Within our temporal journey of life, our actions are governed by the placement of our investment of love. Individuals may invest their love within atoms, placing their priority for gathering material items or the protection of an item above the emotional stability of others. When organisations, being a collection of like-minded individuals, invest their collective emotions into profits, control or ideological supremacy above the importance of the greater collective of people or the environment, conflict is bound and harmony is lost. In this age of modernity we are taught that we can invest our emotions into a host of things and ideas forsaking relationships with our family and neighbours. The pedagogy of self-interest comes in many forms today with the advent of multi-media, combined with universities and schooling, also norms of behaviour and truth are practiced with peers (Newbigin, 1989, p. 222 & 228). Thus an individualistic society is driven by fractured goals, the self becomes all important, to have a beautiful body, the best clothing, a fast car, the best house, a big television, the best computer, and the list goes on, dividing society into many subgroups competing against each other[1]. When investigating what nature of leadership and authority that is required for the ministry and mission of the Church, the direction of emotional investment is a tacit property throughout the various descriptions of requirements within the texts. I will illustrate that investing ones emotions into anything other than the servant-hood for the community and God, is a perversion on the meaning of Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection, promoting self-interest. When individuals live for them-selves and their own interest, the community is neglected and suffers in the process. Unfortunately the ambitions are expressed in every walk of life, no matter the arena. The individualistic mind set is not Church ethos. Individualism is destructive to the community, with hidden agendas with the potential abusive power to influence others (Newbigin, 226). Newbigin (226-229) openly talks against the use of the Church as a medium for profit making through the media and the use of "truth" as a means for propaganda. It thus is a contradiction to live in the light of Christ in one's private life and to neglect or ignore the grace of God in one's public life. Ministry and Mission of the Church Jesus charged His disciples with a noble mission, being the teacher of all teachers, He sent forth His disciples to make disciples of all nations, to teach, as He had commanded[2], to preach the Gospel[3], to preach repentance and forgiveness[4], and be His witness[5] (Lorenzen, 1995, p. 302). This, His mission is far more important than identity maintenance, structure, or political aspiration of the Church (Lorenzen, 1995, p. 296). The mission of the Church is a fellowship in the faith in Christ, to be communal, and collective, binding the society together, demonstrating that collective relationships are more important than individualistic endeavours (Lorenzen, 1995, pp. 296-297). Jesus' mission statement was not intended to start a new religion, Jesus told us, and showed us in His documented actions how we may serve God by serving each other (Lorenzen, 1995, pp. 298-301; Newbigin, 1989, p. 225). The universal Lordship of Christ is in holding the teachings of Jesus Christ as the norm for all Christians, within a society of conflicting norms. The universality of Jesus the Lord must remain flexible in the delivery of His mission taking into account the local social needs of the people and the environment that they live (Lorenzen, 1995, pp. 303-305). In this age of modernity the insidious powers of self-interest separates peoples through the fracturing of society with oppression, militarism and dehumanisation, while the pain of the populous is being self-medicated with consumerism (Lorenzen, 1995, p. 303). The mission of Christ is to stand in solidarity with others, to "drink the poison of identifying with" those that are not liberated and living under the oppressions of modern society (Lorenzen, 1995, p. 304). Thus it is here argued that to have Christ as the integrating centre of people's lives, is to have Christ's mission as the central principal of life, to build the interrelationships of the community, and invest one's emotions in the wellbeing of the others, and not in self-interest. Authority and Leadership Soon after the crucifixion of Jesus the Twelve apostles and other apostles along with prophets understood their role to continue Jesus' proclamation of the coming kingdom of God (Schillebeeckx, 1985, p. 77). This apostolicity foundation to the early communities thus continued the proclamation emulating the Apostles (ibid). The leaders of this early community were chosen cautiously and tested by fellow leaders such as Paul sending Timothy to investigate on his behalf[6], who had the same authority as Paul did (Schillebeeckx, 1985, pp. 78,80). Paul also clearly recognised that individuals were seeking leadership positions in the community for "their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ"[7]. Paul describes that God appoints individuals to their specific role for different forms of leadership and authority to assist each other, "first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues"[8] (Schillebeeckx, 1985, p. 79). Yet not all individuals are intended to purely be leaders, healers, or translators[9]. Thus the calling of individuals through the Holy Spirit expressed to act with social ambitions for the benefit of society is evident in modernity (Kaye, 1996, p. 4) as it was recognised in history. Lorenzen (1995, p. 304) describes that the mission of Christ has been perverted over time into an institution to "save souls" through coercion by an imperialistic and colonialist manner. The religious elitism that upholds the authority and leadership of the Church appears to stem from Paul's call to the mission, to keep the Law of the Torah and to introduce it to the gentiles (Lorenzen, 1995, p. 305). Likewise for Paul, it was not enough for Gentiles to keep the Law of the Torah, Gentiles must proclaim Jesus as Messiah, and anything less was considered blasphemy and heresy (Lorenzen, 1995, p. 305). Apostolic claim to authority of leadership differ slightly between Luke and Paul. Luke asserts that to be an Apostle one must have "known and accompanied the historical Jesus", where as Paul recognises those that "experienced an encounter with the risen Lord"[10] (Lorenzen, 1995, p. 308). The succession of leadership within the Church[11] follows Paul's argument defining an Apostle, granting spiritual authority to the leaders of the Church, which include females (Lorenzen, 1995, p. 309). By taking the higher ground in morality and public truth brings its own challenges against the pre-established fractured norms in society not only in the days of Jesus and the Apostles but also now in modernity (Newbigin, 1989, pp. 222-223).The leaders of the church are required to mirror the mind of Christ, which impact on their actions by being like Jesus in His life, serving the people in the body of Christ, serving Christ (Lorenzen, 1995, pp. 314-315). With the attitude on morality and claim to truth comes the temptation of displaying a morally superior attitude, enforcing conformity, forsaking the people's freedom to come to Christ (Newbigin, 1989, pp. 223-224). Modern day fanatical religious people thrive on the fractured society threatening the freedom of democracy with growing mindless violence, vandalism, and the perceived decline in social morality of society, to their own detriment and to the detriment of others (Newbigin, 1989, p. 225). Newbigin (1989, pp. 228-229) asserts that the Christian community is not just to live for itself but to be deeply involved in the community with concerns for their neighbourhood, letting the gratitude of Christ to spill over into the greater community, bringing the concept of servant-hood in action to all peoples. Teaching the concept that Jesus taught, in saying "if I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet"[12]. Paul's churches are thus not religious clubs for the self-interest of the religious elite, but servant churches working for the dignity of all humans, (Lorenzen, 1995, p. 305 & 311; Newbigin, 1989, p. 225) acting in the fellowship of Christ with a particular purpose of witnessing, whilst being a serving agency (Gilliland, 1983, pp. 184, 191). The collectivist view of Paul's metaphor for the church as a body is significant for the mission. The metaphor illustrates several points, as the body and church must function properly, must be mobile, be an instrument for available use, and not be an institution of vanity becoming an end in itself (Gilliland, 1983, p. 191). To identify God's aim, mission, and requirements to be followed by the followers of Christ, we turn to Acts. Acts is the missionary profile, job description, and evaluation instrument for the followers of Jesus (Achtemeier, Green, & Thompson, 2001, p. 251). The authority of the church stems from the mantel of authority taken up by the new generations that followed from the Apostles, to carry on the mission (Schillebeeckx, 1985, pp. 81-82). Over time the centralisation of power and authority for the leaders cemented into the Roman Catholic Church, with a hierarchical structure with the Pope at the summit, claiming an unquestionable authority, because the Church is sharing the authority of God (Schillebeeckx, 1990, p. 203). Although the wheels of change turn slowly within any bureaucratic organisation, the church is not spared, addressing issues from the French Revolution a century and a half later, than the secular society (Schillebeeckx, 1990, p. 206). The self-preservation of the church against the resistance to modernity and enlightenment beliefs, has been transformed into ministers being there for the service to the people, and that the Spirit is inclusive with all believers in their participation in the decisions of the church government (Schillebeeckx, 1990, pp. 200-202, 207, 209; Bosch, 1991, p. 519). It becomes apparent that when church leaders come together, conflict may occur based on the prioritising of issues which may be important in one community but not in others. The conflict that occurs in a meeting of leaders may seem to be of self-interest on the surface to others, but may in-fact be a real concern within that leader's specific community. For the Church to point out the universal salvific love of God for all peoples through Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit (Boff, 1981, p. 6) priorities on forms of deliverance are divided from region to region. Thus Paul's response to issues in specific churches hold true, that these issues can be handled by those communities without being dictated to by the wider community, but to stand in solidarity to promote happiness[13] (Gilliland, 1983, p. 276). In conclusion the nature of the leadership and authority required for the ministry and mission of the Church is that of empting one's self[14] of self-importance while working for self-interest for the individual or the church, but to invest one's emotions into the wellbeing of the community. References
Achtemeier, P. J., Green, J. B., & Thompson, M. M. (2001). Introducing the New Testament: Its literature and theology. Cambridge: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Company. Boff, L. (1981). Church charism & power: Liberation theology and the institutional church. Great Britain, London: SCM Press Ltd. Bosch, D. j. (1991). Transforming mission: Paradigm shift in theology of mission. New York: Orbis Books. Encyclopædia Britannica 2002 Standard Edition CD-ROM. (2002). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Gilliland, D. S. (1983). Pauline Theology & Mission practice. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books House. Goleman, D. (1996). Emotional intelligence. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. Kaye, B. (1996). The forgotten Calling? Theology and the vocation of the Laity. St Mark's Review , Spring, 3-12. Lorenzen, T. (1995). The Church and its Mission. In Resurrection and Discipleship: Interpretive models, Biblical reflections, Theological consequences (pp. 296-318). Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books. Newbigin, L. (1989). The congregation as hermeneutic of the Gospel. In The Gospel in a pluralist society (pp. 222-233). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans. Schillebeeckx, E. (1985). Ministry in the early communities of Christian believers. In The church with a human face: A new expanded theology of ministry (pp. 74-123). London: SCM. Schillebeeckx, E. (1990). The So-Called 'Classical' Face of the Church and the Other Face. In Church: The human story of God (pp. 198-228). New York: Crossroad. [1] Some of the information in this paragraph is expressed in Goleman's (1996) book of Emotional intelligence.
[2] Matthew 28:19
[3] Mark 16:15
[4] Luke 24:46-49 and John 20:21
[5] Acts 1:8
[6] Phil 2:19-24
[7] Phil 2:21
[8] I Cor. 12:28
[9] I Cor. 12:29-30
[10] Acts 9:4-14
[11] (Encyclopædia Britannica 2002 Standard Edition CD-ROM, 2002) "Apostolic"
[12] John 13:14
[13] II Cor. 1:24, 2:10
[14] Philippians 2:5-8
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