What it looks like to be a Barnabas-type leader

Mike Bonem June 3, 2023

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Is your mental model of a leader someone who is high volume, highly visible, and highly visionary? If so, what is your assessment of Barnabas in the book of Acts? Was he a "leader"?

Acts 11 describes the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles in Antioch. As the story continues, "News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. … He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord" (Acts 11:22, 24). This brief description checks many of the boxes we often associate with leadership such as being the point person with significant responsibility.

But in the midst of this season of fruitfulness, he does something interesting. "Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch" (Acts 11:25-26). From this point on, Saul/Paul is increasingly in the spotlight and Barnabas is mostly in the background.

This is not how we typically write a leadership script in the western world. Leaders are supposed to continue moving up, right? They're not expected to step aside, especially not when things are going well. What might we learn from Barnabas?

Know your strengths and your limits. The story in Acts doesn't say why Barnabas went to Tarsus, but we can assume that he recognized Saul had different gifts that were needed in Antioch. How often do you hold tightly to the leadership reins, even if someone more capable is nearby?

Stay focused on the mission. I believe Barnabas gladly recruited Saul because the mission of spreading the gospel was paramount in his mind. Barnabas was looking to build Christ's church, not his own. Paul reflected the same theme when he addressed the divisions in Corinth: "No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11). Does a gospel-centered mission drive your decisions?

Leadership isn't always what's happening in the spotlight. Our skewed understanding of leadership downplays the value of what happens off stage. What if Barnabas had stayed in the spotlight in Antioch and never gone to Tarsus to get Saul? This simple unseen act only merits two verses in Scripture, but it was a pivotal moment in the spread of the good news of Jesus. What unseen leadership acts should you be doing?

I suspect that our society will continue to hold up a model of leadership that is based on volume, visibility, and vision. But that shouldn't keep you from leading more like Barnabas.

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Mike Bonem is an author, consultant, speaker, church leader, businessperson, husband and father. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a breadth of experience in ministry and business, including 11 years as an executive pastor, consulting with Fortune 100 companies, and leading a start-up business. This article was first published on MikeBonem.com. Used with permission. Learn More »

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