Leaders Develop Other Leaders – Moses (Part 2)

Bishop Cranmer Mugishu led the Muhabura Diocese in southwest Uganda. Bishop Cranmer is retired but still a Pastor at heart.

He was responsible for several hundred churches and preached regularly in the Sesame Cathedral in Kisoro. Bishop Cranmer is a pastor in every wonderful sense of the word.

When I was with him several years ago, he asked me to join him for visitations after church. My curiosity was piqued, so off we went on the bumpy, dirt backroads of southwestern Uganda. It was my turn to shadow a gifted leader and learn.

As we visited a few people who lived in very modest circumstances, I asked the bishop about this visitation ministry. I still remember his answer: “When I was called to became a pastor, I asked God to give me the gifts needed to be a good one.

In response God gave me—among other gifts—a special Sunday-morning discernment. I look out over the congregation while preaching and God impresses on me who is not there”.

After church, those are the people Bishop Cranmer visits to make sure that nothing is awry. This impressive commitment becomes astounding when you learn that the “cathedral” in Kisoro regularly seats at least seven hundred and fifty people and that he preaches in multiple services each Sunday.

Even though he is a shepherd to a vast number of people, Bishop Cranmer sees the individual sheep in his flock. We went from village to village stopping to visit the elderly. We went into huts and homes and prayed with the sick.

I watched him counsel those who were struggling in their faith and others in their marriage or relationships with children. It was the kind of pastoral care training you cannot get in a classroom or book.

Effective leaders identify and develop emerging leaders by inviting them to do ministry with them, learning the qualities and skills necessary for leadership in the crucible of real-life.

Leaders Develop Leaders By Developing Their Spiritual Life With God

Not only did I learn pastoral care from that shadowing experience, I was deeply impacted spiritually, another sign of an effective leader.

We see also this with Moses and Joshua.

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. (Exodus 33:7-11)

Moses gave Joshua crucial ministry assignments and encouraged him to be with him in his leadership role.

Most importantly, Moses dedicated himself to the spiritual development of Joshua. This is evident in several incident but none more telling than the tent of meeting.

It was here that Moses would actually meet with God. His face would glow from the presence of God (Exodus 34:34-35). The Israelites were so overwhelmed by the experience that they would all stand at the entrance of their tent when Moses went to the Tent of Meeting.

The episodes would inspire the people to worship at the entrance of their tent (vs. 10). Reading Exodus 33-34, one cannot help but be amazed at the relationship that God fostered with Moses.

Equally amazing was how Moses brought Joshua into that relationship. Amazing to the reader has to be the statement in Exodus 33:11, that when Moses left the tent of meeting, Joshua would linger.

One can reasonable assert that Joshua was brought into that intimate relationship that Moses had with God. He experienced the intimacy of God speaking to Moses as with a friend (vs. 11).

Effective leaders identify and develop emerging leaders by developing their spiritual life with God.

Janet Rowlands joined the staff of Every Generation Ministries to oversee our administrative and financial work. This was after having served for many years in a high-level management position at the John Space Center in Houston, Texas.

She oversaw a sophisticated satellite program, and she had years of management experience. The office supply budget at the Johnson Space Center was larger than EGM’s entire annual budget. She forgot more about managing people than I would ever know.

When she joined EGM’s team, I joked that it was like having Babe Ruth sign-up for your church softball team. But …. I wasn’t joking.

When she joined our team, I watched her closely to learn. She had a little folder for everyone that reported to her, and she met with them every week. I decided to follow her practice and started having weekly one-on-ones with everyone that reported directly to me. (I even borrowed the one-on-one term from Janet).

We would always begin with a short Bible study and then pray together. Over the years those times of Bible studies turned into talking about biblical/spiritual issues and praying together.

In fact, those times became the opportunity to express concern for emerging leaders spiritual growth.

Years ago, when I stepped down as the President of EGM, I packed those folders off my desk and thanked God for allowing me to learn from Janet an be part of the spiritual life and development of emerging young leaders.

My efforts were cherished but flawed in execution. Jesus on the other hand was the Master of developing emerging leaders.

My blog will be posted the same time every week and I hope you can join us next week.The podcast version is available here!