{"id":38890,"date":"2024-10-30T09:00:02","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T16:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=38890"},"modified":"2024-10-28T17:49:20","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T00:49:20","slug":"posture-and-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/posture-and-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Training In The Use of Power"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our peer, Glyn Barrett, shared in our syntopical Zoom chat that his father told him that the three greatest temptations for a pastor were, \u201cgold, girls and glory.\u201d All of these temptations are related to the issue at hand in the book I chose for my reading this week, \u201cReckoning With Power: Why The Church Fails When It\u2019s On The Wrong Side Of Power\u201d<\/em> 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<\/em> offers a compelling perspective that deserves consideration.<\/p>\n

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]<\/a><\/p>\n

This dichotomy between worldly and godly power is central to Fitch\u2019s argument. He maintains that the church\u2019s 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]<\/a> How does Fitch\u2019s view of power compare to the other authors we\u2019ve read?<\/p>\n

Fitch diverges from Simon Walker\u2019s view of power. In Leading Our of Who You Are,<\/em> Walker views power as neutral. He writes, \u201cWhat we must realize is that power is a pragmatic thing\u2014in 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.\u201d[3]<\/a> He also views power as more of a commodity that can he possessed, accumulated, and ultimately shared with others.[4]<\/a> 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, \u201cThe 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\u2026The 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.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/em>, the authors point to a radical redefinition of the power through the person and work of Jesus. They explain, \u201cAfter 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.\u201d[6]<\/a>\u00a0 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]<\/a><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 Power in the hands of the untrained leader is a dangerous thing. This is something we\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n

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:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Discernment:<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n
  2. Collaboration:<\/strong> 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, \u201cMany leaders in The Alliance Canada lack collaborative skills, which stifles innovation and diminishes member empowerment for mission.\u201d 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.<\/li>\n
  3. Governance:<\/strong> \u00a0One of the primary factors contributing to healthy church environments is healthy governance. The authors of the article \u201cThe Toxic Triangle,\u201d<\/em> addressing leadership dysfunction, assert that \u201cit is hard for destructive leaders to succeed in stable systems with strong institutions and adequate checks and balances on power and control.\u201d[8]<\/a> 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.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    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, \u201cInstead 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 \u2018under power\u2019.\u201d[9]<\/a><\/p>\n

    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, \u201cYou 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.\u201d[10]<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

    [1]<\/a> David E. Fitch, Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It\u2019s on the Wrong Side of Power.<\/em> (Brazon Press, 2024), 11\u201312.<\/p>\n

    [2]<\/a> Fitch, 172.<\/p>\n

    [3]<\/a> Simon P. Walker, Leading Out Of Who You Are: Discovering the Secret of Undefended Leadership<\/em>, The Undefended Leader (Piquant Publishing, 2007). Kindle. 61.<\/p>\n

    [4]<\/a> Walker. Kindle.61.<\/p>\n

    [5]<\/a> Walker.Kindle.65.<\/p>\n

    [6]<\/a> N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies<\/em> (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Reflective, 2024). Kindle.72.<\/p>\n

    [7]<\/a> Wright and Bird.Kindle.72.<\/p>\n

    [8]<\/a> Art Padilla, Robert Hogan, and Robert B. Kaiser, \u201cThe Toxic Triangle: Destructive Leaders, Susceptible Followers, and Conducive Environments,\u201d The Leadership Quarterly<\/em>, Destructive Leadership, 18, no. 3 (June 1, 2007): 176\u201394, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.leaqua.2007.03.001.<\/p>\n

    [9]<\/a> Fitch, Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It\u2019s on the Wrong Side of Power.<\/em>, 44.<\/p>\n

    [10]<\/a> The Holy Bible: New International Version<\/em> (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1979). Mark 10.42-45.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Our peer, Glyn Barrett, shared in our syntopical Zoom chat that his father told him that the three greatest temptations for a pastor were, \u201cgold, girls and glory.\u201d All of these temptations are related to the issue at hand in the book I chose for my reading this week, \u201cReckoning With Power: Why The Church […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":204,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3229,3308,2967,1718],"class_list":["post-38890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-fitch","tag-wright-and-bird","tag-dlgp03","tag-walker","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/204"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38890"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39169,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38890\/revisions\/39169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}