What has happened in ministry that we have felt the need to go corporate? Must we assimilate our ways to the ways of this world? Statements like the ones above and many like them are the on-slot of a worldly hostile take over in ministry today. Ministry Organizations have been pushed into the corner by fear and man handled by "the powers that be" to do ministry in a "safer" way, a more "organized" way, a more "professional" way. Sadly, those making these pushes very rarely have their hands dirty in ministry. Power, Politics, and Popularity has become the driving source of well meaning ministries all over our nation. For a believer, a follower, a Christ One, it goes without saying.... You can only have one source.
I was involved in a hostile take over once. A dear friend, mentor and boss grew ill rather rapidly. He could no longer Shepard over the ministry. The board of directors stepped in "with the best intentions" (true, some of them had... some) and asked this man to step down. When faced with this my friend, mentor, and boss did so. The next couple of years was like watching piranha. You might think that the biggest shark wins, but not this time... it was the smartest shark that won. This person along with the board of directors turned a God ordained ministry into a "board ran, small business" ministry. Many of the board and staff through that process resigned and the hostile take over was complete.
Now I want to mention that I myself was duped. The next "boss" was also a close friend of mine, at least for a while. I watched this person become someone I no longer knew. Once a God fearing person whose insecurities deepened their faith in God turned into a corporate monster that demanded excellence among those who were once peers, now only subordinates. This person told me early on "I cannot be your friend and your boss." Needless to say you know which one the person chose.
There are two kinds of leaders, there are those who are loved and there are those who are feared. Leaders who rule out of fear rule because they are afraid. Leaders who rule out of love rule because they know that they are loved by LOVE Himself. My friend, mentor, boss could be all of those things because he loved and knew he was loved by God. He never made me choose which one he needed to be in my life and he never made me choose between him and anyone else that was invested in my life. Love and encouragement flowed freely from him and therefore when it came time for him to be Boss... I respected that and he didn't have to ask for it. The demands of a fear-laden leaders will get results, but destroy followers. It's sad that we have lost sight of this in some areas of ministry today.
When the focus of ministry becomes some "product" you are selling the waters get real murky. Results based ministry will always have a surface level of grade A performance but deep down will be consistently superficial. With profit gains and budget agendas, new project launches and community networking, from results based motivations and performance based partnerships... "Corporate Ministry" just becomes another cesspool of politically correct identity theft clawing away at Who You Are In Christ and why you were chosen for ministry in the first place. And Where does Jesus fit in during all this? Oh, we prayed in His name at the beginning of our business meeting this month... that's right.
Maybe you are in ministry and have experienced this, maybe you haven't, and maybe you will soon. It is always heartbreaking to go through things like this because ministry is so personal and business is... well, just that "business". I went through many stages during my disillusionment like denial, shock, anger, rage, side choosing, plotting, depression, hurt, and hatred. I stayed busy finding someone to blame instead of trying to be the change. By the time it was all said and done, well... I had lost a dear friend and a ministry I loved to a hostile take over. Which will we choose?
Or
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