
Missionary educator, AGWM Eurasia
Chairperson, AG Network for Women in Ministry
Monday, October 8, 2007
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11 comments:
I love everything Beth has to say here. I have always felt sad at our fellowship's introversion. I have been in too many churches that get upset when anyone tries to fellowship with both people in other denominations and "sinners". Aren't we all sinners? If we don't go out and try to get to know people, how will they see Christ? We are Christ and we must be a light. Thanks to Beth for a great post!
>>(Being female does not excuse me from obedience or give me the right to define how He can use me) Am I available or not?<<
Although I am content in a supportive role as a pastor's wife, I have always wanted to truly understand if God approved of women pastors. It never made sense to me that God would give a woman the gifts of preaching and administration and then ask her not to use them, but things get murky when submission and dominance issues come into play.
Thank you Beth Grant, for simply using your gifts to the fullest and giving God full authority as to how to shape and define your ministry.
I was hoping you would post. Thank you for your insights.
Beth:
Would you mind if we developed this into a four-week sermon series on leadership? Or used it as the outline for a missions convention?
Great stuff!!!
George
Amazingly, one can find servant leaders in hierarchical, authoritarian structures and tyrants in democratic ones. The structure is not our greatest problem. The heart is. If a man or woman genuinely has a heart to “take up the towel”, we can do so in any structure or system. (This doesn’t mean systems shouldn’t be re-evaluted or improved upon. But without heart-change in us as leaders, its window-dressing.)
Great word Beth! Tyrants and con-artists are everywhere...no matter what "structure" we are a art of!
Mary Jo,
Thanks so much for your comments and heart to serve. I was so blessed with parents and godly women in my life who encouraged me to learn to listen to God's voice and be responsible to obey. Because of it, the call of God for me is not a gender issue. It's an obedience issue. That's all about humility, abandonment, and service vs. pride, willfulness and rights. May God give you the grace, courage and faith to be all He's created you to be for His glory. One day we will all answer to Him for what we did with the gifts He gave us.
George, you can use anything I shared for anything you want. Only one request: improve upon it in the process:-)
Beth
engagement, not withdrawal. i love that. for too long, we've touted the phrase "in the world, but not of it."
the truth is that we've got to get a little more messy and a little less sanctimonious.
Great comment: Engagement not withdrawal!! Love it...
My former District Superintendent used to go at least once a week to a local diner--- sat up at the counter--- had coffee and breakfast. He would slowly engage others into a conversation that would most often lead the D.S. to befriend the individual. At times he would personally lead them to the Lord. Most times they had no clue as to 'who he was'... I always have thought that was terrific!!
I have tried to emulate that at times.... We do have some great leadership models for us to follow if we just look.
blessings...
w.g.smith
This was an amazing post. I've been thinking lately about brokeness. Truth be told, we are all broken. The difference is where we are at in the process of being reshaped and remolded.
The humility in this post is what most impresses me. I have thought for several years that the answer to the question "whats wrong with the A/G" can't be so much found in doctrines and positions papers rather in culture and attitude. Arrogance has always irked me. I think I can make a sound argument from scripture that women in ministry is just as valid as men in ministry. Yet, when I get a sense of entitlement coming from some, it has always rubbed me the wrong way. I have often thought that yes we are all equal, we are all equally slaves.
Man or woman, A/G or not, this post is an attitude and perspective we should try to emulate.
Great stuff and amen on what was said about engaging the world!
Amen, Beth! Well said.
Beth – “It’s hard to lead people to Jesus & disciple them unless we as allow them to be close to us.” Your words are true and alarming! Thanks for sharing your heart. Have we forgotten that the Power of Pentecost is the supernatural ability to touch broken lives and see them healed? Didn't Jesus tell us that we are to "make disciples of all nations"? Are we so satisfied with Holy Ghost goose bumps that we fail to remember the Harvest is WHITE? We agree with you, it is time to invade the darkness. Doing Church as usual will not touch this generation – we must take the light to them. Leave our nice buildings and the programs that meet OUR needs to invest in OTHERS? What a Kingdom thought!
Who would have thought Tempos would lead you to Missionary Educator, AGWM Eurasia Chairperson, AG Network for Women in Ministry? WOW!
Tom & Jan Bougher
The Rock FWC – Huntsville, Alabama
tjbougher@bellsouth.net
How can this happen and will anyone help us?
I just received a letter toady form the Southern Missouri District council of The
Assemblies of God. Following is a copy of the letter's contents;
Dated November 29, 2007
Dear Fellow Ministers:
We Trust the blessings of God are greatly upon each of you during this special Holiday
Season.
In our October presbyters meeting a motion prevailed that no Assemblies of God
credentialed minister in our district will be allowed to attend a non-Assemblies of God
Church unless they are given permission by the Presbytery Board.
It was also moved that the District write a letter to those ministers that have been
brought to our attention who are attending a non-Assemblies of God Church indicating it
will be necessary for them to receive District Presbytery approval for them to do so, or
their credentials will be in jeopardy.
If you or some credentialed minister in your church falls into this category, please
comply or encourage them to follow through with this action.
May God continue to bless you and your family as together we strive to enhance the
Kingdom of God.
Sincerely in Christ
Bill Baker
Superintendent
Southern Missouri District Council How can this happen and will anyone help us?
I just received a letter toady form the Southern Missouri District council of The
Assemblies of God. Following is a copy of the letter's contents;
Dated November 29, 2007
Dear Fellow Ministers:
We Trust the blessings of God are greatly upon each of you during this special Holiday
Season.
In our October presbyters meeting a motion prevailed that no Assemblies of God
credentialed minister in our district will be allowed to attend a non-Assemblies of God
Church unless they are given permission by the Presbytery Board.
It was also moved that the District write a letter to those ministers that have been
brought to our attention who are attending a non-Assemblies of God Church indicating it
will be necessary for them to receive District Presbytery approval for them to do so, or
their credentials will be in jeopardy.
If you or some credentialed minister in your church falls into this category, please
comply or encourage them to follow through with this action.
May God continue to bless you and your family as together we strive to enhance the
Kingdom of God.
Sincerely in Christ
Bill Baker
Superintendent
Southern Missouri District Council
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