What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Qualifications for Leaders"
Answer
Leaders in God’s work must be distinguished by dignity, sound judgment, and deep spiritual experience. They are called to lead an exemplary life of self‑control and moral integrity, always keeping the welfare of others and the Lord’s dominion before them. A key qualification is the continual willingness to learn in the spirit of Christ and to shape one’s character after His divine example.
Spiritual and Practical Requirements for Leaders
»Later, when he selected seventy elders to share the responsibility of leadership with him, Moses carefully chose as his helpers men who possessed dignity, sound judgment, and experience. In his instruction to these elders at the time of their ordination, he outlined some of the qualifications that enable a man to be a wise ruler in the congregation. “Listen to the concerns among your brothers,” Moses said, “and render justice fairly between each person, his brother, and the foreigner who is with him. In judgment you must not look at the person, but you must hear the small as well as the great; you must fear no one, for judgment is God’s.”«
»The leaders of congregations everywhere should be earnest, full of zeal and self‑less interest, men of God who can give the work its proper shape. They should direct their petitions in faith to God. They may devote as much time as they wish to silent prayer, but in public they should keep their prayers and testimonies brief and to the point. Long, dry prayers and lengthy admonitions should be avoided. If the brothers and sisters are to have something to say that refreshes and builds up others, it must first be in their hearts.«
»Men in responsible positions should not undertake more than they can do thoroughly, promptly, and well; for if they want those under their care to develop proper habits, they must set a proper example. A great responsibility rests on these leading men concerning character formation, which they convey to the youth through their principles and their manner of work. They should consider that through the instruction they give—both in regard to their work and religious education—they help these young people shape their character.«
»I was shown that physicians and helpers should be of the highest goodness, those who possess experiential knowledge of truth, command respect, and whose word can be relied upon. They should be persons without pathological imagination, who possess perfect self‑control, who are not capricious or fickle, who are free from jealousy and malicious suspicion; persons who have a willpower that does not yield to minor inconveniences, who are unbiased, who think no evil, who think and act calmly and thoughtfully, and who always keep God’s honor and the welfare of others before them.«
»At this time God’s work needs men and women who possess rare qualifications and good administrative abilities; men and women who conduct patient, thorough investigations of the work’s needs in various fields; those who have a great capacity for work; those who have warm, kind hearts, cool heads, sound common sense, and unbiased judgment; those who are sanctified by the Spirit of God and can fearlessly say No or Yes and Amen to proposals.«
»It is of great importance that the one chosen to care for the spiritual interests of patients and helpers be a man of sound judgment and unshakable principles, a man who has moral influence and knows how to deal with people. He should be a person of wisdom and culture, of affection as well as intelligence. He may not initially be fully competent in every respect; but he should qualify for this important task through serious reflection and the exercise of his abilities.«
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Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
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