LEADERSHIP ISSUES

  Introduction The issues highlighted below are principles I learned while serving “as referee” (and in some cases a participant) in a few church “fights” and were originally written with the intention of helping pastors understand some of the issues that get them into trouble. Initially I was reluctant to share these with a broader audience, but then realized that the principles are apropos to any discussion of healthy leadership. Many readers will identify with one or more of the problems discussed. For every issue there is a flip side. There is always the “other side of the coin.” This “flip side” issue is especially true for some of the areas covered in this article. For example, pastors usually teach on gossip, and they legitimately try to prevent unhealthy and destructive communication within their community of believers. But my emphasis here is the other side of the issue, which is leadership’s unhealthy control of communication among members. Control of communication among ...

  Scripture has many examples of Leader-Follower tensions and the lessons we can draw from them. The Bible gives exhortations and instructions toward both leaders and followers. Everyone will be held accountable before God. His judgments will be on leaders who abuse and injure the flock as well as upon members who "take up the sword." Therefore, exhortation to fear God is given emphatically to both leaders and followers.      ----Billy Long                         RECEIVING THE ONES GOD SENDS I witnessed the ministry of Allen Arrowood and Leland Davis on many occasions. Both of these men moved in a very wonderful prophetic gift, and both of them usually gave supernatural words from the Lord to many individuals in the churches where they spoke. In keeping with their particular ministry, both of these men of God made it a point to tell their host pastors not to share personal information with them ab...