Why Authoritarian Pastoral Leadership Once Worked (But No Longer)

[illinoisguy]

How is it that the principle of dictatorial pastoral leadership worked so well, during the glory days of the IFB movement in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, but not so well today? Kevin Schaal, president of Foundations Baptist Fellowship International, has a plausible explanation.

"The great generation of World War 2 veterans that entered the ministry after the war ended built large ministries and evangelistic churches. Many of those leaders managed based on an authoritarian military model. It worked. It was effective. And effectiveness always breeds imitation.

"My father understood the Bible, had long been involved in church leadership and had a wise understanding of the business world. He often warned me to be careful. He told me that preachers of my generation would be tempted to try to lead as the great ones of the previous generation did, and if we did that we would fail miserably.

“'People today and into the future will not tolerate that kind of overtly authoritarian leadership style,' he said. 'The nation that had to galvanize itself together to fight existential threats from Germany and Japan would follow those kinds of leaders, but the coming generations will not.'

"He was right. Preachers of my generation that blindly imitated that type of leadership were eventually rejected by their congregations. Others that capitulated felt like they were failures or weak because they could not lead as their predecessors did. Both responses are wrong. We must follow a biblical model of leadership. Dad encouraged me to develop a philosophy and style of leadership that is not based upon secular models, but rather upon biblical principles. There is such a model. We call it Biblical Servant Leadership."

Is Your Style of Leadership Biblical?

As I preach through the book of Nehemiah, I am reminded of repeated conversations I had with my father over the years. I learned a lot from my father. He was an industrial engineer. His 40-year

www.proclaimanddefend.org

 

[ALAYMAN]

How is it that the principle of dictatorial pastoral leadership worked so well, during the glory days of the IFB movement in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, but not so well today? Kevin Schaal, president of Foundations Baptist Fellowship International, has a plausible explanation.

"The great generation of World War 2 veterans that entered the ministry after the war ended built large ministries and evangelistic churches. Many of those leaders managed based on an authoritarian military model. It worked. It was effective. And effectiveness always breeds imitation.

"My father understood the Bible, had long been involved in church leadership and had a wise understanding of the business world. He often warned me to be careful. He told me that preachers of my generation would be tempted to try to lead as the great ones of the previous generation did, and if we did that we would fail miserably.

“'People today and into the future will not tolerate that kind of overtly authoritarian leadership style,' he said. 'The nation that had to galvanize itself together to fight existential threats from Germany and Japan would follow those kinds of leaders, but the coming generations will not.'

"He was right. Preachers of my generation that blindly imitated that type of leadership were eventually rejected by their congregations. Others that capitulated felt like they were failures or weak because they could not lead as their predecessors did. Both responses are wrong. We must follow a biblical model of leadership. Dad encouraged me to develop a philosophy and style of leadership that is not based upon secular models, but rather upon biblical principles. There is such a model. We call it Biblical Servant Leadership."

Is Your Style of Leadership Biblical?

As I preach through the book of Nehemiah, I am reminded of repeated conversations I had with my father over the years. I learned a lot from my father. He was an industrial engineer. His 40-year

www.proclaimanddefend.org

While I agree that the idea of "dictatorial" pastoral leadership may have had fertile grounds to succeed in a day and age when institutional authority was more trusted and accepted as a matter of cultural conditioning, the opposite can be witnessed today, in that the watering down of doctrinal distinctives and abundance of groupthink (skinny jeans, coffee houses, fuzzy church names, etc) non-denominationalism is IMNSHO a capitulation of ecclesiastical leaders to the postmodern demands today that uncertainty is the superseding principle of pragmatism in determining truth.

 

[Walt]

Both very interesting reads.

 

[illinoisguy]

More from Kevin Schaal on the subject of pastoral leadership:

"As a pastor, I must convince, not command. This is extremely important. If a member does what I ask, just because I ask it, but not because they are convinced that what I am asking is truly God’s will and truly scripturally supportable, then I am running a cult, not a church, and their obedience is conformity, not righteousness.

"This type of leadership is hard. It is time-consuming and often does not produce the type of uniformity or support that leaders like within a congregation. But it does produce solid well-grounded Christians who are following Christ and his word, rather than a human leader or an organization. . . .

"Intimidation often works in getting outward conformity, but it is not the product of a righteous heart, and it does not produce true righteousness. It is just a form of bullying."

Intimidation Does not Produce Righteousness

To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.

www.proclaimanddefend.org

 

[abcaines]

More from Kevin Schaal on the subject of pastoral leadership:

"As a pastor, I must convince, not command. This is extremely important. If a member does what I ask, just because I ask it, but not because they are convinced that what I am asking is truly God’s will and truly scripturally supportable, then I am running a cult, not a church, and their obedience is conformity, not righteousness.

"This type of leadership is hard. It is time-consuming and often does not produce the type of uniformity or support that leaders like within a congregation. But it does produce solid well-grounded Christians who are following Christ and his word, rather than a human leader or an organization. . . .

"Intimidation often works in getting outward conformity, but it is not the product of a righteous heart, and it does not produce true righteousness. It is just a form of bullying."

Intimidation Does not Produce Righteousness

To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.

www.proclaimanddefend.org

Great excerpt.

 

[sword]

I believe biblical leadership is the follow me model. You lead sheep, you do not drive them.

Jesus said:
“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. 1 Peter 2:21

"And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. Matthew 9:9

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24

"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Mark 8:34

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" John 10:27

Paul said:
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

Joshua said:
Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”



Hebrews 13:7 - Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

We're suppose to follow their example and leadership, not be driven by them.

 

[abcaines]

I believe biblical leadership is the follow me model. You lead sheep, you do not drive them.

Jesus said:
“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. 1 Peter 2:21

"And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. Matthew 9:9

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24

"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Mark 8:34

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" John 10:27

Paul said:
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

Joshua said:
Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”



Hebrews 13:7 - Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

We're suppose to follow their example and leadership, not be driven by them.

What more needs to be said?

 

[voicecrying]

What more needs to be said?

Are you seriously asking that on the FFF?

 

[abcaines]

Are you seriously asking that on the FFF?

I know... silly me.

 

[Ekklesian]

How is it that the principle of dictatorial pastoral leadership worked so well, during the glory days of the IFB movement in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, but not so well today? Kevin Schaal, president of Foundations Baptist Fellowship International, has a plausible explanation.

"The great generation of World War 2 veterans that entered the ministry after the war ended built large ministries and evangelistic churches. Many of those leaders managed based on an authoritarian military model. It worked. It was effective. And effectiveness always breeds imitation.

"My father understood the Bible, had long been involved in church leadership and had a wise understanding of the business world. He often warned me to be careful. He told me that preachers of my generation would be tempted to try to lead as the great ones of the previous generation did, and if we did that we would fail miserably.

“'People today and into the future will not tolerate that kind of overtly authoritarian leadership style,' he said. 'The nation that had to galvanize itself together to fight existential threats from Germany and Japan would follow those kinds of leaders, but the coming generations will not.'

"He was right. Preachers of my generation that blindly imitated that type of leadership were eventually rejected by their congregations. Others that capitulated felt like they were failures or weak because they could not lead as their predecessors did. Both responses are wrong. We must follow a biblical model of leadership. Dad encouraged me to develop a philosophy and style of leadership that is not based upon secular models, but rather upon biblical principles. There is such a model. We call it Biblical Servant Leadership."

Is Your Style of Leadership Biblical?

As I preach through the book of Nehemiah, I am reminded of repeated conversations I had with my father over the years. I learned a lot from my father. He was an industrial engineer. His 40-year

www.proclaimanddefend.org

A 'leadership style' that changes is not a true one. It was never the pastor that had to be obeyed. It was and is and always will be Christ that must be obeyed.

If it was ever the right kind of church leadership one day, then it is the right kind any day.

 

[illinoisguy]

Another congregation decimated by a bullying pastor - FBC of Fort Lauderdale (SBC):

"Shortly after he joined the church in the spring of 2019, [Pastor James] Welch quickly lost favor among a significant number of members who branded him a toxic bully. . . . Since Welch's arrival, the dissidents said that attendance in 2020 fell from between 1,000-1,200 to almost 750. Last Sunday, the church attracted 160 people to a sanctuary that seats 2,500, The Capstone Report said."

Pastor of First Baptist Fort Lauderdale abruptly quits ‘to pursue other interests’

Four years into his reign at the historic First Baptist Fort Lauderdale church in Florida, which was marred by public disputes over his leadership style and financial management, Lead Pastor James ...

www.christianpost.com

 

[AverageJoe]

Sad.....truly sad...but, it happens.

 

[prophet]

"worked".
It was ungodly, so, by default, it didn't "work".
The fruits of this speak for themselves.

 

[Ekklesian]

Another congregation decimated by a bullying pastor - FBC of Fort Lauderdale (SBC):

"Shortly after he joined the church in the spring of 2019, [Pastor James] Welch quickly lost favor among a significant number of members who branded him a toxic bully. . . . Since Welch's arrival, the dissidents said that attendance in 2020 fell from between 1,000-1,200 to almost 750. Last Sunday, the church attracted 160 people to a sanctuary that seats 2,500, The Capstone Report said."

Pastor of First Baptist Fort Lauderdale abruptly quits ‘to pursue other interests’

Four years into his reign at the historic First Baptist Fort Lauderdale church in Florida, which was marred by public disputes over his leadership style and financial management, Lead Pastor James ...

www.christianpost.com

illinoisguy: there ain't a failure he won't feed upon.