The new student leaders were officially appointed at the Student Investiture Service on Thursday 27 July 2023. This is the highest leadership honour we can bestow on students at the College.

As the new student leaders officially commence their roles, I want to take some time to think about the type of leader God calls each of us to be.

In 1 Samuel 16:1-13, the bible passage describes the anointing of David as the next King of Israel. God had sent the Prophet Samuel to anoint the new leader, and he went to Jesse's house, and one by one, Jesse's sons stood before him. They were all impressive in appearance, and Samuel assumed that one of them must be God's chosen one. 

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7, NIV)

And so, Samuel asks if there is anyone else, and Jesse remembers he has a young son out in the field tending the sheep. David, the youngest son, was just a shepherd boy of little significance. We get a sense of this because he was not considered worthy by his own father to stand before Samuel. Yet, we know he had been serving his family faithfully as a shepherd, tending to the flock with great care, protecting them from lions and bears. 

And from this first encounter with David, he is positioned as a man of character, chosen not because of his outward appearance but because of the qualities of his heart and the strength of his character.

We often think of leaders as those who are charismatic, confident, and have all the right qualities on the outside. But true leadership isn't just about appearances. The most important qualities of a leader lie within a leader’s heart or as we often talk about at PAC, the most important qualities of a leader are the strength of their character. 

I pray we will all remember throughout the coming year that leadership is not about our appearance or the positions we hold. It's about the qualities of our heart. Together, let’s encourage each other to fulfil our responsibilities faithfully, look for opportunities to show initiative, and trust God in all circumstances. May we all strive to be leaders who make a difference as we serve Christ and others at Penrith Anglican College.