“Perhaps we find it easy to sympathize with leaders who, in the face of unsustainable expectations, step outside their legitimate authority to ‘get the job done’. But what happens in the process is that they discover they can exercise power that isn’t rightfully theirs, and the church won’t question it but rather allows them to act unaccountably. The unspoken understanding is that the minister is the CEO, so is probably authorized to do whatever they like. This is a first step towards people looking to the minister rather than to Jesus.”
― Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It
― Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It
“The key principle, however, is this: power must be exercised wholly for the benefit of others and not for the benefit of the leader. Christian leadership, modelled on Jesus’ leadership, is self-giving, not self- serving.”
― Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It
― Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It
“Churches that lack accountability structures for leaders (or where leaders have dismantled them) are powerless when things go wrong. Not only are they driving without a seatbelt, they have cut the brakes and may be hurtling towards a cliff.”
― Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It
― Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It
“Leaders who are reluctant to engage with Scripture, or who insist that their way is the only scriptural way without discussion, or who demand obedience without reference to Scripture, are almost certainly outside the limits of legitimate authority.”
― Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It
― Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It
“While Christians do have a general duty to be soft-hearted, forgiveness is dependent on repentance. To forgive in the absence of repentance is to validate sinful behaviour. And even when someone does genuinely repent, and forgiveness is appropriate, there should be no obligation to remain under their leadership – nor for them to remain in leadership.”
― Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It
― Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It
John Stott 100 Book Club
— 7 members
— last activity Apr 20, 2021 09:53AM
Welcome to the official John Stott 100 Book Club discussion group! This is an interactive, open-discussion reading club bringing passionate readers t ...more
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