Great Leader, Great Teacher - A Book Review

Bredfeldt, Gary. Great Leader, Great Teacher: Recovering the Biblical Vision for Leadership. Chicago, IL: Moody, 2006.

As a professor of leadership and church ministry at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, one would expect the typical Harvard Business School recipes for "leadership" from Dr. Bredfeldt. However, Great Leader, Great Teacher is a refreshing change focusing more on Scripture than business tactics--true to its sub-title. This volume is not necessarily a comprehensive survey of biblical texts which then interprets leadership in light of those texts (such as O. Sanders' Spiritual Leadership). Instead, Bredfeldt focuses more on the issue of the Bible's authority within leadership. Bredfeldt's thinking is absolutely correct when he argues that those who teach the authoritative word of God will in turn have authority or influence over those whom they are teaching. Many times Christians seem to miss this and believe that authority comes through an office or a title, while authority in the church comes through teaching the authoritative truth. Thus, pastors wonder why their congregations follow faithful Sunday School teachers more than them. This idea largely shapes the structure of the book.

In chapters one through four he exhorts pastors and teachers to commit themselves to teaching the authoritative truth of Scripture and not be distracted by secondary methods. In these chapters he diplomatically and accurately describes the problematic nature of the business school model of church leadership and summons his readers to recognize the sufficiency of the Bible. Addressing the issue of authority, Bredfeldt writes a significant polemic toward postmodernism and the "emerging church." This is understandable since some thinking among these parties (whatever "emerging" means) can be destructive to biblical authority and thereby send leaders looking away from Scripture toward culture, church history, and pragmatism. In chapters five and six he discusses the needed virtues of a leader and their necessary competencies. While both chapters are biblically solid, anyone who has read a book on Christian leadership can probably scan them because of their familiarity. Chapters seven and eight are perhaps the most practical sections of the book, but the most dangerously reductionist as well. Bredfeldt's point is to show the extremes of leadership positions, or "the ditches on the sides of road." He then tries to steer his reader toward a balanced position between existentialism, pragmatism, realism, and idealism. Next, he calls for balanced churches that do not err in being too "seeker sensitive", "program driven", "content/truth oriented" and "post-modern". This call for balance is certainly needed and appropriate, but it is always dangerous to start grouping all leadership styles and churches into four categories (including individuals' names associated with each group).

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is actively involved in church leadership and especially those who are teaching in any capacity. Pastors and ministers will find the 200 pages a light, easy read with some good re-usable illustrations. However, I believe the book would serve its greatest good in the hands of lay-teachers. This is the perfect book for Sunday School teachers, small group leaders, and others teaching regularly in the church. For these individuals, Great Leader, Great Teacher will remind them of the importance of their task, drive them back to the authoritative Word of God and steer them away from some pervading pitfalls. And in so doing, I believe Dr. Bredfeldt will indeed help the church recover a biblical vision for leadership.

-RO