Article
3 Elements of Spurgeon’s Spiritual Leadership
So what is it about Spurgeon’s spiritual leadership that made him so effective, fruitful, and enduring? What can be imitated from his leadership?
Leadership is influence toward a goal.
This simple definition applies to NFL teams chasing the Super Bowl, businesses seeking to increase sales, and church planters and church-planting teams.
Planter, you are a spiritual leader. Spiritual leadership is influence toward the biblical goal of glorifying God, of growing in Christlikeness, of making disciples and making much of Jesus.
Spurgeon was, without a doubt, a great spiritual leader. And there’s a lot we can learn from him.
Spurgeon’s Influence
Everywhere he went, Spurgeon’s leadership and influence were felt. First, it was experienced in a small countryside church that, under Spurgeon’s leadership, saw more conversions, church growth, and changed lives in the community. When Spurgeon arrived at a declining church in London, his leadership resulted in greater growth, more conversions, the training of 900 pastors, and the planting of additional churches in England and around the world.
Spurgeon’s influence reached beyond London, too.
Spurgeon’s wife, Susie Spurgeon, said in the Autobiography that it is impossible to know the exact number of her husband’s sermons that were sold, dispersed, and translated around the world. She could only assume that “many millions of copies” were sold. One biography on Spurgeon estimated that the weekly sales of Spurgeon’s sermons, in total, rose over one hundred million copies around the world. What began as words preached to a church in London would eventually be read in the United States, the Bahamas, New Zealand, and translated into German, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, French, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Syriac, and Arabic. His influence was incredible. Three stories illustrate how famous Spurgeon was.
In the United States, a young boy was asked on a test to name the Prime Minister of England, and he answered “C. H. Spurgeon.” In Mentone, France, as Spurgeon walked down the street, a carriage passed him, and the coachman confidently pointed out to his passenger that they had just passed the “Pope of England.” Back in England, Queen Victoria was aware of Spurgeon’s influence as well. The Queen called for a day of fasting as Great Britain faced a mutiny in India, and she asked Spurgeon, at a mere twenty-three years old, to preach a fast-day service at the Crystal Palace, with nearly 24,000 in attendance. And here we are, nearly 200 years later, still reading Spurgeon, benefiting from his sermons and his ministry. His influence is still at work among us.
So what is it about Spurgeon’s spiritual leadership that made him so effective, fruitful, and enduring? What can be imitated from his leadership?
I’ve written about his strong commitment and call to prayer. And we know he has tons of wisdom on preaching. Here are three additional points of Spurgeon’s leadership we should pursue.
1) Christ-Centered Leadership
One of the most obvious things about Spurgeon’s leadership and life is that he was focused on Christ being exalted. When the church moved into its new facility, the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Spurgeon stated the subject of his ministry:
I would propose that the subject of the ministry of this house, as long as this platform shall stand, and as long as this house shall be frequented by worshippers, shall be the person of Jesus Christ … If I am asked to say what is my creed, I think I must reply: “It is Jesus Christ.”
Every sermon, every book, prayer meeting, and all that he did was for Jesus and about Jesus.
Calvary preaching, Calvary theology, Calvary books, Calvary sermons! These are the things we want, and in proportion as we have Calvary exalted and Christ magnified, the gospel is preached in our midst.
One time, Spurgeon was preaching a communion address in France, and he made it very plain what he was all about. “I have but one sole subject for my ministry—the love and loveliness of my Lord.” Christ was Spurgeon’s central and all-consuming message and motivation in ministry.
Brothers, make every sermon about Jesus. Fill the entire worship service with the gospel. When you counsel people, point them to Jesus. Evangelize for Jesus. Remind everyone of his death and resurrection. He is the hope of everyone you talk to, and the point of everything you do.
Spurgeon helps us remember that everything we do in ministry belongs to Christ, too.
… it is a very delightful thing to feel that all the work we are doing is Jesus Christ’s work. All the sheep we have to shepherd are His sheep; the souls we have to bring to Him were bought with His blood; the spiritual house that is to be built is for His habitation. It is all His … It is not my church, but His; and He cries, “Feed My sheep.”
When you plant a church, it’s Christ’s church. When you see a new convert, they belong to Christ. When disciples and leaders are made, they are Christ’s sheep, and they are in His pasture. This is all Christ’s. We have our moment of service, and then we fade off into the heavenly horizon.
Christ-centered leaders are Christlike leaders. Spurgeon echoed Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s remark, “It is not so much great talents that God blesses, as great likeness to Christ.” The applications here are legion, but let’s look at one: humility.
2) Humble Leadership
Since this is all Christ’s ministry and kingdom—and He humbled himself to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2)—humility ought to define our spiritual leadership.
There was one event in Spurgeon’s life that I think really marked his ministry. As he was seeing great growth and fruit in his first pastorate, he had the opportunity and desire to apply for college, and as he was walking and thinking about it, he was struck by God’s word.
I was startled by what seemed a loud voice, but which may have been a singular illusion. Whichever it was, the impression was vivid to an intense degree; I seemed very distinctly to hear the words: “Seekest thou great things for thyself, seek them not!” This led me to look at my position from another point of view, and to challenge my motives and intentions.
These words from Jeremiah 45:5 convinced Spurgeon to rethink his desires for ministry. “All was given up; everything was renounced, the finest prospects seemed to melt into thin air, merely on the strength of that text.” He realized he would be happy to serve in this little village and preach the gospel for the rest of his life. But God had other plans for Spurgeon. And that’s the point. Humility rests in God’s plans, not ours.
Humble leadership is grounded in the reality that we are servants of Christ:
Let us remember that we are the servants in our Lord’s house. “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” Let us be willing to be door-mats at our Master’s entrance-hall. Let us not seek honour for ourselves.”
We don’t plant churches so we have somewhere to preach. Sheep don’t exist for the shepherd. We exist for them. And we will likely be walked over, have dirt put on us, and be looked down on—but we do it for the cause of Christ. No task is too small for the church planter. What does it tell volunteers when the pastor of 27 people won’t show up for the setup team? And if he does show, that it’s only for the show of social media?
Church planter, Spurgeon reminds us not to seek great things for ourselves, but to do it all for the glory of God. And inside of this deep humility, we find a supernatural joy.
3) Happy Leadership
Spurgeon was a happy leader. He had a good time. He was serious about the gospel and the ministry, but he didn’t take himself too seriously. Spurgeon was a hilarious man. Only a happy leader can say things like:
- “There is hardship in everything except in eating pancakes.”
- “Call me what you like, but don’t call me too late for dinner.”
The joy of Christ, of salvation, of resting in the sovereignty of God, really marked his style of leadership, too. One biography said that Spurgeon’s face was “brightened by eyes overflowing with humour and softened by a most gracious and sympathetic smile.” He was a happy man because of Christ. Spurgeon said this about the kinds of leaders he loves to see:
“I love a minister whose face invites me to make him my friend—a man upon whose doorstep you read, ‘Welcome’ and not ‘Beware of the dog.’”
What story does your face tell? What does your attitude reveal? It is a great privilege to serve Christ and his church. Rejoice in your calling!
As a church planter, you are a messenger of grace to people who are enslaved to sin, the world, and the devil. You have the greatest news in the world—let your face show it! Let your preaching and leadership be seasoned with the joy of knowing Christ. Our lives should reflect the supernatural joy we know in the gospel. Because of Jesus, we have an undefeatable joy. And the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Leadership is influence. Influence others toward Christ. Be humble because of Christ. And be happy because of Christ. That kind of leader is easy to follow.
