Leadership: Function or Power?

Pastor David H. Seefried

Implications of Leadership Models Today

We next turn our attention to see if what we gained through the Reformation is evaporating because of modern movements and techniques. In particular, we will look at several implications of the power model of leadership in churches today: the pastor as CEO, church leadership as politics, and the abuse of communication.

Pastor as CEO

Today’s pastors are spending more time in leadership classes than in prayer and study of the Word. One must be fully immersed in books on leadership but not so fully immersed in God’s insistence that a leader love and serve God’s people. While leadership study can be important, too often it leads to thoughts of power rather than thoughts of function. Questions arise such as, "How do I change the direction of the church with the least resistance?" Or, "How do I handle damage control when the people are not ready to follow?" Power applications are always utilitarian in nature and look too often at manipulating people rather than serving people.

In the past, pastors never thought of writing a thorough resume to give to churches in order to enter the ministry. One seminary student sent 30 resumes a month to churches looking for a pastor. One church stated that it received 75 resumes within the first two weeks they were without a pastor. The servant pastors find sending out resumes to obtain a "job" as pastor to be an unacceptable practice. To apply for a "job" as a pastor is an implication of the power model. Seminary students are often taught how to write resumes and encouraged to apply for a church "job" in this manner.

For the business CEO, leadership skills are more important than servant skills. Today, many churches have started to seek CEO-type qualifications when choosing who will lead their church. (We should note that some secular CEOs handle people more kindly than some Christian pastors handle God’s children in their attempts to mimic the secular CEO models in Christian leadership.)

"How do you do with public speaking?" the candidate is asked.

"Fine," is the reply. "You heard my sermon this morning on the twelve leadership skills we can learn from the life of Jesus. Tonight I am speaking on ‘Our Internal Moral Compass’ and the necessity of fine-tuning that compass if we wish to move to the next level."

"Can you manage a staff of ten people?" the candidate is asked.

"Most certainly," comes the reply. "I have read and re-read the twelve keys to successful team management and I am ready!"

With such thinking in our seminaries and Bible colleges, it is no wonder that young pastors, and some older pastors, see themselves as "the boss" rather than as the servant pastor. The interviews of pastoral candidates today frequently focus on learned leadership skills that many times lead to church splits or terminated ministries rather than to productive ministry for the Lord. Equipped pastors, men called and gifted by the Lord, find that the Lord placed servant leadership skills in their hearts at their call into ministry.

Power is important in secular business settings where a man or woman sits over the development of huge business enterprises. When we are talking about the Body of Christ and God’s dealing with His children, things are very different. Christ does not have a human resources department, a pay scale, or hiring and firing of "employees." Certainly when we work for an employer or obey the laws of our nation, we must submit to the employer or government or pay the consequences. This is clearly stated in Romans 13. It is vital to understand that many people today consider a pastor or a missionary "an employee" of the church or organization.

But what kind of twisted thinking would dare apply secular principles to the church or to the Christian community in general? With no paycheck, no employee benefits, and no scriptural mandate, all these leaders end up doing is driving away the people in the pews. It is no wonder that huge churches where people can be anonymous are growing faster than buildings can be built. People are sick of being treated like employees of the pastor or board. They walk away from Christian organizations that demand submission to men in the guise of submitting to the Lord, and rightly so.

Christ is the Head of the Church and the Savior of the Body. It is His position to say what is going to happen, how, and with whom. He is almighty and He exercises power. The Lord has never delegated such power to His shepherds and leaders. There is one Boss who has the power. Leaders who fill their hearts with thoughts of gaining power attempt to do exactly what the devil did: usurp the place of the divine. All Christian leaders are called to fill the functional roles spelled out in Scripture.

Submission is to be given to the Lord and His Word. If submission is implemented in Christian circles, it should be in terms of submitting to one another mutually, but never in terms of "authority of leadership." Here’s an illustration: a pastor went to candidate at a church that had just dismissed a pastor who was never to be found and shirked his duties before the Lord. The deacon board asked the candidate if he would turn in a time sheet and work report each week. The candidate refused, saying that he served the Lord, not men. He went on, "If ministry is not in my heart all the accountability measures in the world will not put it there. If ministry is in my heart, then you will have a pastor who works hard in his service for the Lord." The board relented on their demand, the pastor came, and he had a stellar ministry at this church.

Pastors are not CEOs, no matter how they attempt to make their setting appear as such with the addition of more and more staff. Pastors are servants of God’s children. The function model of leadership will perform those duties that Christ prescribed for the blessing of His people. The power model leads to the attempt to bring a CEO style to Christian leadership; these leaders are really telling the Lord to move aside and to let the more capable leader handle the situation. This thinking says in practice that Christ is an incapable Head of the Church. The implementation of the CEO/pastor in the place of the servant pastor violates biblical teaching.

The Church as Politics

Politics is defined as "gaining control over the distribution of scarce resources." This is why each party attempts to gain control of the White House or Congress. Every four years the United States has a contest of leaders to see who gains this control over the distribution of scarce resources. With that power in hand, they can gain influence and accrue power.

The President will be surrounded with trustworthy advisors who will be loyal. Failure to remain loyal to the President will lead to a fast dismissal. If Congress agrees with the President, he can pass legislation that will further enhance his power. Front- and back-room maneuvering is required to maintain power.

Politics leads to personal attacks in the pursuit of power. The President faces personal attacks and scrutiny of every move. Opponents tear apart the opposition’s program, policies, and personalities. Negative campaigning has become a familiar feature of politics. In politics, if you cannot gain power with better ideas than your opponents, you attack their character.

Politics is about alliances and spin, which twists truth for the greatest personal benefit. When the same features found in politics become tools for Christian leaders, alarms should sound loudly. We may not expect good behavior from politicians, but we certainly expect different standards for Christian leaders.

In fact, many times it’s difficult to detect whether one is dealing with politics or the church, the lines have become so blurred. This happens when the desire for power enters the heart of the Christian leader. Power is political in nature, not Christian in nature. Power needs the grab bag of tricks used in politics. Power wishes to control the distribution of scarce resources. Power never wishes to be the minority party. Power will destroy everything and everyone who stands in its way. Power is intoxicating.

It is the politics of the church that destroys lives. It is the politics of the church that brings cynicism. We must be able to detect quickly which field of play we’re in, political or biblical. Am I dealing with politics? Or am I dealing with biblical servant leadership? Being able to discern between the two may help some people keep their faith intact and abate signs of cynicism. If one looks at the political games of some who identify themselves as Christian leaders, it’s too easy to become so skeptical that one walks away from any organization claiming to be Christian. Perseverance in the faith can come to mean persevering within the politicized setting of the church.

Jesus Christ did not come to bring us politics. He did not choose us to make us good politicians. His kingdom work is the opposite of politics. This is so clear in the Gospels as we follow the many encounters Jesus had with the Pharisees and other political leaders. This is why the first part of Matthew 23 must be grasped as our standard, and why we should look with intense interest on the rest of Matthew 23 as our Lord takes on the religious political leaders of His day. Christians should be wise enough to make the same assessments of the present-day situation as Christ did in His day.

Politics is appearance. Christianity is a matter of the heart.

Politics is spin and the twisting of information. Christianity is bound to truth.

Politics is whitewashing the outside and not dealing with the heart. Christianity is openness and authenticity.

Politics is all about making converts "for the cause." Christianity is making converts for Christ.

Politics is turning people into devils. Christianity delivers people from the devil.

Politics uses people. Christianity serves people.

Politics makes people into liars. ("Yeah. I heard Jesus say He would destroy the temple!") Christianity does not parse words to twist meanings in order to trap other Christians.

Politics twists Scriptures to say what the political/religious leaders wish it to say. Christianity exegetes Scripture honestly.

Politics seeks to "kill" people in any way possible for the leader’s political advantage. Christianity casts aside politics and power and enhances the other person’s ministry.

Politics is deadly to the soul. Christianity brings people alive in Christ.

Read the rest of Matthew 23. Follow our Lord through the condemnations and through the judgments. This is not pleasant reading. Few Christian leaders would say that they are described in the rest of Matthew 23, but unfortunately many are. If the leader is not a servant leader, then that leader is in the midst of the Pharisees and under the same condemnation expressed by the harsh words of our Lord to condemn the religious politicians of His time. The message comes through loud and clear: "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." Political leadership is meat and drink; it is driven to unrighteousness; it contains no peace and produces no joy; and it has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit.

The Abuse of Communication

In politics, communication is vital for accomplishing goals. In a recent sermon, a Christian pastor here in Denver related to the congregation that information is communicated on several levels. These are the four levels he listed:

Special Revelation—the Word of God

General Revelation—Creation around us

Empirical knowledge—what we learn through education or experience

Verbal communications—the level on which most humans communicate

The top level of communication is the only truly reliable information we have in this world. General revelation must be interpreted through the use of Scripture. Otherwise one could begin worshiping the creation rather than the Creator. Empirical knowledge is trustworthy at the moment, but new knowledge always topples present-day assumptions. One must go back to the top level of communications for unchanging truth.

The bottom rung of knowledge is the most untrustworthy of all. It is where political communication works it spells. At this bottom level of communication, people are told things by the world (or by those within the Christian community) that may or may not be true. It is where leaders manipulate information. Here character assassination takes place.

The misuse and misapplication of information on the bottom level has ended more careers of God’s servants, has split more churches, and has ruined more lives in the name of Christ than any other cause. Billy Graham stated that he would never ride on an elevator alone with a woman. One can easily see why. If the woman stepped off the elevator and falsely stated that Billy Graham had been inappropriate with her, it would effectively end the evangelist’s reputation and perhaps his ministry. Well-placed tidbits of information are effective in Christian circles, mainly because Christians are not used to dealing with such communication biblically. "Prove it, or cease your accusations," should be the answer given to any unsubstantiated rumor—but seldom is.

Slander was a tool of Pharisees in Christ’s day, and it is the tool of those seeking power in our day. Nothing is to be believed from the bottom level unless it can be proved true. When any juicy tidbit comes to our ears, we must stop such communication and ask for the application of top-level principles. Failure to do so is to fall into political traps. All communication must be judged by biblical principles. More is at stake than reputations. The work of the Lord is at stake.

Conclusion next month.