If You Are A Leader, You Must Be A Servant, A Slave

Have you ever known a person who has an insatiable desire for control? Such people find their way in leadership positions at work, home, and, yes, even church. They are not happy in a supporting position. They have to be in control. They can never say they are sorry for their own mistakes. Instead they cover them up and make it look as if someone else is to blame. They steal other people's creative ideas and answers to existing problems and then take credit for them. They constantly give insincere or exaggerated compliments to others to gain their support and loyalty, but if they feel that someone is a personal threat to them or might expose their evilness, they talk negatively behind his/her back. Whenever they have the opportunity to speak publicly, they will take longer than the time allotted. They monopolize conversations. They always have to be the focus of attention. They never listen to others, and when they do, they only pretend.

These people come across as super-spiritual and they constantly boast about miracles that God has done for them and others when they pray. They go up on stage during the Sunday service at the wrong times and give a prophetic message or verse, or just plain take control, thus interrupting the flow of the Spirit. They brainwash others to put their faith in them instead of God. At the opportune time, when people can take notice, they show false humility.

If such a person is a woman, she usually dresses seductively, wearing low-cut blouses, short skirts, and so on. She knows how to get the attention of a man with smiles and flirtatious words. If such a person is a man, he is overly affectionate with women and a smooth talker.

In general, such people have a great deal of charisma. They do not have healthy relationships with their spouses or their own children. Instead, they are abusive. Many times they have sexual relations outside of marriage or use their spiritual power to sexually abuse children and young people.

They are greedy for wealth and material possessions. They never offer to work voluntarily without pay or low wages.

Every church needs to be spiritually aware of these controlling leaders or pastors because such people can hurt many souls, halt the move of God, and possibly split the church. Do we force the controlling leaders to leave the church? No! Do we publicly embarrass them in front of others? No! God loves them! Several elders and/or pastors in the church should approach an ungodly leader privately with love and the wisdom of God, and confront his/her controlling spirit. I believe that if this is done in the power of God's Holy Spirit, the controlling person can be set free and delivered before considerable damage occurs.

Controlling spirits tend to develop in people who have deep-rooted hurts and insecurities. As a Church, we just need to watch out for rising leaders and pastoral staff members with controlling spirits before they begin to destroy the unity and spiritual growth of a Church.

The Bible says that anyone who is a leader in a church or any kind of Christ-filled ministry must be a servant and a slave, not a controller.

"So Jesus called them together and said,

'You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people,

 and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.

But among you it will be different.

Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,

and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.

 For even the Son of Man came not to be served

 but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.'"

Mark 10:42-45

Jesus, God Himself, came to earth to serve others, not to be served. We are called to follow His example and serve others with the same selfless attitude, and this especially includes those who are in leadership positions.

The pastor who reminded me the most of a servant of God was the one who pastored our previous church in BC. After a church dinner, he would get up, help clear the tables and put things away. He didn't think anybody noticed, but I did, and so did everyone else around me. When it would snow, (and it snowed lots there), he would get up very early in the morning and shovel the sidewalks. One time I caught this pastor sleeping in a chair in a small dark room because his hours of sleep were few. This Pastor was a true servant of God. Was the church small? No. It was the largest and the most beautiful church building in the city.