When it comes to the organization of leadership in the Christian Church, the Scriptures are mostly silent. The one exception—when Paul instructs Timothy (1 Timothy 3:1-13) about the qualifications for church elders—is meant for the particular situation Timothy is facing in Ephesus, and is not necessarily meant to apply broadly to all other churches for all time. How then, can we formulate a model of leadership that is biblically-based?

It helps to distinguish between thinking biblically and thinking theologically. To think biblically is to directly glean the truths, perspectives, values, principles and patterns of God in the Scriptures over time, place and peoples (e.g. pilgrimage, redemption, restoration, holiness) or to identify the unique, profound truths that standout from all others (e.g. Exodus, crucifixion, resurrection, Pentecost).

To think theologically is to illuminate biblical truth in the light of tradition, reason and experience. In our theological tradition, this integrated approach is called the Wesleyan quadrilateral. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, had a huge influence on William and Catherine Booth. He believed in an active faith that could be used to inform and shape theology. His sermons used a combination of four elements: Scripture, tradition, reason and experience. For Wesley, Scripture could be applied to experience, reflected upon and debated toward consensus in Christian community. Wesley's favorite Bible verse (Galatians 5:6) fits The Salvation Army well: “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

I will discuss briefly the four elements of the quadrilateral.

• Tradition is the long standing truths of the Church derived and understood to be true by convocation and consensus over more than 2,000 years. Tradition is reflected in discussion of the great councils and the resulting creeds of the Church (e.g. the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed). The overall result is Christian orthodoxy (correct doctrine or “right thinking” about matters of God and man). Orthodoxy is what is generally accepted to be true by all Christians in all places at all times. More than the formal creeds of the church, tradition may also be found in the stories and parables that develop over time and are embraced as characteristic of a particular religious institution.

• Reason is our God-given capacity to think about God, humanity, the world and creation. As intelligent, rational beings, we have been made in the image of God. When God chooses to communicate with us through the Scriptures, he does so assuming that we will receive the Word and then meditate on it, thinking about its meaning and importance for living. We always read Scripture in the light of the ability God have given us―to ponder and think deeply about truth, make judgments about it and integrate it with everything we know about life and creation.

• Experience is observing and studying the behavior of people, including ourselves, and drawing conclusions from what we see. Experience may be vicarious (observing and learning from others) or personal (self-observation). In its most objective form, experience is scientific knowledge. Especially helpful are the social and behavioral sciences which formally develop over time through standardized methods of observation and careful study of personal and social/community behaviour. This is helpful to theology because of the social-behavioral nature of God as Trinity, man made in God's social image and our existence with God and each other as relational beings.

• All people are theologians when they think deeply about the meaning of Scripture. By studying Scripture in the light of tradition, reason, and experience, we develop a map that guides our spiritual journey together and helps us make the often difficult decisions about life's challenges and opportunities.

Military Metaphor
While there is no direct, biblical basis for Salvation Army leadership, we can build a theological foundation on the life and teachings of Jesus. Christ doesn't provide a book of instructions, organizational chart or typology of positional authority. Rather he calls us into relationship with simple commands: “Abide in me,” “Follow me,” “Seek first the Kingdom of God,” “Love one another.”

One way to interpret Jesus' intent is that he calls us into partnership with him (the Great Commission), then gives us enormous amounts of grace and freedom in how we organize ourselves. We are free agents whom the Lord trusts to act responsibly in ministry and mission. Within the freedom God gives we nevertheless have an obligation to act wisely and in ways that are consistent with God's character (holiness) and interests (restoration), and with his commission and calling on us.

There is no one way to structure the communal life of the Church, but one way that Scripture speaks to organization is in the military metaphor. Throughout the Scriptures, there is an abundance of references to military ways of thinking:

• Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you.
• Deuteronomy 4:20 The Lord God himself will fight.
• 1 Samuel 17:47 The battle is the Lord's.
• Psalm 24:8 The Lord is mighty in battle.
• Joel 3:9 Prepare for war. Rouse the warriors.
• Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords.
• Nehemiah 4:20 Our God will fight for us.
• Matthew 10:34 I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
• 2 Corinthians 10:3&4 Our weapons are not the weapons of the world.
• 2 Timothy 1:8, 4:7, 6:12 Fight the good fight.
• Ephesians 6; 11&13 Put on the full armor of God.
• Revelation 19:11 With justice Christ judges and makes war.
• Revelation 19:19 Armies gathered to make war against evil.

For the Salvation Army, the military metaphor derived from Scripture offers us a reasonable framework for organizing Christian community to carry out Christ's commission and calling. Salvationists live out our identity as “soldier saints.” We serve daily in the Army of the Lord and engage in warfare against Satan the enemy. We fight the good fight in God's Army of love. We organize ourselves with the efficiency and effectiveness of an army, with weapons of love and Jesus as our commander in chief.

Commission, Calling and Character
Jesus' Great Commission calls upon every leader and every Salvationist to make not just converts, but disciples. Evangelism is more than bringing someone to faith in Jesus Christ. It is establishing them in the Kingdom and helping them in their own personal journey―bringing healing, wholeness and holiness into their lives. Jesus not only gave of himself on the cross, he gave himself again at Pentecost by His Holy Spirit. By united our spirit with His, we may be one in holiness, purity and maturity of heart.

Servant leaders blend extreme personal humility with intense professional will

At the centre of leadership is character. In traditional military contexts, character is assessed in terms of honour, loyalty, faithfulness and sacrifice. In the spiritual and social warfare of the Army, character is also understood as holiness. When we say holiness, we mean the Christlikeness, both individually and socially as a faith community. In our Salvationist theology, holiness means perfect love as Christ loved us. Both personally and in community, we participate in an Army of love.

This love extends especially to the poor, marginalized and oppressed. John Wesley and the Booths had a “preferential option” for the poor. Booth's salvation war was waged on two fronts: personal salvation from sin and social salvation from evil. Booth was not only a Wesleyan in his theological orthodoxy (right thinking), he was also Wesleyan in his orthopraxy (right practice). In other words, he practiced what he preached. The military metaphor of God's army means that the personal and social salvation of all persons, including the poor, is worth fighting for. We are an Army of compassion that fights for mercy, justice and God's best for all humankind.

Servant Leaders
The leader is a key element in the effectiveness of the Army's work. A faithful, disciplined response to commission and calling makes possible a life of extraordinary service. In the Army, this means the leader must willingly be part of an authoritarian structure. William Booth wrote: “So far from resenting the exercise of authority, The Salvation Army rejoices to recognize it as one great secret of its success, a pillar of strength upon which all its soldiers can rely, a principle which stamps it as being different from all other religious organizations found in our day.”

The willingness to surrender one's life to the Lord through a hierarchical, authoritarian structure and the discipline and sacrifice that it requires is only possible when the leader embraces two realities: 1) that an leader's influence in The Salvation Army must be servant leadership; and 2) that one's position as a leader is never an end in itself, but rather is always a means to the Kingdom ends of salvation and restoration.

With servant leadership, the traditional hierarchical pyramid is turned upside down. The highest ranking leader is to be the greatest servant with a stewardship of service that touches the greatest number of lives. Jesus told his disciples: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:7).

To be a leader is to promote the progress of others on the journey of redemption, restoration, holiness and usefulness

In the corps, the leader must have the heart of a servant. The greatest service is to facilitate the spiritual progress of souls, helping them continue beyond redemption to a restoration of holiness and usefulness as servant leaders in turn.

We can see God's plan for our spiritual journey in the order of our doctrines. Doctrines 1-4 speak to who God is as Trinity, as one who reveals himself through Scripture. Doctrine 5 discloses our sinful human condition. Doctrine 6 is God's gracious response of redemption through Jesus Christ. Doctrine 7-9 is our reply to God's grace through our repentance, faith and disciplined living (consecration). Doctrine 10 notes how the Holy Spirit prepares us in holiness to be ever more useful in ministry and mission. And Doctrine 11 outlines of the eternal continuation of the journey for the righteous and the end of the journey for the wicked.

To be a leader is to promote the progress of others on the journey of redemption, restoration, holiness and usefulness that God made possible by the blood of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Fierce Resolve in Mission
Servant leaders have a fierce resolve about the disciplined, daily pursuit of Salvation Army mission. There are many Scripture passages that guide us in this understanding:
• “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my Word” (Isaiah 66:2).
• “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” (Luke 8:15).
• “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive a crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).
• “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (Timothy 4:15-16).

Each of these verses encourages us to be humble and persevere after the example of our Lord “who humbled himself, making of himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant . . . and persevering for our sake, he became obedient to death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:7-8).

We find these two characteristics of servant leaders—humility and perseverance—in the Early Church and modern times. Luke captures the profile of four servant leaders in Acts: Peter, Philip, Barnabas, and Paul. Three very different personalities, yet all lived lives of humility and perseverance in mission. In the contemporary research of James Collins, former professor of management at Stamford University, we find a useful hierarchy of leadership:

Level 1: Highly Capable Individual who makes productive contributions through talent, knowledge, skills and good work habits.

Level 2: Contributing Team Member who adds individual capabilities to the achievement of group objectives and works effectively with others in a group setting.

Level 3: Competent Manager who organizes people and resources toward the effective and efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives.

Level 4: Effective Leader who catalyzes commitment to and vigorous pursuit of a clear and compelling vision, stimulating higher performance standards.

Level 5: A Leader who builds enduring greatness in the organization and in others through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will.

Collins' surveyed over 1,300 businesses to find 11 that experienced long-term, sustained greatness. All 11 were led by Level 5 leaders. Collins describes Level 5 leaders as people who “blend extreme personal humility with intense professional will.” These “self-effacing individuals displayed the fierce resolve to do whatever needed to be done to make the company great … Level 5 leaders channel their ego away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company. It's not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious—but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.” Finally, Collins notes that Level 5 leaders embody all five levels, but what makes them and their institutions great is that they are modest and willful, humble and fearless, totally committed to the larger cause.

A Means to Kingdom Ends
When we read Scripture, we see a God who raises up, infills and equips Level 5 leaders who will serve him and move God's plan forward. Level 5 leaders understand that they are instruments of God's grace, and part of God's great plan of redemption and restoration. They are truly the means to Kingdom ends. This is the secret of successful Salvation Army leaders. They have surrendered totally to the will of God. Moreover, they are living examples and witnesses of God's grace: “Let your light shine in such a way that men see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

The Leader: A Theological Perspective
Sharing this biblical-theological perspective on The Salvation Army leader is a modest start. Nevertheless, we may affirm a Salvationist theological perspective in the following summary propositions:

1. A biblical perspective is best informed by Scripture that speaks directly to the matter. To think theologically, we may interpret and illumine Scripture in light of tradition, reason and experience.

2. We may think theologically within our Wesleyan tradition and explore a biblical/theological perspective of the Salvation Army leader using a military metaphor.

3. Scripture provides no explicit guidance regarding a single pattern of organization. The Lord lets us decide how to organize ministry and mission. We are free to organize ourselves according to the option of a biblically-oriented military metaphor.

4. At the centre of leadership is holiness, by which we mean Christlikeness.

5. A holy Army of a holy God is an Army of compassion with a preferential bias for the poor. It wages salvation war on two fronts: personal salvation from sin and social salvation from evil. Our theology of salvation warfare reflects good Wesleyan orthodoxy (right thinking) and orthopraxy (right practice or living).

6. The Salvation Army leader is a servant leader and therefore a means to Kingdom ends. As a willing part of an authoritarian structure, the leader is servant of all. His greatest service is to facilitate the spiritual progress of others beyond redemption to holiness and usefulness in the Kingdom.

7. The servant-leader has two primary characteristics: humility and a fierce commitment to Salvation Army mission. We find these servant leaders in the Early Church, in the Army and even in today's highly successful businesses. Such leaders are instruments of God's grace.