The First Egalitarian Leader
As I read the Theology of Leadership journal I was immediately drawn to the section called Saint and Leader? The Example of St. Francis of Assisi by Nathan Harter. I’m sure I’m not the only one who was drawn to this part of the journal due to the fact that St. Francis has become one of the most often quoted people in Christendom. I enjoyed learning more about this mysterious character and loved the nature and authenticity the author brought out about him. Learning that he was brought up to fear and be repulsed by lepers only to read how he allowed God to spontaneously transform him was inspiring. As he traveled along the road…“With characteristic impulsivity, he leapt from his horse and ran to the leper, embracing him. In that moment, he adopted a fresh perspective toward the marginalized the sick, the hideous, and the dangerous. His heart was opened once he faced his fear. Forever after, he embraced the ideal of the universal fraternity of all creation. Care for lepers would become a central part of his life’s work.”[1] Maybe my social work background is what draws me to St. Francis with how he embraced the marginalized of society. I also think this is the reason why so many are drawn to him and his story, because he followed the model of Jesus in his attitude towards the outcasts of society.
It was also obvious that he was an extremely “real” person and one who was not afraid to make a statement while doing what he felt was the right thing to do. He was a normal person who didn’t always follow the rules and was not afraid to face the consequences of his actions. I had to chuckle when I read the following statement of what he did in the courtroom after being accused of theft by his father. “At the hearing where he was to be tried, he confessed to the theft, reimbursed his father fully, and then in a dramatic gesture of the sort that made him interesting to know, he undressed right there in the courtroom, piling up his fine clothes for his father to reclaim. Nearly naked on a cold day, he turned and walked out of town, into the woods, and lived as a hermit at the site of that ruined church, which he started rebuilding now with his own bare hands.”[2] What an “interesting man to know” indeed. It seems like many of the significant figures in history had some type of eccentric quality to them that caused others to take notice and pay attention to what they were passionate about. Obviously, St. Francis was a very passionate man who did not care about what others thought of him as he devoted his life to loving the marginalized of society. Like Mother Teresa, he became famous for his undying devotion to his calling. It appears that both St. Francis and Mother Teresa believed the following quote by her: “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.”[3] I would say they both loved well.
The millennials would have loved St. Francis, since he seemed to buck many aspects of traditional society and lived an authentic life. “His quest for authenticity resonates with young people of every generation increasingly alienated by the fruits of the Industrial Revolution. Here was someone who struggled to find his place in the world and found it by turning his back on conventional alternatives.”[4] I wish I had more guts to explore unconventional ways to live the calling God has placed on my life. Society tends to notice and pay more attention to those who are not afraid to rock the boat a little and step out of their comfort zone. At the end of the day, no matter what crazy methods we use, “people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care”[5]
Another aspect of St. Francis that particularly sparked my attention was his attitude towards women. “His respect for the vocation of women – largely because of the leadership of the lady Clare, a woman of rank and courage – continues to inspire those who struggle to champion the status of women, especially within the church.”[6] He was ahead of his time when it came to his views on women in leadership, and he set a beautiful example of what it means to be a champion for the equal treatment of women. This is inspiring to me since my area of research is all about ways to advocate for gender-balanced leadership and inspiring powerful men to champion women leaders. Lady Clare was eighteen years old when she met St. Francis after one of his sermons, and she claims this changed the course of her life forever.[7] Not only did St. Francis have a huge influence on Clare, but it appears that Lady Clare also had a significant influence on St. Francis and his convictions about the proper place of women.
“Perhaps the most powerful lesson from the life of Francis of Assisi is that he chose to lead more by example than by his words. Followers are quick to detect a hypocrite. And a Christian whose actions undermine his or her attempts at leadership threatens not only that leadership but also the cause for which they claim to lead. People will be quicker to forgive an error than a lie. Francis exemplified this lesson.”[8] One of the most famous quotes attributed to St. Francis of Assisi has been adapted from its original form to read…“Preach the Gospel at all times, when necessary use words.” The closest quote actually recorded by him to communicate this idea is…“It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”[9] Either way, the leadership principle of leading by example should need very few words and be exemplified by every great leader.
_______________________________
[1] Nathan Harter, “Saint and Leader? The Example of St. Francis of Assisi”, Theology of Leadership Journal 1, no. 1 (2018): 25.
[3] https://www.goalcast.com/2017/04/10/top-20-most-inspiring-mother-teresa-quotes/
[4] Nathan Harter, “Saint and Leader? The Example of St. Francis of Assisi”, Theology of Leadership Journal 1, no. 1 (2018): 29.
[5] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/34690-people-don-t-care-how-much-you-know-until-they-know
[6] Nathan Harter, “Saint and Leader? The Example of St. Francis of Assisi”, Theology of Leadership Journal 1, no. 1 (2018): 30.
[7] http://www.ewtn.com/library/mary/clara.htm
[8] Nathan Harter, “Saint and Leader? The Example of St. Francis of Assisi”, Theology of Leadership Journal 1, no. 1 (2018): 33.
[9] https://beardedgospelmen.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/bearded-gospel-history-francis-of-assisi/
About the Author
Jake Dean-Hill
Currently a Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice. Ordained minister with 10 years of prior full-time church ministry experience and currently volunteering with a local church plant. Also working with companies as a Corporate Leadership Coach.8 responses to “The First Egalitarian Leader”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I love that you quoted Nathan Harter’s statement regarding Saint Francis. Harter asserts that, “…he embraced the ideal of the universal fraternity of all creation…” This type of mindset is intrinsic to leadership, because one’s actions are the revelations of one’s soul. Saint Francis refused to allow his reputation to come before God’s compassion. He embraced the slander and the quizzical gazes from society and sought to live his life in the steps of Jesus.
I find that many times, God does not change our heart through knowledge alone, but through experience. He brings us out of our comfort and reveals what it is like to be Christlike. You make a great point when you said, “Society tends to notice and pay more attention to those who are not afraid to rock the boat a little and step out of their comfort zone.” One of the greatest misconceptions in reaching millennials is creating environments of show without depth.
Brad Lomenick, author and former Catalyst president talks about the importance of authenticity in his book, The Catalyst Leader. He states, “Ambition beckons us to be the person we think everyone wants us to be. That person is usually different than who we truly are.” After a while, this type of behaviour leads to burnout and sets us up for failure.
Saint Francis sought to be authentic and reveal both his strengths and his weaknesses. Sadly, many churches struggle to live authentically because they believe that it’s a brand and not a lifestyle? How do you think that we can create spaces of transparency for pastors? How can we give pastors the freedom to expose their failings without feeling like a failure?
Brad Lomenick, The Catalyst Leader: 8 Essentials for Becoming a Change Maker (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2013), 32.
Great comments Colleen, I appreciated what you brought out about authenticity and I agree that this next generation is seeking this as the primary draw towards church. I also think it is a challenge for pastors to be real without sharing so much that it makes it emotionally unsafe for them and the congregation. I think pastors need to be closely guided by the Holy Spirit in this. Thanks also for the Catalyst Leader book, looks excellent. Great to have you in LGP8.
Hi Jake!
Well written. I never knew so much about St. Francis. The depth you presented was impressive.
We agree so much about the value of women, and I wish my discussions with you better communicated that fact. Will your egalitarian dissertation writings focus on all vocations, or just inside the Christian working world?
I would also be interested to hear if Bill Hybels moral failures will hurt the mission of egalitarianism in the church world. If so, it would be a travesty, as 40 years of good ministry will be thrown out with the bath water.
I look forward to being able to talk with you more. I respect you and your writing.
Jay
Thanks for your comments Jay. I know you value women and I have never thought otherwise, and I also know you have some strong convictions about the scriptures you presented in your blog that limit what you are able to be open to when it comes to women in leadership. I accept where you are at with this and would love to chat more with you on the topic my brother.
As far as my dissertation, I am focusing on all areas of leadership that is not gender-balanced in both the church and the secular world. Also, it is very sad what has happened with a prominent egalitarian leader and my hope is that it does not take away from the progress that has been made in this area. Thanks again for your thoughts.
Jake,
Great to be back and reading your blogs again! I appreciate this reflection “…St. Francis that particularly sparked my attention was his attitude towards women. “His respect for the vocation of women”. We were on the same wavelinc as we wrote our blogs this week.
I’m curious to hear an update on your research. Have you discovered any new treasures to further solidify your hypothesis?
Thank you for always advocating for women!
Thanks Jean, glad to know you are out there reading my blogs and supportive of my research. Yes I have plenty of treasures to share with you when we are in Hong Kong. Happy to advocate for women, but even more to advocate for gender-balanced leadership…We need each other 🙂
Thanks Jake for highlighting not just Francis but also Clare. It was only in reading your post that I had an aha moment. My maternal grandmother’s name was Clara. She is long ago deceased but she left an indelible mark on my family, and she lived out the values of St Clare. She was simple and faithful. Her love bound the family together. She was a pastor’s wife, and yet when her husband became mentally ill, she stepped in and preached for an extended period. She was the glue that held my mother’s family together during some tough times (basically my mom’s whole childhood…). It is a simple yet profound leadership example of persistence and grace and love prevailing.
What an awesome story Mark. I love the fact that her name was Clara and that she had such a profound impact on your family just like St Clare had a huge impact on St. Francis’ view of women. Very cool and I’m so glad you are someone who advocates for strong women as well. See you in Hong Kong.