Editor's Note: The following article is an excerpt from "Seven Steps to Becoming a Healthy Christian Leader," a soon-to-be-released title by Doug Munton. Munton's work echoes the research from Dr. Thom S. Rainer concerning the import of a healthy church leader's spiritual life as evidenced by personal prayer and devotion time.
Carl and Louise were my landlords, neighbors, fellow church members and friends. I was a young pastor, and they were like surrogate grandparents to my wife and me. We loved both of them dearly. But they did have one unusual characteristic - especially considering they had been married for more than 50 years. They fought like cats and dogs!
They lived in the same house but rarely ate meals together. They slept in different bedrooms. They came to church in different vehicles. They lived separate lives.
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"Well, I talked to him last week, and he seemed to be doing better," Louise replied.
Somewhere down the line Carl and Louise's love had faded. They stopped communicating. They stopped eating and sleeping together. Oh, they were still married. Their legal status of husband and wife remained unchanged. But their love had grown cold.
Something very much like that happened to the church in Ephesus. Jesus said to them, "You have forsaken your first love." (Rev. 2:4) They seemed to be a church that had it all. They were active, moral, religious. Yet Jesus said they had a problem: they had lost the intimacy they once enjoyed with him.
Christian leaders can make the same mistake made by Carl and Louise or believers at Ephesus. They can go through the motions and activities of religion without the intimacy God desires. They are still church members, still leaders in ministry, but they have forsaken their first love.
Genuine leader health begins with closeness to God. Some people begin ministry with ulterior motives. They are in it for self-advancement or as a means of gaining wealth. They are "wolves in sheep clothing".
I think, however, that most people who become ministry leaders do so because they love God and want to serve him effectively. They begin to serve others, share their faith or provide leadership to some ministry as an outgrowth of their intimate relationship with Christ. But sometimes those who began their service with great spiritual fervor continue their service long after the passion is gone.
Can you lead in ministry without intimacy with God? Sadly, the answer seems to be a surprising "yes." Unfortunately, examples abound. But you cannot be the leader God wants you to be without closeness to him. You may be successful numerically or be praised by others. But eventually the lack of spiritual strength that comes from a lack of spiritual intimacy will be your downfall.
I suggest to you that your "success" will only be short-term without a commitment to intimacy with God. Your ministry leadership will be like the house built upon the sand. And eventually, maybe not immediately, but eventually, it is going to rain. Hard!
Can a person of your caliber lose intimacy with God? Absolutely! Don't make the mistake of thinking, "That couldn't happen to me." The subtle, almost imperceptible drift from God will happen to anyone who lives an unguarded life. It can happen to the talented, the gifted and the successful - anyone. You are not immune. Especially if you think you are.
I can unwittingly begin that drift from God. I can get too busy to read my Bible or pray. Ministry concerns can sometimes keep me from spending time with God. I can allow the work of ministry to keep me from the work of God in me.
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Many Christian leaders don't really want to talk about spiritual depth. They prefer to focus on programs and methodology and activity. And those issues are important, but God is not merely concerned with what you do. He is concerned with who you are.
Build a solid foundation upon your relationship with God and your potential for significant ministry leadership is limitless. But take a shortcut around spiritual development and you will face the inevitable roadblock of God's discipline.
Spirituality is not the only factor in healthy Christian leadership. I have known godly people who were ineffective leaders. They were poor Sunday school teachers or weak leaders in ministry or ineffective as pastors and missionaries. Personal devotion to God is not a guarantee for being a strong spiritual leader. But there is no substitute for it. In the long run, no amount of ability or innovation can cover for a lack of godliness.
One of the great things about intimacy with God is that it is not restricted by our frail abilities. Limited intellectual skills need not be a hindrance to closeness with God. Lack of training or education does not keep us from his presence. Meager talents will not hinder our relationship with the Almighty.
It is just as wonderful to realize that great intellect, the best in educational training and bushels of talents need not hinder us from intimacy with God, either. God is not overly impressed with our abilities and talents since they are gifts he gives us anyway. Our resume does not overwhelm him. If you have been blessed with great intellect, praise God. If you have had excellent educational opportunities, thank the Lord. If you have been gifted beyond measure, thank God for his grace. But never allow those things to substitute for the closeness God wants with you every day of your life. Healthy church leaders know better.
Doug Munton holds a Ph.D. in evangelism and preaching from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been pastor of First Baptist Church in O'Fallon, Ill., since 1995. In that time attendance has increased from 550 to 1,600 and the church is home to the largest Sunday School in the Illinois Baptist State Association. A popular speaker and author of numerous articles on leadership and church growth, "Seven Steps to Becoming a Healthy Christian Leader," is Munton's first book.
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