Organizational Leadership: Foundations and Practices for Christians

Kingdom leadership does not begin and end at the church door. Christians are called to conduct leadership in government, commerce, schools, neighborhoods, families, para-church ministries and a myriad other contexts. God has given us many gifts, and our responsibility is to be stewards of those gifts, and use them to do the King's work. In that context, this comprehensive text explores key facets of leadership from a Christian worldview so as to equip people to conduct leadership more authentically than would be possible under alternative paradigms. The book begins with the seldom considered theological foundations of leadership while also tracing the historic roots of management, organization and leadership theories. All of this leads to a robust discussion of five essential challenges and practices--communication, negotiation, decision-making, financial stewardship and personal development.The combined efforts of these experts in the field provide a practical theology of leadership from a Christian worldview for emerging and established leaders. Here is the foundation needed for those who want to conduct leadership in a manner consistent with their faith in both religious and nonreligious organizational contexts.

John S. (Jack) Burns is professor of leadership studies at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, where he coordinates the Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies Program. He has been teaching leadership studies since 1985 and has developed leadership studies programs at two universities. He has been director of an Eisenhower Leadership Program Grant, and has published several articles and book chapters on leadership pedagogy, organizational theory and leadership theory. He received his Ph.D. in higher education administration and M.A. in counseling from Washington State University.

John R. Shoup serves as the dean of the School of Education at California Baptist University in Riverside, California. He teaches leadership and educational history and policy at the graduate level, and has presented and conducted research and workshops on leadership development and best practices and educational policy. Shoup has also served as a school principal and in various social service settings. He has a Ph.D. in education with an emphasis in institutional leadership and policy studies from the University of California, Riverside. He also has a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in counseling psychology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.

Donald C. Simmons Jr. is an internationally recognized leadership consultant, pastor for Christ Lutheran Church in Cullman, Alabama, and Director of Pastoral Care for one of the largest rural hospital systems in the US. He teaches graduate courses in leadership for the University of Nebraska-Omaha and was the founding dean of the College of Leadership and Public Service at Dakota Wesleyan University. He is the editor of Organizational Leadership and the coauthor of the textbook Leadership and Service: An Introduction with Senator George McGovern and Dan Gaken. He is most recognized in academic circles as producer of the public television documentary Hungry for Green: Feeding the World Sustainably, which premiered at Harvard University Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment in 2009 and aired nationally. Dr. Simmons holds a certificate of ministry from Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in history and international studies from The University of Denver. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in ministry at Christ School of Theology in Brookings South Dakota.