Sunday, August 12, 2018

Ministerial Accountability

I studied Bill Hybels' (and others') leadership theory for a postgraduate degree. I liked Hybels more than most. Now he has fallen into disgrace. A question which has taken centre stage in this is accountability -- with, among other things, his staff saying that they failed to hold him to account. I said that if everyone on the team had had a real heart for the kingdom of God, this might well have been enough to keep everyone on track -- and many have agreed with that. This is not, however, to condone Hybels' behaviour. OBSERVATION: A growing problem in ministry in the last generation is that ministers have been held more and more to account -- and, incidentally, deacons and members less and less -- to the extent that ministers are scrutinised and criticised for virtually every aspect of their being and doing, even where they are doing a pretty good job. At the same time, the concept of a divine anointing or calling upon them has little place any more, where once it was everything.

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