Dr. Meredith Griffin | The Flourishing Life™

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Servant Leadership

Courageous Leadership Needed

Let me state right here at the beginning that this is a rant. I believe that it is founded in fact and truth, but it is a rant nonetheless. The Christian Church in the U.S. is in need of more courageous leadership.

There was a time in the Church’s history in this country when it led the charge in many areas, both spiritually and culturally. For the most part, those times have passed. There are still ministries whose leaders are determined to stand with their integrity intact, while boldly advancing Christ’s mission and agenda. Sadly, the majority of Christian leaders are content to be cheap knock-offs of whatever leader or ministry seems to be the most popular at the time. This is not just sad, its dangerous.

Many of our burgeoning leaders are weaned in the vast wasteland of Christian television. Before you type in another web address and write me off, remember that this is a rant and hear me out. Not all Christian television is bad, but most only exemplifies the lack of courageous leadership that I am lamenting in this post.

Courageous leadership doesn’t follow the crowd, but stays on the path of righteousness. Courageous leadership has a clearly articulated set of beliefs to protect itself from being swayed by every wind of doctrine. Courageous leadership has God’s mission and vision as the only aim and measure of ministry success. Courageous leadership doesn’t equate the amassing of personal wealth, influence, or titles as the only measure of being in God’s will or favor. Courageous leadership is willing to make difficult decisions, to the detriment of oneself, to ensure the success of Christ’s mission.

I’m seeing too many clones of self-serving at best, heretical at worst leaders launching ministries these days. Glitz and glamour are not prerequisites to effectiveness in ministry. They may draw a crowd, but they won’t grow a people. A question that I asked many times prior to responding affirmatively to the urge to start a church was?”why does God need another Church?” What will the ministry of your church do differently from the thousands that exist, to advance his mission?

Some leaders need to find the courage to change and do ministry for God, not themselves. Some leaders need to find the courage to speak with the voice they feel inside, regardless of the crowd’s response. Some leaders need to find the courage to seek another vocation, and allow God to put a truly courageous leader in their place.

Stay blessed.

A Servant Leader’s Authority – Is the Church Accessing It?

I’m going to begin this post with a quote from Robert Greenleaf in Servant Leadership.

A new moral principle is emerging, which holds that the only authority deserving one’s allegiance is that which is freely and knowingly granted by the led to the leader in response to, and in proportion to, the clearly evident servant stature of the leader. Those who choose to follow this principle will not casually accept the authority of existing institutions. Rather, they will freely respond only to individuals who are chosen as leaders because they are proven and trusted as servants. To the extent that this principle prevails in the future, the only truly viable institutions will be those that are predominantly servant led.

This Greenleaf quote, immediately brings to my mind these words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 20:25-28,

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you have seen me refer to these words of Christ and the example of his life as a call to the Church to be expression of his servant leadership. For me this is the definition of missional. The question that stands before the Church is, are we accessing the authority that comes with servant leadership, or are we seeking some other form of authority?

While many believe that power and authority are synonymous, I do not. Authority is granted to a person by another person. James Hunter, in his book The Servant, defines authority as “the skill of getting people to willingly do your will because of your personal influence.” Willingly, the operative word in Hunter’s definition, means getting people to grant you the ability to lead them. In the model of Jesus Christ, and in the mind of Greenleaf a servant model of leadership best accomplishes this goal.

Answering my own question, I do not believe that enough churches are accessing the authority available to us as servant institutions. I believe that there are an increasing number of ministries that are reverting to hierarchical, power-based models of leadership, believing them to be more biblical.

I’m in agreement with Hunter’s definition of power as, “the ability to force or coerce someone to do your will, even if they choose not to, because of your position or your might. Jesus told His disciples that power doesn’t work, and should not be the way we conduct ministry amongst ourselves (inside the church) or externally (to the communities we serve). When will the Church recognize that we cannot force people to obey the will of God. Chiding doesn’t work in the long-run. Fear-based ministry doesn’t work in the long-run. We need to develop servant-leadership models of ministry both internally and externally, if we truly intend to make lasting impacts for the sake of the gospel in the world.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree? Do you know of examples of ministries that are proving themselves to be servants first? Are they being granted authority in their communities because of this?

Too Many Pharisees, Not Enough Servants

Let me begin by admitting that this post is a rant. I hope that it is cogent enough to be understood, and relevant enough to be useful. Yesterday afternoon I was informed that yet another “bishop” has fleeced the flock in a local church. I am not going to name the bishop, church, or even location at this time. This “bishop” was called to lead this congregation after its former pastor retired after 30-plus years of faithful service. This former pastor has been called out of retirement to lead a church in turmoil. Although the congregation seemed to grow in size in the little more than a year since the “bishop’s” installation, it is rumored that the mortgage hasn’t been paid in months. This while national television and streaming internet ministries have sprung up and expanded.

Why am I ranting? Why am I saddened? Because this is another case of a Pharisee in a pulpit, posing as a servant. We have too many Pharisees in pulpits, and not enough servants. What amazes me all the more, is that there are more Pharisees leading large congregations than there are servants. I thought that the problem may lie in the people’s inability to distinguish between the two. Let’s turn to a couple of Scriptures for some aid in distinguishing between a Pharisee and a servant.

Jesus, in Matthew 23:2-12 says,

The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for the say things and do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth you father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Can you recognize a Pharisee when you see one? Do you know the signs? Here is a brief list of some of the warning signs. Your leader may be a Pharisee if:

They know what the Scriptures say we should do, but are not demonstrating it in their own lives.

Jesus says that Pharisees know sit in the seat of Moses (knowing and holding the authority of the Law). He charges the crowd and disciples to do what these leaders tell us should be done, but not to do what we see them doing. Why is this? Because they are not living what they are preaching. In fact, the things that they so readily tell others must be done, they would not even make the slightest effort to do.

They are always looking for the big stage to perform their service or deed on.

Jesus says that the Pharisees do all of their deeds to be noticed by men. They have the biggest phylacteries (a leather box fastened to the forehead and forearm that contains scrolls of Scripture) and the longest tassels on their prayer shawls. These leaders want to be noticed whenever they do something. They seek a crowd for their service, or send out a press release to announce what they are about to do. The more persons who witness their service, the holier they believe they are.
They are motivated by position and titles.

Jesus says that the Pharisees want the best seats at banquets, and desire to be referred to by a multitude of titles. Modern day Pharisees attach to themselves titles such as overseer, bishop, apostle, prophet, and are offended if these titles are not used when referring to them. They often seek to be called father (“dad”) or mother (“mom”), and seek parental authority without parental responsibility.

By way of contrast, Jesus in Matthew 20:25-28 says,

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever whishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Jesus in these verses, as well as His life, tell us what the leadership of a servant looks like. We should look to follow leaders who desire to lead in the manner that Jesus led, being a servant first. Your leader may be a servant if:

They think about your needs or the needs of the group before their own.

Jesus says that anyone who desires to be your leader would first be your servant. A servant-leader knows that their role is the building up of other people, so that the common goal can be achieved. In order to accomplish this, the servant-leader sees everything they do as meeting some other person’s need. Preaching and teaching are not so that I can draw a crowd or make a name for myself, but so that this group’s or individual’s need may be met, in order that we can all move toward our common God-given objective.

They are as comfortable in the role of follower as they are in the role of leader.

Jesus says that whoever wants to be first would first be a slave. A servant-leader does not mind following the lead of another person. This is because a servant-leader recognizes that a leader must be able, and comfortable following the lead of another person. It is only a self-absorbed, arrogant, or prideful leader that believes their voice is the right voice in every situation. A servant leader must have cultivated the character traits that allow them to desire the good of the group above their own good, and the desire to build others and community above building themselves.

They know, and welcome the fact that a leader’s role calls them to sacrifice.

Jesus says that a leader will see themselves as the Son of Man saw himself, as one who came to give His life for many. A servant-leader will always ask, “what must I do that will get the group closer to the fulfillment of our mission/goal?” Whatever the answer to that question may be, the servant-leader is ready to engage it.

There is no doubt in my mind that there are currently too many Pharisees posing as servants in the Lord’s church. An answer to this dilemma, is to arm the people of god with information needed to discern the difference. Everything that fills a building isn’t from the Lord. Know what you are following. I grew up watching G.I. Joe on television. At the end of each episode G.I. Joe would give us children a moral lesson. He would end each lesson by saying, “now you know, and knowing is half the battle.” Now you know.

Who Is Training Servant Leaders?

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This post is going to be quick, and it is going to pose a question. Who is training servant leaders? As I think about the pastors that I have served with, and the churches that I have come into contact with that question rings in my mind. Who is training servant leaders?

The asking of the question shouldn’t be viewed as an indictment against any person or organization. Without a doubt there are servants, and even servant leaders in many of the places that I have travelled to, and been blessed to interact with. But I believe that the fact that a ministry has servant leaders in it, is separate from whether they are training servant leaders. This is particularly the case in many neo-pentecostal, apostolic, and charismatic churches. These ministries do well at training servants for leaders, or people to serve leadership, but are slack in training servant leaders. To know what I mean when I speak of servant leaders, see my earlier post “Servant Leadership Defined.” In brief let me simply say that leaders should be servants first.

Just a quick post that I will follow up on later. Right now ponder the question, and add your thoughts. Who is training servant leaders?

Narrow Way Leadership

I recently read a blog post at The Practice of Leadership that set my mind thinking. The post, Leadership is About Blazing New Trails, was actually in line with the sermon that I preached on Sunday and where my mind has been for several quarters at least.

Let me begin with the requisite disclaimer. I believe that many churches within the contemporary Western expressions of Christianity are genuinely seeking to know and do the will of Jesus Christ. The evidence can be seen in many of the programs that are reaching into and transforming communities and individual lives. Many Christian leaders truly believe that they are hearing and obeying the voice of God, with many seeking that voice in the venues offered at the plethora of conference offerings.

With that said, I believe that there are an equal number of blindly groping copycats within contemporary Western Christianity. Those who believe that the will of God for their leadership context is to follow the leader, and do whatever seems to be working down the street. These leaders aimlessly wander from conference to conference, bookstore to bookstore, in an attempt to catch the next “wave” to successful ministry. The saddest indictment of this seemingly never ending trend is the long trail of sincere men and women who believe they are following God’s “anointed” man or woman.

You might ask, “what does this have to do with anything” or “how can you be so sure that they aren’t doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing”? I’m so glad that you asked. It should be clear to the discerning Christian that our call in Scripture was always designed to be one that didn’t gain wide acceptance. We are called to walk through the narrow gate by Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14. Peter says that we are a “peculiar” people in 1 Peter 2:9. It was God’s intention that we be a people set apart from the world we are called to influence. This doesn’t mean that we are an elitist, separatist, xenophobic group who believes that unity and uniformity are synonyms. Neither does it mean that we are a people who tolerate sin, and skewed interpretations of Scripture for the purpose of inclusion. It means that we are people who are called to be the unique possession of God himself.

Here is the rub. Much of what is passed off as Christian leadership (and as a result, Christian ministry), is neither unique or possessed of God. In many areas it is, in fact, compromising, without spark, and a retread of some well-worn idea from a self-proclaimed guru. If it is nothing else, Christian ministry is meant to be incarnational. Christian leaders, ministries, and those within them are supposed to be the manifest expression of Jesus Christ in whatever context they find themselves in. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23,

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews, I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I share with them in its blessings.

Paul knew that in order to reach the very ones that Christ died for, he would be required to step outside of the box. He would have to become an exegete of the culture he was seeking to reach, and translate the gospel into a language they could understand. All of this was to be accomplished without “dumbing down” the message, accepting sinfulness as normal, or in any other way compromising the name of Christ. All of these elements are essential for narrow way leadership. We must make the gospel message relevant without compromising its truths. We must confront injustice and sin, without becoming legalists. We must be cutting edge in our approaches to outreach and evangelism, without embracing heresy or indulging “itching ears.”

I lament the fact that there are few narrow way leaders in contemporary Western Christianity. I also lament the fact that those who are narrow way leaders, are either marginalized, persecuted, or eventually themselves become the stale establishement that they were sent to replace.