Servant Leadership
When the mother of James and John asked Jesus to seat her sons on either side of Him in His kingdom, it caused a bit of a stir among the other disciples. Jesus used the opportunity to introduce the philosophy of Servant Leadership by stating:
Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28 CSB
The secular world attributes Robert K. Greenleaf, retired AT&T executive, as defining Servant Leadership in 1970. Although Greenleaf may have coined the term and developed the theory, Jesus demonstrated it... exemplified it.... lived it. Greenleaf's theory did bring awareness to this effective style of leadership causing it to grow in popularity in academia and the business world over the past few decades.
After studying Greenleaf's theory, Larry C. Spears (2010) published an article, Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader, identifying and describing the critical elements needed to develop a servant leader... Listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community. It took modern man nearly 2000 years to learn how to act as a servant leader when the Bible held the secrets all along. We read how Jesus portrayed each and every one of these characteristics on a daily basis.
One of the greatest blessings of ministry is the opportunity to follow Jesus' example as a servant leader. The WV ABWM Board is made up of women who also exemplify the characteristics listed above. Each one is a volunteer who gives up their time and effort with no expectation of or desire for personal gain. Over the next several weeks, an officer or coordinator will be introduced through the Servant Spotlight section in the MMM. We want you to get to know who is involved with serving American Baptist churches and women across West Virginia. When you see these ladies at events and activities, please feel free to talk with them about your ideas, frustrations, and blessings. We want to continue serving you as God has called us to do. We also covet your prayers for God's guidance, wisdom, and discernment.
