Here is a suggestion as to how leaders embodying each of the six leadership profiles might respond to Jesus’ letter to the church at Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6), showing their different perspectives and approaches to addressing the church’s spiritual condition.
The document explores:
- Individual responses from each leadership profile:
- How each would interpret the letter’s key message
- What specific actions each would propose
- How they would communicate with the congregation
- Team collaboration dynamics, including:
- The unique strengths each profile brings to a leadership team
- How they prevent each other’s blind spots
- Their complementary contributions to church renewal
For example:
The Spiritual Patriarch focuses on returning to established traditions and proper authority structures, preventing others from dismissing historical patterns of faithfulness.
The Charismatic Reformer emphasizes spiritual revival and supernatural intervention, keeping others from relying solely on human strategies.
The Community Elder prioritizes relational health and inclusive processes, ensuring changes don’t fracture community bonds.
The Professional Visionary contributes strategic planning and assessment tools, preventing actions without clear objectives and accountability.
The Prophetic Advocate addresses systemic issues and marginalization, challenging superficial changes that maintain unjust systems.
The Biblical Shepherd provides scriptural foundations and focuses on character formation, keeping renewal efforts biblically grounded.
Together, these diverse perspectives create a holistic approach to addressing the church’s condition of being “alive in reputation but dead in reality” - incorporating spiritual revitalisation, relational healing, biblical rediscovery, strategic planning, prophetic witness, and leadership development.
Six Leadership Profiles Responding to the Letter to Sardis
The Letter to Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6)
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Individual Responses to the Letter
The Spiritual Patriarch’s Response
Initial Reaction: Deep concern for the church’s spiritual condition and a sense of responsibility as a guardian of tradition.
Interpretation Focus: “This letter clearly indicates a failure in upholding our foundational doctrines and practices. We have become complacent in preserving the sacred traditions passed down to us. When Jesus says ‘you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead,’ He is addressing our failure to maintain the spiritual vitality of our fathers in the faith.”
Proposed Action: “We must return to the established practices that once made our church spiritually vibrant. This requires reinstating proper reverence in worship, renewing our commitment to prayer vigils, and ensuring the elders provide stronger oversight of the congregation’s spiritual disciplines.”
Communication to Congregation: “Brothers and sisters, we have received a severe but just rebuke from our Lord. As your appointed shepherds, we must lead you back to the paths of righteousness through renewed commitment to our traditions and proper spiritual authority. The Lord has mercifully warned us before judgment falls.”
The Charismatic Reformer’s Response
Initial Reaction: Urgent spiritual hunger for revival and renewal through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Interpretation Focus: “Jesus is calling us to spiritual awakening! When He says ‘Wake up!’ and speaks of those who ‘have not soiled their clothes,’ He’s pointing to the need for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. Our programmes and structures may appear impressive, but without the fire of the Spirit, they are empty shells.”
Proposed Action: “We must call the entire congregation to a season of prayer and fasting, seeking a powerful move of God. Let’s organise revival meetings where people can encounter God afresh and receive spiritual gifts. We need to create space for testimonies of transformation and divine intervention.”
Communication to Congregation: “God is calling us to rise from spiritual slumber! This letter isn’t just a warning—it’s an invitation to experience the resurrection power of Christ. Let’s press in for a mighty move of God that will restore signs and wonders in our midst and bring supernatural breakthrough!”
The Community Elder’s Response
Initial Reaction: Deep concern for the relational health and unity of the church community.
Interpretation Focus: “Jesus’ words reveal a breakdown in our community bonds. A church with a reputation for being alive but actually dead suggests we’ve focused on outward appearances while neglecting authentic relationships. The reference to ‘unfinished deeds’ indicates incomplete reconciliation and care for one another.”
Proposed Action: “We need to gather the entire church family for extended fellowship and honest conversation about our spiritual condition. Let’s organise community meals where people can rebuild relationships, address conflicts, and restore harmony. Each household should open their homes to others for prayer and mutual support.”
Communication to Congregation: “Dear family in Christ, our Lord calls us to remember that we are one body. Let us come together, share our struggles honestly, and rebuild our bonds of love. When we support one another and restore broken relationships, our deeds will be complete in God’s sight.”
The Professional Visionary’s Response
Initial Reaction: Strategic analysis of the gap between the church’s reputation and actual effectiveness.
Interpretation Focus: “This letter highlights a critical performance gap in our ministry. We’ve created an impressive external brand (‘reputation of being alive’) while our actual impact metrics are failing (‘deeds unfinished’). Jesus is calling for a comprehensive strategic reset with measurable outcomes.”
Proposed Action: “We should establish a church revitalisation taskforce to assess our current ministries against clear biblical benchmarks. Let’s develop a phased strategic plan with specific goals, accountability structures, and progress indicators. Each ministry area needs an honest performance review and clear improvement targets.”
Communication to Congregation: “Our Lord has provided a critical assessment that requires immediate action. We’ll be implementing a comprehensive renewal strategy with clear goals and accountability measures. Each ministry team will evaluate their effectiveness against biblical standards, and we’ll track our progress in becoming the vibrant church Christ calls us to be.”
The Prophetic Advocate’s Response
Initial Reaction: Recognition of systemic injustice and exclusion within church structures as the root cause of spiritual deadness.
Interpretation Focus: “Jesus’ diagnosis of a church with ‘a reputation of being alive, but you are dead’ points to our hypocrisy in maintaining impressive religious systems while neglecting justice and inclusion. The ‘few people who have not soiled their clothes’ are those who have maintained integrity by standing with the marginalised.”
Proposed Action: “We must examine how our church has excluded the poor, women, ethnic minorities, and other marginalised groups. Let’s create listening forums where silenced voices can speak truth to power. Our repentance must include dismantling unjust structures and redistributing leadership opportunities to reflect God’s kingdom values.”
Communication to Congregation: “Christ’s letter reveals how our pursuit of respectability has compromised our prophetic witness. True revival will come when we repent of systemic injustice within our fellowship and amplify the voices of those we’ve ignored. Jesus specifically honours the faithful few who have maintained integrity—let’s listen to their witness.”
The Biblical Shepherd’s Response
Initial Reaction: Deep concern for doctrinal integrity and spiritual formation in the congregation.
Interpretation Focus: “Jesus’ assessment that we are ‘dead’ despite our reputation reveals a critical failure in our discipleship process. We’ve created the appearance of biblical faith without nurturing genuine spiritual maturity. His call to ‘remember what you have received and heard’ directs us back to sound doctrine and biblical foundations.”
Proposed Action: “We need a systematic return to biblical teaching through discipleship small groups focused on applying Scripture to daily life. Let’s institute a church-wide study of core doctrines, emphasising personal holiness and spiritual disciplines. Every member should develop a personal growth plan with accountability partners.”
Communication to Congregation: “Beloved, our Lord’s letter reminds us that Christianity is not merely about appearances but about genuine transformation through God’s Word. We will be establishing new discipleship pathways to ensure everyone grows in biblical understanding and godly character. Remember what you received and heard—let’s hold fast to the truth.”
Collaborative Leadership Response: Strengths and Complementary Contributions
Working Together as a Leadership Team
If these six leaders formed a leadership team addressing the letter to Sardis, their diverse perspectives would create a powerful, balanced response that addresses the multifaceted challenge of being “alive in reputation but dead in reality.”
The Initial Process
The Community Elder would likely create the relational space for the team to process the letter honestly together, ensuring all voices are heard and valued.
The Prophetic Advocate would challenge any tendency to rush to superficial solutions, insisting on honest examination of systemic issues.
The Professional Visionary would develop a structured approach to addressing the letter’s concerns, ensuring the response is comprehensive and measurable.
The Spiritual Patriarch would ground the discussion in reverence for Christ’s authority and the church’s established traditions.
The Biblical Shepherd would keep the team focused on scriptural principles for church renewal and reformation.
The Charismatic Reformer would inspire faith for genuine transformation, preventing the team from settling for merely administrative changes.
Complementary Strengths
The Spiritual Patriarch brings:
- Respect for ecclesiastical authority and proper response to divine correction
- Preservation of valuable traditions that connect to the church’s founding
- Gravity and solemnity appropriate to addressing Christ’s rebuke
- Wisdom from historical patterns of church renewal
The Spiritual Patriarch prevents others from:
- Dismissing established patterns of faithfulness too quickly
- Responding irreverently to divine correction
- Forgetting the lessons of church history
- Losing connection to the church’s original calling
The Charismatic Reformer brings:
- Expectancy for supernatural intervention and divine enabling
- Passion that prevents merely administrative responses
- Focus on the Holy Spirit’s power for genuine transformation
- Emphasis on testimonies that inspire faith for change
The Charismatic Reformer prevents others from:
- Relying solely on human strategies and efforts
- Settling for incremental improvements without radical revival
- Overlooking the supernatural dimensions of church renewal
- Becoming discouraged by the magnitude of the challenge
The Community Elder brings:
- Focus on relational health as essential to church vitality
- Inclusive processes that value every member’s contribution
- Wisdom in navigating tensions during the change process
- Patience with the human aspects of transformation
The Community Elder prevents others from:
- Implementing changes that fracture community bonds
- Overlooking the needs of vulnerable community members
- Rushing processes that require relational healing
- Valuing programmes over people
The Professional Visionary brings:
- Strategic clarity and actionable planning
- Assessment tools to measure genuine progress
- Efficiency in resource allocation for renewal efforts
- Ability to communicate the change process clearly
The Professional Visionary prevents others from:
- Moving forward without clear objectives and metrics
- Overlooking gaps in implementation
- Failing to establish accountability structures
- Allowing enthusiasm to substitute for effectiveness
The Prophetic Advocate brings:
- Discernment of systemic issues behind spiritual deadness
- Commitment to justice and inclusion as marks of authentic faith
- Courage to challenge comfortable but deadening patterns
- Voice for those marginalized within the congregation
The Prophetic Advocate prevents others from:
- Accepting superficial changes that maintain unjust systems
- Overlooking how power dynamics contribute to spiritual deadness
- Ignoring prophetic elements of Christ’s letter
- Defining success by worldly standards of respectability
The Biblical Shepherd brings:
- Deep scriptural foundation for renewal efforts
- Focus on personal holiness and spiritual formation
- Balanced teaching that addresses both belief and practice
- Careful attention to Christ’s specific commendations and corrections
The Biblical Shepherd prevents others from:
- Drifting from biblical foundations in pursuit of renewal
- Neglecting the formation of christlike character
- Misinterpreting Christ’s message to the church
- Separating theological understanding from practical obedience
Integrated Response to Sardis
Working together, these six leaders could implement a holistic renewal strategy that might include:
1. A Season of Humble Self-Examination (Led by Community Elder & Prophetic Advocate)
- Honest assessment of where reputation differs from reality
- Listening forums for all church members, particularly those on the margins
- Identifying broken relationships and unjust structures needing attention
2. Biblical Rediscovery & Doctrinal Renewal (Led by Biblical Shepherd & Spiritual Patriarch)
- Systematic teaching on the foundational truths of faith
- Recovering neglected spiritual disciplines and practices
- Reconnecting with the church’s founding vision and purpose
3. Spiritual Revitalisation Through Prayer & Worship (Led by Charismatic Reformer)
- Prayer gatherings seeking fresh empowerment
- Worship experiences focused on authentic encounter
- Creating space for testimonies of transformation
4. Strategic Rebuilding with Measurable Outcomes (Led by Professional Visionary)
- Clear goals for “strengthening what remains”
- Accountability structures for “unfinished deeds”
- Systematic approach to implementing changes
5. Prophetic Witness & Community Engagement (Led by Prophetic Advocate & Community Elder)
- Addressing justice issues within and beyond the church
- Rebuilding authentic community bonds
- Restoring the church’s credible witness in society
6. Leadership Development & Succession Planning (All Leaders)
- Identifying and nurturing the “few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes”
- Creating pathways for new leaders representing all segments of the church
- Establishing patterns of mutual accountability among leaders
Conclusion: The Strength of Diverse Leadership
The letter to Sardis describes a church facing a complex crisis—appearing alive while actually being spiritually dead. This multifaceted problem requires a leadership team with diverse perspectives and complementary strengths.
Each leadership profile contributes essential elements to the renewal process, while also providing safeguards against the blind spots and weaknesses of the others. Together, they create a balanced approach that addresses spiritual, relational, structural, and missional dimensions of church revitalisation.
This collaborative model demonstrates how Ethiopian evangelical churches can benefit from leadership teams that include different generational perspectives, cultural backgrounds, theological emphases, and leadership styles—each contributing to a more complete expression of Christ’s vision for His church.