All too often leaders in the Church find ourselves replicating hierarchical models of leadership found in our own culture (e.g., government and/or the business world). We typically use these paradigms to help our institutions understand the flow of “authority” for making decisions so that all people in that institution know the ebb and flow of power. All of this is to keep some sort of order, process, and predictability to the institution so it can move forward to achieve its objectives. Okay, so a “hierarchy” works, but does a hierarchy adequately represent the values of the Kingdom? If we practice hierarchal models in the Church, then what should we do with Jesus’ statement in the Gospels about the non-existence of hierarchal authority in the Kingdom? If no-hierarchy exists in the Kingdom, then how should we understand the function of leadership in the church?
Read Jesus’ statements in Luke’s Gospel (22: 24-27), then come back to this blog.
From what I see Jesus inverts the hierarchy of authority, stating the greatest in the Kingdom are those who serve. Providing Jesus is the greatest in the Kingdom due to his earthly life of service (consider Phil 2: 5-11 where Jesus took-on the status of a slave and endured suffering/death), then I suppose those who follow him should be expected to endure service like him, and, as a result, be “greater in the kingdom”. My point is this: Service involves suffering, maybe not to the point of death for us Americans (perhaps in some cultural-contexts this might result in death), but service is uncomfortable and it stretches us; service breaks our selfishness so that our acts become an embodiment of Christ’s suffering for others in love. Wow, this very expression of selfless-service is what builds relational-equity and “influence” with others in the Kingdom!
Since leadership in the kingdom is built on relational-service, then I’m wondering if we should consider hierarchal models to be an inappropriate metaphor for understanding the so called “ebb and flow of power” in the church. If the “ebb and flow of power” in the Kingdom is measured more in terms of selfless-service (which builds relational-equity and “influence” with others), then perhaps we should think about leadership more in terms of concentric spheres of influence instead. With a “concentric sphere” model (like the picture above this post), the larger circles would represent leaders who have connections with others in the church on the basis of selfless-service to them. In other words, the larger circles have earned the right to be connected to other circles by their humility, selflessness, suffering, authenticity, etc. Perhaps leadership in the kingdom is much more natural in terms of relational-connectedness and earning this “connectedness” through acts of humble service. If so, then the church (and its leadership) should look more like the picture above where all members of a body work harmoniously together (Read Rom. 12: 4-14; I Cor 12: 12-27; Eph 4: 1-16). In other words, the “ebb and flow of power” should perhaps flow horizontally, not in vertical-hierarchies.
As a leader in the church, how does this model of leadership affect your perspective about leading? Does this model encourage you to be more intentional about building relationships? If so, then your role as a LifeGroup leader is absolutely essential to our church's health, what do you think?
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