Do you ever sense the world is influencing the church way more than the other way around? Domineering leaders, bolstered by corporate-style church structures full of yes-men, have left a trail of victims in their wake.
In this lively podcast between guest host Lance Ford and JR Woodward, author of The Scandal of Leadership, JR contends that Protestant churches have adopted Western culture’s obsession with power, efficiency, and individualism.
The tendency for churches to elevate charismatic solo leaders isn’t new, Woodward says, tracing it back to Israel’s demand for a king. Today, many pastors’ drive for individual achievement, fueled by the “leadership movement,” paves the way for stepping on anyone in their way.
Indeed, sinister forces of domination and oppression are at work in many churches, contends Woodward, who examines Scriptures about spiritual warfare. The ministry may be branded with a cross, but it’s nothing like the heart of Christ.
Starting with the Sermon on the Mount as a blueprint, JR and Lance believe there is hope for churches to embody the mercy and truth Jesus preached and lived.
They call for leadership to be decentralized, so unchecked power is toppled, and accountability becomes relational. Drawing from The Scandal of Leadership, JR shares practical ways to engage in personal spiritual formation to align day by day with Christ’s character.
Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on how church and ministry leaders can take the road less traveled—of humility, mercy, and a purpose centered on Jesus.
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JR Woodward
JR Woodward, PhD, loves to awaken people to join God in the renewal of all things. He co-founded Missio Alliance and currently serves as the National Director for the V3 Church Planting Movement. He is an adjunct professor at several seminaries and universities, including Central Seminary, Missio Seminary, and America Evangelical University. Learn more at his website.
Lance Ford
Lance Ford is an author, church planter, coach, and consultant who has designed unique training systems currently being used by networks, seminaries, and leaders throughout the world. He has written several books including The Atlas Factor, UnLeader, The Missional Quest, and The Starfish and the Spirit. Lance holds a master’s degree in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary. Learn more at LanceFordBooks.com.
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One Response
I was a little underwhelmed by this discussion. It was kind of vague and spiritualish-language-y, and really, Oswald Spengler? Any conclusions he may have reached based on the historical and archaeologic knowledge available to him need to be comprehensively reevaluated, at best, and utterly junked, at worst.
And again with the enneagram. Why can’t people just accept that other people are complex and sometimes self-contradictory, instead of being determined to put them in boxes?