Principles for Christian Leaders

Skilled in human relations

The church upon the earth is not perfect. It is not the church that will be when zion is triumphant. Earth is not heaven. The church is composed of erring men and women who will need patient, pains-taking effort that they may be educated, trained, and disciplined by precept and example to do their work with acceptance and to be crowned with glory and immortality in the future life. PCL 95.2

If men who are placed in important positions do not cultivate tact to a greater degree than you [R. A. Underwood] have done in dealing with human minds great loss will result both to the minister and to the church. There is delicate work for one in your position to do as you meet with alienation, bitterness, envyings, and jealousy, and you will need to labor in the spirit of Christ to set things in order.—Letter 22, 1889 (January 18) PCL 95.3

Then I will have some things to say and a testimony to bear in regard to the Spirit of God and sympathy and kindness that should be exercised in the management of the things in the office. It requires a leading man who can make rules and educate and mold, mingling with this management tact and skill, and a sympathetic, loving heart that will not willingly wound and bruise the soul of one of the workers, for they are the purchased property of Jesus Christ.—Letter 6, 1892 (May 1) PCL 96.1

The Lord your Saviour commissions me to give you this message, Cherish love, for love is of God. Harshness and accusation is of the devil. Cultivate love, and express it with kindly, tender sympathetic words, spoken in simplicity and Christlikeness. Talk cheerfully and hopefully, whether you feel hopeful or not. Talk faith and love and “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.” We cannot better glorify God than by being witnesses of the fact that through the power of His rich grace there is peace and joy in the Saviour. Cheerful, holy endeavor to keep the unity of the faith presents heavenly credentials to the world that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world as the Saviour of men.—Letter 16a, 1895 (February 8) PCL 96.2

Talent acquisition and development—Those who are placed in responsible positions should feel it their duty to recognize talent. They should learn how to use men, and how to advise them. If mistakes are made, they should not withdraw themselves, thinking it easier to do the work themselves than to educate others. Those who are learning should be patiently instructed, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little. Every effort should be made, by precept and example, to teach them right methods. . . . PCL 96.3

Those placed in positions of trust should have connected with them as helpers men whose minds do not run in exactly the same lines as their own. To every man has been given talents, according to his several ability. One mind may have a larger scope than another. When men are linked together, each supplies the other’s deficiency, and thus they are a complete whole. But one man cannot bear the responsibilities which necessarily fall upon him if he is placed in sacred office. God would have His people linked together, doing His work in perfect harmony.—MS 55, 1897 (June 3) PCL 96.4

God would have those in responsible positions show tact, skill, and wise generalship in seeing talent, in seizing it, and of putting it to use. God will not work a miracle to advance the truth. He has material in men and women, and He wants the generals in His army to have intelligence to bring it out and put it to use, not be constantly studying how to bind about the work so that it shall not branch out and make a demand for means. Set men to work under those who have some knowledge of the work, who can educate them. Thrust the workers out into the harvest field. All they want is encouragement.—Letter 34, 1886 (March 2) PCL 97.1

The strength of an army is measured largely by the efficiency of the men in the ranks. A wise general instructs his officers to train every soldier for active service. He seeks to develop the highest efficiency on the part of all. If he were to depend on his officers alone he could never expect to conduct a successful campaign. . . . PCL 97.2

Those who have the spiritual oversight of the church should devise ways and means by which an opportunity may be given to every member of the church to act some part in God’s work. Too often in the past this has not been done. Plans have not been clearly laid and fully carried out whereby the talents of all might be employed in active service. There are but few who realize how much has been lost because of this. PCL 97.3

The leaders in God’s cause, as wise generals, are to lay plans for advance moves all along the line. In their planning they are to give special study to the work that can be done by the laity for their friends and neighbors. The work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to the work and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church officers. . . . PCL 98.1

In every church there is talent, which, with the right kind of labor, might be developed to become a great help in this work. That which is needed now for the upbuilding of our churches is the nice work of wise laborers to discern and develop talent in the church—talent that can be educated for the Master’s use. There should be a well-organized plan for the employment of workers to go into all our churches, large and small, to instruct the members how to labor for the upbuilding of the church and also for unbelievers. It is training, education, that is needed. Those who labor in visiting the churches should give the brethren and sisters instruction in practical methods of doing missionary work.—9T 116, 117 (1909) PCL 98.2