Included in the authority of the missionary community is the selection and dismissal of its leaders. Surely this is one of the most important areas for the Community to discern God’s will and make Godly decisions.
SELECTING LEADERS
The word of God is clear about three important elements of leadership that provide the principles or tools for the churches to discern God’s will in the selection and empowering of their leaders. Within the community of Proclaim! International we seek to identify and utilize the same principles in the selection of leaders who have an overall responsibility for the community and its ministries as a whole. These leaders include the International Co-directors and the members of the International Council. What are these principles?
1. General principles of godly leaders and followers
2. Spiritual qualifications of leaders
3. Tasks and responsibilities of leaders
The church in every age and every culture is free to be led by the Spirit to develop its own method of applying the biblical principles of discernment. These three principles together with the teaching found in I Timothy 3:8-10 and Matthew 18:15-17 serve as a scriptural basis for a process involving the whole missionary community in the discerning of God’s will for the selection of these key leaders.
REMOVING LEADERS
As with selection, the local church or missionary community must also establish a process for dismissing it leaders that is based on biblical principles. What are these principles? For the most part they are the same three outlined above that are used in leadership selection. Added to these are the general biblical teachings related to disciplining or removing a member or leader from fellowship (Matthew 18:15-17, I Corinthians, chapter 5; and 1 Timothy 5:19, 20). For example, just as a member may be spiritually qualified for leadership, that leader may be disqualified by the spiritual criteria. The community may recognize that someone is gifted and able to carry out the responsibilities and tasks of a leader. By the same measure the community may recognize that a leader is no longer able.
The first and indispensable goal in the process of dealing with a leader who appears to be failing or disqualified in some area is discipline, not removal. Discipline may lead to correction, restoration and growth. In the rare instance where the local church or missionary community must act to discipline and possibly remove a leader, it is important to follow a well developed and previously agreed upon formal process.
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