Leadership Authority

The executive board for Word for the World Church adopted the following statement on Leadership Authority.

Organization, leadership and authority are common threads woven throughout God's creation -- the animal kingdom, the human kingdom and the spiritual kingdom -- whether it be the human body, the nuclear fmaily, the local church, civil government or God's eternal Kingdom. Leadership authority is necessary to good order, smooth function and accomplishment. The alternative is disorder, chaos, and anarchy.

All authority begins with God. Leadership, with delegated authority, is God ordained. "Let...man...rule over the fish...the birds...the livestock, over all the earth and over all the creatures..." (Genesis 1:26). This Godly order is evident in earthly relationship: husband/wife, parent/child, leader/community, leader/church, employer/employee.

Leadership authority, especially within the church, falls, into two primary categories-positional authority and spiritual authority.

Positional Authority:

There is a parental authority within the family, which God expects children to recognize on the basis of position. "Honor your fatehr and your mother..."(Exodus 20:12). "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother..." (Ephesians 6:1-2). While there is a qualification with the word obey, there is not qualification with the word honor. You honor your parents because they are your parents -- not because they are Christians, wise or good. Full respect for your parents is a sperate consideration and one, which must be earned. HOWEVER, the latter does not negate the former.

The same is true of government position. "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is not autority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves" (Romans 13:1-2). We are also instructed to pray for leaders (1 Timothy 2:2).

Similarly in the church: "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account" (Hebrews 13:17).

There is an authority, although limited, which goes with leadership position. Voluntary submission to this authority "as unto the Lord" brings blessing (Colossians 3:8-15; Ephesians 6:2). Disrepect of it brings judgement (Leveticus 20:9; 1 Samuel 24:6; Numbers 12, 14, 16; Romans 13:2; 1 Samuel 15:23). Submission to God-ordained leadership honors God. Of course, there is a place for the exercise of conscience and conviction (Daniel 3, 6; Acts 5:29), but not to be used as a loophole.

Spiritual Authority:

In addition to positional authority, there is a spiritual leadership authority based upon one's spiritual gift, one's walk with God, one's anointing, integrity, faith, obedience, servant attitude. This leader has a following built upon trust, consistency, competence and results. Followers recognize the gifts of God in the servant of God and voluntarily respond. This spiritual authority is not in conflict with positional authority. Ideally, they complement each other.

Important to the progress of Word for the World Family Church is an understanding and application of the biblical principle of authority. May our response enhance God's blessing upon our movement.