The Parade section in last Sunday’s paper had their annual list of worst dictators in the world. Having live in Africa I have seen these types of leaders or at least had them at the fore front of my daily news for many years and I am familiar with how they operate. It has been said that the best leader in the world would be a benevolent dictator. I doubt one exists though.
Authoritarian rule is often highly regarded in the church. The assumption is that a man of God highly in tune with the Holy Spirit should be given authority to rule. Forgive me but I have a cynical view on this. No doubt the Bible gives us examples of this but I think such men may be as rare as the aforementioned benevolent dictator.
“The only time we see a democracy in scripture is when the spies reported on their visit to the promised land and the majority was wrong.” Unfortunately this widely stated opinion is wrong. Well, the part about the majority report being wrong may be right, but the idea that this is the only place a democracy appears in scripture is wrong. Take Acts 27:12, for example, when once again a majority made a decision. Okay, so they were wrong again. The point is that we do see democracy at work in more than one place in scripture.
Actually, I think the idea of consensus is inferred in several places in scripture. I would start with the “Let us make man in..” found in Genesis 1:26. Or how about Acts 6. Doesn’t it appear that the twelve had come to a consensus? Actually, I think the Bible is full of stories where decisions are made in community.
Probably my favorite example is found in Acts 13 when Saul and Barnabas where “…sent out by the Holy Spirit.” It obviously states that the lead was the Holy Spirit, yet they were actually “sent off” by a group of men who, after a time of fasting and prayer, must have come to a consensus that this was indeed the leading of the Holy Spirit.
I think pastors need to be careful about authoritarian rule. Power is one of the big temptations for pastors and it can be easily abused. There is something to be said about consensus among devout followers of Christ. It provides a very important measure of safety.
Authoritarian Rule
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11:27 AM
I absolutely agree with you that there is great risk in the authoritarian rule model.
I also agree that we see more than one example of democracy. However, I never see democracy as prescriptive - only descriptive, and I can't come up with any examples that had positive results. I genuinely believe it to be highly questionable to advocate democratic rule from scripture, as some have done.
It is interesting that you look to consensus. Yesterday I read again a tagline used by some posters on a forum I read that was attributed to Winston Churchhill. I haven't been able to verify the attribution, though there is a certain twist in the actual phrasing that sounds like Churchhill. Basically the quote says that those who lead by consensus are not leaders.
Which is especially ironic (if it is W.C's quote) given this description offered by a high school named in his honor:
"Welcome to the official website of Sir Winston Churchill High ...
Sir Winston Churchill High School is located adjacent to Northland ... Strives to
model open communication, trust, and consensus based decision making. ..."
I think that the challenge I might offer isn't meant as being "anti-consensus", but rather that there are probably as many examples of a more authoritative form of leadership as there is of the consensual examples you cite. Perhaps more. Nor do I find those examples condemned or consistently given to as part of a illustration of disobedience. Rather, the heart of the leader is what is affirmed or condemned in the examples that come to my mind.
No do I see consistency on the consensus side - for example, Barnabas and Paul didn't have consensus later on, and part ways. Peter and Paul didn't have consensus, reached consensus, then were at odds (somewhat) later on. We find that there wasn't consensus on which day of the week to worship, or whether to use alcohol, etc.
So what I observe is some very positive examples and some negative examples.
I do believe in the need for community. However, I also recognize that some in the community are not following the Holy Spirit, or are not mature enough to choose obedience when faced with a hard decision. It seems that the examples we have is of having a select group of leaders who form a community for counsel and leadership as needed. (My current understanding of what I read - I am sure God will refine me :)
I thought you might find this article of interest on balancing leadership and teamwork.
http://www.advancingwomen.com/business/lead_team.html
Mike
1:27 PM
I think you and I would have different comfort levels when it comes to authoritative leadership. While I recognize value in it at times, an though you agree that there is great risk involved, I get the feeling you would tolerate a bit more of it than I would. It is obvious that a breakdown in any model comes from the flesh though.
A wider perspective that was influencing my post has to do with the interpretation of scripture. Isn't consensus at this point what we call orthodoxy? I see great value in that and I think that it is usually healthy when exegesis occurs in comunity for that very reason.
This why I think it is bad when pastors don't read much. They say that they just stick with the Bible but the danger here is that they are interpreting scripture in isolation and that means very few checks and balances. Of course it would be even better if pastors studied together.
Maybe we should all post the topics or passages we wanted to preach on during the up coming year. Then everyone who wanted to do the same thing could get together for a week and study together. I've hear of a few pastors who do that and they really find it valuable.
9:17 AM
Over the years, though, I have struggle with those thoughts, feelings, and tendencies. God has shown me that many times I can and should submit - even if those over me are less right than I think I am -- if the issue is not mission critical. (Some of it grows out of my spiritual gifting as well - I tend towards the prophetic in the sense of being corrective).
Some of it is practical. I suppose I believe "group think" happens more than we care to admit, and usually group think is a bad thing. I have less of an adversion to consensus if I know each person involved well enough to know they will follow the Holy Spirit's leading even if their own experiences, culture, preferences, etc. stand in opposition to His leading, to scripture, etc. However, in our culture I am seeing less and less of this. This era of entitled individualism is detrimental to the Kingdom.
It is interesting also that you mention orthodoxy. I recently did a Q&A series, and ended up having to explain some early church history to answer some of the questions. When you look at the process of the major and minor church councils, how one position was declared "orthodox", then reversed, how politics and empire played into it, how the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches are now finding that maybe their millenia long splits had more to do with the words used and personalities involved at the time, I'm not sure it provides a resounding endorsement for "orthodoxy". Even if it did, we would be in trouble - I suspect that the majority of people and ministers are still with the RC, EO, and OO denominations. That means asProtestants we would be ruled "unorthodox" even if we brought together a new council that was more open to working with us.
I think there is some merit to you idea about collaboratively working on sermons. I too have heard of groups of pastors from different denominational traditions who meet as a group to plan their series, etc. Christian Community Church out of Chicagoland has many multi-site campuses, almost all with their own teaching staff onsite. They have one lead teacher who collaborates with all the other teachers to develop a single sermon that each one then delivers tailored for their site (I think each teaching pastor writes a page or two, and the lead teacher then edits them together, then they collaboratively polish a main manuscript, and tailor it as needed to their style and setting). A couple of the guys in our upcoming cluster have mentioned an interest in collaborating in sermon development and resources.
Those examples might be a bit different than what you were envisioning (I think so from the sounds of it), but some of the same principles are at play I think. I think you are maybe envisioning something more like an online experience where we exegete the scripture collaboratively from varying theological and cultural backgrounds?
Okay - enough typing for one day. I close with these two things. Back to the leadership issue - I am probably closer to your position than you might realize. I am not a fan of dictorial CEO style of leadership. I think it can be efficient, but not effective. Still, I am probably more open to the model of strong leadership from those called.
And last -I am intrigued by your idea on publishing our texts for the year.
Mike
9:09 AM
Tom
11:50 AM
It's kind of funny. A bit over a month ago I felt like I was supposed to reserve a domain name (several actually, but one in particular stood out), so I became the proud owner of "BeyondCulture.net". My emerging vision for it was to create a community where believers around the world could challenge each other to identify where culture was influencing their faith (both in belief and practice), and help each other stayed focused on the biblical essential as they try to apply the gospel in a way that egages the local culture.
I can see something along the lines of sermon prep and textual interpretation fitting into that very nicely.
Even more interesting, the morning I read your post, and begin to think that I had found a component to "BeyondCulture", I received a phone call (within an hour or two), asking me to seel or give the domain to another start-up ministry.
I'm still processing why I felt I was supposed to reserve that name, and how to proceed, but at this point I think I am supposed to purse my emerging vision. It makes me wonder and raises questions though - like "did God inspire me to reserve it for them?" Or "Did God inspire me (with a sense of urgency none-the-less) because He wanted me to develop it instead?" and also "am I overthinking this?" :P
Mike
11:03 PM
10:09 PM
As part of my response to him, I recently posted my own thoughts in a more theological basis as they relate in large part to Genesis 1:26, where humans are created to BEAR the IMAGE of God and to RULE.... I am thinking that Godly Rule of creation is done either in or after we bear His image. I believe this is what Jesus does not the cross, meaning - at the least - that image bearing, and thus dominion, has to do with self-sacrifice. There is a benevolent dictator: Jesus. He came and fulfilled this purpose that "humanity" failed at.
Of course, this is just the theology without the application. But I think it is a start, and seems to have bearing for your post, which by the way, is an outstanding dialog -comments included. I am glad I came across this. Very insightful and challenging.
As for the intersection with culture etc. I am part of a small group that is starting up a dialog on a blog after reading the book COLOSSIANS REMIXED. I highly recommend the book. We are uncovering the ways our modern empire is shaping our lives despite our faith. (The book really shook us up. So we feel compelled to explore the themes further and hopefully devote our lives more fully to Jesus.) If you are interested, the blog is found at http://share-colossians.blogspot.com/
Thanks for sharing. It is a blessing for me.
Many blessings for you as well....
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