It’s common to hear about Christian leaders who are no longer in ministry because of poor behaviour ranging from sexual impropriety, to coercive control and spiritual abuse. Whether out in the public media or closer to home in local congregations, a fallen leader causes pain for victims, families, and congregations, and does irreputable damage to the wider church and the name of God.

The bible’s leadership standards are applicable to both the church and the wider world. In 1 Timothy 3, Paul emphasises the need for character over skill, and you could summarise this into 4 key leadership traits:

Leaders are KIND


Kindness is a quality I look for in anyone I meet, and particularly in those who I might expect to be influenced by.  When someone fails to display a basic level of kindness, to me, it negates everything else they might say or do. Charlotte Armitage points out, “To truly offer kindness shows a level of psychological strength and resilience which is grounded in acceptance of oneself. This level of acceptance requires a significant amount of internal strength and takes hard work to achieve.”

Leaders are HUMBLE

Leaders should not be the type of people who are looking for power or position, or constantly broadcasting their achievements to the world. The bible is clear about the need for humility. In Philippians 2 Paul’s encouragement is to “have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had”. We’ve met a people over the years who come to church looking for some kind of public leadership position & we invite them to join our stewarding, refreshments, or welcome team - just to see how willing they are to get on with whatever needs doing.

 

Leaders have INTEGRITY

When challenged about sharing his faith in public, the athlete Kris Akabusi responded, “I do preach but only in my church, so they can see if my walk matches up with my talk.” It’s so important that leaders not only do the right thing, but are seen to do the right thing. Christian leaders should be an open book - we give up our right to privacy to foster transparency so that those outside the organisation can see that we are living with integrity.

 

Leaders are EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY

Understanding how our emotions impact on those around us is one of the most important things I have learned in my life and taught my children as they have grown. Although the actions of fallen church leaders are rarely excusable, a lack of insight & emotional health often goes some way towards providing some explanation for their poor behaviour. Pete Scazerro sums up his extensive writing on this subject beautifully; “The emotionally unhealthy leader is someone who operates in a continuous state of emotional and spiritual deficit, lacking emotional maturity and a “being with God” sufficient to sustain their “doing for God.”

 

If you have been hurt by a leader’s poor behaviour, then I am so sorry, and I honestly believe there is healing and freedom available. My prayer is for disciples everywhere - that we continue to grow kindness, humility, integrity and emotional health as we follow Jesus together.

 

Nigel Hemming

Senior Pastor

Winchester Vineyard Church