Category: Christian Leadership

As we continue a focus on excellence this month—from our Hero of Faith study on Enoch to Pat Williams’ Leadership Excellence, it’s appropriate to turn to a book that provides principles of excellence for every believer.

In 2007-2008, our family spent a year in Falls Church, Virginia, as I participated in a leadership development program at work.  For work each day, I rode the DC Metro and had the opportunity for some quality reading time.  One book I read that year was one I check out from the Falls Church Library—J. Oswald Sanders’ Spiritual Leadership:  Principles of Excellence for Every Believer.

Unfortunately, I was not yet highlighting leadership books at that time.  So, I had to re-read it and save my highlights in 2014, shortly after starting this blog.

This book—originally published in 1967 and updated in 2007—is now a classic, having sold more than 1 million copies!  In fact, over the last 55 years, Oswald Sanders’ Spiritual Leadership has earned recognition as a classic study of the biblical principles of godly leadership.

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On Thanksgiving Break 2016, I read Bill Hybels’ When Leadership & Discipleship Collide.  The book provides some good reminders of the importance of spiritual leadership, particularly in churches and Christian leaders.  At the time, Hybels was Founding and Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois—one of the most attended churches in North America, with an average attendance of nearly 24,000.

Little did I know that in less than 2 years, Bill Hybels would be embroiled in controversy with allegations of sexual misconduct.  Although he denied the allegations, and his Board initially stood by him, more allegations surfaced; and an independent review ultimately found the allegations to be credible.

While Hybels maintained his innocence, his pastoral career ended under a cloud.  He is not the only Pastor to be the subject of spiritual attack the last few years.  Many Pastors have fallen, demonstrating the importance of strong discipleship for spiritual leaders.

We can all learn from Bill Hybels—both what he wrote and how his career ended.

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