Leadership questions

Dear Editor,

We are hearing more about failures of Christian leadership than we have been accustomed to hear in the past. It is certainly not because such failures are a new feature of evangelical church life, though to make them the subject for a book seems a rather depressing task for an author to set himself (ref. en April review of Powerful Leaders). It is not, however, a new problem and the New Testament acknowledges this; indeed it provides us with a clear understanding of the roots of the problem and how it should be dealt with. The reviewer does not tell us whether or how Marcus Honeysett expounds the Biblical material.

Several of Paul’s letters speak of the problems that arose in the churches as a result of leaders intent on pressing their own theologies and practices on believers. In the letter to the church at Colossae Paul is particularly definitive and exposes precisely where things have gone wrong. In just half a sentence he pinpoints the challenge that every believer is familiar with in their own experience: They have lost connection with the Head. (Col. 2:19) This had resulted in strict legalism and a brand of super-spirituality (2:16-18). The loss of their personal walk with the Saviour had exposed this group in Colossae to ‘the elemental spiritual forces of this world’ which inevitably led them to a spirituality that was adrift from truth.

There is probably not a Christian on the planet who does not know from experience the fundamental importance of maintaining our relationship with Christ. We all know what happens when we let go of those times of prayer and personal Bible study (as distinct from sermon preparation): our dependence on the Lord is weakened and the work of the Spirit in our lives is inhibited.

This becomes the more important for those who carry the responsibility of serving the Lord in leadership. Nowhere are they more vulnerable than in this. And every failure of leadership begins where the ‘connection with the Head’ breaks down. We do well to nurture our own love for the Lord and to pray for those who bear the responsibility of leadership that they do so too.

Yours sincerely

David C. Potter
Reading
 

We regret that on the basis of legal advice it was necessary to redact some parts of the next two letters.

Dear Editor,

We’re grateful for en’s well-researched article about the Revd Dr Stephen Sizer.

en says Dr Sizer is the subject of another Clergy Discipline Measure. We believe the Church of England in its current state cannot be expected to deliver the justice called for in 1 Corinthians 6:1. In what other circumstances do evangelicals treat liberal Christians as dependable arbiters of justice?

We’ve identified the repeated refusal of evangelical leaders to face up to their own responsibilities.

These problems reveal a leadership in crisis. We recall the as-yet-unheeded verdict in ‘Theme 2’ of 31:8’s Lessons Learned Review Concerning Jonathan Fletcher, that those responsible for maintaining the unhealthy culture of our conservative evangelical community should consider their positions and step down. With great sadness, we echo that conclusion in relation to this additional scandal.

Yours sincerely,

Revd Nick Howard and James Mendelsohn
By email

Dear Editor,

Many thanks for your helpful and thorough article concerning the Revd Stephen Sizer.

In an age when much that is written on ‘social media’ is dismissed or twisted, you have shown that there is still real value in serious, careful reporting of issues that are highly relevant to our Christian lives.

Yours sincerely,

Revd Carl Chambers
Wilmington