Like i said, all people, including those within and without our group have the potential to be manipulative (just like your church community I’m guessing), so I’m not sure how being aware or unaware of our culture would change that. (?)

Unfortunately, most of them are overlooked or simply invisible, due to their nature of “non-leadership” – this means they do not show up on the radar of most traditional church measuring systems or understanding.

The dysfunctional ones however, are always cited as the norm rather than the exception to the rule, which only achieves a distortion of truth – something that I know you vehemently reject whenever the same sort of logic is projected onto church structures like your own (which you know I have been guilty of doing ;-).

Maybe there is a whole world of “others” out there that we all manage to overlook as we seek to reinforce our own “right” way of doing things. I know I am guilty of that when I look back towards the sort of church structures I struggle with – maybe you fall into this too???

As to whether people in our group are aware of our structure – oh boy, if only you could have been a fly on the wall over the past 4 years as this has been wrestled with time and time again – people are pretty clear, trust me :-)

Mark E – our culture? this is one of those loaded words that sends shivers down my spine a bit from past church leadership experience. In my experience, church “culture” has been used to exclude and marginalise and oppress those who are simply different. “Unity” has been warped into meaning conformity and has justified some of the most un-christlike behaviour from some of the most respected church leaders around.

At the end of the day – in all our communities we should be seeking to be christ-like, to encourage one another on the journey of faith. I think there is far less to protect in our group than say your community, simply because there are not positions of power to abuse, only people who are accountable to each other. New comers are welcomed into our space as being equally able to give and receive. manipulation has more to do with our sinfulness – something everyone in our group is equally able to do “well” :-)

firstly, you may not have an official leadership structure, but you are very right in noting that you do have a structure. i wonder if everyone is as clear on it as you are, because that seems to me to be the place where you are likely to fall into exactly problem that i have written about.

secondly, your group sounds incredibly mature and quite extraordinary, almost too hard to believe. it seems to be quite the exception to any group or organization i’ve personally ever seen, and i don’t mean that facetiously. i’m all up for exceptions, and perhaps your group is exactly that, but you have to forgive me a little skepticism… it’s just not anywhere close to the norm that i’ve experienced.

we choose not to structure it into individual roles and responsibilities – and that is clearly understood, accepted and celebrated by the members of our community.

we choose to allow each person the same access to the role of leadership, trusting that as we all move towards christ-likeness, the Spirit shapes and leads us in the moment. Our responsibility is to respond to the leading of the Spirit, and as we do we are encouraged, challenged, stretched, edified, drawn together and compelled towards others.

Now it is understandable to suggest that there could be subversive, manipulative levels of leadership going on – which I’m sure happens in all sorts of communities and leadership teams at different times (and ours would be no different).

However, we have chosen to trust one another with our own personal journeys and this includes our passions and fears and doubts and sense of calling. By endeavoring to remain intimate and vulnerable we choose to expose our personalities and habits to one another. Hopefully, this will keep our spirits open to constantly considering and examining our motives and leadership tendancies.

in the end, leadership is shared equally and happens sooner or later – but either way it comes from seeking to respond to the move of the Spirit amongst us as a community. this is a beautiful and treasured characteristic of our gatherings.

here’s to humble and authentic leadership. regardless of the structure or style it is dresssed up in.

peace.

I enjoy your challenge to open leadership. People might be initially resistant, but its better than fooling them!

Insightful post – time in Sydney is doing you good!

I’ve seen a few people (young adults) drop out of church life in recent times cos of various issues, including leadership. Influenced by idealistic notions of ‘let’s all lead’ they stray from protective leadership into a dangerous zone.

Keep writing on this stuff – very good

John

John Maxwell talks about this in one of his books. He said that when he moved in to a new role he would find out who the unofficial leader was, befriend them and influence them to get things done. I am not sure how that sits with me, but it does show that most groups have this sort of underground leadership in place.

Thanks for the post,
Dave