WATERLOO, Iowa—President of Appalachian Bible College Daniel L. Anderson spoke at the men’s leadership conference hosted by Walnut Ridge Baptist Church this past spring. Anderson is author of Biblical Slave Leadership: A Stewardship from Above to Lead from Below.
Just like today, misperceptions about leadership circulated in Jesus’ day. In His only recorded address on the subject (Matt. 20), Jesus called out the erroneous Gentile model for leadership, teaching instead that godly leadership is not about position, power, prestige, or privilege; nor is it determined by personality type or management style. Instead, Jesus described a leader as a minister or servant (diakonos) and even a slave (doulos—the lowest of all citizens in Roman times).
Christ’s paradoxical, countercultural leadership model can be called “Biblical slave leadership,” says Dr. Anderson. And it requires total surrender of one’s life to the Master. It begins in one’s personal life, Anderson told his audience, then reaches to the man’s home and family life and shapes his ministry.
Dr. Anderson asked the men whether they viewed themselves as God’s slaves. He challenged them—as men purchased by the precious blood of Christ and granted the privilege of stewardship—to live out their identity as Biblical slave leaders.
Refresh your memory of Dr. Anderson’s teaching on this vital subject, share it with others, or discover for the first time what Biblical slave leadership is all about. The book is available in both hardcover and paperback.
