Abstract
It is important for the church to take seriously the words of Jesus, ‘I no longer call you servants, but friends’ (John 15:15) and locate servanthood – and ministry as a whole – within the context of divine friendship rather than within the context of modern conceptions of leadership. When servant-leadership is the dominant model of ministry it tends towards practices based on obligation rather than grace and creates practical difficulties for practitioners. Ministry can be defined in terms of the formation of friendship with God and others with benefits for community life, pastoral care and leadership.
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