Spiritual Authority, Humility, and Educational Leadership: A Case Reflection from SMP Negeri 1 Sipora
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This study explores the concept of spiritual authority grounded in humility within the context of educational leadership at SMP Negeri 1 Sipora. Drawing on the biblical reflection of Matthew 20:26-28, the research examines how humility functions as the foundation of legitimate authority among Christian educators serving in a public junior high school setting. In contrast to leadership models that emphasize power, hierarchy, and control, this study positions humility and service as core elements of transformative educational leadership. The research adopts a qualitative design that integrates a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with simple semi-structured interviews. The SLR synthesizes scholarly works published within the last decade on servant leadership, humility, spiritual authority, and educational leadership. Empirical data were collected through interviews with Christian teachers at SMP Negeri 1 Sipora, a school with 145 Christian students and 14 Christian teachers, including Christian Religious Education teachers. Data were analyzed thematically to identify patterns linking humility, leadership practices, and spiritual influence in the school context. The findings reveal that spiritual authority is most effectively exercised through humility expressed in daily interactions, ethical consistency, empathy, and a willingness to serve rather than dominate. In a pluralistic public-school environment, humility-based leadership enables Christian educators to express their faith authentically while maintaining respect for diversity and institutional norms. The study concludes that humility-centered spiritual authority offers a credible and contextually relevant model for educational leadership. It contributes theoretically by integrating biblical theology with leadership studies and practically by providing insights for leadership formation among Christian educators in public education settings.
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