MEASURINGMINISTRY LEADERSHIP SUCCESS
Success within the context of ministry leadership should be measuredin a fundamental and multidimensional manner aligned to either thecommon or the knowledge path. In most instances, people measuresuccess based on results-based management, utilitarian views ofresources, expansion focused aspects, metrics, andproduction-oriented leadership, but these measures fail to encompassthe evangelical aspects of leadership. The most comprehensive andeffective measures of success within the ministry or vocationalleadership should be defined in terms of people’s tractability tothe teachings of God for which He assures eternal rewards. WilliamCarey’s success is not measured based on his performance on familymatters, but on his foreign missionary where he suffered inhabitableconditions and disease, but still managed to submit to Christ’steachings.1This form of measurement is effective as it allows people to altertheir concern from what they do to what Christ asks them to do. Forexample, despite encountering inhabitable conditions, grief, anddisease and failing to bring his family out of abject poverty,William Carey persevered to preach the teachings of God as instructedby Him, which makes people label him as the ‘father of modernmissions. 2Moreover, Myra and Shelley contend that leaders need to focus oneternal rewards, like Billy Graham.3Both William Carey and Billy Graham are successful leaders thus,evaluating people based on their obedience to God’s teachings forwhich they are assured eternal rewards should surely illustratesuccess.
It is imperative to note that successful leaders lead an organizationor a church in a manner that reflect Christ-oriented values, actions,principles, plans, and approaches. Thus, measuring success in how asteward leader promotes Christ-oriented values and principles meansthat the measure looks at the increased reputation, organizationalrenown, and personal rewards. The form of measurement is alsoeffective as it allows people to remain motivated by assurances ofeternal rewards connected to faithfulness. The obedience-orientedmeasurement allows people to give glory to God by adoptingfaithfulness-oriented approaches. These leaders serve withunpretentious transparency for the sake of responsibility. Forexample, Myra and Shelley assert that Billy’s humble spiritintensely confirm key aspects that created the extraordinary outcomesof his service.4Myra and Shelley also refer to Billy as a humble person, whichsupports the need to measure success on how a person serves God andpeople.5Moreover, they comprehend the instructions and teachings of Jesus,model submission to the same and urge other people to follow them asthey obey Jesus and the knowledge path.
People can also measure success by utilizing eternity-focused metricsthat align to qualitative aspects. John Wesley’s life was committedto the discipleship and a vision for growth specifically committed tobringing people closer to God. 6Forinstance, Jesus asked the twelve disciples to make disciples bydefining qualitative imperative that they instruct people to discernand follow everything taught by Him. Throughout his life, Moodyaspired to remain truthful to God’s teachings often foregoingearthly happiness to bring people into God’s fold. 7Moreover, Hudson’s mission points to how a leader can becomesuccessful by teaching people to follow the instructions of Christand asking them to become disciples. 8Assuch, the measure should focus on created disciples rather thandecisions made or the number of professing Christians. The focus isessential as it ensures ministers are defined for their obedience andChrist-like characteristics, as well as, evaluated for keeping theministry allied with God’s devotions. Amid extensive personalhardship such as imprisonment and death of his wives, Adoniram Judsonmanaged to start a Baptist convention and establish a church in ashow of his faithfulness to God. 9As such, any measurement used should target faithfulness and look athow a leader value people or reflect the biblical instructions
The common path allows evaluators to measure success in terms ofresults especially performance linked to ministry expansion or churchgrowth. In this metric, leaders focus on expansions and growthespecially in terms of broadened support, increased number of peopleserved, or increased facilities. The activities of a leader or aminister reflect their path irrespective of whether they communicatethe path apparently or not. Adoniram Judson managed to set aconvention in support of missionaries in his endeavor to expand thenumber of disciples. 10As such, success is evaluated in terms of production especiallycapacity to achieve desired objectives or growth and metrics wherepeople assess the performance of a ministry or a leader on numbers.In his ministry, John Wesley was an expert in preaching andcultivating discipleship aligned to growth, which allowed him toinstitute an evangelism movement even present to date.11The establishment of the evangelism movement and other aspects suchas the convention points to a successful life for the evangeliststhus, success should follow such results.
Bibliography
Hulse, Erroll. Adoniram Judson and the Missionary Call.Reformation Today Trust, 1996.
Miller, Steve. D.L. Moody on spiritual leadership. MoodyPublishers, 2004.
Myra, Harold Lawrence, and Marshall Shelley. The leadershipsecrets of Billy Graham. Harper Collins, 2005.
Peterson, William J. 25 surprising marriages: How great Christiansstruggled to make their marriages work. Masthof Press &Bookstore, 2008
Pfister, Lauren. Re-thinking Mission in China: James HudsonTaylor and Timothy Richard. North Atlantic Missiology Project,1998.
Shaw, Mark. 10 Great Ideas from Church History: ADecision-maker`s Guide to Shaping Your Church. InterVarsityPress, 1997.
11. William Peterson J. 25 surprising marriages: How great Christians struggled to make their marriages work. Masthof Press & Bookstore, 2008, 311.
22. Ibid, 313.
33. Harold Myra Lawrence, and Marshall Shelley. The leadership secrets of Billy Graham. Harper Collins, 2005, 118.
44. Ibid, 14.
55. Ibid, 191, 197, and 259.
66. Mark Shaw. 10 Great Ideas from Church History: A Decision-maker`s Guide to Shaping Your Church. InterVarsity Press, 1997, 138.
77. Steve Miller. D.L. Moody on spiritual leadership. Moody Publishers, 2004.
88. Lauren Pfister. Re-thinking Mission in China: James Hudson Taylor and Timothy Richard. North Atlantic Missiology Project, 1998, 44.
99. Erroll Hulse. Adoniram Judson and the Missionary Call. Reformation Today Trust, 1996, 23.
1010. Ibid, 23.
1111. Mark Shaw, Mark. 10 Great Ideas from Church History, 139.
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