A Path for Christian Leadership: Reflections from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King, whose birthday we celebrate on January 15^th, is an icon of the American Civil Rights movement, but he was also very interested in Christian leadership. In fact, he wrote a compelling speech, apparently given in June or July 1955 in Atlantic City, NJ about the task of Christian leaders and educators. He believed that leadership included education.

A second task facing Christian leaders is that of being intelligent. By intelligence I mean the ability to keep abreast with the problems of a changing culture. This demand for intelligence is somewhat inevitable, for how can we interpret the situation in the community without a knowledge of them. It is the job of every leader to keep up with the changing trends through intellectual discipline. I realize that there are many who would agree that the Christian leader only has the job of being sincere and pious, but sincerity and piety are not enough, as important as they are. We must remember that the same Jesus that said love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul also said love God with all thy mind.

 Dr. King’s important reminder is that for all leaders—formal or otherwise—we must be mindful of the Lord and our impact on others. Understanding where people are, the struggles they carry (often silently), and the love and grace that the Holy Spirit bestows to help others—these are the keys!
We thank God for the word and work of Dr. King. May we carry on  his legacy for building the Kingdom of God.
 
Photo: MLK Press Conference. Library of Congress Martin Luther King Press conf. - digital file from original item | Library of Congress (loc.gov)