Titles...or if we ape the world, we follow it.

Text of a letter I sent to an editor:

Nine aberrant forms of Christian leadership?

I can only think of one: the very idea of Christian ‘leadership’ itself.

The basic cement of Christian community (that is, the church) is not some import from the preening princes of modern business; the sadly misnamed ‘leaders’, but ministry.

The New Testament cares little for leaders, despite that some versions mistranslate to this modern concept in places; it cares for service and being brothers together.

Nor is the fake concept of ‘servant-leader’ any use.

Any deployment of the concept of ‘leaders’ instantly splits the church in a toxic parody of business that separates those who control the shareholders’ till from those who don’t, with self justifying language games that fake hierarchy of purpose where there is none.

Even Christian organisations strive to mimic worldly hierarchy and prestige with the vain titles that we find in business: CEO? What’s wrong with ‘Administrator,’ for instance? At least that reflects a biblical gift.

I saw the apogee of this recently in a church advertising for an ‘executive pastor’. His or her job will be, of course to...’lead’; the only things I know that need to be led are dogs and sheep, not other people who are filled by the Spirit of God and endowed with his gifts.