Training In The Use of Power
Our peer, Glyn Barrett, shared in our syntopical Zoom chat that his father told him that the three greatest temptations for a pastor were, “gold, girls and glory.” All of these temptations are related to the issue at hand in the book I chose for my reading this week, “Reckoning With Power: Why The Church Fails When It’s On The Wrong Side Of Power” by David Fitch. This book critically examines the appropriate use of power by church leaders. In an age marked by high-profile moral failures among church leaders, the misuse of leadership power, celebrity pastoral leaders, and the rise of Christian nationalism, Reckoning with Power offers a compelling perspective that deserves consideration.
Fitch contends that there are two distinct types of power at play in the world: worldly power and godly power. Worldly power is characterized by its coercive nature, exerting control over individuals. In contrast, godly power operates relationally, working with and among people. According to Fitch, godly power, manifested through the Holy Spirit, is never coercive. It persuades, respects individual agency, convicts, and fosters relationships.[1]
This dichotomy between worldly and godly power is central to Fitch’s argument. He maintains that the church’s failure often stems from its reliance on coercive, worldly power rather than embracing the relational, non-coercive power of God. This perspective challenges church leaders to reflect on their use of power and to seek alignment with godly power in their leadership practices.[2] How does Fitch’s view of power compare to the other authors we’ve read?
Fitch diverges from Simon Walker’s view of power. In Leading Our of Who You Are, Walker views power as neutral. He writes, “What we must realize is that power is a pragmatic thing—in itself, it has no value attached to it. It is neither good nor bad to be powerful: the issue is how power is used. It is a question of praxis.”[3] He also views power as more of a commodity that can he possessed, accumulated, and ultimately shared with others.[4] While Fitch would argue that using worldly power is a dangerous thing, Walker argues that the most dangerous aspect of power in any organization is power that is unacknowledged and driven underground. He cautions, “The most dangerous kind of person is the one with a great deal of power who denies that they have any, or who denies that power is a fundamental factor in their leadership…The undefended leader, on the other hand, does all she can to acknowledge her exercise of power, and the flow of power in her organization, and to make them both explicit and accountable.”[5]
NT Wright and Michael Bird have a a view that is closer to Fitch’s but with a subtle difference. In Jesus and the Powers, the authors point to a radical redefinition of the power through the person and work of Jesus. They explain, “After all, a good deal of the New Testament, following directly from the teaching and example of Jesus himself, is about the radical redefinition of power: power in weakness, power through humble service, power and indeed victory through self-sacrifice.”[6] This is consistent with Fitch’s view of how we should lead. However they take the work of the church a step further. Because of the victory of Jesus over all of the powers, they view that the mission of the church is to be ambassadors of Jesus who seek to reconcile all power in the world to God.[7]
As I reflected syntopically on all of these authors, I came to the conclusion that working with power is complex and multifaceted and that is, perhaps in part, why power is misused. Power in the hands of the untrained leader is a dangerous thing. This is something we’ve seen repeatedly in the church. Misuse of power by the untrained can have detrimental effects, as evidenced by numerous instances within ministries and organizations. Leaders who misuse power for personal gain or to manipulate others often leave a trail of disillusionment and harm. Leaders who use power over people, rather than work with them, can have a diminishing effect. This misuse underscores the necessity for power to be exercised for the benefit and flourishing of others, rather than for the protection of the leader or the advancement of their personal agenda. Regardless of the view we adopt of power, there are some practices one can adopt to steward power well.
To ensure that power is stewarded effectively in my own context, let me share a three of the ways that the teams I work with have been training leaders:
- Discernment: While individual discernment is undoubtedly important, we are also persuaded that Jesus wants to communicate with local churches collectively. We hold the conviction that, just as Jesus addressed the seven churches in the Book of Revelation, He continues to walk among the churches and communicates to churches today. Our belief is that Jesus is not merely the symbolic head of the church but the active and functional head who guides His people in real time. Consequently, in our approach to leader development, we are teaching leaders to gather the local church community to collectively listen to Jesus. This practice underscores the importance of the body and emphasizes the leadership of Jesus.
- Collaboration: While many leaders in my denomination perceive themselves as collaborative, they frequently struggle to articulate or demonstrate their collaborative processes when asked. This discrepancy highlights a significant gap in their practical understanding and application of collaboration. According to my NPO, “Many leaders in The Alliance Canada lack collaborative skills, which stifles innovation and diminishes member empowerment for mission.” Our work is currently focused on fostering this mindset by modelling collaboration with our leaders. Through my research, I hope to identify effective strategies to equip our leaders with the necessary collaborative skills. By doing so, we hope to enhance innovation and empower our congregations to fulfill their mission more effectively.
- Governance: One of the primary factors contributing to healthy church environments is healthy governance. The authors of the article “The Toxic Triangle,” addressing leadership dysfunction, assert that “it is hard for destructive leaders to succeed in stable systems with strong institutions and adequate checks and balances on power and control.”[8] Our team provides boards with training in governance to ensure they can implement the structures and practices described by these authors. This training equips boards to effectively oversee and guide leaders, fostering a culture of accountability and integrity within the church.
Stewarding power is a leadership practice, but ultimately it is a leadership posture. The ultimate leadership posture is to give up control, live under the power of Christ, and trust his power to work among us. Fitch explains, “Instead of employing worldly power, I could recognize that God is calling me, as a leader to come under His power, and cooperate with His work among a people. Instead of taking the reins of worldly power, I could reject that power entirely and instead take the posture of ‘under power’.”[9]
As I reflect on Fitch and the other authors, I am also reminded that power has been an issue throughout history and that it will continue to be. I remind myself of the words of Jesus to his disciples who were jostling for position, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”[10] My prayer is that my life, and the lives of those I serve, would be marked by a servant posture so that others may flourish.
[1] David E. Fitch, Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It’s on the Wrong Side of Power. (Brazon Press, 2024), 11–12.
[2] Fitch, 172.
[3] Simon P. Walker, Leading Out Of Who You Are: Discovering the Secret of Undefended Leadership, The Undefended Leader (Piquant Publishing, 2007). Kindle. 61.
[4] Walker. Kindle.61.
[5] Walker.Kindle.65.
[6] N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Reflective, 2024). Kindle.72.
[7] Wright and Bird.Kindle.72.
[8] Art Padilla, Robert Hogan, and Robert B. Kaiser, “The Toxic Triangle: Destructive Leaders, Susceptible Followers, and Conducive Environments,” The Leadership Quarterly, Destructive Leadership, 18, no. 3 (June 1, 2007): 176–94, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.03.001.
[9] Fitch, Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It’s on the Wrong Side of Power., 44.
[10] The Holy Bible: New International Version (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1979). Mark 10.42-45.
About the Author
Graham English
I was born in Cape Town, South Africa 30 minutes from Table Mountain, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. My family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada where I spent my teen years, met Wendy, and got married. We now live on the Canadian prairies in northern Alberta. I think God has a sense of humour. I'm a follower of Jesus, work in leadership and church development, love my family and walk a lot.14 responses to “Training In The Use of Power”
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Well done Graham. I appreciate that you brought in Walker and Wright. Do you think that this view of power and its way of being manipulated is unique to Western churches? Or, how might this power dynamic be an issue in some of the churches you work with way “up North?”
I think it’s a human thing, Adam. However, power is addressed differently in some of our ethnic churches where the power/distance ratio is greater.
The use of power also bumps up against my NPO on collaboratative leadership. Many of our pastors are comfortable with a hierarchical form of power and authority but do not know how to lead from among rather than from above.
Graham, Thank you for this tremendous syntopical look at Fitch’s book. I like how you compared his approach to books we already read. This helped me understand his perspective. From what I have seen from my interactions with you, you are a great example of a servant leader. As someone in a church and organizational leadership position (of power), how do you keep yourself in check concerning godly versus worldly power?
Thanks for your kind words, Kari. One of my daily prayers is a prayer of surrender to the Lordship of Jesus and the influence of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, I have a spouse and peers who speak honestly to me about my impact on people.
I think that these are a couple of ways that I am able to continue to serve even when I feel like powering up over people.
Graham,
Thinking back to Glyn’s quote, “gold, girls and glory, I’ve heard it suggested that the boards of megachurches focus on finding someone with charisma and good looks as opposed to things that really matter. Based on your knowledge and experience do you think church leadership as a whole gets so fixated on “gold” that they are willing to compromise and overlook things their pastors do, the way they exert their power over others, as long as the giving and attendance are not impacted?
Jeff, I’m not sure about the fixation of churches on charisma and good looks. However, I do know that churches are attracted to the hero leader (expert). Often times these are charasmatic personalities.
I’m not sure that boards are willing to overlook abusive behaviours, but oftentimes they do not know how to keep leaders accountable for their behaviour. One of the reasons we equip boards is because they need to know how to lead the leader well.
Thanks for your post Graham. I appreciate your list, especially the section on governance. It is easy in protestant churches to shy away from structure and systems, arguing that the slow things down and actually erode trust instead of build trust. I have found structures and governance to be tremendously helpful and important in my ministry and life.
How do you respond when leaders ‘push back’ on the importance of governance as a leadership necessity?
Ryan, In my work with boards, I have found that they are untrained more than unwilling. Boards are often made up of people who have served in the marketplace but have never learned about governance and how to govern well. I typically ask questions that expose the gaps in the board’s leadership. Here are a few that I’ve found helpful:
1. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your leader?
2. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of the board?
3. What empowering boundaries does the board provide for the leader? Who holds them accountable?
4. How do you choose and onboard new elders?
Etc.
Hi Graham, While your post focused, understandably, in your work with churches, I also see an application for nonprofit sector boards. Specifically, your questions in response to Ryan are topic that are covered in our board orientation for new board members, but I think more needs to be done in my arena. The trio of gold, girls/guys, and glory also hold true in the nonprofit sector and the concept of power. Have you seen the elder boards that you have worked with being amenable to stretching into an informed purpose of their roles?
Hi Diane, I agree that this is applicable for other contexts. I believe that most boards appreciate the need for development but are often overwhelmed with this. There are really a couple of things that need to happen: 1) Ongoing development for the board and 2) disciplined execution by the board following development.
One of the keys to this is a strong relationship with CEO/pastor and the board chair. The two have to work hand in hand in the board meetings and between the board meetings.
Thanks so much Graham. I think I might have to buy this book. I know your NPO is focused on Leadership in the Church and Denomination; how does the distinction Fitch makes between worldly and godly power influence your understanding of servant leadership in the church/denomination? In what ways do you think church leaders might practically adopt the posture of “under power” that Fitch describes, especially in contexts where traditional leadership models emphasise an autocratic leadership style?
Glyn, I think it does all come down to the posture of the leader and a willing surrender to Jesus. Then, a firm resolve to live under the power of Jesus moment by moment as we serve others.
Servant leadership is power with and among the people we lead, rather than power over. Practically, this could look more like coaching, collaborating, co-creating vision. It would mean maximizing the giftedness of our people by drawing them out, listening, entrusting and empowering, instead of directing and micro-managing. This doesn’t mean that there is never a time to direct something. The result of servant leadership, though, should be the flourishing, growth, development etc of the people we lead as we pursue a shared vision together.
Hi Graham, I noticed our NPOs are nearly identical! I hope we can find a way to discuss this in the future. Also, I would love to read your exploration essay from last semester. I appreciate how you encourage leaders to gather the church together collectively to listen to Jesus. What does this look like? This is something I would love to see done in my context. Thank you for this wonderful post.
Thanks, Elysse. I would also like to read your essay to learn how you’re approaching this in your context. I do believe that there is a necessary shift in the leadership landscape in every sector.
We have a process that we use to help elders engage congregations in discernment. The board is first trained to listen and process what they are hearing together. Secondly, the congregation gathers over a weekend or a series of meetings in which they listen to God and listen to each other. The facilitator gathers all of what the group is hearing through this process in which they look up (to God), back (history), in (what’s happening), out (our community) and ahead (vision). All that is gathered at each stage is synthesized, themes developed etc. The board and pastors or a guiding coalition take time to reflect and pray on what they have heard and then form a vision based on what Jesus has been saying through the body of Christ.
In this way, the pastor is still highly engaged in the formation of the vision but he/she is doing so with a posture of listening, collaborating, co-creating etc.