I have never been a fan of The Gospel Coalition (TGC). There is too much hubris in their writing for my taste. If you are a regular visitor to this site, you know I think power and arrogance are two of the most harmful and dangerous aspects of church leadership. So I try to avoid…
Category: Leadership
Turning Submission on its Head
I introduced the topic of mutual submission a couple of weeks ago and wanted to jot down a few thoughts. First, a question. When Jesus took off his outer garments, wrapped a towel around his waist and began washing the feet of the disciples, would you consider him in a position of strength or weakness?…
Is Submission Really Supposed to be a Thing in the Church?
A few week’s ago, I wrote about a pastor here in Dublin telling me that if I ever wanted to plant a church, I would need to submit to him, which led me to write the following: “If a church leader tells you that you must submit to them…you should run away…and fast. That is…
Nouwen on Power
I’ve been writing about power and its misuse in the church recently. Today I was sorting through my notes and came upon this from Henri Nouwen. He sums the whole topic up perfectly. No further comment necessary. One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that its leaders constantly gave in to…
Stop Assuming Character
I saw a recent post over on the Wartburg Watch. This site covers stories of abuse in the church, and they have been covering a story I mentioned a couple of weeks ago (it is at the end of the post under US Leaders). In that story at the Wartburg Watch, the author described how…
What is the Problem with Benefactors?
In the previous post, I shared what Luke recorded Jesus saying at the last supper. “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one…
We Need a Paradigm Shift About Authority in the Church
In one of last week’s posts, I made a strong statement concerning leadership and submission. “If a church leader tells you that you must submit to them…you should run away…and fast. That is simply abusive and not what Jesus modelled for the church.” I want to explain why I believe that. But I think I…
A Surreal Year (part 3)
This is part three of a series of posts I’ve written sharing some leadership experiences we have had over the past 12 years. Here are links to part 1 and part 2. I have also written a short post about why I am sharing this now. This has been the most challenging part of this…
Mind the Gap – (context for previous posts)
Recently I have been sharing some of my church leadership encounters. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about church war rooms. And this week, I shared a bit of Liz and my story over the past decade-plus. I want to explain why I am sharing these stories (here & here). But first, why I…
You Should Not Have Come, Now Please Go Away (Part 2)
I wrote yesterday regarding a situation that has unfolded over the past 12 years. If you haven’t read that, I encourage you to do that first. When I posted it on Facebook, I received several kind comments. Many expressed sympathy, which was very much appreciated. But that wasn’t why I wrote it. I shared it for those…
When it is Hard to Move On (part 1)
Over the past year or so, I have written more frequently about the abuse of power within churches and church systems. A key reason is that the standard way churches operate and wield power contains too many horror stories. So many people are leaving the faith because rather than experiencing the beauty and the love…
5 Ways to Avoid Lizard-Brained Church Leadership
Last week I wrote about something I called “church war rooms”. (You can read that here).These ways of dealing with problems tend to occur when leaders fear they have something to lose, or feel that a situation has moved beyond their control. This leads them to respond in a thin-skinned, authoritarian manner. When you observe…
The War Room – when the church goes on the offensive
In his 2021 book, The Best Catholics in Ireland, Derek Scally covers a large swath of Irish Catholic history. Two men, Paul Cullen and John McQuaid, stood out in that recounting. Cullen and McQuaid serve as bookends marking the beginning and end of an era of the Catholic Church in Ireland. Cullen, who lived in the 19th…
The Guy Who Wrote the Book on Polycentric Leadership
A key idea in my dissertation was polycentric leadership. Rather than the pyramid-shaped hierarchical model most of us as used to, a polycentric model has multiple centres of influence or leadership. The idea was introduced in a chapter of a book from the Drucker Foundation in 1998 written by Susan Morse. Around a decade later,…
Question and Response to a Polycentric Alternative
A couple of days ago, I posted a video of a presentation I did based on my dissertation. I shared it with some ministry partners and others who are part of the Table on Sunday. On Tuesday, I shared with some people at the Irish Bible Institute. In each session, there was an opportunity for question and response. I wanted…
A Polycentric Alternative to Hierarchical Church Leadership
This past week I had the opportunity to present my dissertation at a seminar at the Irish Bible Institute as well as to some friends a few nights earlier. Since I had spent the time putting it all together, I figured I would record it and stick it up here for anyone who might be…
Is There a Problem with Servant Leadership?
In addressing the problem of unhealthy leadership within the church, a common solution over the past few decades has been “Servant Leadership”.
Who is in Charge Here?
I’m sure you have seen hierarchical leadership displayed on an organisational chart. Typically one person is at the top, with a few subordinates at the next level and so on until you get to the bottom. It is often represented as a triangle as well. Similar idea. Small at the top. Large at the bottom….
A Feature or a Bug?
As you may have read, I completed a dissertation this summer. The topic was something I have been thinking about for a while. In the paper, I summarised the problem I was addressing with the word Hierarchy. However, I wanted to address issues of authority, abuse of power, and what are unquestionably malformed leadership structures in…