Biblical Models of Church Leadership and Their Application for the 21st Century Church

Leadership is one of our society’s most popular and most discussed topics. Church leadership is often pushed to the wayside and is not often explored from an academic standpoint. This thesis will analyze and study biblical models of leadership to propose a model which biblically addresses the leadership issues facing the twenty-­‐first century church today. Moses, Joshua, Jesus, and Paul illustrate universally applicable characteristics and traits which contributed to their success in leadership. This thesis will survey one hundred church leaders in fifty churches in the Baptist General Convention of Texas to explore leadership issues present in the modern church. Using the leadership model obtained through the analysis of biblical figures, this thesis will propose an application to the twenty-­‐first century church which will aid church leaders in the issues they face today.