Doing Good

December 3, 2025

Doing Good – Well: The Applicability of Leadership Theory to Faith-based Leadership

Craig Bell | 2018

Abstract

It appears that nothing is as simple as it was in the good ole’ days. According to Guy, the requirements for faith-based leadership following the crucifixion were simple. All that church leadership required was “giftedness” from God. Further, in organization and structure, the early church sought to emulate the structure outlined in the New Testament. This meant that leadership was Spirit-directed, and the organizational configuration was simple – “a small organization consisting of one executive and perhaps a few other individuals.”

While these are the conditions that surrounded the beginning of the church, this simple (though effective) paradigm is no longer enough to render leadership effective in the contemporary church. Help, however, is not only on the way; it is already here – and has been for quite some time. The impetus of this book and thus, the solution that you are looking for, is the application of leadership theory to church administration. While both theological insight and leadership theory have progressed since the advent of the New Testament Church, the linkage of the two has not.
This book is an honest attempt to highlight the benefits that faith-based leaders can glean from the advances in leadership theory. Over my lifetime of leadership within faith-based organizations, two things have become apparent. While seminaries do an excellent job of preparing students for ministry, they have traditionally been less focused on the business of the ministry. As a result, many faith-based leaders have assumed the leadership of organizations without a full set of tools and resources readily at their disposal.

The second truism is that church leaders truly desire to do what is right from the standpoint of God concerning their congregations. Although they often lack the requisite tools, they have been remarkably successful despite this – even if this success has been difficult to achieve. Unfortunately, in an increasingly global environment and complex world, leaders can no longer afford the luxury of leading in the absence of these resources.

This book highlights the applicability of several secular leadership theories to church leadership as a method of aiding Faith-based organization in Doing Good, Well.

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