Here is an excellent article, from the ‘Done with Religion” blog, on how Christian leadership should ideally function. The article is not completely comprehensive of course, but it clearly highlights the faults with the top-heavy authority structure leadership style employed in all too many churches, and explains what true Christian servant-based leadership should look like. I have to emphasise that my Church’s leadership is not of that faulty type; I would not be a part of a Church with that sort of leadership!*
Click the logo below to go to the article:
Something else that is relevant in this context: you may remember that a few months ago I did a piece called ‘Vision of the Valley’, where I described how I feel God is looking for truly humble leadership in His Church in this day. The piece featured the song of the same name – Vision of the Valley – by gospel singer Don Francisco. Don did another song – on the same album as ‘Vision’ – called ‘Foolish Shepherd’, where once again he highlights poor and abusive leadership in churches, and how God feels about this. Here it is; have a listen:
I particularly love that line, “He gave His Word for freedom; you use it to enslave”. People who use the Bible to tell others how to live their lives, which is what it boils down to. The straitjacket of legalism instead of the free flying of Grace!
Christian leader, you would do well to read the article, listen to the song, and listen to Jesus’s Voice in your heart. If He’s not prodding you about anything, fine. But if He does speak, take care to listen and not harden your heart! Be blessed!
*I do think, though, that for specialist churches like mine, where it’s an inner-city CofE Church that works with the homeless, addicts and those involved with all kinds of vice, we need a strong leader who has set guidelines – and I hate Rules, as my regular readers will know! – but this is for the good of the addicts we get in. Our Vicar always points people to Jesus, but there are certain types of people in our environment who have to know who is ‘in charge’ on a human level.
Believe me, I don’t follow leaders lightly. But in this instance, I feel it’s important to have a strong leader. I don’t always agree with him on everything, but that’s ok, in both directions. However, if a leader does insist on full compliance with Church doctrine, that, to me, is a danger sign.
That article really puts it nicely, thanks for sharing! I particularly like the last two paragraphs, where the author points out that all of us are leaders to our brothers and sisters at some time, by being there for them in a position of experience and a loving heart (as I would term it, by “being Christ to them” in that moment), rather than from a position of power or authority. That’s exactly what is wrong with much of the traditional church and – as it happens – many other aspects of the world which the traditional church leadership structure has a lot in common with.
I also take your point that sometimes, people need a leader from a social perspective, rather than necessarily a religious one. There is of course a fine line there between having boundaries about what is and isn’t acceptable to protect the congregation (from, for example, physical violence) and making rules which restrict people’s ability to live their own lives and walk their own walk with Jesus. I think that and also of course having somebody to organise events and things if you’re a church who holds such things, are about the only calls for human leadership within the Church. Depending on the church, there may well be one or two people who tend to be the organisers, either because they are appointed to be so or because it simply seems to happen like that! Then again, in some cases even those roles can be taken up by the congregation collectively, on an informal basis and as part of the group dynamic of serving one another, thus dispensing with the requirement for a formal/designated leader.
Thanks for your comment, Ironics 😉
“having somebody to organise events and things”
In my experience, there is almost always an older lady in a tweed skirt who wants everyone to bake a cake…. 😉