Because we started out as punks, leadership has been a tricky issue for us over the years. I remember a retreat that we did where one person was quite upset that we even had to use the word leader. “Why do we have to have any leaders!?”

Well, leadership is a fact. There will always be leaders in any group even if we pretend there aren’t any. And as the years went on, we realized that many people have just been hurt by insecure and immature leaders. Or they have had a conflict that was not handled well. Or maybe they just did not get their own way. We also realized that in Scripture, God used leaders.

The Salvage Yard is committed to having healthy leadership. We understand that all of us have areas of insecurity and immaturity, and that conflict and offense are inevitable when there is more than one person in the room. We also are painfully aware of our own shortcomings. Leadership development is an area that we have identified as vital to accomplishing our vision of rescuing and restoring people for Jesus and releasing them into a life of ministry. We want our leaders to lead well by serving with love, integrity, and humility.

Leadership development deals primarily with the Elder Board and the Servant Leadership Team (two groups that help serve the organizational and spiritual needs of the church) and also individuals who hold responsibilities in the church. I am the one who heads up this area of ministry. I lead the elder board and, with the help of the other elders, I lead the Servant Leadership Team. I also spend much time individually with different leaders within the church. Leadership development has been pretty informal, but will become more intentional and focused as this year progresses.

-Mark Johnson