Business leaders often feel inadequate for church leadership according to Sutton Turner, executive pastor at Mars Hill Church. In his latest Resurgence article, “Jesus Wants Business Leaders,” he says there are at least three reasons why so many business-minded individuals write themselves off in the church:
- Nobody ever asks them to lead in the area of their gifting.
- They buy into a false dichotomy that separates spiritual work from secular work, which leads to the belief that only “spiritual” roles, such as preaching and counseling, are suited for church.
- They assume formal theological training is a required qualification for leaders in the church.
Turner encourages business people to use their unique gifts in the marketplace as well as the church. He lists the qualities of a church overseer from 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and points out that a seminary degree is nowhere on the list.
This is an important message for businesspeople and non-businesspeople alike. If God has gifted you in business, are you buying into the heresy that spiritual work and secular work are separate? If you know someone in your church whom God has gifted in business, have you encouraged them to use their unique skills to lead in the church?
Romans 12:4-6 says,
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly…
We are all members in one body with different gifts and talents. If you feel called to ministry, but have always questioned whether or not it’s for you, remember that Jesus wants people of all vocations to serve in his church.
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