Church Politics

By Church politics I mean the way church leaders relate to one another and to others in exercising authority and determining the way things will be done in church life. The term "church politics" often has a negative connotation - however I am using the term in a broader sense. The policies and ways of church leadership may be godly or they may be ungodly. The way leadership is exercised is tremendously important to the Lord, so for this reason I believe it is worth writing about this and opening up the subject. Church leaders may say they believe all that the Bible says but this doesn't mean that the Bible's message fully shapes the values and policies of the leader in question.

The Need for Leadership and Structure

A small group of Christians bound together in a group to meet each others personal needs does not need a whole lot of structure or organisation. Such a group might be compared to a small village on the main road - only one road is needed and all the houses are on that road. However, a large town or city cannot have just one road. Instead, a huge network of interconnecting streets, avenues and highways forms part of the organisational structure of that town or city. In the same way, if many Christians are to unite together somehow and yet have a diversity of function and activity, there will be a need for structure. There will be a need for organisation, accountability and responsibility. There will be a need for clear direction so that people working together co-operate well towards the same goal. These needs are met through leaders who assist in giving direction, organisation, accountability and responsibility. Without this, very little will be accomplished. "Without a vision, the people perish (or cast off restraint)" (Proverbs 29:18). The Bible exhorts Christian believers to respect and willingly choose to co-operate with the leadership in the local church. See Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12,13. This exhortation is hard to receive for some believers who have been hurt in their dealings with church leadership but the alternative is to stagnate, be unproductive and even poison the life of the church with bitter seeds. Without co-operation towards a common purpose nothing significant will ever be achieved.

When a church is first planted, a complex structure is not needed. It might take the form of a weekly Bible study in someone's living room at first. It can be compared to a human embryo in the early stages - simple structure, huge potential. However, if the group never recognises any leadership, it will not develop. Instead, it will only remain as long as the people involved all feel they are getting something out of it for themselves. After that, it will begin to disintegrate.

As leadership develops, so does the requirement for procedures, norms and policies regarding the church life. Church leaders use their authority to enforce certain standards. For example, certain practices such as fornication should not be tolerated amongst key members of the group. If they are, the Holy Spirit will be grieved and the group will soon lose its "saltiness" and Christ-like distinctiveness.

As well as this, the leader has a key role as "teacher" - setting out and explaining the doctrines of the church. Since there can be  disagreement between Christians in some areas of doctrine the leadership usually makes it quite clear what the position of that particular local church is on certain issues. Church leaders are appointed by God to guard the people of God against false teachings, and heresies of all kinds which can have severe or even destructive consequences for those believers accepting them.

As well as this, leaders of a growing church are on the lookout for people who God seems to be preparing for future leadership roles within the church. People are evaluated according to certain criteria for suitability. Some kind of policy - whether written down or not - must exist to help decide who may or may not be suitable for positions of responsibility and authority in the church as it develops.

When different churches leaders must interact the situations can be even more complex. Church leaders may have differences and personal ambitions which can lead to a conflict of interests. There are many different ways these tensions are resolved in practice.

Some Pitfalls in Leadership

It is a great privilege and also a great responsibility to be in church leadership. The Bible declares that such a role is not for novices in the faith. At least a few years in the faith is necessary (but not in itself sufficient) to produce the maturity required to handle the responsibility of church leadership in a godly and skillful way. God loves church leaders and will reward those who serve Him with a faithful heart. At the same time leadership is usually the first target of satanic attacks - be they direct or indirect. It is therefore our duty as Christians to also pray for Christian leaders. We should pray for their walk with God to be protected, their marriages, families, bodies and minds also. When we don't guard our leaders in prayer we open ourselves to potentially disastrous consequences.

The sad reality is that the devil does at times get inroads into the lives of spiritual leaders. This can happen very subtly, but can have serious negative consequences for those around them and their influence. It is very easy for a spiritual leader in a few moments to seriously hurt someone emotionally or give them occasion to take offense. Such actions can trigger an entire chain reaction of negative consequences - criticism, bitterness, division, strife, envy, discouragement and more.

It is very obvious that things need to change when a spiritual leader falls into some really gross or carnal sin - like adultery. What is not so obvious is when the ways of leadershiup begin to resemble more the ways of the world than the ways of Christ. When the values of the world - such as the desire for money, power and recognition - become the guiding values in church politics then the church has taken a fall and needs the prophetic ministry to restore it. We need to remember that the true values of the church should be the honor and glory of God, love, mercy and truth. People - even lost people - are tremendously valuable to God and should be to us also. When these values are forsaken and decisions are made on the basis of the former worldly values - such as lust, greed and pride, we have a serious problem. Usually these values are not openly acknowledged if they are present, but their presence compromises the church and tends to make people into hypocrites instead of disciples of Christ.

The Roots of Bad Church Politics

Bad church politics comes about when church leadership departs from either the leadership of the Holy Spirit or from the guidance of the Bible. These two are closely related. The Holy Spirit will urge us to meditate on the Scriptures and apply them, while the Scriptures urge us to be full of the Holy Spirit.

When the Holy Spirit is disobeyed or grieved and this is not repented of, an evil religious spirit gains entry. This religious spirit seeks to counterfeit the voice and authority of the Holy Spirit in the life of the leader. Even the partial influence of a religious spirit will have a negative effect on the development of the work of God. Religious spirits incline people to legalism, formalism and mechanical methodologies which don't need the Holy Spirit. These evil religious spirits seek to obscure our vision of the meaning of the cross and of Christ.  Religious spirits operate deceptively, justifying selfish behavior on the part of leadership. Such spirits seek to lead people into greater bondage to a form of religion which denies the power of God and of godliness.

When the values taught by Christ of love and servanthood are effectively replaced by pride, ambition and a love of power then the church politics implemented will grieve the Holy Spirit. A leader should model love and servanthood and not simply preach it so that he might be loved and served.

The Control Spirit

Sadly, some church leaders have got to the point where they must rely on techniques of manipulation and domination in order to maintain their positions of influence and authority. Such leaders are insecure and are easily threatened by those whom they cannot control. These leaders may have in the past been raised up by God for a great work, but at some point they departed seriously from God's will. To maintain their positions of power and influence, to preserve their "territory", such leaders resort to all kinds of manipulative political tactics which hinder the purposes of God's Kingdom and delay the outpouring of God's Spirit upon their communities.

Saul and David

A Biblical example of this was King Saul. Saul was threatened by David and tried to kill him. He used various tactics hoping to kill David, but without success, because God was with David. The entire story gives us many insights into what some refer to as "the control spirit" which is active in many segments of church life today, including the pentecostal/full gospel/charismatic circles.

Saul's downhill progression began when he felt compelled to offer a sacrifice himself - something beyond the scope of his God-given authority. Christi

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