Urban Leadership Foundation

 Building the Leadership Team

The Interim Steering Committee

This committee will include some of the leaders who represent networks or key areas of direction or who are apostolic or prophetic leaders of the city. Their main roles will be to:
·        encourage the emergence of the relational dynamics across the city
·        develop the listening progressions leading up to a City Strategy Consultation.
·        integrate longer term strategic plans and goals into formats that mobilize.

The Poor Wise Man

Crucial in this is the discovery of the "poor wise man" (or woman) of the city^[37] who can give Leadership to the process. This person needs to build around himself a team that integrates the leaders of many major groupings (networks, pastors' fraternities, movements, denominational leaders, leaders of cities within the city) in the mega-city.

Those from a more Pentecostal background talk of leaders who have a mantle of authority.

This must of necessity also be someone with enough organizational structure from which to develop a citywide process. At minimum this requires freedom of a significant bloc of time weekly, from a day to full time, secretarial and admin. backup, adequate volunteer labor for developing the infrastructure for conferences and events, and sufficient financial structure to be able to capitalize them.

 Such a person, who has built relationships through serving leaders in the city can pull together the city leaders. Others trying to do so find that they have plans to implement but they are listened to and not followed through. 

 The Gamaliel Principle

As in the emergence of pastoral Leadership in a church, so at the city Leadership level, the quality of wisdom becomes a determining factor in the acceptance of a leader. The word of advice, the timely Gamaliel type of word, the ability to create consensus, are all qualities needed. The apostle James was the first Christian city coordinator, leader of the first apostolic Leadership team in Jerusalem. He writes:

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts do not boast about it or deny the truth....But the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness

(James 3:13-18).

At the same time it seems it is the mantle of an overwhelming vision that seems to mark city leaders I have met, rather than the grace of wisdom. It is their capacity to make things happen and get people mobilized rather than simply the fullness of character that marks good Leadership. It seems the Peter-style Leadership rather than James-style wisdom is central.

 Urban Leadership Networking Centers

The final measure of a season of citywide revival will be the extent to which new lay Leadership has emerged. That requires simple training models. It requires the emergence of defined lay Leadership roles that provide status, security and learning environments for emerging leaders. There are models of Leadership in any culture. Identifying these and collectively facilitating their development will give longevity to the fruits of revival.

There are urban training centres in a number of cities, such as Doug Hall's Emmanual Center in Boston, or CUTS in Philadelphia, or Pentecostal training schools attached to mega-churches in many cities. Each of these are contexts where emerging leaders and poor leaders can tell of their problems and rejoice in their stories with others. They are centres of reflection on the stories of their peers. Urban ministry is so diverse that learning institutions based on didactic models do not produce the kind of responsive leaders needed.

Lay Leadership and House Church Dynamics

Leadership, structuring, and developing an environment for the work of the Spirit will only be effective in growth to the extent that small group movements develop . Since the reformation, the home has been the center of the church. The extent of family devotional disciplines is the measure of effective penetration of the city.

Howard Snyder has written extensively on small group dynamics in churches.^[38] In Cry of the Urban Poor I have written two chapters on movement dynamics.^[39] Ralph Neighbour has popularized small house church modeling.^[40]

In most countries the small group dynamic is developed through church-planting approaches. Poor people need churches (with buildings) for 70-200, and nightly worship, lead by a strong charismatic leader. Their homes are too small for house churches, though the church may begin in Bible studies in multiple homes. But in Western countries and among middle class people the idea of churches meeting in the lounges of larger homes has struck a modern day cultural chord. Leadership is more interactive. Homes are large enough. There is an educated culture that likes to discuss issues. Both of these models and many in between emerge levels of lay Leadership.

Apart from the conversion rate and depth of Holy Spirit lead revival dynamics, it is the mentoring, facilitating, serving of these emergent leaders that determines the growth of the future church of the city.

 The Role of the Mega-Church

Small churches usually do not have sufficient logistical resources to influence other churches and to influence the city. Often it is para-church movements that take Leadership in the city for these provide contexts for those with apostolic, or prophetic or visionary giftings. However, logistical constraints remain an issue. For this reason the mega-church, the large city church has a strategic role. It has resources in people, administrative structure and financially.

On the other hand the mega-church rarely partners well. It has been built by going about its own business. Smaller churches do not trust it. It tends to subsume them under its own objectives. In many cities the pastors work together minus the mega-church. Ted Haggard^[41] , pastor of a church of 4,000 in Colorado Springs has some useful ideas in this regard that would encourage a larger church in its partnering with other churches in the city. His thesis is that a large church cannot grow unless there are surrounding churches of a reasonable size. Hence the mega-church must encourage church growth in the whole city, rather than seeking to upbuild only itself.

 © Viv Grigg and the Encarnação Alliance Training Commission
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Last updated: 05/15/09.