4.6 A leader’s legitimate role

is a leader in God' s work has thoughts that derive from God. An important point then is to have a leader who is strong and can act independently‛ .

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4.6 A leader’s legitimate role

What importance did Lewi Pethrus' leadership have regarding the procedures of organization and decisions within the Pentecostal Movement? Amitai Etzioni, a political scientist, referring to Max Weber, remarks: ‚The founder of a movement, the great charismatic leader, also becomes the spiritual father of the new organizational structure. He gives it his glory, and in giving the administrative structure his blessing the devotion of the adherents is transferred to the leader in this structure.‛37 Weber also advocated the idea that the leaders in an organization could put claims on the legitimacy of their own administration and members would be able to acknowledge their claims on 3 grounds: 1. Tradition. Legitimacy in this case rests on an ‚irrefutable faith in the sanctity of the ancient traditions‛ and on a need to obey a leader who exerts authority according to the tradition. 2. Legitimacy. This legitimacy rests on the conviction that power is exerted in a legal way. What is done according to the constitutional regulations is considered to be legitimate. 3. Charismatic leadership. Legitimacy in this case is based upon

‛devotion to the characteristics of a private person and his specific and exceptional traits such as: holiness, outstanding courage or an exemplary character and the moral and political order he has revealed or resolved.‛38 Among these three ‛pure‛ patterns of authority, which Weber used as tools for his analysis of the different forms of organization it is the third alternative which in this essay is of primary importance. The designation ‛charisma‛ (the gift of Grace) is taken from the vocabulary of early Christianity.‛39 Weber defines charisma as ‛... a certain characteristic in an individual through which he is separated

_________________ 36 Minutes of meetings, ‘Tidnings AB Dagen’, the board, 18.1.64, § 7. 37 Etzioni 1970, p. 89. 38 Weber 1969, p. 328. 39 Weber 1969, p. 328.