The “Ezra Pattern”
The Old Testament priest-scribe Ezra was unquestionably a man of spiritual influence. He, along with Nehemiah, was

responsible in the 5th century B.C. for bringing about major spiritual renewal and social reform in the Jewish remnant

that returned from Babylonian captivity.

 

The record of his ministry tells us two important things about his character. The first is that he was a man “well versed

in the Law of God” and the second, that he was a man upon whom “the hand of the Lord his God” rested (Ezra 7:6, 9,

28 etc.). These two things – his acquaintance with the Scriptures and the power of God in his life – undoubtedly

explain the force of his character and the dramatic results of his ministry.

 

But there is something else that we are told as well. We learn from Ezra 7:10 the process by which Ezra came to be a man of such spiritual impact. He devoted himself to the study, practice and teaching of the Law of God. These three elements, in the order in which they are listed, provide a pattern for the formation of a spiritual leader. They suggest that knowledge worked out in the practice of daily life is the foundation of a ministry of power.

 

Put simply, we can think of the “Ezra Pattern” of spiritual leadership development as involving knowing, living and serving. While all three interact with each other, they also have a logical order. Developing spiritual maturity and leadership properly begins with knowing more about God through his Word. As what we know is applied and experienced in life it inevitably leads to fruitful service (see Jesus’ words in John 15:5).

 

An Integrated Approach

It is the integrating or blending of these three factors that is so important. Commonly, one or perhaps two of the three elements above exist in a person (or church, or movement) but not all three.

 

Some people, for example, relish theology yet have little concern with spiritual life or ministry. Others crave spiritual experiences but have little interest in doctrine or service. Others still are busy, active people, interested only in doing things and seeing results.

 

These tendencies have often been reflected in movements within church history (see below). An over-emphasis on doctrine has produced rationalism, on experience, mysticism, and on activity, activism.

 

This kind of imbalance often relates to personality – either individual or corporate. To some degree it can be compensated for by teams. It is vitally important that leaders, however, have a measure of all three qualities. They need to be people with knowledge, depth of personal experience, and a keen commitment to service. When these qualities exist together they constantly interact with one another. Learning something new will stimulate some aspect of life or experience and in turn, affect the way we serve. But just as often, some new life experience or act of service will lead us back to the Bible and deepen our knowledge. In this way the three elements strengthen each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resources for Developing Spiritual Life and Leadership
The Ezra Ministry aims to produce resources that will help people mature spiritually through developing their knowledge of God through the Bible, their experience of God in life, and their service for Christ in ministry.​

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• People grow in their knowledge of God especially as they come to understand the story of the Bible (the way God acts in history to restore his fallen world), and the message of the Bible (the way in which God restores the world to himself in Christ).

• People grow in their experience of God in life as they gain a clearer understanding of what the Bible teaches about how to walk with God and gain confidence in the practices of spiritual life that enable them to live in Christ.

• People grow in their service of God through resources that help them gain the skills they need to fulfil their ministry for Christ and act as salt and light in the world.

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The Ezra Ministry provide resources for all three areas and offers assistance in mastering them. These resources include reflections on ideas from helpful books (Ezra Reflections), essays on biblical and theological subjects (Ezra Papers), manuals for practical training (Ezra Manuals), courses for systematic study and teaching (Ezra Courses), and larger pamphlets and books (Ezra Books). Assistance in using these is offered through seminars, retreats, consultations and training events.