tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post114235906701751599..comments2023-07-25T10:52:13.925-05:00Comments on Because I said so: The Art of Self LeadershipChris Meirosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-1142374488736897722006-03-14T16:14:00.000-06:002006-03-14T16:14:00.000-06:00Again, I don't know if I would disagree with you h...Again, I don't know if I would disagree with you here OSO. I wrote a paper a while ago critiquing Hybels' exo/eisogesis in a presentation he gave at last year's Willow Creek Leadership Summit. Frequently I agree with Hybels' on the leadership theory, but disagree with how he came about getting to that point (which seems you're in the same boat). But with that said, I find him to be interesting and a spur that causes me to rethink how churches operate. Many/most churches in my life's experience are not lead as well as they need to be, and the world and the Kingdom both suffer because of it. I have been on staff of a church the last 3 years greatly suffering from this vacuum of leadership, and I'm afraid to say it may be closing its doors some time in the next calendar year because of it.<BR/> I do think there is a lot to be learned about leadership from the corporate world, but I think the corporate world has a lot to learn from the Bible. I'm big on servant leadership (my M.Div. concentration is Tranformational Leadership) so this is something I have spent a lot of time thinking about the past 4 years.<BR/> I love the book of Nehemiah as a great OT source for Biblical methods of leadership, and of course the ministry of Jesus has fantastic examples in the NT. You have any "favorites"?<BR/><BR/>Big ChrisChris Meirosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05717903860701408008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657772.post-1142372594649256102006-03-14T15:43:00.000-06:002006-03-14T15:43:00.000-06:00This is probably one of those times where I really...This is probably one of those times where I really doubt Hybels' wisdom.<BR/><BR/>First of all, to use Jesus and David as models of leadership is pure eisegesis - it puts the philosophical idea being put forward as the basis by which to hang certain verses from. David and Jesus are unique individuals in the bible and, while the character is obviously something that we can learn from, to argue that a theology of leadership can be discovered from their lives is not biblical. David and Jesus (along with many others in the bible) are God's means of rescuing his covenant people - therefore their leadership positions are closely aligned with God's plan of salvation - that God saves his people through their actions. The same canot be said for church leaders of today - they are not God's means of salvation, but used by God to point towards salvation through Christ. This is where Covenant Theology and Biblical Theology fit in.<BR/><BR/>Secondly, and related to the first point, Hybels tends to focus upon worldly experts as he has done in this article. This is not a huge problem per se, but his reading of the worldly experts is completely in tune with the texts they have written. By contrast, Hybels does not read the Bible as a proper text. So while Hybels can read worldly experts correctly, he reads the bible through preconceived glasses.<BR/><BR/>Thirdly, the only direction leaders should aim for is not north nor south nor east nor west nor in the middle, but "up". Ultimately, church leaders should aim to please God not just most of all, but solely. It is only by serving God solely that a church leader can discover how to serve those around him properly.<BR/><BR/>Fourthly, his use of worldly experts and people like Jack Welch bely the fact that he is essentially taking on board secular management and leadership theory as the basis of his arguments. While I have said above that taking worldly experts into account is not wrong, the fact is that Hybels is basing his entire spiritual message in this article upon worldly pragmatism. What is good for Jack Welch, Bill Gates and others is NOT good enough for the church. The fact that these men succeed in leadership does NOT mean that they should be used as examples that Christian leaders should follow. When this occurs, the Christian leader essentially becomes a CEO and the church becomes a corporation, with red-tape and organisational structures that attempt to direct outcomes that are not necessarily biblical in nature. <BR/><BR/>Everything leaders need to know to please God can be found in the bible. Only by approaching the relevant biblical passages without worldly preconceptions can we find out what these things are. Hybels and other Christian leaders have made the grave mistake of imbibing worldly philosophies without critical thought.Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight)https://www.blogger.com/profile/03143948543305522865noreply@blogger.com