For as long as I have been a Christian, the debate on the integrity of leadership has been heated and divisive. I have seen both sides. People who demand integrity in leadership and people who set the wrong standards when they take on the mantle of leadership. We admire men/women who step up and show characteristics that are bold, daring, that exude fortitude and strength. The sad part is when we think of leaders we don’t really want to see their humanity. We want the “man/woman” but somehow our acceptance of the message must be negotiated by how perfect they are. We want to see the David who killed Goliath, not the David who slept with Bathsheba. As my Husband, Chris so clearly stated to me “Do we now throw out the book of Psalms because an adulterer wrote it?” We want the Peter who stood up on the day of Pentecost and preached boldly to strangers that were challenging the initiation of the new covenant not the Peter who was rebuked by Paul for playing politics with the Gentile believers ( Galatians 2:11-14).
While leaders must examine themselves, it is the followers who must negotiate the validity of the message. As for followers, instead of taking the time to look into the message by studying the Word of God like the Noble Bereans did ( Acts 17:10-12), they instead begin to look into the character of the message deliverer and want to see if he sets the standard they have set for the perfect leader ( btw, they don’t exist). In Christian Apologetics, we call this an Ad Hominen attack (or Ad Hominim) “Attacking the individual, instead of the argument”. I have an article that discusses the necessity of Christian Apologetics and the fallacies of debate at this link: https://allfearless.com/2012/12/an-argument-for-christian-apologetics/ It is clear to me that when it comes to politics, we have the ability to do just that, for it is the Christian right that aided and helped secure the election of President Trump. However, we did it for his message, not because of his perfect character. Yet, we still demand nigh close to divinity when it comes to ministers. Probably because we still have not yet figured out what a true minister is.
In discussing ministers, we like to call to mind their great accomplishments of person or of materialism. He was a success at making money, building a church building or collecting followers, he has a huge congregation. However, our greatest leader had none of these. He had no church building, He didn’t even have a place to lay his head. He was not a material success, he achieved no accolades for performance, athleticism, might or power. he instead invested in people and relationships. He singled out a FEW to relate to and impact, to win the MANY. His greatest feat is not marked by strength and might, but by his complete and total submission. He conquered through His frailty and weakness of body. He overcame because he gave His will over to the will of His Father.
Many ministers I know cannot help substituting their own dreams for God’s Will. They seek to build bigger and bigger buildings and mark their success by their church’s attendance on Sundays. All the followers herd in and pat themselves on the back for attending but the message is lost in the amenities. Our ministries are marked for material success as well, Sunday School by the numbers and a great day care during the entertainment of the adults as we pursue greater and better music and milk messages instead of meat. We create ministries that are not even mentioned in the five fold ministry and give them our seal of approval. We excuse participants in our “created” ministries from true ministry which should be about the Great Commission and discipleship. If your ministries consists of building better music, more fellowship of parishioners and a Sunday day care as opposed to developing soul winners, teachers, preachers, evangelists and helping them to acquire the tools to develop the ability to fulfill the Great commission, you are failing them. Your parishioners will adopt your vision of building another building that more believers can play musical chairs with as they seek more perfect leaders and more amenities. Instead, parishioners should aim to reach at least one non-christian a year, by developing relationships that graduate to mentor-ships and then graduate to discipleship. Children should not be learning to mimic the Christian walk, but how to develop a relationship with their Creator in the different stages of childhood. That should then graduate to discipleship by the teen years if they have had a genuine salvation experience.
God is very clear what he wants from his ministers. he told his disciples, “The greatest will be the least, the least will be the greatest….You will not rule over one another as the Gentiles do.” He then died on the cross, resurrected and began to open their understanding to the scriptures and the prophecies concerning Himself. It took Him 40 days. So Christ’s first converts took 3 years of developing a relationship and in the end a 40 day revelation of who He really was, followed by the Great Commission. In my ministry, I try to follow the example of Christ. We should start by building a relationship and slowly introducing them to Jesus Christ. When they are comfortable with our mentor-ship, we teach them the scriptures and open their understanding of the covenants and prophesies that foreshadowed Jesus Christ, just like Jesus did with His disciples. We then show them the New Covenant paid for by Christ and founded by the Apostles. We then we baptize them in obedience to the Great Commission and mentor our new Christian in how to win a soul, how to teach them about Christ and how to be a soul winner. I don’t get sidetracked with who approves of my doctrine and who is going to leave my church because of it. I don’t care. I follow Christ, I don’t follow the whims of pew warmers who sit around trying to find fault with my humanity… and they will.
As a Christian, I was raised by a minister. I was a Bible study instructor to non believers by the time I was 16 and a choir pianist. I was a Youth Pastor by 21 and a music director. I was disciple-ing others by 26 and held the office of deacon elect. By 38, I was ordained, on the Elder board, had created my first 501c3 ( charity) and was a founder and administrator of a 380 capacity day care and 1200 capacity Kid Center. I am now approaching 50, I have circled back and have realized, my biggest impact in God’s kingdom has been following the example of Christ… having and developing the relationships I built one on one, mentoring and teaching Christians who wanted to follow the Great Commission but most of all… winning the lost. As I make myself available, God keeps sending the sincere few. I don’t seek to own a building, I did that and wasted all my time on it’s upkeep, I don’t waste my time on those who want to play church and attend to clear their conscience while not teaching and reaching one soul to Christ. When someone wants to complain to me, I ask. How many people have you mentored, brought to Christ and discipled? Ok, when you’ve done that, we can discuss. Until then, sit back on the pew judging the musicians and singers and their song style choices. I have no time for your bottle feeding. Time is short, the world is marching to hell and if you wanna perfect someone start by showing them to Christ. I already know God and He’s been perfecting me long before you got here.
In the end, I am forced to find God in the drama, the materialism and in spite of modern day Christianity that is becoming more and more impotent with apathy. I have no power and that lack of temptation keeps me focused on the one leadership skill that really matters…. submission.