Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done: The Application of Servant Leadership in Urban Ministry

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done: The Application of Servant Leadership in Urban Ministry

Richard L. Curry, Jr. | 2022

Abstract

The purpose of this manuscript is to examine and define the aspects of the servant leadership theory through scholarly research and biblical exegetical analysis to prove that servant leadership is the preferred model of Jesus Christ to cure the woes of racism in urban areas. Furthermore, the manuscript explained that the church is complicit historically and presently in promoting policies and practices that harm residents in urban areas instead of helping them due to perceived misconceptions. Moreover, this manuscript addressed the steps the church and other organizations can take to right the wrongs of racism by embracing the Patterson Model (2003) of leading and serving with love, establishing a ministry of prayer, and creating a culture that espouses and deploys the essential characteristics of servant leadership as defined by Spears (2004). Lastly, the manuscript provides case studies of ministries throughout the United States that utilize servant leadership techniques to make the necessary adjustments to minister and meet the holistic needs of inner-city congregations and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: servant leadership, love, covid-19, allyship, relationships, ghetto