Leadership Power and Authority Is Being Defused
In case you missed it, we are shifting or have shifted in some cases to a network world. To use a historical illustration, think about the Catholic Church and The Reformation with Martin Luther. The 95 Thesis nailed to the front door of the church at Wittenberg, Germany started a decentralization of power and authority away from an institutional church to the people. Today, technology coupled with our pandemic disruptions, social racism, economic pressure, and election outcomes is all serving to defuse the authority of the church once again either in how we consume religious practices and content to how people are interacting with faith and belief in a digital world.
Our ability for global travel coupled with the Internet 2.0 is radically changing the volume of content that is available. Pastors, you do know that Gen-xer’s, Millennials and Gen-z’s are fact-checking your sermons in real-time for accuracy and who else has spoken on this sermon series? This reality was unheard of fifteen years ago but is now part of the worship experience in churches.
Consider Sociologist Max Weber’s three types of authority[1]. There is a Traditional Authority that is more of a Monarchy type of authority. This is followed by Legal Authority that includes Presidents, Congress, and big denominations. Finally, there is Charismatic Authority which focuses on the Charisma of a personality and their ability to attract followers outside of formal authoritative structures. Technology is allowing everyone to become a commentator and pundit. Our current President demonstrates the power of circumventing normal news channels to get a message to the masses via Charisma. The vertical authority of Legal Institutions is being eroded by the power of horizontal conversations of charismatic voices on the Web.
The unique challenge of Pastoral Ministry today is that Boomers and Gen-xer’s are leading Teams that are comprised of Millennials and Gen-zer’s. That is a difficult mix to say the least. So, what can be done to lead in an era of Social Tribalism? I believe that Sociologist Max Weber is missing a fourth level of authority – Spiritual Authority! Spiritual Authority is simply God grabbing our heart and shaping the passion of our voice and the sound of words in our content. Regurgitating everyone else’s content is not Spiritual Authority. The Apostle Paul gives clarity to Spiritual Authority in the Bible book, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV; And I, when I came to you, brothers,[a] did not come proclaiming to you the testimony[b] of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men[c] but in the power of God; 4:20 ESV; For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.
You may become drawn toward Charismatic Authority, but your spiritual transformation will only come through Spiritual Authority. There is something powerful about leaders who press in toward God and seek His presence through brokenness and tears, emerging with new authority that is not ours!
Is it possible that our pandemic shutdown and social distancing has opened up people to various new authorities? Are we beginning to watch the decentralization of all things BIG to all things TRIBAL which is more small community connected? How are spiritual leaders supposed to lead in the face of rapid changes culturally? Here is what I know, severe crisis and disruptions cause people to respond when confronted with pressure they did not create. Modern Evangelism has been defined as, watching people move from one idol to another idol because of crisis pressure and then stand in that gap with spiritual authority.
Joel 2:15-17 (ESV) is a right now present word for our COVID world! “Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. 17 Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations.[a] Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” Today is a day of great HOPE and FAITH in Christ Jesus!
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
[1] https://churchpulseweekly.org/2020/11/sayers-2/. ACCESSED 17 November 2020. Barna Podcast.
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