New book reveals the main reasons ministry leaders fail
For Immediate Release (Spokane, WA) — In a Barna Research study, over 82% of young people aged 18-35 believe society is facing a leadership crisis. Additionally, one third of those surveyed believed that what it takes to be an effective leader seems to be changing. The headline-grabbing failures of church and ministry leaders in the last few years have not gone unnoticed. Author, publisher, and Senior Fellow of the Association of Biblical Higher Education Scott Rodin believes he knows the answer to this leadership crisis, and in his new book “Set Free to Lead, ” he gets specific on why ministry leaders often slip up.
“Too often, well-intentioned Christian leaders at every level get shackled in chains of fear, stress, discouragement and burnout because they accept a way to lead that is not God’s way. This bondage can spiral downward with disastrous consequences,” says Rodin. “Over the past two decades we have counseled and coached hundreds of Christian leaders nationally and globally. We have heard countless stories of leadership failure, most of which do not end up in the kind of national headlines we have seen all too frequently recently, but still cause pain and spiritual damage to the body of Christ. The most common denominator, in fact the common starting point in these stories of moral and ethical compromise and failure is a loss of intimacy with Christ. This is one of the first issues I address in Set Free to Lead .”
Rodin contends that a “steward theology” is the best foundation on which to train any leader.
“As bearers of the image of God, we were perfectly designed to live as stewards through the four relationships that mark our core value and purpose: namely, our relationship to God, Self, Neighbor and the Creation,” says Rodin. “But many of us continue to choose to be owners instead of stewards, lords instead of servants. As a result, we place ourselves right back into the bondage from which Christ set us free. The journey of the steward leader is the path of discipleship, obedience, discovery, adventure, service, and joy. It is the way of freedom and the way of the cross. It is the journey of every follower of Jesus.”
In addition to the new book, Rodin offers leaders at all levels 15-week online courses in becoming steward leaders. Rodin’s organization hosts an annual Steward Summit of like-minded leaders which will be held on September 8 and 9 of this year. Rodin believes it is critical to teach those in ministry leadership how to be proactive about the issues that can lead to their demise.
“The temptation of self-reliance will push us toward the drive to succeed, and the more we depend on ourselves, the more we will be cut off from the daily desire to know God’s will and do it,” says Rodin. “If we can rely on our own strength, wisdom, experience, knowledge, and cleverness, we don’t need to be led by the Holy Spirit. Once we rely on ourselves to do things for Jesus, we forget the scriptural truth that apart from Christ we can do nothing. This spiritual stagnancy is at the heart of every failing of Christian leaders great or small, whether it be a moral, ethical, or physical failing. That is why we must confront this issue head-on.”
“Too often, well-intentioned Christian leaders at every level get shackled in chains of fear, stress, discouragement and burnout because they accept a way to lead that is not God’s way. This bondage can spiral downward with disastrous consequences,” says Rodin. “Over the past two decades we have counseled and coached hundreds of Christian leaders nationally and globally. We have heard countless stories of leadership failure, most of which do not end up in the kind of national headlines we have seen all too frequently recently, but still cause pain and spiritual damage to the body of Christ. The most common denominator, in fact the common starting point in these stories of moral and ethical compromise and failure is a loss of intimacy with Christ. This is one of the first issues I address in Set Free to Lead .”
Rodin contends that a “steward theology” is the best foundation on which to train any leader.
“As bearers of the image of God, we were perfectly designed to live as stewards through the four relationships that mark our core value and purpose: namely, our relationship to God, Self, Neighbor and the Creation,” says Rodin. “But many of us continue to choose to be owners instead of stewards, lords instead of servants. As a result, we place ourselves right back into the bondage from which Christ set us free. The journey of the steward leader is the path of discipleship, obedience, discovery, adventure, service, and joy. It is the way of freedom and the way of the cross. It is the journey of every follower of Jesus.”
In addition to the new book, Rodin offers leaders at all levels 15-week online courses in becoming steward leaders. Rodin’s organization hosts an annual Steward Summit of like-minded leaders which will be held on September 8 and 9 of this year. Rodin believes it is critical to teach those in ministry leadership how to be proactive about the issues that can lead to their demise.
“The temptation of self-reliance will push us toward the drive to succeed, and the more we depend on ourselves, the more we will be cut off from the daily desire to know God’s will and do it,” says Rodin. “If we can rely on our own strength, wisdom, experience, knowledge, and cleverness, we don’t need to be led by the Holy Spirit. Once we rely on ourselves to do things for Jesus, we forget the scriptural truth that apart from Christ we can do nothing. This spiritual stagnancy is at the heart of every failing of Christian leaders great or small, whether it be a moral, ethical, or physical failing. That is why we must confront this issue head-on.”
About Scott Rodin:
Scott Rodin is president of The Steward’s Journey and Kingdom Life Publishing and has worked with hundreds of organizations in the U.S. Canada, Middle East, Great Britain, China, India, the Philippines, and Australia. He is Senior Consultant and Chief Strategy Officer for The FOCUS Group, and is a Senior Fellow of the Association of Biblical Higher Education. He holds Master of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Systemic Theology from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He is the author of over a dozen books, and offers weekly blogs, podcasts, as well as daily texts of spiritual encouragement to ministry leaders. For more information visit www.thestewardsjourney.com.
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