Anatomy of a Spiritual Leader
A conversation with Gordon MacDonald
October 1, 1984
When he was an infant, Gordon MacDonald survived two close brushes with death-a near-drowning and being close to a fatal plane crash. His mother viewed these as providential sparings of his life. From his earliest days, she often told him, "God is raising you for something special."
His reaction? "Throughout childhood and even my somewhat rebellious adolescence, I had an awareness that God had this stake in my life and was going to claim it one of these days. It made me very aware that my life is not my own. Every decision I made had some sort of spiritual implication. God wasn't going to let me run free."
God didn't, and Gordon eventually entered seminary, accepted his first pastorate in tiny St. Francis, Kansas, and now, some twenty years later, serves Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts. He is also chairman of the board of World Vision. LEADERSHIP interviewed him about what distinguishes spiritual leaders.
Looking back, all the indicators seemed to point you toward spiritual leadership. Did it come naturally? Or has it been a struggle?
There was a day when I would have been jealous for leadership; today I find it sobering. I have passed the point of aspiring to leadership. It is a privilege to be a leader, but the price is great.
Anyone with a leadership responsibility has to watch every word he or she says, and you learn you can't go through life without a few critics, some well deserved. Occasionally you have a rough time knowing who's a genuine friend, and there are serious time limitations on pursuing healthy friendships. There's pressure on your spotlighted children and marriage, and at times most leaders, I suspect, ask, "Who needs all this?"
On the other hand, everything I've been privileged to be part of has been ...
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