Real quick, I was recently reading an article about leadership and this thought came to me:
Is it possible that one of the reasons there is dysfunction within the Institutional Church is due in part to leaders continually using worldly books, tips, rules, stuff about leadership?
Leadership tips, tricks, rules, books, etc are great and are necessary when more than one person is involved with systems in and of the world. Those things are needed to help direct a system away from failure and towards success, but also those things can direct a system from success to failure when the wrong leadership is involved.
Maybe this is, in part, why the institution looks more and more like corporations and franchises than natural bodies of believers?
Maybe a lot of the problem revolves around trying to have the wrong “head” in charge of the Body, instead of looking to The Head?
P.S. – In the interest of ‘intellectual honesty’, I have only been in leadership roles in the ‘institutional church’ on a volunteer/layman level. I’ve never been paid staff. I’ve been close enough in the churches I’ve attended to see a lot…a LOT of what goes on behind the scenes including the endorsement and utilization of leadership material, techniques, etc, etc that come from “world” type systems.
Hope that came across right.
Aaaaaaaaaaaand discuss.
Life In The Question Marks 
Very good point on having the wrong ‘head’ of a particular church. However, I don’t believe that it’s not so much “worldly” resources on ‘how to’ lead others that is the problem. My own analysis indicates it is more of a complete misunderstanding (or worse, a purposeful disregard of the effective methodology in favor of ego centric emotional appeals) of what effective leaders do to reach objectives.
Leadership is a valid science; many in so-called ‘leadership positions’ have no idea what is involved in that science; rather, those positions are many times used to fuel the ego of the occupying person, who believes leadership is demonstrated by the degree with which blind obedience is demonstrated by the follower. Further, the tranisition of the church from First Century infrastructure (basically home groups who met, ate, and prayed together and were then visited by ‘pastors’ on occassion) which was congregation centric to the present day pastor-centric infrastructure most are familiar with also has had a definite impact on church ‘dysfunction’. Added to that, the defacto occupation of a ‘CEO’ position by a ‘pastor’ is in direct conflict with Scriptural instruction on helping a congregation. Added to THAT is the demonstrable fact that most pastors believe they are ‘teachers’ and do nothing more than get a canned sermon from some other pastor, who may or may not have a valid ‘message’. Taken together, these factors, along with the following on God-inspired ‘callings’ will cause chaos within a church due to human nature (jealousies, envies, ambitions, etc combined with no real accountability for charlatans).
It is my opinion that most pastors are decidely NOT ‘called’ to become ministers; rather, they choose the profession to be their ‘job’ and see an opportunity to be ‘in charge’ of the goings on of a small corporation (501.c.3 exempt status requires the church be organized legally and organizationally as a business).
The truth of this can be seen in many, many, many sermons/messages that Pastor ‘X’ imparts to his congregation that are full of time-fillers (aka ‘word studies’) as if ‘the flock’ isn’t capable of determining what a particular use of a word does to the context of a particular passage of Scripture. The idea behind many ‘sermons’ is to extend the particular message as long as possible to entice the congregant to come back and hear the next installment. When one listens objectively, with no emotion, and judges (discerns) intellectually what Pastor ‘X’ is doing, he or she may find that he is liberally adding to or taking away from the original meaning of Scripture. In doing so, Pastor ‘X’ has violated that which he professes to teach.
Galations 1:6-9 – I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, to another gospel: 1:7 Which is not another; but there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 1:9 As we said before, so I say now again, If any [man] preacheth any other gospel to you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 1 Timothy 4:1
There are other places in Scripture that will also demonstrate this point….but this is somewhat lengthy….so I’ll stop.
Trainer,
First – thanks for stopping by and pitching in to the conversation!
Second – regarding your reply: Wow. I can’t decide which part I like more! hahaha