Rare Leadership, A Declining Movement (?), and More Questions
In Rare Leadership, Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder point to the brain’s “fast track system” as that part of the brain which “controls how we regulate emotions, how we remember who we are, who our people are, and how it is like us to act (that is, acting like the self God gave us).”[1] The fast track is optimized for leadership, whereas the brain’s “slow track” system “is optimized for management.[2] The slow track system’s “primary job is to monitor results and provide explanations and solutions to the problems we face.”[3]
The fast track system has to do with emotional intelligence (EQ). The slow track system has to do with results. I’ll come back to that in a minute, but let’s talk about an article on Substack. It relates to this subject.
On Tuesday, January 30, Dr. Anthony Bradley posted an article titled “The Gospel-Centered Movement, 2005-2023.”[4] Bradley highlighted what he believes to be the decline of a movement that many once referred to as “Young, Restless, and Reformed.” Among the many factors that contributed to the movement’s decline were various scandals or controversies surrounding some of the “movement’s” prominent names, mentioned by Bradley: Mark Driscoll, Tullian Tchividjian, Joshua Harris, and many more. Bradley also referenced a few organizations associated with some of these names, including The Gospel Coalition and Acts 29. Of course, some of these leadership controversies were discussed in detail in the popular long-form storytelling podcast produced by Mike Cosper and Christianity Today in 2021 and 2022: The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.[5]
Excursus: By the way, there’s a particular episode in the podcast – a bonus episode – that sheds more light on The Gospel Coalition, accountability, what denominations do well and what they don’t do so well, who platformed who (Bradley says that The Gospel Coalition platformed some of the leaders he mentioned, yet not everyone agrees that was the case) and more. It’s Mike Cosper’s interview with Tim Keller, which aired in July of 2022.[6] It’s worth listening to, especially if you read Dr. Bradley’s article.
What happened?
Warner and Wilder ask a similar question regarding the moral failings of a particular organization they refer to in their book, failings that left behind a wake of “distrust, low joy, and a disintegrating ministry” for the leader who remained.[7] Warner and Wilder ask, “How could this leadership failure happen?”[8] After all, “the team had all the information, education, and experience needed.”[9] Instead, “all the information had been learned on the slow-track brain system we use for management and not on the fast-track system we use for leadership and guidance.”[10]
Did this “gospel movement” in Bradley’s article experience a similar phenomenon to the moral failings highlighted in Warner and Wilder’s book? Were they lacking the tools necessary to relate to people, especially their congregations and their staff, in healthy ways indicative of emotional intelligence?
This subject of EQ is so critically important, particularly right now and especially in the world of church planting, pastoral leadership or renewal, and/or church revitalization. Warner and Wilder say that “many leaders (and pastors)…never receive any training in leadership.”[11] I agree. Just this morning, I asked my wife if she could remember any courses from our college that dealt with emotional intelligence, not to mention resilience in ministry or fast-track vs. slow-track systems in the brain. Neither of us could.
What’s the way forward?
On the same day (Tuesday, Jan. 30) Dr. Bradley’s article dropped, several pastors and church planters in our presbytery had the opportunity to hear from a clinical psychologist. His topic? Emotional Intelligence. Last fall, I asked the psychologist to be the subject matter expert in the room at our presbytery’s first church planting network quarterly for 2024.[12] This particular PhD serves as a mentor for a ministry that serves pastors across the country, but he also has a very local ministry presence. He serves as the director of counseling services at a nearby congregation.
Halfway through the presentation, I texted our committee’s chairperson: “We need to require (everyone in our presbytery) to go through a minimum of 3 – 6 sessions with (the psychologist)!” I can’t remember the last time I’ve taken so many notes. Thankfully, Warner and Wilder’s book has served as a great complement to the psychologist’s material.
Today, we need to remember that “leadership is learned.”[13] And part of that learning must include the building of the “more relational leadership habits”[14] related to the fast-track system of the brain. These habits “are built around identity and belonging.”[15] The “Who am I?” question must precede the “What am I to do?” question.[16] It is incumbent upon RARE leaders today, including those who serve in pastoral ministry, to continue “learning, improving, and developing these fast-track skills” so that they can “remain relational, act like themselves, return to joy, and endure hardships well.” [17]
More questions
This is all good and helpful, but this brings up questions. Do we – those of us who want to see the next generation of leaders better equipped to navigate the present, not becoming “lost in the anxious emotional processes swirling about”[18] – have the right institutions, networks, or models to help with the formation of these new leaders? The longer I work with pastors, planters, and ministry leaders, the more I am beginning to ask this kind of question. In a previous post, I wrote about the founding of a new university and other new initiatives that others hope will make a difference for human flourishing in the future.[19] This makes me wonder – Do future ministry leaders have the best training contexts conducive for the learning that Warner and Wilder hope will happen? Is the current educational system for training ministry leaders broken? Do we improve existing institutions, or is there a need for an altogether different model? I wonder how/where better assessments, educational tracks, apprenticeships, residencies, curricula, and more will come into play. I wonder if we are even asking the right questions.
[1] Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder, Rare Leadership: 4 Uncommon Habits for Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead. Chicago: Moody, 2016, Kindle Version, 26 of 204.
[2] Ibid., 26 of 204.
[3] Ibid., 26 of 204.
[4] See https://anthonybbradley.substack.com/p/the-gospel-centered-movement-2005?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
[5] https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/
[6] https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/tim-keller-mike-cosper-mars-hill-bonus.html
[7] Warner and Wilder, 23 of 204.
[8] Ibid., 23 of 204.
[9] Ibid., 23 of 204.
[10] Ibid., 23 of 204.
[11] Ibid., 19 of 204
[12] Every quarter, one of our presbtyery’s churches hosts a 4-hour meeting that consists of prayer, peer coaching, fellowship (we feed all the participants at no charge, thus we require attendees to RSVP), and we bring in a “subject matter expert” to address an important topic relevant for leadership, church planting, or pastoral renewal.
[13] Warner and Wilder, 202 0f 204.
[14] Ibid., 41 of 204.
[15] Ibid., 46 of 204.
[16] In the Foreword of Rare Leadership by Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder, Dr. Hans Finzel writes, “One of the biggest mistakes people make in the realm of leadership is focusing too much on ‘what am I to do’ as opposed to ‘who am I to be?’” (p. 7 of 204)
[17] Warner and Wilder, 202 of 204.
[18] Edward H. Friedman, A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix. Revised edition. New York: Church Publishing, 2017, 15-16.
[19] https://blogs.georgefox.edu/dlgp/cancel-culture-and-new-institutions/
About the Author
Travis Vaughn
9 responses to “Rare Leadership, A Declining Movement (?), and More Questions”
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Travis, you wrote so well what I think I was trying to say in my post!…I want to go back and add “just read Travis’ post if you want to understand what I’m trying to say” 🙂
You ask a question “Do future ministry leaders have the best training contexts conducive for the learning that Warner and Wilder hope will happen?” I have been involved in training emerging leaders for 40 years and my answer is an unqualified “no”.
To your last point, however, I wonder if the education can provide a foundation, and then the habits (and EQ, etc.) can be learned a different way. You brought up residencies and apprenticeships, and I’ve often wondered how those might be better delivery systems for this kind of development.
In other words, is it possible that this kind of leadership training is best learned in place (just in time), while doing the work of the ministry, instead of the ‘just in case’ that bible colleges and seminaries prepare people for? Maybe this is a task for networks and denominations to engage lifelong learning (not to say our curriculum in training institutions shouldn’t change, but I simply wonder whether even a class or two would be nearly enough to ingrain habits and system one skills?)
Tim, you are very kind. Thanks for your response.
I do wonder if the “just-in-case” education can also be done in a more “just-in-time” sense, but I’m not sure that we have a present model that fits with this. I’m guessing someone is experimenting with this in creative ways, but I think there are many more questions to answer.
I do think the lost practice of apprenticeship needs to be re-visited. We do have apprenticeships here and there in our churches, and in some of our churches we have pastoral or church planting residencies, but these seem to be more the exception than the norm. I think there is much the church can learn from medical residencies, for example — that’s a good conversation to have. Every doctor has to have one.
I don’t think a class or two are going to cut it when it comes to the life-long habits that need to be ingrained. I’m not saying that a class isn’t helpful, but the system one skills you are referring to need to be baked in over time.
Who in your tradition is experimenting with a different model of training pastoral leaders?
Travis, GREAT question. I see it happening around the edges but not officially. Our denomination, too, has toyed with residencies but never pulled the trigger, outside of a handful of churches approaching it themselves.
That said I would love it if it was a required year, like a doctor. As I’ve worked with developing pastors for a couple of decades, I think that may be the only way we can help this problem. The denominational will to make that change though would be a tough nut to crack.
As usual, your blog post has gotten me thinking in a couple of different directions. You talk about updating the curriculum in our seminaries/pastoral training institutions to integrate better EQ growth. My ministry doesn’t generally put me in big institutional contexts, but next month we’ll be hosting some students from the Institut Biblique de Nogent, one of the main evangelical seminaries in France. Now I’m thinking about how I want to talk to them about EQ. I’d be surprised if their courses cover the topic in any systematic way.
My second train of thought as I read your blog has to do with how age and/or maturity level affects our EQ growth. For example, do you think there is a limit to a young, say 20-something, seminary student’s capacity for emotional maturity? If so, what would be the limitations of including emotional intelligence in a seminary curriculum vs. perhaps making it a focus of ongoing learning throughout a life of ministry? (Of course, not all seminary students are 20-something, I know, but you see my point.) On the other hand, that line of thinking almost argues against my whole NPO project. Much of my NPO is based on my deep conviction that raising our children with greater EQ from the start will result in sweeping positive changes for future generations. Maybe it can be a both/and situation?
Kim, these are great thoughts to process.
As for seminaries / institutions and EQ training…I’m not sure if those vehicles are the best places for integrating better EQ growth. I’m not necessarily proposing an alternative, I’m simply wondering if the current model can translate the kind of EQ growth we are talking about AND help provide the rigorous theological training that is also needed. Maybe they are good places for that training, and maybe changes to curricula would help, but I’m simply not sure. I do, however, firmly believe that this begins in the home (which is why your NPO is critical!)
And to your second question, I would think it has to be a both / and. I do think that maturity and growth over time are a big part of the equation, but we can certainly foster an environment for better guardrails AND healthy / helpful tools that our children can use in their own EQ growth. Some of that is content, more is modeling, and “time” seems to be a pretty significant part of the equation.
I do think there is something to be explored in the art of apprenticing, and I want to go back and re-read what Eve Poole said about it in her book Leadersmithing.
I like this post, and the comments that follow that are trying to work out the best way to boost leadership EQ. In my experience, training without immediate (within 40 days) opportunity for application is not fully retained. So, I will hop on Tim’s bandwagon that leans towards a real-time approach.
That said, what also jumped out at me from your excellent post is your reference to Mars Hill debacle. Thanks to you, I did listen to all of Kasper’s work on this topic, and one of the memories I have from that story is that Mark Driscoll’s peers did not hold him accountable, and the speculation that if they had, this painful chapter could have been curtailed. Someone in the interviews asserted that his peers (not his followers) were the only people that stood a chance of having a successful intervention. So, all this leads me to question how can we both provide effective EQ training AND create spaces for relational accountability to use the skills?
Jen, these are great questions. I know leaders who are trying to integrate EQ training in the local church (with staff), in associations of churches or a presbytery (something I’m experimenting with a bit), at the seminary level (primarily through content but with some coaching added), and at the non-profit level. The psychologist I brought in to speak to folks in our presbytery also serves as a mentor to pastors through the platform of the non-profit. To integrate EQ training in spaces for relational accountability, one could begin with already-existing structures (like a presbytery), but I wonder what new endeavors might need to be explored.
So you listened to ALL of Cosper’s podcast? I wonder if there was anything that stood out in the story that could be helpful for your NPO.
I’m gonna echo what Tim said in his response. I’m gonna go so far as to say that my response will be “read what Tim said.” HA!
Your list of questions at the end are so insightful, and I want to add a huge amen to the prospects of “apprenticeships.” I think that is a very viable way forward, especially as we watch the rapid decline of our institutions of higher education.
Great post and questions Travis! God help us as we seek to better train Christian leaders for the future! As you know, this is directly related to my NPO, and I am proposing a much more ‘balanced’ educational content including theological/biblical, personal spiritual formation, relational/emotional Health, and leadership (including HR, organizational systems, etc.). This will, I believe, help Pastors feel better equipped to lead in the variety of ways Pastors now must lead, which will hopefully put less pressure on them and reduce the amount of Pastors burning out or choosing unhealthy escape options.
Having said all that…the most difficult part is the spiritual/character formation. This takes time and is primarily learned outside of a classroom alongside trusted mentors. Also, we have to ask the question, “To what degree is our current way of doing church contributing to the problem?” A long time ago I read a statistic that 70% of Youth Pastors in the USA didn’t have bible training. What does that say about what we are asking our church leaders to do? Run a great program? In more recent years, I think we are seeing charismatic personality outshine character because people in the pews want their pastor/church/worship team to be like the people they see online. Culturally, in the midst of uncertainty, I think people want confident, assured leaders…and the leaders drawn to neo-reformed churches seem to fit the bill. Up here in Canada, the general experience/consensus is that they were “Young, Restless, Reformed….and arrogant.” Many were confident, charismatic….but had the Spirit done enough work on their character that they are ready to lead? And do churches care about that anyways? If they are filling seats and growing budgets and expanding influence….do we really want to address the ‘arrogant edge’ that they sometimes demonstrate? I suppose what I am rambling on about is this: the problem of unhealthy leaders in the church is both a personal responsibility (of the leader) and a North American church responsibility (what we are looking for and prioritizing in our Pastoral leaders). Seems like a big, complicated mess….God’s wisdom to you as you create your problem and seek to address one part of it!