Leadership for the days of the Lord - Part 4

Dr. Timothy X. Merritt Jun 23, 2021

Leadership for the Days of the Lord - Part 4 Strategic Leadership To prepare for the Parousia, the Christian futurist must serve others during the many “Days of the Lord” in preparation for the Final Day. One of the simplest and most direct methods is to personally go towards the source of chaos and serve in whatever capacity is needed. When that happens, and the Christian engages with the discord of the world, it is possible to generate tremendous positive transformation. In this example, strategic leadership occurs when the Christian offers a living example of the Kingship Triangle by standing as the representative of the Christian worldview during times of crisis.

Completing the CLD To use the language of systems dynamics, strategic leadership is achieved by applying influence to the critical leverage point of worldview transformation, as illustrated in Figure 7.

Figure 7.

Humanitarian Service Develops Leaders Providing service to others during periods of crisis is ideally situated for developing leaders with the transformational skills that are not typically associated with more traditional leadership development approaches (Blouin & Perry, 2009). While not explicitly discussing crisis situations, Stanley (2017) offers additional insights into leadership development through acts of service, “Our entire leadership development model revolves around apprenticing rather than traditional classroom training… the reason we adopted this model is our conviction that, for the most part, adults learn on a need-to-know basis” (p. 125). All three of these authors recognize that once Christians actually enter service environments, they are confronted with unfamiliar situations coupled with an urgent need for additional knowledge, and they become extraordinarily teachable.

Leaders Influence Worldviews This model of leadership development is effective, but it can also be critically viewed as a leadership development model conducted at the expense of a host nation enduring the travails of calamity. That perspective shifts when the servant is able to accurately portray the Christian Theistic worldview in a manner similar to what Dee Hock (the founder of the Visa Corporation) describes as “chaordic” - a cross between “chaos” and “order” that describes a leadership approach that balances an enduring central structure along with vast, non-centralized operations and scalability.

Conclusion It will never be possible to prevent disasters; however, it remains an enduring task for human beings to respond to disasters in ways that increase development, and decrease envelopment. Through acts of service, powerful and transformative leadership can be forged that 1

restores order, reinforces civilization, and builds prosperity. By standing firm in the Christian faith, the servant also brings light, truth, and edification to the Days of the Lord.

Strategically, this approach is not concerned with how many souls have been brought to Jesus or any metrics of that nature. Instead, it is focused on providing simple acts of service to others in need, and to developing transformational leaders who are steeped in the Christian faith and able to shine as a beacon to others who may be seeking answers.

By personally entering into the chaotic “Days of the Lord” to serve others during disaster events, the Christian futurist strives to influence future outcomes in accordance with God’s plans. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11). To prepare for the final Day of the Lord when Jesus returns is not as simple a job as it might appear.

Author Bio Timothy Merritt was born in Phoenix, AZ, in 1966 and moved to Oregon in 1989. He has spent over 32 years as both an enlisted soldier and as a commissioned officer in the Oregon Army National Guard. He received his B.S. in Business Management from the University of Phoenix in 2002, his federal commission in 2003, and his Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership in 2017 from Regent University. He currently serves the Oregon Army National Guard in the capacity of Administrative Officer for the 249 Regiment, Regional Training Institute, and is pursuing his Doctorate of Strategic Leadership through Regent University.

2

References Altman, D. G., Rego, L., & Steadman, H. D. (2010). The center for creative leadership handbook of leadership development (3. Aufl.;3rd; ed.). U.S.: Jossey-Bass https://ebookcentralproquest-com.ezproxy.regent.edu/lib/regent-ebooks/reader.action?docID=484823 Blouin, D. D., & Perry, E. M. (2009). Whom does service-learning really serve? Communitybased organizations' perspectives on service learning. Teaching Sociology, 37(2), 120135. doi:10.1177/0092055x0903700201 Buschlen, E. L., & Warner, C. A. (2014). "We're not in Kansas anymore" disaster relief social change leadership and transformation. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 51(3), 311-322. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/10.1515/jsarp-2014-0031 Godawa, B. (2017). End times Bible prophesy: It’s not what they told you. Los Angeles, CA. Embedded Pictures Publishing.

Hock, D. & Senge, P. (2005). One from many: VISA and the rise of the chaordic organization (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA. Berrett-Koehler.

Kelly, M., Dowling, M., & Millar, M. (2018). The search for understanding: The role of paradigms. Nurse Researcher, 25(4), 9-13. doi:10.7748/nr.2018.e1499 Kuhn, T. (2012).The Structure of Scientific Revolutions: 50th Anniversary Edition. University of Chicago Press. 978-0-226-45812-0. (264 pages). ISBN-10: 0226458121, ISBN-13: 9780226458120 Manikutty, S. (2004). C. K. Prahalad and his work: An assessment. Business Strategy Review, 15(2), 13-16. doi:10.1111/j.0955-6419.2004.00307.x Miller, D. (2012). Discipling nations. YWAM Publishing. Seattle Washington.

3

Pless, N. M., Maak, T., & Stahl, G. K. (2011). Developing responsible global leaders through international service-learning programs: The Ulysses experience. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 10(2), 237-260. doi:10.5465/AMLE.2011.62798932 Robbins, V. K. (1996). Exploring the texture of texts: A guide to socio-rhetorical interpretation.

Harrisburg, PA: Trinity. ISBN: 1563381834 Schlitz, M. M., Vieten, C., & Erickson-Freeman, K. (2011). conscious aging and worldview transformation. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 43(2), 223.

Sire, James W. (2009). The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog, 5th Edition. IVP Academic.

Spears, L. (1996). Reflections on Robert K. Greenleaf and servant-leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 17(7), 33-35. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/10.1108/01437739610148367 Stanley, A. (2017). Going deep and wide: A companion guide for churches and leaders.

Zondervan. (ISBN 978-0-310-53830-1) Straka, B (2018). #Walk Away. #Walk Away Campaign. Retrieved July 26, 2020, online https://www.walkawaycampaign.com/

Go back to Leadership for the Days of the Lord - Part 3 Learn more about Worldviews by taking the Worldview Survey

Explore the Leadership Academy Curated Library

4