Brene Brown wrote, “In times of uncertainty, it is common for leaders to leverage fear and then weaponize it to their advantage. Unfortunately, it’s been an easy formula throughout history - in politics, religion, and business - that if you can keep people afraid, and give them an enemy who is responsible for their fear, you can get people to do just about anything. This is the playbook for authoritarian leaders here and around the globe.” (Dare to lead, pp 104)
Twelve years ago or thereabout, it was a tough choice for me deciding to do a doctorate degree in divinity or in organizational leadership. I deliberately chose the latter so that I could easily navigate grey areas of overlap among spirituality, reality and carnality. We pastors need to read more books on leadership and people development, as much as we read the Bible. Yes the Bible is the utmost book but it is regularly misused by leaders whose experiences in leadership and human management are limited. Such leaders capitalize and cash on gains of religiosity; thereby manifesting ‘rulers of synagogue’ syndrome, in Christendom.
There is a level of church leadership that many leaders attain and when they are exposed to great resources (human, material, financial, power, etc.) they become blinded to the thin line that separates theocracy and autocracy. The essence of the gospel is about people, not about financial returns, church buildings, materials, properties, legalism, etc; and definitely not about manmade organizational systems of intimidation, where religiosity is glorified over and above relationship. Anything that disparages the souls of people and wounds them to the point of despondency could only have its origin from the pit of hell.
Demonically accelerated end-time activities have trapped many Christian leaders into operating within the confines of life’s penumbra. The end results are confusion, and more confusion. These days we see many Christian leaders from all over the world; (China, Africa, UK, Ukraine, USA) criticize each other in languages that are more destructive than constructive. The paroxysm of communication they display on social media, even sometimes from the pulpit, speak more of hate than love. Many times I find myself soliloquizing, “Is all these still about Christ?”
Leadership is not about noise making in boastfulness. The best that leadership of intimidation can achieve is to put a wedge between a leader and his/her followers. True Christian soldiers must pick up the gauntlet and confront the kingdom of darkness with righteous indignation, and boldly for that matter. There is no better time than now for us to put on the whole armor of God and launch offensive onslaught against the lies and deceits of wickedness. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was not a drama and definitely not a joke. “Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding of power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop their potentials.” (Brene Brown) Potentials do not die in a living soul! Period👮🏽
Dr. Niran Fafowora
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