Foundations of Christian Leadership, Mentor's Guide, MG07

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F O U N D A T I O N S O F C H R I S T I A N L E A D E R S H I P

The Christian Leader as Pastor Poimenes

Welcome to the Mentor’s Guide for Lesson 3, The Christian Leader as Pastor (Poimenes) . The overall focus of this lesson is the critical role that the image of shepherding has for our understanding of the practice of Christian Leadership. The image is significant in every way–our Lord used it often as a beloved image of the kind of relationship he has with his own, and the Apostles adopted this imagery to fill out the nature of the work that Christian leaders do in relationship to the Church. Even the most cursory look at the imagery of the shepherd in Scripture reveals its importance as a metaphor to communicate to us God’s meaning of Christian leadership and nurture. A. D. Clarke provides us with a concise summary of some of the more significant images of shepherd in the Scriptures: A number of shepherds were chosen to be significant leaders of God’s people, namely Joseph (Gen. 37.2; 47.1-4), Moses (Exod. 3.1) and David (1 Sam. 16.11; 17.15; Ps. 78.70-72). God himself is repeatedly described as a shepherd over his people (Gen. 49.24; Ps. 23.1; 28.9; 80.1; Isa. 40.10-11; Ezek. 34; Mic. 2.12; Matt. 25.32-33), and Jesus is the chief shepherd of the sheep (John 10.1-18; Heb. 13.20; 1 Pet. 2.25; 5.4; Rev. 7.17; cf. also Matt. 15.24). Bad shepherds are rebuked for their lack of care for their flock (Zech. 11.4-17), and both Jeremiah and Ezekiel are used by God to chastise those who have been bad shepherds over his people. God himself will gather the flock back into the fold and will appoint new shepherds who will care for it (Jer. 23.1-4; Ezek. 34.23-24). He calls leaders to be shepherds (2 Sam. 5.2; 7.7), and the role of the godly leader is to watch over, care for, feed, and protect the sheep (Jer. 3.15; John 21.15-17; Acts 20.28; 1 Pet. 5.1-3). The significance of this image cannot be overestimated, and so your challenge will be to help your students gain a solid understanding of its elements and implications for Christian leadership. To be a Christian leader is to pastor, to shepherd the flock of God or, as Clark puts it, to “watch over, care for, feed, and protect the sheep.” Throughout this lesson we will explore this image, and weigh its importance and impact on us today as we seek to lead God’s people into his fullness. ~ A. D. Clark. “Leadership.” New Dictionary of Biblical Theology . (electronic ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.

1 Page 97 Lesson Introduction