tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642146504035231631.post2019912431912789815..comments2023-05-22T23:08:31.979-06:00Comments on Mike Aleckson: On Fallen Church LeadersMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07021188517142388224noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642146504035231631.post-73086904779476671882009-11-23T13:18:23.657-07:002009-11-23T13:18:23.657-07:00And thank you for your friendship, John. I look f...And thank you for your friendship, John. I look forward to getting together with you soon!Mike Alecksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07336243968057299273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642146504035231631.post-71871644859988815902009-11-22T18:09:38.673-07:002009-11-22T18:09:38.673-07:00Hey Mike,
Glad to be a part of that group. Thank ...Hey Mike,<br /><br />Glad to be a part of that group. Thank you for your friendship after all these years. May your tribe increase!Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15128317961270881539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642146504035231631.post-43877916561979968082009-10-31T21:22:58.534-06:002009-10-31T21:22:58.534-06:00Very interesting take, RT. Men for the most part w...Very interesting take, RT. Men for the most part without leadership abilities.<br /><br />That's something we're working on helping to fix with a branch of our ministry - leadership training.<br /><br />We've identified multiple dimensions of leadership. Philosophical, theological, strategic, tactical and functional - understanding and motivation in all these areas are required, to one degree or another, for leadership.<br /><br />Many, if not most, church "leaders" I've met have strong personalities and charisma - but lack understanding and motivation in the other areas. Thus, little true leading is done. Rather, such "leaders" maintain their positions without actually bringing the organization to new places.<br /><br />Thanks RT!Mike Alecksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07336243968057299273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642146504035231631.post-91185996435616379192009-10-31T20:48:12.067-06:002009-10-31T20:48:12.067-06:00I don't mind at all. From my own experience I ...I don't mind at all. From my own experience I see that incompetence manifests itself in many ways. In all the areas you mention. However I feel the root is the lack of spiritual maturity. In my own situation the leaders of my church have only a surface knowledge of the scripture, these are not young men, some of them have been in the church their whole lives and are retired from their jobs. They are spiritually still adolescents. They do just fine if the Pastor happens to be very mature and wise. But lately that has not been the case.<br /><br />I also think that in my church particularly the majority of men possess the mercy gifts, while few possess the gifts of leadership. Again we have very many strong willed women in our congregation, the church itself was started by women over 100 years ago. perhaps this is unique to my church but traditionally the women have had more of the leadership gifts while the men do not, and since we do not elect women to positions of leadership in my church, the result is that we have a board of men who are mostly gifted in mercy.<br /><br />These men do not recognize the value of the other gifts, they often regard those with the other gifts as un-spiritual even spiteful, and yet it is these men who follow them around cleaning up the messes that they make, and because they are left holding the bag, they get the blame. <br /><br />Again to me the real issue is weaker brothers in leadership, men who lack understanding and insight because they do not walk according to the Spirit but rather in the power of their own flesh. They often react to issues out of emotion and fear rather than knowledge and self control. Because of their lack of understanding they tend to over-spiritualize when anything controversial happens. They tend to look for the path of least resistance even if it means ignoring what is right, mostly because they don't even see what the right thing to do is. <br /><br />Don't get me wrong, these guys are sincere they really believe in the Lord, they care about the church, they just don't get it, because they lack understanding. They lack understanding because they do not pursue God's word. They read the words of men, but not God's word. <br /><br />RT<br /><br />RTRThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04123377240105925042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642146504035231631.post-36668290338457460702009-10-30T20:55:40.664-06:002009-10-30T20:55:40.664-06:00Interesting, RT. I have witnessed a general move ...Interesting, RT. I have witnessed a general move toward the elevation of younger and younger people into senior leadership roles in the church. <br /><br />It's harder, for me at least to judge the root cause and the motives. But I have spent some years studying leadership and I'm interested in your thoughts on this.<br /><br />If you don't mind, what exactly are the signs of incompetence you can see in your church leadership? Is it administrative, strategic, theological, or something else?<br /><br />Thanks for the comment and any insight you can share!Mike Alecksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07336243968057299273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642146504035231631.post-4787492071654357282009-10-30T20:14:28.617-06:002009-10-30T20:14:28.617-06:00I know what the issue is in my church which has to...I know what the issue is in my church which has totally incompetent leadership. The problem is that those in leadership are weaker brothers spiritually. Over the years those who were more mature have gradually been pushed out of leadership by those less mature believers who felt threatened by the spiritual wisdom made evident by the more mature leaders. There is also another more subtle problem- strong willed women who rule as heads of their homes, these women stir up trouble and need to be reigned in. They might as well sit on the board, because their husbands are their to serve the interests of their wives rather than the church body.<br /><br />RTRThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04123377240105925042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642146504035231631.post-76897505535265845832009-10-30T16:17:48.041-06:002009-10-30T16:17:48.041-06:00I agree, Tim, with your point on having a perimete...I agree, Tim, with your point on having a perimeter for leaders that creates a supportive environment. The hiding of the fallen nature is indeed a huge problem. <br /><br />It sure would be better to talk through things!<br /><br />On some of this stuff, though, especially pedophilia - I think a different course should be taken. I'd rather not have a struggling pedophile anywhere near a position of leadership in the church. The opportunity for great harm to children and the church is just too great.<br /><br />That's where we're going to be doing some innovative things in the future. <br /><br />Thanks for the comment!Mike Alecksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07336243968057299273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642146504035231631.post-31556279681263114712009-10-30T14:23:10.952-06:002009-10-30T14:23:10.952-06:00Mike! I would enjoy hearing more as you follow-up...Mike! I would enjoy hearing more as you follow-up on these thoughts! I've seen all sides of this picture! I think it's particularly hard for people to accept that a leader has all the same sinful struggles as they do - but that shouldn't exclude them from leadership, it should just cause us to put perimeters in place that support and protect that person, just like we all need - so they don't have to hide their fallenness until it erupts.Tim Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16506738207802625653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642146504035231631.post-10763333419986549992009-10-15T08:45:20.149-06:002009-10-15T08:45:20.149-06:00Yep, it seems to be the natural human thing to do ...Yep, it seems to be the natural human thing to do - to exalt people - especially in the church.<br /><br />Thanks Heather!Mike Alecksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07336243968057299273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642146504035231631.post-61976398736201004662009-10-15T08:38:37.848-06:002009-10-15T08:38:37.848-06:00I think that sometimes we give some of our leaders...I think that sometimes we give some of our leaders too much of God like features that they can not live up to. They are human like us. They are leaders so they still need to live by example. But it is when we apply these features to a preacher that I think we get messed up on. Instead of helping the preacher put himself back together or praying for him when he makes a mistake we leave him in a mess and judge him. <br /><br />I liked this post because it makes a lot of good points.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com