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The Power of Truth
During the course of your ministry, you’ll likely face challenges such as:
- A moral failure of a staff member or key volunteer
- Rebellion of a key leader
- Vicious and dangerous gossip or rumors
- False accusations
- Financial struggles
This week I’ll write several posts about the power of truth during challenging times.
In my opinion, many leaders foolishly avoid confronting problems publicly that should be confronted. (On the other hand, some leaders let small problems bother them so much they make public issues about things that should remain private.)
How do you know when to go public with a challenge? You might want to confront the problem head on if:
- The issue affects most of the people in the church
- Frankness would eliminate fear and rumors
- Your lack of visible leadership would be perceived as bad leadership
In the next post, I’ll show a five point strategy for going public during challenges and talk some about the first step.
What is the most challenging leadership issue you are facing (or have faced)?
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Our system of leadership has several elders that actually can act as a sounding board for me. Many things are talked through and dealt with in private counsel with 3 or 4 other men that never have to see the “light of day.”
Challenging leadership issue? Someone who wants to be a lone ranger instead of part of a team.
I had a man who didn’t like me reading books from people like you, Rick Warren & Mark Driscol. It got so bad he printed out 6 ft of papee on things I had said on my blog & others. (who has that much time). Then he organized a group at a local rest. to get me removed.
When I got wind I pulled our leadership together & read from Matthew 18. I told them he needs to meet with me that week. He refused & the leadership made it known that he needed to leave until he repented.
BTW: I’m reading IT & it is helping me sort through a lot personally, thanks.
GREAT POST!
In my opinion, Leaders need to choose to “get in” the mud at times and just “get real” with the issues even if they get dirty (oh no) in the process! When leaders stop being “real” and start being “Religious” ….then no one is benefiting. We sing “I surrender all” on Sunday…but what if it gets hard? Do we really” surrender” or just take the easy way out ?
The power of truth saved our marriage.
Thanks again for being a true friend.
Well, we’ve had several…
1)We had to choose - in the wake of our pastor’s wife’s suicide - to be truthful about her mental illness. That should have been talked about sooner I think, rather than after the fact. It would have made things at least a little easier - it was like dropping two bombs. In the instance of suicide what to say and what not to say was very difficult to discern. Too much info is not good, too little gives great room for speculation. (which occurred)
As for right now, I think just being in an interim phase and all of the uncertainty and wondering is hard. People’s opinions really come to the forefront and we’ve experienced difficult situations because of that too in a time where we do not have a senior pastor.
Gossip is the unseen poison. Guilty of it myself. The hard part about it… is that we can gossip about all the other things. Do we really care about people? Or do we want to share “prayer requests” to our own guilty delight? tough stuff. More tempting to talk about someone than to help them because we know we can’t force them to change. Gossip makes leaders irrelevant.
Bill, Sounds like you have a good system. I pray the lone ranger becomes a team player.
Kevin, Good to hear from you. Glad “it” is speaking to you. Hope you’re doing well.
Jenn, Well said.
Cindy, I praise God for his miracles in your marriage often!
Janowen, You have had many challenges. I am will keep praying for you each time you comment.
Evan, You are so right… gossip is deadly.
Senior leadership functions below my leadership level.
Absent senior leadership 30% of the time at current ministry.
Senior leadership will not listen to staff issues that affect the mission of the local church.
Lack of vision from senior leadership.
I believe it is said, the truth will set you free. It is a sad thing when a leader doesn’t come out with the truth at the beginning; however, once he/she knows she is busted, comes clean. I know this is hard (to be honest upfront) but let’s consider everyone and not just ourselves. We do the KINGDOM great service when we tell the truth. Once again, this is hard. Looking forward to reading more Craig.
Me. If I am honest with myself right now. I am the biggest obstacle I face in ministry. I have such little faith. I am so easily distracted. But most of all I think I am too afraid to go public with my faults because I don’t want people to criticize me. I’m so afraid of failing or letting others down or being responsible. And I feel so inseucre about my “lack” of talent and ability. I know I am serving God where he wants me to be serving Him. And I know that I am doing the things (job description) that he has called me to. But I feel alot of pressure to be something I’m not sure that I am.
In reading the openning 5 situations, in my nearly 8 years I have dealt with 4 of them and some of them more than once. I agree with your assesment of how to handle them. Any way you cut it though these are always hard on you personally and on the leadership of the church, as well as many times the church itself. For me the hardest part is always dealing with the aftermath and colladeral damage done.
knowing what lines to draw in the sand.
knowing when to draw lines in the sand.
having the spiritual “balls” when it’s time.
Kenyon, I admire your honesty! Sounds like you are in a place where God can do something significant in you.
Kenyon, I am praying for you today, that God will bring you across someone you can open up to that will embrace your honesty, for what it is.. True Humility. GOD gives grace in your time of need.
Greatest leadership challenge? Someone very gifted in ministry that wants to operate on their own island… I am a sold out believer of TEAM ministry in every aspect. This wisdom was a learned response from failing at doing alone first!
There will be a book available on this innovative approach in the very near future.
Craig, thank you for your prayers. I have learned much and been challenged and comforted by this “community” as we’ve struggled and endured! We do see God at work in our church and I am certainly wiser, deeper, more compassionate, etc.(I could write a book about how this has affected and grown me personally) We have learned alot. We desperately long to move with God and be used by Him as a church body so we appreciate your prayers and concern.
and oh, btw, we celebrate our 10th birthday as a church THIS SUNDAY! We are praying it is an exciting day of praise and thanksgiving.
2 big challenges, one recent and one not-so-recent: In May, I had to downsize 25% of my team. It is probably one of the worst things anyone who manages people can be involved with. You are shattering people’s dreams and aspirations. In that situation, I made it quite clear that it is not the result of anything that they have done personally, but it is attributed to current state and future viability of the organization. Inevitably and unfortunately, sometimes it really is a numbers game. As much as is possible, I tried to offer encouragement that they have individual and unique value and worth, and that another place will be very fortunate to have them on their team.
The other situation is having church members come forward with tangible evidence of ministry “entitlement”/incompetence and a senior pastor (to Craig’s point) who did not want to confront the issues. It ended up fracturing the church leadership between those who felt that corrective action was needed and others who felt led to support the senior pastor “no matter what.”