Has Church Leadership Devolved?
An Accepted Long Standing Habit
Churches have operated as organizations long enough that it’s become as routine to consider church leaders as officers as to refer to buildings as churches. Inaccuracies can become so embedded, they become accepted – even defended.
Thomas Paine, in Common Sense, wrote:
“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right. and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.”
Paine’s commentary is insightful and applicable – maybe he’s worth another listen.
Before proceeding, I need to clarify my intent. This post is NOT a personal criticism of any church leaders with whom I’ve been engaged over the years. I admire the willingness of those who serve in a thankless, difficult, and substantive role. My intent, in this post, is to illuminate a traditional philosophy of church leadership that is rarely challenged and widely accepted – a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong. I believe the habit is worthy of re-consideration, and that a re-think is past due.
If anyone feels criticized, please give me the benefit of the doubt, and contact me to discuss it personally. I mean no disrespect.
My concern is based on personal experience and a prolonged reflection of the way leadership has morphed over the centuries. I served a local congregation in a leadership role, for five years, two decades ago. Like most who serve, I served in the manner I’d observed in those who served before me. My grandfathers served 40+ years prior to my serving, and I suspect they functioned as their predecessors had functioned, and as I did – juggle managing matters of business, finance, real estate, outreach, benevolence, spiritual welfare, counseling, teaching, training, security, and employment.
For centuries, church leaders have functioned like directors, managing a local church like an organization – one which reflects Western governmental and military environments and organizational philosophies. Protestant churches, who historically opposed Roman organizational structure, remain addicted to elements of Rome’s structural influence. We’ve drifted far enough that churches who desire to mirror the nascent church – who met in crypts and homes, and shared communally with each other – have amassed an organizational enterprise that compels layered management. This approach is not unique or isolated; all denominations participate, or are guilty – depending how we choose to describe the situation. Meanwhile, the sheep remain mostly indifferent.
Leaders and followers have become naturalized into a system that perpetuates itself over generations. We’ve all been naturalized by a long habit.
It’s no mystery how this came about. For starters, prior generations who grew up feeding at the trough of the mother KJV, believed being an “officer” was the Biblical intent. Even though the influence of the KJV has been diluted, nearly 60% of English Bibles still translate “oversight” as a position or title in 1 Timothy 3:1.
Let’s tap the brakes, and rethink the words of the NT, and see if we’ve gotten off track. Remember, if we want to know what a Bible word means, see how it is used in the Bible.
Three different terms are used for church leaders:
Presbyteros (Elder); describes an older, wiser, more experienced man, who, in a church context, mentors and guides the community of believers.
Poimen (Shepherd or Pastor); a familiar analogy demonstrating mentoring and guiding
Episkopos (Overseer or Bishop); describes someone who “watches over”
When these words were written, they were common terms, widely understood outside a church context, and familiar to first century readers. Collectively, they describe a church leader.
It is in episkopos, or overseer, where the drift is most clearly observed. First, as the most ambiguous of the three in the non-church context, there are wide interpretations, and broad applications, of what church overseers are called to oversee. Over 1800 years, episkopos morphed into bishop, in word and meaning, as it was translated from Greek to Latin to Old English to Middle English and to Modern English. Interestingly, Tyndale, in 1526, refused to use “bishop” in his translation, because of the Roman inference. However, King James ordered his translators to use bishop.
The influence of the KJV can’t be underestimated.
So, what are church overseers, who are older / wiser / more experienced mentors, who shepherd the sheep, called to oversee?
Luke, in Acts 20, uses all three words, in recording Paul’s speech to the Ephesian presbyteros. Paul says these men are God appointed episkopos, and charges them to:
Pay attention to each other
Pay attention to the flock
Poimaino the flock
From Paul’s charge to these overseers, it’s reasonable to conclude they are to watch over the spiritual matters of the flock, including themselves, as episkopos is interpreted in the context of poimen?
The second reason for the drift is based similarly on the shaping and thinking process that translated episkopos into bishop. When leaders and followers hear “leader”, they think “authority” – authority over a broader scope. So, even when “bishop” was not used, authority endured - the residue of centuries of Roman and Western influence in society and in churches.
What is Biblical leadership? Peter refers to Jesus as the poimen and episkopos of our souls. Jesus claimed to be the good poimen. Consider the warnings of Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah about neglectful shepherds and scattered sheep. Biblical leadership is spiritually nurturing servant leadership, as modeled by Jesus – modeled by leaders to the sheep in their midst.
Eventually, this discussion will center on what comprises a spiritual matter. Before it does, I offer a pre-emptive caution: Historically, we’ve been more inclined to broaden the scope and argue for those additions to be called spiritual.
This long habit has a superficial appearance of being right. When someone speaks out against it, uproars will ensue, even from among leaders.
Shepherds and sheep should remember……
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, which God’s Spirit made you an episkopos, to poimaino the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.”