When Lieutenant Jeremy Menteith* was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer he approached Major Max Sturge to mentor him during the first five years of his ministry. This is the second of their online correspondence.

Lieutenant Jeremy: I was not offended by your directness in your response to my previous query about wanting to be a divisional commander. I'm beginning to realize that my previous business leadership experience doesn't adequately qualify me for leadership in the full-time ministry of the gospel. In fact, I've been trying to sort out the difference between leadership in the Church and leadership in all the other spheres of life. Are there significant differences between Christian and secular leadership? Do leadership principles espoused in secular writings apply to serving in God's kingdom? Do you care to share your own understanding of leadership?

Major Max: Rather than answer those questions with a simple definition, let me first share some general observations about leadership. Created in the image of God, humankind has accomplished amazing feats: building the pyramids of ancient Egypt; creating medicines that cure human diseases; sending people to the moon; and delaying death for years through organ transplants. Yet, we are painfully aware of the evil dimension of human nature that results in hatred, resentments, rape and murder. The present international financial crisis was precipitated essentially by irresponsible leaders in the business world. For Christians to uncritically embrace secular leadership ideas is to compromise scriptural truth. For example, because of the influence of the contemporary business model of leadership many churches, especially large ones, view the lead or senior pastor not as the head shepherd of the flock but as the chief executive officer (CEO). Some measure his success in terms of numbers of people, annual budget, and impressive facilities. Are these the criteria by which God measures “success”? To be fair, I should add that not all mega churches use these criteria for measuring success.

Doing business in a Christian manner is, quite simply, good for business

In the past few years it has been quite interesting to see Christian values infiltrating business leadership writings. Some of these books almost sound Christian: Love and Profit; Leading with Soul, and Management Lessons of Jesus. Sounds like the Sermon on the Mount, doesn't it? What are so many business leaders discovering about leadership? That “doing business in a Christian manner, regardless of whether one is a practicing Christian, is, quite simply, good for business.” (Spiritual Leadership, Henry and Richard Blackaby, p 11)

Jesus Christ is not only the Lord of the church, he is the Lord of all of life, whether people acknowledge it or not. You therefore cannot separate spiritual concerns from political and economic matters. A prime minister or politician is not reflecting a Christian view of life when he asserts that one's religion is solely a private matter and our personal religious values should not influence public policy. Either Jesus Christ is the Lord of all of life or he is not Lord at all. That does not mean that Christians should impose their views on others; however, it does mean that we have the right to try to persuade others of the spiritual and social benefits of implementing our values in the public sphere. In a democratic society it should also mean that our Christian principles are respected. Ironically, though Canada is a supposedly highly tolerant country, Christians who question, for example, the morality or wisdom of same sex marriage and abortion are regarded by many as religious bigots and fanatics.

The kingdom of God is God's ruling over every area of life—workplace, neighborhood, hospital and school—as well as the Church. Being a leader in any of these fields today can sometimes be a huge challenge for Christians. How will a Christian who is the vice president of operations in a bio-medical research company handle his leadership role as the company competes for a larger share of the market in order to survive and grow? How will he react when the executive board discusses some questionable accounting procedures that will place the company in a more favorable light than its current financial reality? I understand your corps sergeant major is the principal of an elementary school. How should her leadership be different from a principal who is not in any way connected to Jesus Christ?

I think the best way to differentiate leadership under the rule of God from leadership in the world is to recognize the former as “spiritual” leadership. By spiritual leadership I mean leadership that is informed and infused by the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9; Philippians 1:19), and leadership that is subject to the authority of our Spirit-breathed Bible (2 Timothy 3:16). From your past experience in the business world, Jeremy, I think you would agree that God needs spiritual leaders not only in his Church but in politics and business; leaders who seek guidance not only from their peers but from the Holy Spirit and from God's Word, the latter being “the divine rule of Christian faith and practice.” With that understanding of spiritual leadership in the church and in the world, how would you respond if you were the vice president of operations in the example in the previous paragraph? If you were the principal of the elementary school to which I referred, how would your leadership be different from a principal who does not relate to Jesus Christ and the Bible?

Jeremy, in the space for comments below, it would be helpful if some of the folks reading our correspondence online would offer some responses to one or both of these last two questions. Take time to read them! Though I am your mentor, Jeremy, I am not the fount of all wisdom and knowledge.

* Name changed

Major Max Sturge is associate editor of Salvationist magazine. An avid reader, he loves trouting and watching hockey, basketball and baseball on TV. Married to Doreen, they have three children and five grandchildren.