The year was 1940. A skinny young man fresh out of Cincinnati Bible College preached his first sermon to his new congregation, the Fairmount Christian Church in Richmond, Virginia. Forty years later, in 1980, they held a retirement party for him. Same church—40 years. That’s leadership in action. Setting the example of faithfulness and stability—not just talking about it.
William Woodrow “Bill” Wilson didn’t just preach about leadership and setting the example; he lived it. Many adults are serving today across the country who learned leadership from this preacher. I’m one of them. For the first 20 years of my life, he was the only preacher I ever had. I was 25 years old before I realized that one ministry for life was not the norm! Now Fairmount’s preacher is a man who was born during Mr. Wilson’s tenure, who watched and learned from him for almost two decades.
Leading by Example
Someone has said, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day. I’d rather have you walk beside me than merely point the way.” A good example speaks much more clearly than words alone. It cannot be stated strongly enough: The best leadership is by example. A person who can tell you what to do, but does not demonstrate those qualities in his or her own life, is inefficient at best, an outright fraud at worst. Of the leader who is not a good example, someone has said, “Your actions speak so loudly, I can’t hear what you say.”
Leading by Invitation
The idea of a leader (a church leader particularly) forcing his will upon the people is a poor example of what Jesus was as a leader. Jesus didn’t demand that people conform to his preaching; he invited them to follow him. Of elders, it has been said, “The elder leads the sheep; he does not drive them. He’s a shepherd, not a cowboy.” Biblical leadership is by example first, and then by invitation. People will become a part of that to which they are attracted.
