Bruce Jones
Hello, My Dear Friends,
Tomorrow is election day across the United States, and we at Imagine Church just completed twelve days as one of six early voting locations across York County. Nearly 12,000 people passed through our doors to cast a ballot in the 2026 midterm elections. At least the campaigning will end, and whatever slate of officials are elected will influence our lives to some degree, whether they are the candidates you voted for or not.
The whole matter of the election got me thinking about what we should hope for in our leaders, and as I thought about some biblical principles of leadership, I realized something extraordinarily important. Whether you’re leading in the home as a parent, or you’re a teacher in a school, or you’re a volunteer and you coach a basketball team, or you’re a leader in a church or business, or on a board somewhere, these principles go to the heart of what we want in our leaders. So, it’s my hope that our soon-to-be elected officials will remember these few things.
First, all leadership is really a stewardship. This is a principle every leader has to understand, whether you’re pastor of a church, or on a Leadership Team, or on the County Board of Education, or even if you’re the President of the United States. That God has given me this opportunity with His purposes in mind — not my success and glory. And in that moment, when we come to that realization, we become the kind of leader who leads with open hands. This is something God has placed in my hands, and it’s temporary. It’s a stewardship, and I will always be accountable.
Secondly, great leaders are those who lead with moral authority. Where there is alignment between what they say and what they do; what they claim to be, and who they are. We may not always believe what they believe, but we never doubt that they believe what they believe. And you know something? At the end of the day, that’s what the people around you want in you as a leader. That’s what your children want in you as a parent. That’s what we all want to see in our leaders.
Here’s the third principle: to lead by the example of personal discipline — and to practice a return to discipline in every facet of contemporary life. Personally, I think this one is going to be hard for America. Because as a nation, we have been undisciplined, and now we’re reaping what we have sown. But great leadership says, “There is a way out. Part of it will be hard. But follow me.” Don’t just say, “I promise, I promise, I promise,” but what would it be like to have elected leaders who are honest enough with the American people to say, “Friends, this is our fault. We have the problems of a rich nation, and that’s a good thing. We want to continue to have the problems of a rich nation, but in order to get through this cycle of difficulty, we’re going to have to make some hard decisions, and it’s going to be tough. But follow me.” Would we have the discipline to even listen to a leader like that?
To me, the way forward is going to be through leaders who are committed to a revival of economic, moral, and ethical discipline in America. Even more than that, I hope that our elected leaders will always listen to the voice of their heavenly Father, who will grace them, not only with the privilege of leadership, but also with the gift of His wisdom.
May leaders lead in such a way as to gain our respect,
Bruce Jones, Pastor
Imagine Church
