v 7. A church leader is a manager of God’s household,
Although this is a New Testament description of leadership, and certainly well-worth reflecting on, it seems to me that it describes David’s role in Israel perfectly as well.
The leader, in a spiritual context, is not looking after something she or he owns. It is not like running your own business, it is more like being the captain of a team where every individual has the same interest in the outcomes. The manager can plan strategies, organise resources and deploy members – all things David did in his role as King. But as the Manager of God’s household, Israel, he recognised and submitted to a higher authority.
Many other nations in ancient times gave their supreme rulers almost God-like status: the adulation offered to Kim Jong-Un in North Korea is much the same in our times.
As we read through David’s life it becomes increasingly apparent that he tried to build a nation with God at the centre – he was the Manager and not the King/Owner of the nation.
Carry forward into our day this concept of the Church Leader as the Manager of God’s Household and you have a good picture of how the Church might be organised. Forget the picture of the Office Boss running his own business for his own benefit and see the leader being in submission to the Owner/Lord, managing people and resources for the glory of God.