Destructive Leadership

Transformational leaders appeal to the moral values of their followers, seek to elevate their ethical awareness, and motivate and involve them in the mission of the organization. Followers will trust, admire, give loyalty to, and respect these types of  leaders. The opposite of this visionary and ethics-based leadership is a self-serving unethical leadership that leads to the destruction of organizations and the people associated with them. Have you ever witnessed this type of destructive leadership?

In his classic article “The Dark Side of Leadership,” Conger (1990) identified a number of reasons why some visionary leaders fail and fail miserably, highlighting negative leaders who place their personal needs as paramount, chase their visions while miscalculating circumstantial realities, and use their communication skills to deny flaws in their vision and manage their image. 

In their book, The Allure of Toxic Leaders, Lipman-Blumen (2005) described destructive and toxic leaders as those who exhibit highly dysfunctional personality characteristics. But they also placed blame upon followers who seek out such leaders in the midst of challenging and often fearful circumstances. Often, both destructive leaders and those who follow them rationalize their views and mutually support one another and end up advancing a system of destructive leadership.

Recently, Padilla, Hogan, and Kaiser (2007) provided a useful description of destructive leadership theory in terms of a toxic triangle made up of threes dimensions, the “confluence of destructive leaders, susceptible followers, and conducive environments” (p. 176). 

• Destructive Leaders exhibit the characteristics of “charisma, personalized need for power, narcissism, negative life history, and an ideology of hate” (p. 182). 

• Susceptible Followers come in two groups, conformers and colluders, “conformers comply with destructive leaders out of fear, whereas colluders actively participate in a destructive leader’s agenda” (p. 183). Conformers make themselves vulnerable because of their “unmet basic needs, negative core self-evaluations, and immaturity” (p. 180). Colluders actively support destructive leaders because of the opportunity to enact their “similar ambitions, worldview, and values” (p. 180). 

• Conducive Environments for destructive leadership include four factors: “instability, perceived threat, cultural values, and absence of checks and balances and institutionalization” (p. 185).

Have you ever observed destructive leadership theory at work in an organization? What could be done to help those involved dismantle the toxic triangle of destructive leadership, susceptible followership, and conducive environmental factors? What might be the role of prayer, repentance, forgiveness, and the use of wisdom for instituting change?

Conger, J. (1990). The dark side of leadership. Organizational Dynamics, 19(2), 44-55.

Lipman-Blumen, J. (2005). The allure of toxic leaders: Why we follow destructive bosses and corrupt politicians—and how we can survive them. New York: Oxford University. 

Padilla, A., Hogan, R., & Kaiser, R. B. (2007). The toxic triangle: Destructive leaders, susceptible followers, and conducive environments. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(3), 176-194.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior

In simple terms, organizational citizenship behavior basically refers to “being civil or polite with regard to others in an organization” (Konopaske et al., 2017, p. 200). Does this describe the culture of the organizations to which you belong? Does it characterize you? Are you a good organizational citizen? Do you help others become better organizational citizens?

Good Citizenship

The Apostle Paul opened and closed his letter to the Philippian church talking about good citizenship (1:27; 3:20). He emphasized their heavenly citizenship as Christians; yet, he played off of their pride (in a positive sense) of being good citizens of their city and the Roman empire.

Philippians 1:27 ESV (modified) “Just one thing: behave as citizens [Gk., politeuesthe] worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in the One Spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” 

The Philippians prided themselves on being Roman citizens. But as Christians, they were to be proud of their heavenly citizenship even moreso. The Apostle Paul was playing off of, and playing against, their Roman citizenship, just like we do in the American church, and churches around the world do, as well. As Christians, we posses dual citizenship (as Martin Luther taught); we are members of two kingdoms at the same time—Christ’s heavenly kingdom and some earthly kingdom (political entity).

Future Citizenship

We are already citizens of heaven, because of Christ’s righteousness, and will live there eventually (cf. Ephesians 2:19). For now, we are governed by Christ as a “colony of heavenly citizens” (as one biblical dictionary put it) here on earth as “aliens” (1 Peter). And He is ruling from heaven with all power all things on behalf of His Church. Our future should be strongly guiding our present lives.

Philippians 3:17, 20 ESV “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. . . . For our citizenship [Gk., politeuma] is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

We are eagerly waiting a Savior from heaven, the Lord, Jesus Christ. This is a direct reference to Caesar Augustus and his imperial titles of “Lord” and “Savior.” He was called the “Savior of the world” because of bringing order and peace throughout the civilized Roman world. But, Jesus Christ, the True Lord and Savior, will return to this earth from heaven as the True Emperor of All. He will deliver us from our suffering and fears and trials in this world—He is our hope!

Daily Life Citizenship 

Let’s return now to Konopaske’s et al. (2017) definition of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as referring to “being civil or polite with regard to others in an organization.” After reviewing the Apostle Paul’s correspondence with the Philippian church, this seems so basic, and truly a simple reality for Christians to live out at their places of employment, in their churches, and within their mission organizations.

Podsakoff et al. (1990) described OCB as discretionary behavior by an employee that goes beyond the role requirements of one’s job. Think about your job—your secular job, your job at church, your job in the mission, and your job in whatever other organizations you belong to. Podsakoff et al. identified five key dimensions of OCB: 

1. Altruism, which refers to helping others; 
2. Conscientiousness, which refers to exceeding minimum role requirements;
3. Sportsmanship, which refers to toleration without complaining; 
4. Courtesy, which refers to prevention of problems; and 
5. Civic Virtue, which refers to taking an active part in the life of the organization.

What if we as citizens of the kingdom of God lived out, and encouraged others to live out, such recognized concepts of OCB in our workplaces, churches, and missions as part of the worthy behavior of Philippians 1:27? What difference do you think this would this make?

Konopaske, R., Ivancevich, J. M., & Matteson, M. T. (2017). Organizational behavior and management (11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Moorman, R. H., & Fetter, R. (1990). Transformational leader behaviors and their effects on followers’ trust in leader, satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Leadership Quarterly, 1(2), 107-142.

Authentic Leadership

Contemporary society desires authenticity from its leaders, whether the leaders are high profile or simply the leaders people encounter and work with every day in their jobs or volunteer organizations. Positive, healthy, and trustworthy leaders build confidence in their followers and contribute to their satisfaction and productivity. However, repeated public scandals in business, government, and non-profit sectors continue to raise suspicion about leader authenticity and fuel the demand for greater accountability to achieve it. 

As a recent working theory of leadership, authentic leadership has attempted to bring together effective leadership and ethical leadership. Authentic leaders possess a high degree of self-awareness and self-acceptance, and are guided by strong personal positive core values. Because of their integrity and transparency, followers readily identify with them and perceive them to be optimistic, confident, and worthy of trust. Authenticity also involves consistency between the followers’ values and the leader’s values and behaviors. 

Researchers have proposed various definitions of authentic leadership and ways of measuring it. Most commonly accepted, Walumbwa et al. (2008) have defined authentic leadership as “a pattern of leader behavior that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate, to foster greater self-awareness, an internalized moral perspective, balanced processing of information, and relational transparency [emphasis added] on the part of leaders working with followers, fostering positive self-development” (p. 94).

Four Dimensions of Authentic Leadership with Applications for Church and Mission

Self-awareness refers to an awareness of how one “makes meaning of the world” (p. 95) and how this process impacts one’s view of self. Furthermore, self-aware individuals grow in their understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses through exposure to, and experience with, others and observing their impact upon them. What about leaders in the church and mission, how might such leaders seek to grow in awareness of their strengths and weaknesses?

A leader with internalized moral perspective will consistently make decisions based upon internal moral standards and values. Those possessing deep personal self-regulation will guide themselves based upon moral convictions even in the face of “group, organizational, and societal pressures” (p. 95). What about leaders in the church and mission, how might such leaders develop deeper moral integrity and exhibit this more consistently?

Balanced processing of information refers to the ability to “objectively analyze all relevant data before coming to a decision” (p. 95), which includes intentionally seeking out alternate viewpoints from one’s own. What about leaders in the church and mission, how might such leaders learn to seek out and appreciate input from others with differing viewpoints?

Relational transparency refers to the presentation of one’s true self to others, building trust through open disclosure. Those who exhibit relational transparency can also control their emotions, “minimizing displays of inappropriate emotions” (p. 95). What about leaders in the church and mission, how might such leaders build greater trust by sharing more of themselves?

Authentic leadership theory offers much direction and content for reflection on leadership in the church and mission worlds. We also want and need authentic leaders and followers who demonstrate relational openness and exhibit congruency in their values and behaviors.


Walumbwa, F. O., Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Wernsing, T. S., & Peterson, S. J. (2008). Authentic leadership: Development and validation of a theory-based measure. Journal of Management, 34(1), 89-126.

Servant Leadership

We talk about servant leadership a lot in our churches and missions, but different leaders mean different things when using the term and practice servant leadership differently. 

Robert K. Greenleaf developed the leadership theory we call “servant leadership” in 1970. Greenleaf (1977) based his theory of servant leadership on examples from the New Testament. Other theorists have continued to explore the Scriptures and leadership studies and have furthered the description of servant leadership. Jesus Christ set the example when he washed his disciples feet and finished with these words:

John 13:14–16 ESV “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”

The Theory

In servant leadership theory, leaders primarily attend to the needs of followers, while accomplishing organizational goals as a secondary priority. Servant leaders build trust with their followers by communicating openly and honestly, exhibiting personal integrity, and trusting followers themselves. Servant leaders listen to their followers’ personal concerns, help them grow wiser and healthier, and empower them to achieve their individual goals. Such leaders seek to create a culture focused on caring for the needs of all the organization's members as they work together to achieve common goals, all the while seeking to develop many other servant leaders within the organization. 

Patterson (2003) developed seven constructs for describing servant leadership: (a) love, (b) humility, (c) altruism, (d) vision, (e) trust, (f) empowerment, and (g) service. In Patterson’s definition, love concerns itself with moral judgment and action. Humility shows itself by keeping proper perspective of oneself and staying focused on others. Altruism consists of concern for the welfare of others and acting with complete fairness. Vision focuses on the personal vision and faith of followers, not the organization’s vision, rather the individual’s goals and fit within the organization. Leaders build trust through integrity and mutual respect. Leaders empower others by truly sharing power, emphasizing teamwork, and valuing input. Finally, the mission of servant leadership will be achieved by service as a way of life, attitude of the soul, and manner of being.

Servant leaders primarily concern themselves with serving their followers, while also helping them contribute to the organization's mission. How applicable is servant leadership in leading your church or mission?

Greenleaf, R. K. (1977) Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist.

Patterson, K. A. (2003). Servant leadership: A theoretical model. Servant Leadership Research Roundtable, Virginia Beach, VA. 

Not Just Any Verse For Every Situation

Pastors deal with complex situations in leading their churches, complex situations in counseling their congregations and complex situations in speaking to their broader communities.

Few troubles are as frustrating for pastors as church members who might be somewhat familiar with a situation, or outsiders with little knowledge of a matter, approaching them with urgent Biblical counsel they have discovered that will help him.

Where Do the Bible Verses Come From?

When Christians read their Bibles, sometimes verses strike them like never before, and they are eager to share them and apply them. Maybe it applies to this situation with which our pastor is dealing, they wonder.

Many Christians have favorite Bible verses they have memorized and find useful in their lives on many occasions. Somehow they made a connection from one of their favorite verses to the pastor’s situation. Maybe it will help, they reason.

Other Christians stay current with cultural trends and Christian trends. They know the Biblical passages under discussion these days. And so, they hope to inform their pastor and help him see how the situation with which he is dealing is addressed by this current discussion.

Yet other Christians believe that all of Christian theology and practice can be encapsulated in key verses. Often these key verses have to do with broad themes such as love, grace and mercy, or authority and submission, or divine sovereignty and human responsibility, and the list goes on.

In each of these examples, people wrongly think they have the secret answer verses providing simple solutions to complex problems. Sincerely motivated as they may be, not just any verse applies in every situation.

3 Unrecognized Problems

When we are excited by our new discoveries in the Bible we see perhaps more connections than are warranted. When we see the world primarily through our favorite verses we can miss a lot of other things in the Bible and in other people’s lives. When we vigilantly stay current, the foundations and the history too quickly fade from view. When we live by broad themes we might feel especially skilled, however, we might fail more often than we realize in specifics of life’s realities.

First, people often miss the point of the text they are referencing. It certainly holds great and godly instruction. It is inspired by God and intended by Him for proper use according to His intention. But such a misuse of the text will not really advance God’s purposes.

Second, people often miss the point of the situation into which they are trying to speak. Likely, they don’t really understand the life situation and the spiritual dynamics of it. As a result, they mismatch it to their selection of Scripture.

Third, people often miss the best and proper texts that could provide the counsel that is needed. Because of a cursory search of Bible passages and only a surface analysis of the situation, they draw hasty and inaccurate conclusions on both fronts.

3 Constructive Solutions

First, as a pastor and leader, make sure to pushback against off-base counsel. Often people are simply too eager to share their point of view without understanding other points of view. They are mistaken about the Bible, the situation and their relationship.

Second, teach people about how to use the Bible, and how to use it well and appropriately in conjunction with its purpose. Assume those who would counsel you are well meaning, even if you suspect they are not.

Third, explain with patience both the situation about which they are concerned and the Bible verse they about which they are excited. We do not have to share all details, and obviously most often we can’t do this. But, we can share what we are doing, our approach to the situation and the Bible, and our seeking of counsel.

Finally, simply thank those who visit you in this manner. Thank them for their concern. Thank them for their love of the Word of God, and eagerness to live by it and please the Lord. Thank them for praying for you and others involve. Then, close by asking for their prayers and praying together with them.

Sermons Are Not Meant To Be Remembered

How many of you remember the sermon from last Sunday?  Don’t worry, you were not supposed to anyway.

Look at and Listen to the Preacher:  Not Obnoxious Learning Devices

The congregation really wanted sermon notes in the bulletin, so I gave in. However, I don’t like people looking down when I am preaching. Much more preferable is to have everyone engaged with me in the amazing biblical text, enjoying it together.

Another bad idea is having people looking to the side at a screen as if this holy event were a business presentation or educational lecture. And yet, the ultimate bad idea is fill-in-the-blank preaching notes, especially when bloated with alliteration.

It is also infuriating to listen to powerful (and often long) illustrations, well-crafted story-telling, creative reconstructions of a Bible story (sometimes even including theatrical garb and voice), because the Bible gets lost, and really fast.

Entertaining, motivating, counseling, providing practical steps, creating artsy set designs—can we just stop it and just preach the Word? This is all for getting people to remember. And we falsely assume that remembering brings about transformation. It doesn’t.

What if we gave up on getting people to remember sermons and just went for the transformation outright?

It is actually easier, less time consuming and much more enjoyable for everyone, trust me. Simply listen to the preachers as they explain and apply the Word for us all. It is a good and beautiful thing. Look at the preacher!

Look at and Listen to the Book:  Preaching is Unique Communication

I have never preached so that people remember outlines, stories, life principles or any other cute Christian slogans or quaint Christian sentiments. I don’t want people to remember my sermon, I want them to know and love God more through the Scriptures, and be able to do so on their own, in their families and with other people.

There is no parallel for preaching, not school teaching, not academic lecturing, not business presenting, not inspiring, not theater, not solving problems. We really need to stop trying to find an analogy, because no analogy exists.  Preaching is a unique event.

If the goal is to rejoice in God and His Word before His People, trusting the Holy Spirit who wrote the Bible and indwells His People to stir their hearts for the glory of God, then what are we doing messing around with inferior methodologies and delivery methods that cannot hold the weight of the message!?

We need to believe more in God and His Word. Our goals of transformation are going to be accomplished through the Biblical text. Each person in the congregation should be able to go back to the text and remember by the Holy Spirit and re-preach it to themselves. They should be able to see God’s transformational truth from the Word themselves without the added baggage of the preacher’s outline obscuring the text and confusing them.

This kind of preaching is what the people of God really hunger for. This kind of preaching is what those without God really want and really need to hear. We preachers need to stop playing games and simply love our people and preach the Word. Look at the book!

( See related blog post: Hijacked Preaching)

I remember when I became a Christian at the age of 17. All I wanted was someone to teach me the Bible, someone who knew the Bible, loved the Bible and simply explained it to me without pulpit antics or goofy gimmicks to get me to like the Bible.

As our Apostle Paul instructed Pastor Timothy (2 Timothy 3:14-4:5):

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

Lest you think I am a complete iconoclast, I will grant that add-ons can be helpful, but they are not preaching, they are add-ons. All I am asking for is a more thoughtful and prayerful reconsideration of what we are doing when we are preaching the Word of God, the Holy Scripture.

Personal Holiness Has Fallen On Hard Times

Maybe it is just me, but it seems like the topic of personal holiness is overlooked these days.

Even though Christian discipleship is a hot topic today, the part about “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” by Jesus Christ is missing from many discussions and from many lives. Do Christians actively pursue personal holiness still, I wonder?

Possible Reasons

There might be a number of reasons for this lack of pursuit.

1. Christians don’t see it as that important, beyond the basics of acceptable morality.
2. Christians have adopted the best of current cultural standards as their own standards.
3. Christians don’t really know the biblical standards, and there is significant self-doubt about the ones they think they might know.
4. Christians are living outside of God’s moral will, they know it and they feel it.
5. Christians are fearful that they will become self-righteous, or will be viewed that way.

Of course, the biggest category these days has to do with all views, practices and proprieties in the area of human sexuality. It is astounding how difficult it is to have a biblically honest conversation around matters that have historically been clear for millennia even up to about 10-15 years ago.

Preferred Conversations

Instead, Christians prefer to talk about transformation. This is a large theological term, a good term, but it has been co-opted for speaking in general terms about many things. It sounds much more comprehensive; though it provides an excellent opportunity to hide. By focusing on others and on matters of community and social justice it is easy to avoid our own shortcomings whether minor blemishes or even serious sins.

Supposedly getting into morality specifics could be offensive, so we leave it up to the individual brother or sister and their personal relationship with God. This only seems more noble because we are either ignorant of God’s Scriptural commands, or we are afraid of them, or both. But we miss that true transformation, both at the personal level and for the greater good, is rooted in personal character.

1 John 2:15–17 ESV “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Push the Envelope

It is possible to go beyond current acceptable norms in Christianity. How odd it is to use the phrase--but we can “push the envelope” on Christian personal holiness. We need to speak honestly and spiritually with our closest friends.

Ephesians 5:3–17 ESV “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

The goal is to please the Lord, at least it ought to be! Three books that have been helpful to me:  The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges, The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul and Holiness by J. C. Ryle.

So then, my friends, “Since we have these promises [in the Gospel], beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

Pentecost For The Rest Of Us

One particular annual celebration in the Church calendar holds special meaning for me. It is Pentecost. This is because I was converted on Pentecost Sunday in 1984. And so, as a pastor I would preach on it every year and promote its celebration to those who have forgotten it.

Three main feasts in the historical Christian Calendar relate directly to Jesus Christ. Christmas celebrates the Incarnation of the Son of God.  Easter celebrates the redemption He accomplished for us in His Cross and Resurrection. And Pentecost celebrates His exaltation and giving the Holy Spirit to His Church.

The Historical Event


Pentecost is the annual celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, and the initial 3000 conversions at the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Originally a harvest festival under the Old Covenant, the first New Covenant celebration was the harvest of conversions.

Luke records the historical event of Pentecost in Acts 2 to encourage us with one of the basics of the Christian Faith. The Spirit’s role in the Church is to empower the Church for witness to Christ Jesus. This is what we see throughout the Book of Acts (i.e. Ac 8, 10-11, 15, 19). This is what we see throughout Church History. The Holy Spirit began a new ministry in and through the people of God in the New Covenant. The Holy Spirit indwells all the People of God.


The Holy Spirit empowers the Gospel, and He empowers the Church to preach the Gospel. Luke is telling us that we all as Christians are Pentecostal Christians. Forget the Pentecostal connotations and embrace Biblical language, or post-Pentecostal Christians, if you prefer. We are a Church empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel of Salvation.

An Unrepeatable Historical Event

Pentecost is an unrepeatable historical event. It is a climactic point in the History of Redemption, fulfilling many Old Testament prophecies of the time of the Messiah and the New Covenant.

It is not a paradigm for personal experience, as some have mistakenly interpreted it. Some use the event to promote various forms of Second Blessing spirituality. Others use it to raise expectations for large scale conversions. And other use it to mark out the parameters of their vision for communal living. And the list goes on.

The question is often asked, “what prevents us from being just like the early Church at Pentecost?” The answer is simple: Pentecost is an historically significant event in History of Redemption. It is non-repeatable, as much as the Incarnation, Cross and Resurrection are unrepeatable, to which Pentecost is itself is tied.

It is the wrong question to be asking. The better question to ask is, “in what ways are we to be like the early Church at Pentecost?” To answer this questions requires more thorough Biblical understanding, deeper theological reasoning and practical reflection on Christian living.

Today, we proclaim the same empowered Apostolic Gospel as those empowered by the Holy Spirit. We urge people to forsake this evil generation and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We welcome them into the Church as the Holy Spirit convicts and converts them. Together, we enjoy the blessings of God as a forgiven people and as people possessing the Holy Spirit.

The Repeatable Part is The Mission Part

Pentecost is about the Mission, which leads to the ultimate goal: the worship of God among all the nations. Missions is about God, who through the Gospel is gathering His elect from all people groups to worship Him in glorious joy forever and ever.

This is why we celebrate Pentecost annually, to remind us of our identity as the Church and our purpose as the Church. Let us pray continually for the outpouring of Pentecostal power of the Holy Spirit upon us. Let us do so for the empowerment of our Gospel witness for the expansion of the Church.

This is Pentecost for the rest of us, ever since that great day long ago, 50 days after Jesus’ Resurrection, and until the Day of His Glorious Return and His Kingdom. This is why I would preach a special sermon every Pentecost. Some of the passages are: Acts 2:1-47; Jn 3:1-15; Joel 2:18-32; Matthew 12:22-37; Galatians 5:16-26; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Romans 8:8-11; and Hebrews 8:1-13. There are many many passages to preach and teach the People of God about their great and full salvation!

5 Short Stories of Competing Visions

Leaders have their reasons why they believe that more than one vision is best for their church or organization and how it really sets them apart. But, they are wrong.

When meeting with them, after listening to some of their success stories and current ministry struggles, we as a group of leaders start exploring how and why things work the way they do. We talk about core ministry passions, opportunities and resources. We talk about what more could be done, and what could be better.

Then, at a strategic time in the conversation I ask them how having multiple visions within their organization is really working for them, for the advance of the ministry.

They start to see that having more than one vision is not helpful. It never works out well. There can only ever be one vision per organization. Following are five short stories.

Starting a New Church Well

Recently I was asked about the possibility of a church planter and an associate working together on a church plant with slightly differing visions. Would this be okay?

Why would leaders think this was a good idea? Is it because there would be two pastors working as partners? They could reach different groups of people. And resources could be pooled. Nevertheless, this is a terrible idea.

Differences will become irreconcilable, and this will probably happen sooner than expected. Philosophy of ministry underlies every vision and is a core part of who we are as pastors. Trying to manage two of them will hinder the church plant’s development. Also, different ministry activities seen as critically important will compete for time, volunteers and other resources. A better solution would be to plant two churches.

A Vision in Waiting

Another conversation took place with the leadership team of a growing and healthy church. However, they sensed that there were three separate competing visions within their church. This really wasn’t the case. They actually identified three closely related ministry passions that could easily be brought together under one vision.

Their challenge was to work together on writing out this common vision and writing a fuller description of what it would look like as they accomplished it. They also needed to come back together in their personal relationships as one team and as one church.

We talked about where vision comes from, who shapes it, keeps it and promotes it. We discussed the role of the senior pastor and the leadership team. This was an encouraging and energizing conversation looking toward the future.

The Seditious Staff Member

In another church, a staff pastor was leading a vision revolt, using his ministry team as the place to begin fomenting unrest. Leadership meetings revealed the fraction with the senior pastor. He would frustrate the board by regular dissent or he would agree but then carry out his own agenda.

This staff pastor needed to submit to the larger vision of the senior pastor and the other board members. He needed to humble himself and know his place in the organization, or he needed to leave for the sake of the congregation. Those people he was stirring up needed to be reconnected to the true vision of the church and reassured of the rightful leadership.

Mission in the Slough

A mission organization that touted itself as an expert in vision development and strategic planning somehow could never seem to clarify its own vision. They struggled to see strategic plans through to fruition. This was largely because they changed the vision at almost every leadership meeting, so in reality many visions existed, not one.

Obviously, the lower level leaders and staff lacked confidence and did not trust the top leadership. Worse yet, those arrogant leaders were oblivious to the quality of leaders and people they had in their own organization.

It was a missed opportunity to create one vision with an organization willing to embrace one vision. Organizations need top leaders who can lead, who can lead other leaders, who can lead real people and genuinely value, honor and trust other leaders than just themselves.

Laity Leading Loosely

Another church has as many visions competing as lay leaders in the congregation.  Since there is no clear vision from the pastor or the board, everyone just does things, good things. Each person promotes his or her ministry to attract people and gain resources.

They try to package everything together and present it as one really broad vision. They convince themselves that this is true and good. They find themselves floundering and having to rejoice in very minor successes. Were they to unite behind a common vision, and then align themselves and work as a team, their success would be amazing!

Many more stories could be told, both short and long, about churches and organizations experiencing problems because of not understanding the role that vision plays, actually having a vision and only one organizational vision.