Kingdom leadership isn't learned in the boardroom. It's received from the Throne Room.
The Church has no shortage of leadership strategies, organizational systems, conferences, and management principles. Yet an important question remains:
Are we developing leaders according to the methods of the world, or according to the blueprint of God?
In Training From On High: A Biblical Framework for Kingdom Leadership Development, David E. Smith issues a compelling call for pastors, ministry leaders, leadership teams, and emerging leaders to return to the original model of leadership revealed in Scripture, demonstrated through the life of Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
This is not an attack on organization, excellence, planning, or every leadership principle borrowed from the business world. Instead, it challenges Christian leaders to ask a more important question: Has the tool been submitted to Scripture, or has the tool quietly become the blueprint?
Using the imagery of a race, Training From On High takes readers from The Starting Flag, where the drift from divine methodology toward corporate strategy is confronted, through a series of critical laps designed to examine who trains Kingdom leaders, how Scripture shapes their development, how leaders should train others, and how ministries can navigate challenges and necessary course corrections. The journey ultimately reaches The Checkered Flag, where leadership is measured not merely by organizational success, but by Kingdom impact and fruit that remains.
Along the way, readers will explore how to:
- Recognize and reverse leadership drift
- Rediscover Jesus Christ as the Master Trainer
- Make Scripture the foundation rather than a supporting reference
- Develop leaders through biblical principles and proven patterns
- Lead with humility, integrity, excellence, and Kingdom authority
- Train disciples who are equipped to train others
- Navigate ministry challenges without abandoning God's blueprint
- Build a leadership culture centered on Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit
- Pursue Kingdom fruit that remains beyond a leader's tenure
At the heart of this book is a fundamental distinction: The boardroom can teach us how to manage an organization, but only the Upper Room can prepare us to carry a Kingdom assignment.
Whether you are a pastor carrying the weight of a congregation, a ministry director developing others, a leadership team evaluating its culture, or an emerging leader seeking clarity about your calling, Training From On High invites you to examine not simply how well you are leading, but who is training you to lead.
The Church does not need another generation of leaders who merely know how to run ministries. It needs leaders who have been shaped by the Word, trained by Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and prepared to reproduce themselves in others.
This is not just leadership development.
This is discipleship that multiplies.
Return to the Vine. Rediscover the Blueprint. Train From On High.
