The Dark Side Of Church Leadership… This is not a new issue or debate, since the church has been accused of numerous misconducts for centuries.
The church’s leadership has been so misleading that many people, particularly young people, have left the church and their faith altogether.
We have seen in the news several instances of church leaders engaging in reckless conduct against church members.
Such as sexual assault, emotional abuse, fraud, murder, and several other criminal claims leveled against pastors and bishops.
But there are other factors that we don’t take into consideration, such as:
- Many ministry leaders in the church today are hypocritical and do not practice what they preach. Many church members have been confused and disappointed because they desire to grow closer to God and understand biblical principles that would help them in their daily lives.
- Many church leaders have determined that attending church brings you closer to God. This is certainly not true, because the church is the people and not any building.
- People may be critical of the church’s message since it is repeatedly repeated, and they learn nothing new that will help them deal with their life challenges. People want to be able to take charge of their circumstances (such as their mindset, financial problems, marriage problems, finding their purpose and discovering who they are, and so on), and many seek the church to help them find a solution to their problems because we see Jesus taking charge of circumstances and teaching His disciples to do the same in the biblical text.
- And many other reasons…
Are you someone who has left your church because of bad leadership you have observed?
Perhaps, the teachings were vague and didn’t serve you very well? Or you are not paying much attention to what’s going on in your church, therefore you are not sure yet?
Well, in this blog post, we will be recognizing 5 bad leadership traits within the church you should be alerted by.
Recognizing 5 poor Church Leadership
Not practicing What They Preach
This is a serious problem in many churches, as church leaders do not live what they teach to others, resulting in toxic leadership and moral failure.
When church leaders hold leadership positions, they have a significant impact on the faith community.
Unfortunately, some leaders may not practice what they teach, which can have a negative impact on members.
People want to be able to look up to ministry leaders because they want trustworthy leaders who model what they teach them.
They want to look at them as an example of how it looks to be a believer —- how it looks to represent God.
This is the job of a leader. Whatever a leader wants to lead others to, they must also live accordingly.
No one is faultless, and we all make errors. But, at the absolute least, we should do our best to put into practice all we want to preach to others.
Engaging in inappropriate or unethical business practices
One example of unethical business practices is when leaders put their personal financial gain over the well-being of the church or its members.
This might involve mismanaging church finances or manipulating staff members for personal benefit.
When church leaders indulge in these activities, they not only harm the church’s reputation but also cause a lack of trust among members and staff, and causes negative experience for the members and workers.
Spiritual abuse and other abuse
The church is frequently regarded as a place of sanctuary, where people can gather to seek support, direction, and comfort.
However, there is a dark side to leadership in the church that may include spiritual abuse and other sorts of abuse.
The manipulation and exploitation of humans in the name of religion are referred to as spiritual abuse.
This might include using religious doctrine to dominate or manipulate persons, as well as using spiritual power for personal benefit or to threaten others.
Other types of abuse, such as emotional abuse, psychological abuse, and physical abuse, can occur in the church. These sorts of abuse can occur in any workplace, including the church.
When leaders show these behaviors, they have the potential to create a toxic work environment that is unfriendly, frightening, and harmful to individuals
Abusing their position of power or influence for personal gain
Leadership positions carry a lot of responsibility, and leaders are frequently expected to behave in the best interests of the people they serve.
Some leaders, on the other hand, abuse their position of power or influence for personal gain, ignoring the needs of others and focusing completely on their own personal goals.
Leaders who abuse their power are not operating in the best interests of the people, which can have major ethical implications.
Lack of integrity/ Lack of character
Lack of integrity can present itself in various ways, such as failing to respect the faith’s principles and ideals participating in unethical or inappropriate behavior, or prioritizing personal interests above the needs of others.
The importance of character and integrity cannot be overestimated. Great leaders continually demonstrate these characteristics, even in the midst of hardship.
They recognize that the challenging task of leadership necessitates dedication to doing the right thing, even when it is difficult.
It is the leader’s responsibility to set the tone for the organization and to exemplify the type of behavior that is required of all members.
How Does Effective Leadership Look Like, And Why Is It Important For Kingdom Citizens
True leadership is really about servant leadership. Leadership is not about personal gain, it’s about the people you serve.
The best leaders are those who are always thinking about how they can bring value to people’s lives, and how they can solve their problems in the most effective ways.
True leaders go where there is no path and leave a trail by creating a path that leads somewhere that will benefit their followers. For leaders create, serve, sacrifice, nurture, and care.
Even if they don’t get anything in return for their hard work for their followers, they don’t lose their compassion for them or give up on them. It’s like nurturing your own children.
You never stop caring despite getting nothing in return. You still sacrifice, because it’s not about you, it’s about THEM!
Effective leaders are also those who have a vision of where they are aiming to lead people.
If a person is aiming to enter into leadership and has no vision for the future, that person surely can never become a leader!
And this is also one of the early signs of BAD LEADERSHIP. You can tell if a person is truly a leader by observing whether or not he has a vision, or if he’s only here for his personal gain.
As we can observe in the Bible, in the early church, like apostle Paul — their focus was always the people.
They would risk their lives for the vision they have for the people. Are church leaders willing to do that, or are they just here for their own benefit? Are they just here to gain a title and power?
Why should we care as Kingdom citizens?
As Kingdom citizens in the Kingdom of God, we have a major responsibility to bring a positive change in the environment around us.
According to the Word of God, we are obligated to enter into effective leadership in order to represent the Kingdom to the world.
As Christ Jesus said in His teachings:
“You are the light of the world.” And, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” This refers to leadership.
But that doesn’t mean you are obligated to work in a ministry to impact the Kingdom.
When we are in a good relationship with the Father, He will show us a vision of what He wants us to do.
He sends each of us to places where righteousness, justice, and morality are in need.
Each of us is given gifts and talents that could be used to address certain issues in the world. He could send us to places like:
- Social media
- Politics
- Music Industry
- Film industry
- Business
- Education
- Health care
- Etc.
The World Is In Need Of Your Leadership
You may not believe that you are a leader. But in fact, everyone has leadership abilities within us that need to be released.
God created us to have dominion over all resources as stated in genesis 1:26. One of the meanings of the word dominion is leadership. You were created and born for leadership.
God gave us gifts and abilities to bring a good change in the world.
The world is especially in need of people who represent righteousness and justice, people who shine a light on people living in darkness.
It is good to be aware of the bad leadership in the church, so we can learn not to imitate those destructive leaders.
We can look at them as examples of who we should not become, and we can learn to do a better job for the sake of the lost sheep who have been scattered by the wolves who appear to be in lambs’ clothing.
It’s important for you as a Kingdom citizen to find your God-given purpose for your life, and to learn to be an effective leader who brings good change. A leader who serves cares, and has compassion for people.
