Last week, I dropped two substacks by mistake. I’d managed to get organised and be a week ahead by writing the article about the Church of England. I then forgot I’d been organised, having not made a note of it, and wrote another article about anxiety. So it’s a shorter article this week. But only slightly.
This time it’s about power, based on a book co-edited by Mark Stirling, Not So With You: Power and Leadership for the Church. Mark was a guest on the Cooper and Cary Have Words podcast that just dropped. Listen here:
My reflection on reading a number of chapters of the book and listening to Mark on the podcast is this: Christian leaders use power badly when two things are lost: the dignity of image-bearers and confidence in the purposes of God.
We will deal with each of them in turn.
The Dignity of Image-bearers
Every person is made in God’s image. This brings with it a certain dignity which comes simply from being human. When we forget that, and treat people like animals to be herded, pawns to be moved or obstacles to be overcome, we will treat them poorly.
The only person with the right to do this is our Creator. And he does not do this. Throughout scripture, we see God treat all people with respect. In fact, his wrath is invoked when we treat ourselves and each other as less than human, when we behave like animals, controlled by our lusts and desires.
Moreover, God tells us to pray, listens to our prayers, and responds to them. Isn’t that astonishing? The sovereign sustainer of the universe listens to our prayers and petitions.
When God prepares to do away with the Israelites after they worship the golden calf and begin again with Moses, God listens to his faithful servant and relents. When Jesus meets a rich young ruler who will not abandon his wealth in order to follow him, Jesus does not coerce him to bow the knee. He dignifies him by allowing him to walk away. Even though we were made through Christ and for Christ, the Lord Jesus does not manipulate people. And nor should we.
Our Confidence in the Purposes of God
There are public and shameful examples of Christian leaders being corrupt, self-serving, greedy or sexually immoral. This kind of behaviour is obvious and egregious, although it can often remain hidden for many years.
So why don’t people blow the whistle? Especially those who aren’t being bullied, duped or conned? Is it because the perpetrator is apparently being used by God? Many don’t wish to speak out because the ministry is so important and effective. Calling out sin would compromise the kingdom of God, wouldn’t it?
We might think that our church members need to be nudged or coerced into a particular direction for ‘the greater good’. That could happen in parish setting, or the wider church as a whole, as is currently happening with House of Bishops with Prayers of Love and Faith.
Is this how the Apostle Paul models Christian leadership? Does he lean on individuals to give him the benefit of the doubt? Does he cunningly use procedure and power to get his way? He follows Jesus’s words to his disciples, being sent out into a dangerous mission field.
I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)
For those of us involved in church politics, it is tempting to be sneaky and underhand because we believe so passionately in the mission of the Church. Except it’s not ‘The Church’. It is a denomination of churches.
We are citizens of the Kingdom of God. And in the Kingdom, the ends never just the means. As I often say, “The only game in town is faithfulness.”
So when we are tempted to deceive, control or manipulate people, misusing power ‘for the sake of the gospel’, we have already given away the gospel. We have lost confidence in the purposes of God. It’s His way, or the highway.
You can listen to that episode of Cooper and Cary Have Words here (on various podcast players).
I SO agree with your two points here James. Thanks for addressing this issue - both on the pod and here.
Just re your last paragraph- I think a difficulty leaders have is that they don’t know when they’re being tempted to ‘deceive, control or manipulate power’. I think leaders generally do not ‘pay careful attention to THEMSELVES’ or ‘to the FLOCK’ (acts 20:28), and both are desperately needed. That is, there is often no deliberate, proactive, reflective thought process from leaders of ‘what’s it like to be on the other side of me? How am I being received? Where’s this person at and how might that impact their response to me?’.
I think Marcus Honeysett has some wonderful help for us in his book ‘Powerful Leaders’ to aid us leaders mitigating and protecting our flocks from the worst versions of ourselves. And it sounds like Meynell and Stirling have done a great job with this book too - can’t wait to read
(Stu, Melbourne)