On Resisting Oligarchic Leadership in the Emerging/Missional Church
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Mark Van Steenwyk is at it again: questioning the emergence of oligarchy in organizations like Emergent and Allelon. He points to a wonderful article by Ginny Hunt (cited by Len at NextReformation here) where she gives 5 principles for allelon (greek for "one for another") based ways of organizing. These five principles are:
I find these principles a compelling formulation for Christian leadership for our times. I find Mark's comments timely as groups like Allelon and Emergent head towards new stages of their development. Of course, to some extent, all organized efforts, will find it hard to resist the spatializing forces of American distribution, media and business. I consider myself a friend, supporter and participant in Emergent and Allelon. I love both of these organizations. I know they will listen to Mark on this. At the same time, inevitably, these organizations, as they gain clout and media force, become a vortex for a forming oligarchy. Media exposure, publishing influence tends to shape ego. Forces emerge that constantly push and tug names into becoming a "club" where people are vying and (dare I say "competing") for visibility. I don't know if we can blame Emergent or Allelon or other organizations for this. Or at least single them out. For at least they are talking about it. Nonethless, it makes me sick how I inevitably get caught up in these games. I see others doing the same and it makes me want to puke. In the last few weeks, as I've had meetings, telephone conversations, and long walks, I have been asking myself how I can resist these sickening temptations into these COMPETITIVE POSITIONING games within many national organizations of clout (not just Emergent or Allelon).1) Power should be used to help others become powerful. This is the opposite of what usually happens. Power usually begets more power, but in the Kingdom of God, the citizens seek to use power to equalize power.
2) Power should be distributed as widely as possible among individuals and organizations. The law of oligarchy says that power usually concentrates in the hands of a few people. While there will always be varied degrees of power within human organizations, we ought to work to diffuse and decentralize power where possible.
3) Hierarchy in social governance should be reduced to a minimum. Kraybill uses the analogy of a ladder to demonstrate social hierarchies. He says the ladder should be flattened out. As that happens, coordination and cooperation replaces domination.
4) Authority for leadership should be freely given by the led. Leadership should not be imposed on a group nor self-appointed. Leadership naturally arises when it is freely given by the ones being led to the leader in response to the leader?s servant posture.
5) The Christian perspective looks down the ladder. The normal human tendency is to climb the ladder as quickly as possible, but the followers of Jesus work to serve the powerless at the bottom.
For me, I am convinced ... that I must resist these urges. For these games are so easy to fall into. And I believe these games distract from and sometimes even derail the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. For me, this kind of resistance, and keeping one's humble focus on the kingdom work set before me, requires spiritual formation. I'll suggest quickly a few regular practices for such spiritual formation.
1.) The Lord's prayer every morning, every night, and during the day, when I go on those long walks with God. I say it verbatim. Then I say it in my own words. Then I have silence. The phrase "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on earth (right here in this) as it is in heaven" is a key moment of spiritual formation for me.
2.) Allow fellow leaders, younger, less experienced, and with less education and knowledge than yourself to have authority in your life (by the Spirit). For me, it's most often a co-pastors group at our church. And then, EVEN WHEN they tell you things about your life and ministry that you know is bogus, "eat the crap," sit there and take it, and pray over it for days. This happened to me last weekend. I still think they were wrong on alot of things. Nonetheless I learned some things about myself. Furthermore, just the act of submission formed me a little further into the kind of leader Ginny talks about above. And it gained trust and empowerment for others.
3.) Never make unilateral decisions in a church. We have a Worship Committee which dialogues about our spiritual life at "the Vine." I regularly say around the church verbally that I "never make unilateral decisions" just so I'll never be tempted or allowed to. Normally, unless there is a doctrinal issue at stake (this takes explaining), I or the other pastors are automatically over ruled when "three or more agree" against us.
4.) Never stop inquiring about other people's gifts. If you see someone doing something well and with graced power, ask about it, name it, push them forward, empower them. I do this alot at "the Vine." Many times encouraging people has resulted in some failures (not moral ones). I personally don't think this is bad. For people have learned more about who they are in the Kingdom and are more ready to go to where they are called.
5.) All pastors should have to do some dirty work. As busy as I am, last week I shopped for groceries at midnight Saturday for our church wide potluck Sunday. Matt (another pastor) took care of the septic problem at the church building. People in the church are always telling me that as a busy pastor/professor, I should give up the details. I should, but not all of them. These menial tasks are what teach me that I am in, part of and a servant of the Body.
I've got more. But what about the rest of you? Any spiritual formation practices for resisting Oligarchy?
_______________________
PS .. don't forget Pernell Goodyear at Up-rooted on Third Places Thursday 7 p.m. at the Vine.
Also ... I'll be reviewing Vanhoozer's Everyday Theology next up.
Posted by David Fitch | 6:36 AM
COMMENTS:
David - I find your thoughts compelling...this is not an "Allelon" or "Emergent" issue...this is a cultural issue. Any time an institution is birthed where money is involved there are necessary steps that are taken to "position" that organization in the marketplace. If we didn't have to worry about things like income and paychecks and bills, we wouldn't be concerned about those realities. I have tried over the four years of the organization that I lead to be as "righteous" and faithful as possible. I have tried NOT to mix money and ministry...I have tried NOT to have hidden agendas based upon recruitment goals or balance sheets. But it is tough...especially if you want to see an organization have any type of financial sustainability. I agree that there must be safeguards within organizations that are Kingdom based that will bring checks/balances to the process. I am impressed with some of the disciplines that you specify...those would definitely be helpful especially in organizations that are attempting to imagine new ways of doing life as "ekklesia".
By the way, I am just blessed to be able to read your thoughts on your blog and participate in some small way in your life journey.
In Jesus,
Robin
rdugall@apu.edu
Youth Leadership Institute (www.yliapu.org)
Allelon contributor
College professor
11:02 AM
This post was just totally awesome! It came at the right time, I read Mark's post last week and was kinda upset about it, but didn't know what to be upset about.
On the one hand I was upset that he didn't really recognize that if you put people together around a common mission, beauracracy is inevitable.
On the other hand I was upset about the fact that...Beauracracy is inevitible and when you have a growing beauracracy you have power struggle (by the way, I know that I have not spelled the "B" word correct here...oops!), and power plays.
Your post taught me to be humble in the face of it all!!
12:16 PM
Robin ... thanks for the words. And blessings on your work including at Allelon. I am also a contributor to their site (one article) and love what's going on there. Be sure to read the good conversation in the comments about Allelon over at Mark VanSteenwyk's post.
To both Robyn and spam ... I think we're all trying to navigate the "forces" that work against true servant leadership. I thot Mark's was a post worth thinking about.
8:22 PM
David, yeh, these issues are difficult. Mark and I had a private exchange about some shared concerns earlier.. they are valid concerns and its important to have them on the table. I always second guess myself in these areas because I seem to have a natural suspicion when money funds rapid growth .. and visibility.. of an organization .. and I naturally lean toward "small is beautiful" and I don't know if that bias is always helpful.
Personally, your post comes at a good time. I have been thinking I need to volunteer to serve breakfast at a missional meeting downtown.. its more important than other ways I can contribute there at the moment.
9:30 PM
Mark's cautions are very helpful. I've noticed a few trends in this direction among the Emergent Village leadership, though to be honest, for the most part I've been very impressed at the way they do give power away and empower others. They've been nothing but helpful in supporting our Midwest Emergent Gathering this summer for instance.
9:44 PM
great post. love that "looking down the ladder" approach.
12:47 AM
dang, I think the comment form or the captcha somehow gobbled up the nice comment I just left - I'll try again.
David, I appreciate the tone that you've taken with your post here, and the cautionary nature of it rather than being accusatory or merely critical.
I left Mark a couple of comments yesterday following his post, and must say I was pleased with his response - the recommendation for not only his post but the comments attending it is helpful.
I've been in a couple of situations recently where some very harsh criticism was being levied. Some founded concerns were in the midst of it to be sure, but I'm finding that in the midst of such conversations, it is impossible to overstate the good (or the hope) in the midst of it, or to take too much care to explain the helpful motives one has in making difficult observations.
I think this is why I find the tone of your post so refreshing... let's just say it's very different than the one in the meeting I had this morning.
Since EV and Allelon are specifically mentioned (which is better than ambiguity), I think there's easy opportunity for people of like minds to miss one another in this exchange.
I think it may be helpful to be able to say that we believe these organizations have no desire or intent to build and oligarchical organization. In this, the message then becomes the fact that as they necessarily walk this path to which they feel called, we who observe and are blessed and helped by them must pray for the difficulty they face. In addition, they as we in all of our organizings and disorganizings must remember the helpful points you offer as preventative measures in building whatever structures may be necessary to facilitate the work to which each of us is called.
Would you say that last paragraph captures the essence of your heart in this post, or are you saying not that these organizations must guard against but that they are already or are becoming oligarchical?
Again, it's difficult to overstate some of this... viz., the nature of the comment as being a criticism or a caution - particularly as it's in a public forum. I love your sage advice on preventative measures either way.
10:58 AM
Great list David.
Along with other temptations, I think many leaders struggle with the neurotic need for recognition. This impulse draws us toward assuming positional authority and often leads us to create circles of influence where we are frequently "outgrouping" others.
I think a lot of us have felt this impulse even within the most grassrootsy missional conversations. It appeals to something very 'base' within us.
So let's keep praying that Lord's Prayer together ...
Thanks again, man ... bless you.
Randy Hein (Victoria, BC)
10:40 AM
Dave,
Good post. It continually perplexes me how so much leadership in certain sectors of the church seems to operate in opposition to Matt 20:25-28.
I like the fact that you single out doctrinal issues as different. I have long thought that this is primarily where pastoral authority lays. It is not so much an authority inherent in the person of the pastor, but rather the authority of the Word and (as I have learned from you) of the gifts of the Spirit. To me, this means the pastor is responsible for maintaining the integrity of orthodox doctrine and practice in the congregation (on essentials of the faith), but doesn't have the right to run the lives of his congregants in every way.
Also, pertaining to number four on Ginny's list, I think that sometimes people can freely give leadership to a person or group of people and it can still turn demagogic or oligarchic. This is because many people simply want someone who speaks with a voice of absolute certainty to tell them what to think and do. That is why number four on your list is so important. I think if leaders don't constantly take the initiative to bring people on board with what they are doing, many people will be happy to let the leaders do the thinking and run everything for them. People are often unaware of their giftedness and the authority that comes with it, especially because of the professionalism that infects the leadership of so many American churches.
By the way, I left a second comment with a question for you on the former post. It's one of the last two comments, so I don't think you ever saw it. I'd be interested in hearing your answer to my question there, if you have the time.
7:51 AM
Randy Hein,
Great hearing from you! I think you exactly right when you say "neurotic need for recognition"... and this is what we all must confess and repent of ... so that Gods' Kingdom can grow ...
Brother Maynard ... thank you for emphasizing the tone of this post... for I really do love the two organizations that happened to be mentioned ...they merely happen to be a prone as the rest of us to what we're discussing ... maybe not even the leaders of these organizations .. as much as the ones ( me included) who clamour around them.
Gord.. I agree and think you are right again ... and I went back to read your comment on the previous post and I think you said it better than I could have ... excellent ..
Blessings as we navigate these waters ...
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