Leaders’ meeting, June 2025, message 1

Leaders’ Gathering

June 2025

Message 1

“Christ as Head: the Center and
Reference of Leadership in the Body”

1. The centrality of Christ
in God’s eternal purpose

We learned that God’s desire, in the administration of the fullness of the times, is to bring everything together in Christ (Eph. 1:10). This is the central goal of God's work — to gather, align, and place everything under the headship of Christ. But this glorious reality begins concretely in each of us. We cannot say that Christ is the head of the Church if He is not yet the head of our own life. Submission to the lordship of Christ is the foundation of all true spiritual leadership.

2. Spiritual freedom:
called to serve, not to follow our own will

We were reminded that true Christian freedom is not doing what we want, but doing what God wants. In Galatians 5:13, the Word says we were called to freedom, but not to give an opportunity to the flesh — instead, to serve one another through love. We saw that the Spirit fights against the flesh precisely to keep us from living according to our own will. This is a fundamental lesson for leaders: freedom is not autonomy, but submission to the Spirit.

3. Unity: the cry of the Lord’s heart

As we meditated on John 17, we saw that the Lord Jesus, in His high priestly prayer, repeated this request three times: “that they may be one, as We are one.” This unity, expressed between the Father and the Son, is the model and goal of the unity He desires to see in us. Unity is not just a blessing — it is a testimony. The Word says that it is by our unity that the world will believe that Jesus was sent by the Father. Thus, this unity must be visible on Earth, and it begins with leaders willing to be one with the brothers — not just being together, but being truly one.

4. Christ as the only reference: 
the danger of using ourselves as the model

We also learned about a subtle and dangerous risk: in rejecting man-centered forms of leadership, we may become the very kind of leader we oppose. When everyone uses themselves as the reference point, it results in division, confusion, and strife. But when Christ is the reference, He unites us, sustains us, and holds everything together in order and harmony (Col. 1:17). We saw an illustration of two brothers facing each other and carrying something — if each uses himself as the reference and moves sideways, one will say he's going right and the other will say he's going left. Only when Christ is the reference can we walk in unity.

5. The Pentateuch as a
mirror of our spiritual journey

We also received a very rich introduction to the first five books of the Bible, showing how each one reveals essential aspects of our experience as the Body of Christ:

• Genesis: The beginning — we receive spiritual vision, we discover the reality of Christ as God and Lord, as well as the fall.

• Exodus: Deliverance, salvation — we were called by name and freed from oppression, not to do our own will, but to serve the Lord.

• Leviticus: Worship — we learn to draw near to God directly, with no human intermediary, with reverence and obedience to His Word. We learn to be under the Head, the Lord.

• Numbers: The journey — the Body, once under the Head, coordinated and united, marches as an army toward the good land.

• Deuteronomy: The Word of God — God confirms His words and reaffirms the foundational principles for entering the fullness of His will.

We discovered that the Bible tells our own story. The moment we are living today as leaders, as churches, and as the Body, is prophetically reflected in these books. It is a journey that begins with vision, passes through the fall and deliverance, strengthens our relationship with God, unites us as one army, one Body moving toward the inheritance.

6. Central principles from
the Book of Numbers

We concluded with an overview of the content that will be developed further in the next message, based on the Book of Numbers. Seven fundamental points were highlighted to help us answer the question: how can we move forward together, despite our differences?

1. Christ is the meaning of our life

2. Christ is God’s testimony

3. Christ is the center of God’s people

4. Christ is our leader

5. Christ is our way

6. Christ is our destination

7. Christ is the One who leads us to victory

Key verses addressed

• Ephesians 1:10, 21–23 – The gathering of all things in Christ
• Galatians 5:1, 13, 16–17 – Freedom in the Spirit vs. the will of the flesh
• 2 Corinthians 3:17 – “The Lord is the Spirit… and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”
• John 17:11, 20–23 – Jesus’ prayer for the unity of His disciples
• Colossians 1:17 – Christ as the One who holds everything together in harmony
• General reference to the Pentateuch (Genesis to Deuteronomy) – as the spiritual journey of the Body

Applications for us as leaders

• Being placed under the Head, who is Christ, must begin in our personal life.

• Our freedom is for doing God’s will, obeying, and serving — not seeking independence.

• Unity among us is the strongest response to the Lord’s prayer and to the world’s cry.

• Only Christ can be the reference and center of Church life.

• The Bible gives us spiritual answers for the time we are living in now.

• True leadership does not seek followers, but leads everyone to Christ.

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These messages were shared by brother Miguel Ma from June 6–8, 2025 in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, and transcribed by brother Ioanis.