Author: Matt Messner
Located in: Eureka
Submitted: April 09, 2019
Tell us a little about yourself. Matt Messner is the lead pastor at Faith Center in Eureka, California. He has taught at Fuller Theological Seminary, LIFE Pacific College, Kings College and Seminary, and is on the faculty of Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. Matt earned his BA at LIFE Pacific College, an MA from Fuller Theological Seminary and a DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological
What was your motivation behind this project? I wrote this book because it develops a leadership theory that is transformational, biblically based and unexplored. We talk about 'servant leadership" all the time, but Jesus went beyond servant leadership. He was a friend and friends have greater influence than servants. People long for leaders who are close and caring. Friendship leadership makes this happen.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? Friendship Leadership will close the gap between leaders and followers. It will make leaders more approachable, improving communication, effectiveness, and morale. It shows leaders how workplace friendships can be encouraged in a way that stimulates productivity, creativity, and unity.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? This book is a fundamental missing piece in leadership theory. As such, its importance cannot be overstated. There is an urgency that this book brings as millennials continue to experience frustration over dated models that discourage friendship in the context of leadership.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? This book began through conversations I had with a mentor of mine named Jerry Cook. He was a friend and a leader to me. Out of those conversations I decided to make this the topic of my doctoral dissertation at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. That was over ten years ago. It has been a work in progress ever since.
In 2018, my wife and I were visiting Rachel McMurray-Branscombe and her husband Curt, in Ireland. We were on sabbatical. It was at that time that Rachel offered to help co-write the book, bringing it from an academic perspective into an engaging and applicable narrative. She provided the input and the help that I needed to bring this to fruition.
