Comments on: Jimmy Long: The Leadership Jump http://www.nbseminary.ca/archives/jimmy-long-the-leadership-jump This is the Northwest Baptist Seminary Website Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:01:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: len http://www.nbseminary.ca/archives/jimmy-long-the-leadership-jump/comment-page-1#comment-6341 len Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:21:20 +0000 http://www.nbseminary.com/?p=1720#comment-6341 I also think the discernment question is critical. A great resource in this regard is the chapter by Inagrace Dietterich in "Missional Church" (1998) "Cultivating Communities of the Holy Spirit." As an Anabaptist we highly value the interpretive community.. in theory. In practice we tend to succumb to authority in position (hierarchy) since we too are strongly influenced by the business models that were effective post Industrial revolution. And declining biblical literacy makes a community of discernment very difficult in practice. I also think the discernment question is critical. A great resource in this regard is the chapter by Inagrace Dietterich in “Missional Church” (1998) “Cultivating Communities of the Holy Spirit.” As an Anabaptist we highly value the interpretive community.. in theory. In practice we tend to succumb to authority in position (hierarchy) since we too are strongly influenced by the business models that were effective post Industrial revolution. And declining biblical literacy makes a community of discernment very difficult in practice.

]]> By: Mr. Mark Naylor http://www.nbseminary.ca/archives/jimmy-long-the-leadership-jump/comment-page-1#comment-6116 Mr. Mark Naylor Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:36:15 +0000 http://www.nbseminary.com/?p=1720#comment-6116 I appreciated the evaluation and helpful critique. Because of the concern of evangelicals to look to Jesus for the basis of our actions, there is a tendency to look for a direct correlation between Jesus' methods and our situation. Like the concordance method of word for word translation, there is a desire to take what Jesus did "then and there", and do the same "here and now." To do so lends credence in our evangelical circles to the proposal offered. At the same time there is the recognition of current leadership trends that appear quite effective in our context. It is difficult to marry these two realities in one consistent leadership model without a selective reading of Scripture. The comment that "Leadership is a cultural phenomenon and as culture changes so will our leadership perceptions and practices," is an important principle in contextualizing Christian leadership. I also thought that a key question was "When dreams clash, how do you arbitrate?" It seems to me that it is not just the leaders who should be following the dreams and visions that the Spirit gives, but that is the role of all believers (this shows my postmodern bent, I suppose). The challenge for leadership is to show humility and discernment to take such visions seriously in order find congruence and then to coordinate and unite people so that they support each other in the fulfillment of their dreams. This does not mean that the leader abandons their vision, but they consider it as on the same plane as others' dreams. I appreciated the evaluation and helpful critique. Because of the concern of evangelicals to look to Jesus for the basis of our actions, there is a tendency to look for a direct correlation between Jesus’ methods and our situation. Like the concordance method of word for word translation, there is a desire to take what Jesus did “then and there”, and do the same “here and now.” To do so lends credence in our evangelical circles to the proposal offered. At the same time there is the recognition of current leadership trends that appear quite effective in our context. It is difficult to marry these two realities in one consistent leadership model without a selective reading of Scripture. The comment that “Leadership is a cultural phenomenon and as culture changes so will our leadership perceptions and practices,” is an important principle in contextualizing Christian leadership.

I also thought that a key question was “When dreams clash, how do you arbitrate?” It seems to me that it is not just the leaders who should be following the dreams and visions that the Spirit gives, but that is the role of all believers (this shows my postmodern bent, I suppose). The challenge for leadership is to show humility and discernment to take such visions seriously in order find congruence and then to coordinate and unite people so that they support each other in the fulfillment of their dreams. This does not mean that the leader abandons their vision, but they consider it as on the same plane as others’ dreams.

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