Spiritual_Leadership_Book_Review_1

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Spiritual Leadership By: J Oswald Sanders KaJuan Watson Dr. Spencer Plumlee PASMN 3113 DATE: September 21, 2023

J. Oswald Sanders was a preacher and author who is known most famously for his writings on spiritual leadership and discipleship. He had wrote and published over 40 books such as “The Incomparable Christ, Spiritual Maturity, Spiritual Discipleship, and Enjoying Intimacy with God”. Notably, one of his most famous writings is the book “Spiritual Leadership.” Sanders wrote the book in the 1960s, its first publication date was in 1967. Sanders’ writings have been influential in Christian circles when it comes to leadership in Christian context. Sanders served as the General Director of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship and he was involved in numerous of other Christian ministries throughout his life. Spiritual Leadership focuses on leadership in the Christian context when it comes to being a leader, both spiritually and biblically. The book emphasizes the importance of spirituality when it comes to being a leader. Sanders argues that a person must have a deep, genuine relationship with God in order to be a true leaders. A Godly leaders must have a strong commitment to living our biblical principles. In order to be a great leader, one must have integrity, humility, vision, decisiveness, and self-discipline. Sanders speaks on these qualities and attributes to describe what an effective spiritual leader must posses. Another concept Sanders talks about is “servant leadership”. A servant leadership is one of the key leadership styles that is displayed in the Bible, especially in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. One of the Scriptures that Sanders highlight is Mark 10:45, where Jesus states that He came “to serve rather than be served”. Sanders uses this Scripture as foundation for leaders to adopt the mindset of servanthood. According to Sanders, real leaders put the needs of others above their own ambitions for influence and power. This involves putting others' needs above of one's own and being ready to perform menial duties. Servant style leadership is displayed through humility and selflessness. Leaders can not be driven by their own personal ambitions,

instead they should lead with a genuine desire to help others grow in Christ. Lastly, a servanthood-type leader must be willing to make sacrifices for the sake of others. Sacrifice is a sign of love towards a person, a Christian leader must genuinely love their people in order to be effective. Sacrificial love is a symbol of servant leadership. Another concept Sanders use in the book to give an example of spiritual leadership is practical guidance. He gives examples of what practical guidance consists of in terms of ones personal development and leadership role. Sanders emphasizes the importance of time management when it comes to being a leader. He try to convey the message that effective time management is important to achieve goals and maintain a healthy work-life balance. This would lead to better decision making when it comes to guiding a group of people. Sanders discuss the need for wise counsel, which he emphatically express is necessary for making important decision. A great leader must be a person who is able to effectively communicate. The book expresses the importance of clear, honest, and respectful communication. In order to be an effective communicator, Sanders says that a person must be a good listener and is able to communicate their vision effectively to the team. Sanders shifts the focus from being able to guide a group of people to how develop practical guidance in a leader’s personal life. Sanders emphasizes the importance of self- discipline. He speaks about the need for self-discipline in leadership and encourages leaders to learn self-control, perseverance, and a strong work ethic. Also, the need for self-development is important in terms of being a leader. A leader should be committed to their own personal and spiritual development. A leader should be ambitious but it should be God-focused and not for one’s own selfish ambition. Sanders made the statement, “Ambition which centers on the glory of God and welfare of the church is a mighty force for good” (13). A good spiritual leader should

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chase the vision that is given to one by God and not by any other influence outside of that. This comes from a relationship with God that the leader develops through their personal and spiritual development. A person who is in position of leadership in the Christian community should not chase after their own personal gain or attention, but they should focus their goals to what God wants for the people He has called the person to lead. Throughout the book, Sanders uses Scripture to highlight the qualities and characteristics of what makes a good spiritual leader. He uses the example of Peter and Paul to show how a leader should lead God’s people along with using what they wrote in their Epistles, such as 1 Timothy and 1 Peter, for leaders to follow. Amongst one of the qualities of Peter and Paul, Sanders emphasized self-disciplined. Self-discipline consists of personal mastery, time management, work-ethic, and consistency. He presents self-discipline as a crucial attribute for effective leadership and that a leader must be able to control their own thoughts, actions, and emotions. They should be able to manage their impulses and desires to make rational, responsible decisions. One of the strengths that I appreciate about the book is Sanders’ use of Scripture. He references and incorporates Scripture extensively throughout the book. Scripture serves as a foundational and guiding source for many of the principles and concepts he discusses in the book. Sanders draws upon biblical passages, stories, and teachings to support his ideas about leadership, character, and the qualities of a spiritual leader. I don’t get an exposition feel from the book, but Sanders consistently references Scripture to illustrate key points and ideas. Sanders uses biblical examples and teachings to highlight the importance of principles such as servant leadership, humility, integrity, and self-discipline in the context of leadership. A person that read can expect to encounter numerous biblical references and quotations as they explore the book,

making it evident that Sanders place a strong emphasis on the spiritual and biblical foundation of leadership. This approach aligns with the book’s goal of providing leadership guidance rooted in Christian values and teachings. Another strength I like about the book is the timless truth of the book. The book encompasses principles and insights that are still relevant and valuable across different eras and circumstances. The contents of the book include fundamental truths about leadership, character, and spirituality that are not bound to specific cultural or historical contexts. The idea that effective leadership involves serving others, putting their needs before one’s own, and leading with humility is an idea that will always be relevant to leadership in any context. As a spiritual leader a person must possess those characteristics to effectively lead God’s people. Another idea is the importance of honesty, moral integrity, and ethical conduct. Sanders express that leaders who demonstrate unwavering integrity are respected and trusted, regardless of when or where they lead. Humility is a key attitude of a great leader that transcends time. Sanders emphasis on character development is essential to leading God’s people. The people who follow a person must be able to look at the leader’s characteristics and see a role model. Leaders who continually work on their character and values tend to lead with authenticity and consistency. One of the weaknesses I got from the book is the limited diversity of the book. Sanders gives examples, stories, and references from a specific cultural or regional context. It could be seen as overlooking the experiences and leadership challenges faced by leaders from diverse cultural backgrounds. Also, the book doesn’t specifically talk about women in leadership. A lot of the ideas can be relatable to women leaders, but we live in a time of inclusion. A women reader can perceive the book to be geared more toward men leaders. It can be seen as the book is focusing primarily on male leaders while neglecting the contributions and challenges of women

in leadership. The book may not encompass a broad range of perspectives, backgrounds, or contexts, which could limit its applicability to readers from diverse backgrounds.

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