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Being a servant-disciple

By John O’Keefe

Over the past postmodern people have been discussing the need to “reword” our faith; the old words just won’t cut it.  They lack what we are striving to say, and they carry so much preconceived baggage it’s hard to see them as new.  We have tried to change the meanings, but that’s just confusing – keeping the word, changing the meaning.  (If you have a concept with a different meaning, then a new word is in order).  One such word I believe needs to be scraped is the word “leader.”  The most interesting thing about the words “leader” and “leadership” is that Jesus never used them, he never called anyone into leadership and he never told his followers to make leaders.  Another little tidbit of info is that they only appear twice in the entire NIV Bible; and both times they could (and often are) be translated as something else.

Over time, the idea of “church leadership” has caused me great concern.  It is one that has caused me to drop to my knees in prayer.  Now, I will admit I come to this with personal baggage, and a “non-conformist” approach to life.  But, no matter how one looks at the concept of modern leadership it will not work in a postmodern reality.  The modern/contemporary church requires their “leaders” to be CEO’s or CFO’s, Executives or Administrators – Bosses, “Take-Charge-kinds-guys” who know all layers of the organization – and recite the corporate mantra without missing a beat.  They need to be trained to oversee programs and staff, they need to manage money and control the quality of the product; they need to be accountable to the elected leadership and be approved on a yearly basis based on hard and fast numbers – but in a postmodern reality this is way off line.  A postmodern leader needs to be a poet, a prophet, and an artist.  They’re one who will walk with us as we strive to share our faith; they are one who sees people over program, mission over money and discipleship over dictatorship.   In a postmodern reality we are not looking for a leader, we are striving to find a servant – a servant we can model.  I wonder…

So, what are we to do?  Well, I hate the term “servant-leader” because people still only see the “leader” part of the concept.  Besides, generally speaking I believe Jesus would have made a crummy modern church leader.  You see, Jesus was a servant, and servants are stepped on in the modern church – if you have a servants heart and you are in a church, most likely you are serving in a “low-level” ministry position, you are over used and under appraised, you are seen as a person who cares for the hurting but could never be a true leader, but you are exactly who Jesus said would be the first among his people – today, right now, on earth and not in some next plane of reality.  Let’s look at a perfect example, no matter how you cut it Jesus was a bad CEO-type; he was unconcerned with money; he was unconcerned with programs; he was unconcerned with organization; he was unconcerned with structure; he was unconcerned with “competition;” in fact, he was unconcerned with power at all.  Jesus never called anyone to leadership; he called people to discipleship and servanthood.  So, I think the church has a word to fit the postmodern reality, servant-disciple.

The Heart of a servant-disciple:

The first thing I would like to suggest about the concept of a “servant-disciple” is that while both worlds are nouns and can be seen as a proper title, that they never capitalized.  My reasoning is this, the second you capitalize them you make them more important then others – you also, change the meaning and place upon idea the concepts of human leadership, and that is a big no-no.  The second thing I would like to do, and I will admit this is a work in progress, is give what I think are qualities if a servant-disciple.

All people who are servant-disciples are people who are willing to be last.  Jesus said that if you want to be first, be last.  That does not mean tell people you are last, while expecting them to make you first – it means be dead last.  Wash the feet of others; sit at the lowest seat at the table, eat last, serve the food, clean up the mess – and do all this without telling people you are doing it.  It seems silly but I once knew a guy who led a small church us use to tell me that he “was the most humble man he knew.”  Not very humble if you ask me – but oh well.  Here’s the kicker, servant-disciples do not see themselves as humble, they just are.

All people who are servant-disciples are people who are willing to follow.  This idea that if you are the pastor of a church, God will only share with you the vision of that church is long gone, and in reality (scripture) never was.  God speaks to all his people, all his people, not just those who place themselves in positions of leadership.  I remember one pastor I knew in New Jersey who use to tell me, “Make sure your people take ownership of their ministry areas, and they what they do follows the vision God has given you for your church.”  Can you pick out the bad things?  First, “ownership” – God owns everything.  If we need to please a human emotion of ownership to develop the ministry, that person is not a servant-disciple.  Second, “follow the vision God gave you,” but if God placed them as servant-disciples in that ministry why would you need to make sure that happens?  Would not God make sure for you?  Why are you assuming that the person God placed into servant-discipleship is wrong for the ministry?  That statement holds a ton of baggage and could be unpacked forever.  Third, “your church,” – need I say more?

All people who are servant-disciples are people who are willing to die for those in the church.  Are you?  Are you willing to give your life for the people you minister too?  Are you willing to do all it takes, even to the extent of your health, to serve the people God has placed with you?  If not, if you can see the need for “you time” – then you are not a servant-disciple.  I love pastors who say, “I need me-time, I need to get more me-time.”  Thinking that because Jesus went for prayer for a few hours, they need to take six months off and get a “paid rest.”

There are tons more, and my prayer is that I (and others) take this idea and run with it – run as fast as possible with it.  Develop it, birth it and raise it – but mostly live it. 

john o'keefe is the founder/editor/publisher of ginkworld.  he has an mdiv from drew and several years experience as both a church planter and a senior pastor.