Aubrey Malphurs, Being Leaders: The Nature of Authentic Christian Leadership. Baker Books, 2003.
Sequels:
Referenced in: Leadership Development Through Self-Awareness
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is the first in a series on leadership development by Aubrey Malphurs. The second is co-authored by Will Mancini, Building Leaders (2004), and the third is Leading Leaders (2005). This volume, the first,, looks at what it takes individually for any person to lead effectively, with special applicability to the lead minister role. The second book discusses how to develop leaders at all levels within the congregation, both staff and volunteer. The third looks more specifically at elder-board leadership.
In each of these texts, Malphurs starts with a working definition that provides the infrastructure for the rest of the book. In this case, he offers two definitions, one of leaders and the other of leadership:
First, Christian leaders are servants with the credibility and capabilities to influence people in a particular context to pursue their God-given direction. The second builds off the first. Christian leadership is the process whereby servants use their credibility and capability to influence people in a particular context to pursue their God-given direction. (10)
The rest of the book develops each piece of this definition in detail. Chapter 1 presents eight distinctive features of Christian leadership and investigates who filled the roles of leadership in the first century church. Chapter 2 expounds on two biblical metaphors for leadership – shepherd and servant. Chapter 3 looks at leadership credibility and trustworthiness. Chapter 4 discusses the leader’s necessary capabilities and tools. Chapter 5 considers the leader’s style of influencing others, and uses the Leadership Style Inventory which is a shareware adaptation of DISC). Chapter 6 looks at the “followership,” and its relation to leadership. Chapter 7 addresses the ministry context in which leadership is done, whether one fits the context or how one may adjust to the context. Chapter 8 looks at the directional side of leadership (mission, values, vision), which is developed much more extensively in Malphurs’ Advanced Strategic Planning.
Malphurs also includes and extensive set of appendices, some of which are duplicated in the other two volumes:
- Christian leader audit
- Bibliography for studying the early church
- Is pastoral care the primary role of the pastor?
- Servant leader audit
- Credibility audit
- Spiritual gifts inventory
- Natural gifts and abilities indicator
- Passion audit
- Men’s character audit for ministry
- Women’s character audit for ministry
- Relational skills inventory
- Task skills inventory
- Leadership style inventory
- Church structure
- Leader’s core values audit
- Church’s core values audit
- Ideal ministry circumstances audit
- Ministry circumstances audit
- Pastor-organization fit
From the Publisher
What makes a leader a Christian leader? Too many churches and parachurch groups operate under secular leadership principles and strategies without considering what Scripture teaches. In this accessible and comprehensive book, leadership expert Aubrey Malphurs articulates a working definition of Christian leadership based on the Bible and his own extensive research.
Malphurs begins by defining a uniquely Christian leader from the inside out, from godly character and commitment to pure motives and a servant attitude. He examines the leaders of the first-century church and then discusses qualities such as credibility, capability, and influence that are essential for successful leadership. Each chapter contains helpful questions for reflection and discussion. The appendix includes numerous audits to help readers evaluate themselves on various leadership components.
From the Back Cover
What are the distinctive characteristics of Christian leaders?
Too many churches and parachurch groups are blindly operating under secular leadership principles and strategies. Concerned to counter this drift, leadership expert Aubrey Malphurs 1) articulates a working definition of a Christian leader and leadership based on Scripture and his own extensive research, and 2) challenges you to define and develop leadership in your ministry.
Malphurs then describes in detail the specific characteristics of leaders, such as commitment to Christ, caring, trustworthiness, a servant attitude, and having followers. Each chapter ends with helpful questions for reflection and discussion. Included in the appendices are several inventories that will help you assess your strengths and weaknesses in leadership as well as your leadership style, ideal ministry circumstances, and much more.
About the Author
Aubrey Malphurs is professor of pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also the author of over a dozen books, as well as president of the Malphurs Group, a church-consulting firm. He lives in Dallas, Texas.
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