The Book Of Acts Theology Religion Essay

The book of Acts mentioned the importance of identifying, recruiting, empowering new leaders for the work to continue. It began with Barnabas after being sent to Antioch he recruited Paul to help him with the new churches. (Acts 11: 25-26).[1]This became a continuous process of recruiting and training leaders. Paul displayed humility by submitting himself in this process identifying leaders, recruiting, mobilising and training those who displayed gifts and potential in being leaders and Barnabas plays a role here consistent with his role throughout the book of Acts hence mentoring became part of their leadership tasks.[2]

Without doubt, the apostle Paul was committed in teaching making sure that the flock was well fed as the shepherd would do. For example as recorded by Luke, Paul reminded the Ephesians' elders at Miletus of the passion he had in the teaching ministry as he states that "I did not shrink from doing anything helpful, proclaiming the message to you and teaching you publicly and from house to house" (Acts 20:20 NRSV). Out of the teachings and discipleship, good leaders are produced who lead the churches, teams and also provide teaching, discipleship and learning to others. The process goes on and on for the continuity of God's mission.

Importance of leadership

We also see the importance of leaders across the Acts narrative responsible for looking after planted churches. This is witnessed from the Antioch church when it started to send out leaders to advance mission to other places. These leaders had to carry the task they were asked to do and they had to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit for directions and report back to the sending church. For example Paul and Barnabas were sent out when the Holy Spirit instructed them to be set apart for ministry (Acts 13:2-3). Moreover, Paul and Barnabas respected the church that had sent them and took responsibility to report back after every journey was accomplished (Acts 14:26-27, 18:18-22). This conveys a structure whereby the existing church was responsible for the forthcoming churches by sending out people to look after it. The people who were sent out mainly were those who those who first believed, after all, that the commission had been assigned. This intellect of responsibility worked both positively and negatively. For example, the church in Jerusalem assigned certain people and sent them out to represent its interests in other places hence the church did not hesitate to condemn those who were not sent out but who just went without their approval and proclaiming a fabricated Gospel (Acts 15:24). Therefore they trusted in sending out leaders to check whether the Gospel being preached is the true Gospel whenever they had that some Gospel had been preached and people believed what was preached. In other terms, Howard Marshall and David Paterson see this as a way of legitimising the Gospel which was being preached to check if it was authentic.[3]

The leaders had to have good characters. The Acts narrative describes the good character of a leader using the example of Paul who was declared a dynamic good leader.[4]Specifically his leadership character was of a servant hood with the shepherd's heart, and team building Spirit who excelled even in hardships. He loved people and treated them with respect and we was caring for them and serving them. He understood the value of people and invested his life. Peter Wagner says;

Many churches have confirmed the fact that the most important institutional variable for the growth and expansion of the local church is leadership…For the most part, existing churches have unconsciously placed a ceiling on both clergy and lay leadership and, as a result, upward mobility of new people into positions of ministry is difficult. But new churches open wide the doors of leadership and ministry challenges and the entire body of Christ subsequently benefits.[5]

Paul travelling with the Gospel to different places he considered the importance of the continuity of the mission work, therefore he valued the formulating of new leaders to carry on the task.[6]As he was talking to the believers he started to see what God was doing in raising other people for the mission. Paul Identified leaders as he was doing his mission work from among the people he preached and received the Gospel culturally. For example, as he was preaching in Lystra he identified potential in Timothy as he went there to preach during his first missionary journey (Acts 16: 1-3;). As Paul observed the reputation, with good references in Timothy he took him and trained him by mentoring and sharing ministry with him to equip him. Paul considered the ministry of team building important as he was committed in training other leaders. As mentioned above, Paul had numerous co-workers around him and trained most of them for future leadership of the church. Even the church was taught to be submissive to their leaders. The affiliation with the church in Jerusalem strengthened the new churches planted and the growth continued, (Acts 16: 1-5).

Paul was a good leader himself who opened up and was transparent to new leaders allowing them to share what God had deposited in their hearts and make decisions together to what goals are aimed at (Acts 27: 1-44). Sinclair suggests that the leader should use participative leadership style with allows everyone to participate.[7]Sanders Osward says, Paul's "qualities of character irresistibly lifted him above his colleagues and associates."[8]According to Peter Wagner a leader is the key for the Church Planting success.[9]It is vital to have a good leader who leads the team, with good characteristics. Stuart Murray mentions 5 characteristics of planters as having self-awareness, creativity, flexibility, perseverance and team building skills.[10]Charles Ridley mentions 13 characteristics: visioning capacity, intrinsically motivated, creates ownership of ministry, relates to the unchurched, spousal cooperation, effectively builds relationships, committed to church growth, responsiveness to the community, uses giftedness of others, flexible and adaptable, builds group cohesiveness, demonstrate reliance, and exercises faith.[11]This does not mean each person should have all these characteristics however, during the assessment process the person should prove to have most of them. Therefore it is vital to know what sort of people are to build a team. Apostle Paul in the book of Acts was fasting and praying together with the church for God to appoint good leaders with the right characters for he believed in good leaders appointed by God.

All the principles mentioned above have their own challenges, hardships and problems, moreover, the church planting itself is one of the ministries that is fought