Mark Driscoll, Ravi Zacharias, James MacDonald, Bill Gothard. What do these men have in common? Large ministries, positions of influence, and scandals. Shocking as it may be in the moment, we’ve become used to the all-too-common news that another respected leader isn’t who we thought they were. Powerful Leaders?, by Marcus Honeysett, takes a look at why church leaders misuse their authority and how to prevent it.
To the world, leadership means power and influence. It means being the boss. However, Christ calls leaders not to be served, but to serve. Pastors have power and influence, but they must exercise it in servanthood, in weakness, and in humility. This tension, between legitimate use of authority and illegitimate misuse, is not always easy to parse.
To clarify this, Honeysett illustrates authorithy as a spectrum with five distinct categories. Legitimate power can be formal (church governance) and informal (relational influence). Yet it’s easy for legitimate power to morph into coercion—first to serve others, then to serve self, and finally falling into the most serious abuses (37). Honeysett believes that “the great majority of leaders don’t deliberately set out to abuse power and position” (3). No doubt some shepherds are wolves from the start, but many fall into unhealthy patterns with the best of intentions. Honeysett points out a number of ways that unhealthy church culture and unattainable expectations for leaders set the stage for problems.
My initial reaction to this book is that this isn’t an Anabaptist problem. We believe in plurality of leadership; ministers are picked from among the church body; and it’s unlikely many are in it for the money! Nevertheless, those strengths also come with some unique weaknesses. Honeysett points out that “strong communities amplify the possibility of both good and harm.” It’s easy to see how “expectations of a high degree of submission” could be abused (73). He also points out the danger of church cultures that “are given to self-congratulation” or believe they are “the only real expression of faithful Christianity” (147-148).
Honeysett encourages pastors to self-reflect on their use of authority, but he also addresses churches and individuals grappling with abusive leaders. We may wonder why bad situations can go on for so long, but confronting unhealthy leadership often brings painful repercussions in return. “In any given instance,” Honeysett observes, “it is easier to conclude that something doesn’t warrant taking action than to decide that this is the final crossed boundary that does” (108).
As always, I recommend reading with discernment (the author cites psychologists for several ideas, and one illustration includes a female deacon on the church leadership team). That said, Honeysett, does a good job of calling churches and leaders to a high standard without resorting to the cynicism of our age.