Ridgell's Originals

I was talking to a good friend a while back who served a short time as an elder and is seriously thinking about quitting.  He felt called by the flock to lead.  He wants to help people and he wants to make good decisions for all the congregation.  He wants to be sure all his flock make it to heaven.  I have sat with him thru some horrible situations.  We have taken abuse together.

It is none of these that make him want to quit.

It is the power struggles.  He was not prepared to watch men who are the leaders of the flock engage in power struggles.  Sometimes it is overt, when ministers or elders ask to be in charge.  Sometimes it is more subtle as people manipulate and work to accumulate power.  But it makes him sick to know that every meeting is a war in the struggle to be in charge.  Elders at odds.  Ministers and elders bickering over who gets to be in charge.

I get it.  I hate it too.  It starts when some men lobby to be selected as an elder.  Or friends work to get their buddies selected.  Or when certain agendas become a litmus test for approval.

It has always been that way.  Moses faced it.  David faced it.  It happened in the congregations in the New Testament.

And it will kill a church if it is not stopped.

None of us are in charge of the church.  Not really.  And everybody says the right thing:  Jesus is in charge.  But don't listen to the words.  Watch the actions.  People that want to be in charge should probably never be in charge in the Kingdom.

And if you have to ask for power, you will never really have it.

And I do think we are all subject to this temptation if not careful.  So here is the test for all of us.

If people follow you, you have power.  You won't have to ask.  If they do not follow you, it is a fruitless exercise anyway.

But it is exhausting to dread going to an elders meeting.  Or meeting with the ministers and knowing there will be a power struggle.

I hurt for my friend, but I understand.  If I ever quit as an elder, it will be because I am sick of the power struggles.  Eventually that will divide and destroy a church.

And I won't be a part of that.  I can't.  And I know it happens everywhere.

So how do solve it?  Or can we?  I don't have an answer, but I do know that I talk to a lot of elders around the country who quit over power struggles.

I get it.