A transformational church is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The church at Antioch was empowered by the Holy Spirit. In our day of complex church programs created and managed by professionally trained ministers, advocating dependence on the Spirit to empower the church sounds anachronistic and outdated. Words like anointing, unction, and filling aren't common descriptors of church leaders or church ministries. Few conferences promoting ministerial leadership methods prioritize experiencing the Holy Spirit. When we analyze a leader's resume, we usually look more for educational achievements and ministerial accomplishments than for evidence of spiritual power. We often measure churches the same way, focusing on external accoutrements like buildings or programs rather than considering spiritual depth.

Both personal and corporate successes can be Spirit empowered, and let's hope they are! They can also result from concentrated human effort. It takes spiritual discernment and disciplined thinking to know the difference between fleshly competence and spiritual power. A transformational church is empowered by the Holy Spirit. An empowered church requires Spirit-filled leaders. Courageous leaders won't settle for less, personally or corporately.

Jeff Iorg, The Case for Antioch (Nashville: B&H, 2011).

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