Ministerial Beatitudes

Earl Creps in his newsletter, The Leading Edge, shared this quote, "Would you agree with me that North America is experiencing a leadership crisis? It is seen at virtually every level of society, the church not being the least obvious. Thom Rainer stated in his newest book, Breakout Churches that 62% of our SBC churches are in serious decline. There is no simplistic answer for why this problem exists, but certainly a major contributing factor is ineffective leadership" (--Richard Harris, The Planter Update, 20 May 2005).

Leadership crisis and ineffective leadership got me to thinking about my graduate course and my present project on Effective Leadership. It also got me to do some digging in my files for a long lost copy of what is called Ministerial Beatitudes. This was mailed from our General Council Secretariat when I was first credentialed as a minister with the Assemblies of God. A truly effective pastoral leader models (lives) the following values:

Ministerial Beatitudes

1. Blessed is the Minister who speaks the truth in love.

2. Blessed is the Minister who is honest with God - with Himself and with his Fellowman.

3. Blessed in the Minister who can say, "I owe no man anything except to love him,"

4. Blessed is the Minister who leads his people to respect fellow Ministers.

5. Blessed is the Minister who will Faithfully discharge his duties among his Own Flock and who will aprreciate the abilities of his fellow Minister to do the same among his flock.

6. Blessed is the Minister who will practice the Golden Rule, and do unto others as he would have others do unto him, in all matters pertaining to Ministerial Relationship, Courtesy, and District Cooperation.

7. Blessed is the Minister who will properly evaluate his relationship and fellowship with his Ministering Brethren.

8. Blessed is the Minister who will appreciate the Ministry of his Brethren and will hold them in high esteem.

9. Blessed is the Minister who makes loyalty a practice of his life.

10. Blessed is the Minister who puts God, and the Work of Gd first in his life.

11. Blessed is the Minister who will take proper care of his physical being, remembering the Body is the temple of God as well as the instrument through which he ministers.

12. Blessed is the Minister who will maintain a Sweet Spirit at all times and under All circumstances.

13. Blessed is the Minister who can smile and be Happy when another is being Praised or Promoted rather than he.

14. Blessed is the Minister who values the time and has learned to budget and Redeem the time.

15. Blessed is the Minister who has learned to Respect and love those in Authority who are over him in the Lord ans to Esteem them highly for the sake of the Lord.

16. Blessed is the Minister who Practices what he Preaches and is first a partaker of the fruits.

I have no doubt that as we live out thee above guidelines that we will see the fruit of our labor and God will say, "Well done." Pastor, minister, missionary, evangelist, lay person, don't be discouraged. Be encouraged. God blesses the faithful. Effective leadership begins and ends with character.