Series: Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, and Lead Courageously: Discipleship That Transforms – Part 1 of 3

What does it mean to “lead courageously”—not with dominance or defensiveness, but through faithful engagement with the world as it is, particularly in the face of injustice? The call to courageous leadership is a call to public discipleship, rooted in our Wesleyan tradition of social holiness and lived out through local, visible, justice-seeking action.

When Faith Meets Systems

Jesus healed individuals, but he also healed disrupted systems. He challenged exploitative religious practices, confronted corrupt power, and elevated the voices of those pushed to the margins. The gospels say he came to proclaim “good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). That was not metaphor; it was economic, social, and political justice.

To follow Jesus means to engage the systems that harm our neighbors: 

• Economic systems that keep families in cycles of poverty 
• Immigration systems that detain, divide, and disappear people 
• Healthcare systems that exclude the most vulnerable
• Educational inequities that reinforce generational injustice.

Leading courageously means caring for individuals harmed by these systems and asking:

God’s Kingdom Versus Empire: The Discipleship Divide

Leading courageously for justice is more than endorsing activism; it’s aligning ourselves with God’s kingdom, which stands in contrast to empire. In Scripture, “empire” is shorthand for systems of dominance, exploitation, and fear—whether Egypt, Babylon, or Rome. Empires demand allegiance, control, and uniformity. There is a type of “gospel” that the empire spreads, Pax Romana, peace, but through fear. Recently, we have seen the nationalistic “gospel” offer the phrase “peace through strength.” But the kingdom of God, as Jesus describes it, invites transformation, shared dignity, and radical love. It offers peace through justice and compassion.

The notion of “empire” is not just an ancient metaphor. In today’s cultural and political climate, where fear is politicized, history is sanitized, and authoritarianism is rising, the church faces a pressing question:

Authoritarianism thrives on silence, conformity, and fear. It rewards power over others, rather than love for them. It challenges the teachings of Jesus and the posture of empathy and humility that Jesus embodied. Authoritarianism is characterized by force and egotistic pride. Some expressions of Christianity in the U.S. have been co-opted to serve the empire and the self, aligning discipleship with dominance rather than sacrificial love. 

But the gospel does not call us to grasp for control. It calls us to empty ourselves in service, to loosen the grasp on the need to control, to surrender to God and enter into a deeper sense of God’s presence in our lives with trust. Jesus did not enter Jerusalem with the might of Rome but on a donkey, with tears in his eyes. His kingdom is not of this world—not because it is otherworldly, but because it refuses to operate by the rules of empire.

To lead courageously today means resisting the false gospel of Christian nationalism and reclaiming our identity as citizens of a different kind of kingdom—one where:

• The last are first. 
• The poor are blessed.
• Enemies are loved. 
• Power is surrendered for the sake of the vulnerable.

We don’t do this work to seize influence. We do it to bear witness—to say with our lives that God’s reign is already breaking in, even in the cracks of unjust systems.

Community Engagement as a Spiritual Practice

Justice-seeking is more than activism; it’s spiritual formation. When we engage with our communities around their needs and pain, we are shaped into deeper disciples. We learn to listen. We are moved by compassion. We begin to understand God's dream for our neighborhoods and what it means to partner with God in making that dream visible. We begin to recognize that the scarcity promoted by the empire is another tactic to divide and conquer. We understand that there is plenty for all to experience the fullness of life if they have access to it. Various news outlets have reported that some five hundred metric tons of emergency food that could feed about 1.5 million children for a week was scheduled to be incinerated. Approximately 9.7 million dollars’ worth of family planning products for girls and women in low-income crisis zones was also set to be destroyed.²

A closer alignment with God’s dream for this world awakens us to the injustices that the empire serves. It causes us to reflect on how we implicitly (or sometimes complicitly) participate in systemic harm, and then it moves us.

Discipleship in the public square might look like:

• Forming long-term partnerships with organizations working for housing justice. 
• Hosting advocacy training on policies that affect your community. 
• Organizing listening circles to understand the needs of those most affected by injustice. 
• Leading your congregation in collective action that reflects the gospel’s call to liberation. 
• Leading public prayer outside ICE detention facilities or on the steps of the local government building. 
• Protesting, speaking out, and speaking up for those who are going unheard or being silenced.

These efforts flow from a deep spiritual truth: our faith is not private property. It is meant to be shared through words, presence, advocacy, and embodiment.

What Courageous Leadership Looks Like

The bishops’ vision reminds us that leadership isn’t just about titles. It’s about risk, trust, and alignment with Jesus’ mission. Courageous leadership often looks like:

• Speaking up when silence is easier.
• Standing with those the world ignores. 
• Calling the church into accountability and growth. 
• Refusing to give up, even when results are slow or unseen. 
• Educating ourselves and helping educate others in knowing our rights.

It takes courage to face the fear of “doing it wrong.” It takes courage to move beyond charity into systems work. It takes courage to stay present in difficult conversations. And it takes courage to say, “We’re not here to be neutral. We’re here to be faithful.”

Reflection and Practice

As you consider what it means to lead courageously, take a moment for prayerful reflection:

Reflection Questions

1. What systems of injustice are visible in the local community?
2. Where do I feel God stirring a holy discomfort?
3. What am I afraid of when I consider stepping into public leadership? What might courage look like instead?

Contemplative Practice

Spend ten minutes in silent prayer. Let the face or name of someone affected by injustice come to mind. Hold them in prayer. Ask the Spirit, “What is mine to do?”

Action Step

Identify one organization, coalition, or grassroots group working for systemic change in your area. Reach out and ask how you or your church can listen, learn, and support—without needing to lead.

References

¹ Hana Kiros, “The Trump Administration Is About to Incinerate 500 Tons of Emergency Food,” The Atlantic (July 14, 20-25), https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/07/usaid-emergency-food-incinerate-trump/683532/. Rachel Treisman, “The U.S. is Destroying $9.7 Million in Contraceptives. Is There Another Option?” Goats and Soda, NPR (July 28, 2025), https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/07/28/nx-s1-5482742/the-u-s-is-destroying-9-7-million-in-contraceptives-is-there-another-option.

² Rachel Treisman, “The U.S. is Destroying $9.7 Million in Contraceptives. Is There Another Option?” Goats and Soda, NPR (July 28, 2025), https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/07/28/nx-s1-5482742/the-u-s-is-destroying-9-7-million-in-contraceptives-is-there-another-option.