Christ-like leadership: Considering the Question of Character
In the recent Singapore General Election, the concern was about electing the “right” political leaders to govern the nation for the next five years. As Christians, what are biblical qualities of leadership that God would deem essential for those who are followers of Christ. Dr Lewis Winkler, an EAST resident faculty who teaches theological studies, shares his thoughts from the Scripture.
“Leadership is influence”(Maxwell 2007, 13). John Maxwell’s well-known dictum captures a profound but simple truth: People who influence others are leaders. For Christians, two crucial questions arise. First, what kind of influence are we talking about? Is it coercive and manipulative or persuasive and empowering? Is it accidental and piecemeal or thoughtful and intentional? In short, what kind of influence is exercised upon others, from where does it come, and how it is properly obtained and developed?
This leads us to a second and more important question for Christian leaders. What does Christ-like influence look like? The church talks a lot about leadership but too often takes its models from primarily non-Christian sources. Christians can glean wisdom from such sources, of course, but failure to give adequate attention to specifically Christian concerns regarding leadership can end up diminishing or even opposing a biblical vision of what a Christ-like leader should look like.
Alumnus: Japanese TCK Tak
Takashi (Tak) Funatogawa (japan) came to Singapore through the encouragement of Rev Edmund Chan to serve as an intern in Covenant EFC, and, a year later, to study in EAST. While studying, he and his wife, Suzuko, worked with a team of locals and Japanese to reach out to 32,000 Japanese expatriates and their families, through outreach and informal home meetings.
The former EAST Student Council President (2015) spent most of his formative years in the UK, and the USA. “As a third-culture-kid,” he says, “I know what it feels like to be an outsider.”
Alumna: God’s Perfect Plan for Me
When Koh Li Ting, came to EAST in 2012, she was already diagnosed with stage-3C melanoma cancer. “I never dreamed that I’d complete my studies,” she says.
Not only did the former Cru Singapore campus staff reach the finishing line, she was preparing herself to serve in a land God had called her to since she was 17 years old. “Ten years ago, I spent six months in one of its cities,” she says, “and saw how God could use a Singaporean like me to reach out to the minority people groups.”
Trusting in the God who Provides
Will there be enough? Trusting in the God Who Provides by Rev Dr Lewis Winkler
With the COVID-19 outbreak, stock values worldwide have plummeted over the past few days. I have not bothered to find out how much my retirement portfolio has already lost since the days and weeks ahead will likely be worse.
Being significantly closer to retirement age than when I started in ministry, I confess, everything that’s happened recently has me thinking about questions of provision. Will there be enough to live on in the days ahead? Will our financial support significantly shrink in the wake of job and market losses? Will I be able to leave an inheritance to my children’s children?
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