achievable leadership

Of Fathers, Sons and Pulpits

"There is a tradition among superstar evangelists.... of bequeathing the pulpit to a son. Billy Graham did it, as did Robert H. Schuller." So says the LA Times in an article about Chuck Smith Jr being asked to leave his father's denomination. Part of the story's hook is that Chuck Smith Jr. won't be inheriting the mantle of leadership of Calvary Chapel. He's way too emergent for the fundamentally conservative Chuck Smith Sr.

There is much to make one sad in the story. CS Jr.'s story of his father not really being around when he was a kid. A story echoed in thousands of kids lives whose parents are "superstar" Christians. The disconnect of apparent warmth from the platform with a coldness in relationship with those who know the "superstar" best. The command and control style of leadership of Chuck, the elder.

One of the saddest things for me is the LA Times recognition of the peculiar tradition of pulpits and leadership being bequeathed to sons. Not being a bible scholar of any repute, I can't find this anywhere in the Scriptures. Oh, I do see the generational leadership traditions in Kings and Chronicles. And what a stunning success that is. (Go back to 1 Samuel 8 to understand the reason for this "success" regarding the Kings - not to mention Samuel's own success with his sons, Joel and Abiah.)

Imbi once had a pastor tell her, "God wouldn't have given me my kids if he didn't intend them to be in ministry with me." Really! This was months after he'd assured us that he didn't believe in nepotism. (Now, I recognize that there is a logical fallacy in that previous statement - just because PKs end up in ministry does not indicate nepotism...at least some of the time. And quite frankly, I think that Franklin Graham is a worthy successor to his father, as can be seen by his own work with Samaritan's Purse - although Billy's daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, is considered by many to be a better public speaker and evangelist.)

I know of a church where the senior pastor father is leaving his 1,500 person church to his four sons. It matters not that none of the sons are capable preachers, teachers or even particularly good servants. They are his sons so they get the church. It's nothing short of bizarre and I question how a 501(c)(3) can legally be "willed" to the children of the senior leader. What further amazes me is how people just go along with it. They are more than aware of the emperor's new clothes - they just refuse to say anything. And I am both saddened and concerned for the sons. How exactly will they lead a church they haven't got the skills or calling to lead. Their "inheritance" will quickly turn to dust. They will be saddled with a mortgage they can't pay, on a building they don't need with the remnant of a congregation they can't lead.

Jesus was once told that his mother and brothers were outside asking for him. Eugene Peterson renders his response this way:

"Who do you think are my mother and brothers?" Looking around, taking in everyone seated around him, he said, "Right here, right in front of you—my mother and my brothers. Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Many of the "superstar" Christians would identify themselves with a CEO model of church leadership. They are good to great at quoting Jim Collins (but not particularly good at putting any of his recommendations into place). What they fail to recognize is that 80% of family run businesses fail (or are lost) in the 2nd Generation. Most are gone (or out of family hands) by the third. I wonder what the stats are for pulpits bequeathed to sons?

Technorati Tags: Billy Graham, Christian, Chuck Smith Jr., Chuck Smith Sr., church, church inheritance, church leadership, Franklin Graham

Jesus - Apparently A Product in Need of Good Marketing

The Toronto Star has this rather interesting article: Marketing Jesus Christ

Certain black church leaders are practising a form of faith marketing worthy of a five-star rating, according to secular marketing executives.

Their mission is to shepherd believers and win over non-believers to Christianity, to a life of health, happiness and prosperity. There are no limits to their goals for spreading the gospel, healing their communities and building their ministries. Although their congregations are made up mostly of African Canadians, they embrace all who want to follow the gospel according to Jesus Christ.

Wise to the ways of effective marketing, these Toronto-based black evangelical ministers are using integrated marketing methods most associate with mega-corporations like Disney, Wal-Mart and McDonalds. They employ state-of-the-art technology, media and entertainment products to spread their faith message, promoting and distributing their religious ideas, goods, services, organizations and events to a market of Christians and potential believers.

Apparently, the way to grow the family really is through good marketing.

"You have to know your product and be able to market your product and our product is Jesus Christ," says Taynia Wright...

God help us.

[Please note that the author misses the fact that this kind of marketing is being done in "health, happiness and prosperity" churches around the globe - and is not limited to a particular race or colour.]

Technorati Tags: church, church marketing, Family Marketing Sucks™, marketing, Marketing Jesus, Toronto Star

Rebuke the Mayor - Get Asked to Leave Your Church

The CBC reports a rather interesting story of a pastoral response to Deborah Boschman's letter to the editor,

...she was critical of Mayor Dave Burgess and city councillors for not doing more to draw new residents and visitors to the city. She suggested Brandon build a waterslide or family theme park to draw in visitors.

But on Aug. 15, nearly a week after her letter was published, Boschman received a letter from her Pentecostal church, the Bethel Christian Assembly.

In that letter, the pastor, Mike Davis, wrote that he read Boschman's letter with "embarrassment" and claimed she had "dishonoured the mayor and city councillors."

He added that her beliefs do not match those of his church, and suggested she go to another church.

The mayor had little problem with the letter to the editor,

"We certainly encourage people to express themselves; we think it's their right to do so," he said.

And Burgess said he did not take offence to Boschman's comments.

Boschman askes an interesting question,

"Why can't I have a voice? Why do I have to clear it with my church before I voice my private public opinion?"

Ah the joys of the church "exercising authority." Perhaps this type of authority should be exorcised, instead. (Pastor Davis might find the Bonhoeffer quote in the post below, enlightening - or not.)

Technorati Tags: Brandon, CBC, Letter to the Editor

Family Marketing Sucks™

Truly it does. I mean, how many of us are doing an effective job of marketing our family. I know I'm not and that's got to change. When was the last time I produced a great marketing piece on my family - explaining how wonderful we are, how much benefit you'd get from being our friends, how happy and fulfilled are the people who've become our friends. What have I been thinking.

I've worked on hundreds of commercials, hundreds of on-air promos, hundreds of marketing videos (in English and French, no less), radio ads, print pieces - you name it, I've probably done it...marketing that is. And what have I ever done for my family.

How are we ever going to grow our friendship network? How will we ever build those contacts to increase our bottom line? We need to set some target numbers and shoot for them. We could probably double our audience friendships by Christmas.

It's time to get creative. We have all the software. Photoshop, Illustrator, Final Cut Pro. Lots of in-house talent. We can start with some flyers - with great pictures of Imbi and the kids (I'm looking a little worn around the edges - don't want to scare folk away). Build a killer website. Put some videos up on YouTube. We've got a wonderful message that we have to get out. Marketing will make it happen! It's all about making my family matter™.

[If I've completely confused you, you might want to go here and here. And then you just might want to read this and this.]

Family Marketing Sucks™ is a trademark of the Centre for Making Families Matter, a registered charity in Vanuatu and New South Hebrides. Void Where Prohibited By Law. Product may not be exactly as shown. Some assembly required. Batteries not included.

Technorati Tags: church marketing, satire

Consuming the Church

Out of Ur and the iMonk have two posts that seem meant for each other. Skye Jethani @ Out of Ur:

...corporate models, marketing strategies, and secular business values are pervasive in American ministry—we are in competition with other churches, and other providers of identity and meaning, for survival. To appeal to religious consumers we must commodify our congregations—slapping our church’s logo on shirts, coffee mugs, and bible covers. And we strive to convince a sustainable segment of the religious marketplace that our church is “relevant,” “comfortable,” or “exciting.”

The iMonk, Michael Spenser, commenting on Paul's admonition to the Corinthian Church regarding partiality being shown to the wealthy:

We are the wealthy members of the global church who have arranged the table to suit ourselves. We use our wealth on our buildings, beach retreats, multiple staffs and recreation centers. We demand the best of everything and see no problem with the conditions in third-world churches that could multiply the usefulness of our wealth over and over. We have “dishonored” the poor as American Christians because we believe God wants us to have a $300k light and sound show every Sunday.

The idols of success are real. Their worship is poisonous. Their sacrifices are wasteful and hurtful. Why can’t we see these idols? How do we imagine that Jesus would not overturn all our tables, and that many from the global church would applaud as he did so?

Read both posts - and let me know what you think.

Tags: Out of Ur, Michael Spenser, iMonk, Church, Consumer Christianity, heresy, Prosperity Gospel

Playing to the Audience

Sometimes we desperately need an audience before we can properly express ourselves.

This video reminds of someone I worked with briefly in the midwest. [HT: Dave Burchett]

Technorati Tags: leadership, temper tantrum, YouTube

About My Book, A Networked Conspiracy

At the top of the right column of this blog you'll see a picture of my book and links to purchase it. Perhaps I should tell you a little about it. First it's a combination audio book and softcover 55 page booklet featuring the entire text of the audio book - including 50 reference links. Those links will be mirrored on the website I'm building for the book - I wasn't expecting the book to be released until late July - so the site is "under construction".

The book was partly written as the result of frustration with "modern" church leadership. We've become great at "delivering services" while ignoring the incredible potential that exists in the people to whom we "deliver those services." In the Cluetrain universe we now inhabit, many, if not all people want to be involved. They want to both listen and be heard - they want to engage and be engaged. The one way communication of most "churchianity" just doesn't cut it for them/us - and we not only want to be heard...we will be heard.

I quote the Cluetrain Manifesto Thesis 95: We are waking up and linking to each other. We are watching. But we are not waiting.

This will scare command-and-control church leadership - but it should excite those who truly have a desire to see the church positively impact the globe.

Here are links to the first six minutes of the audio book - and a pdf of the same material.

Download Chapter01.mp3 (724.6K)
Download Chapter02.mp3 (2108.6K)
Download Chapter03.mp3 (3909.6K)
Download A Networked Conspiracy Excerpt.pdf (1095.6K)

Or zipped together:
Download A Networked Conspiracy Excerpt.zip (7316.2K)

Technorati Tags: A Networked Conspiracy, audio book, book, Christian, church, church leadership, Cluetrain

Brian McLaren - A Gracious Man

I've heard Brian speak a number of times, have been involved in interviewing him (with Imbi) on two occasions and, although I may not agree with all he writes, I've found him to be one of the gentlest people I've ever met. He epitomizes the gracious Christian. When I grow up, I want to be like him. (I'm actually a year older than Brian - and have little hope of ever growing up.)

Yet McLaren is the target of vicious attacks, regularly, from those who claim to be followers of Christ. He's called every manner of heretic possible - from many who only know his writing through the often ill-informed opinions of others. And some of his internet critics refuse to confront him even when they are in the same room and there's an open forum to ask questions. (If you follow the link, read the first ten or so comments.)

Brian pens A Friendly Note to His Critics:

...I hope that if you are among my good Christian critics, you will aspire to be a good Christian in the way you respond to my writings, even if you think I am a bad Christian for what I write or the questions I raise. We have a chance to model constructive dialogue rather than the religious bickering which has too often characterized all our religious communities. Even if I am as wrong you think I am, what good would it be to prove a wrong person wrong if in the process right people prove themselves mean-spirited, unfair, unreflective, inaccurate, dishonest, or hypocritical?

One final request. I hope that none of us will spend so much time in internal debate about our beliefs that we neglect putting our beliefs into action. It would be tragic for both you and me if our differences distracted us and others from what religion is supposed to be about: helping widows and orphans and others in need, and keeping ourselves “unspotted from the world,” as James says.

Read the whole thing, please.

Technorati Tags: A New Kind of Christian, Brian McLaren, Christian, church

My Book, A Networked Conspiracy - Released

A Networked Conspiracy - Social Networks, the Church and the Power of Collective Intelligence - my book - has been released. You can pick up a copy here or from Amazon. If you so desire.

From the back cover:

Conspire, from the latin "conspirare," means literally to "breathe together." This book is about the Church learning to breathe together the Kingdom of God - using the ubiquity of the internet to release the power of the church's collective intelligence.

Much appreciation to WizardAcademyPress' Sean Taylor and the Wizard of Ads, Roy Williams, who've published this short book - to Christopher Millard, Ed Brenegar, Jonathan Millard, Daryl Dash, DUST!N Staiger, Brad Bergfalk, Susan Arnold and many others who provided needed critique and much encouragement - to my son, Rylan, who recorded the audio and directed the "performance" and most especially to Imbi who edited the book and provided the greatest share of the encouragement.

Now on to my next book.

Technorati Tags: A Networked Conspiracy, Bill Kinnon, church, collective intelligence, social networks

Tim Keller on a New Kind of Urban Christian

Spending the better part of a week with the man who created the "New Kind of Christian" meme has been quite interesting. I'll have more to say about that later.

Tim Keller riffs on that meme with his CT article that is now available online. (Steve McCoy mentioned it a couple of weeks ago - and Jordon Cooper pointed out its availability online.)

From near the end of the article:

...In every culture, some Christian conduct will be offensive and attacked, but some will be moving and attractive to outsiders. "Though they accuse you … they may see your good deeds and glorify God" (1 Peter 2:12, see also Matt. 5:16). In the Middle East, a Christian sexual ethic makes sense, but not "turn the other cheek." In secular New York City, the Christian teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation is welcome, but our sexual ethics seem horribly regressive. Every non-Christian culture has enough common grace to recognize some of the work of God in the world and to be attracted to it, even while Christianity in other ways will offend the prevailing culture.

So we must neither just denounce the culture nor adopt it. We must sacrificially serve the common good, expecting to be constantly misunderstood and sometimes attacked. We must walk in the steps of the one who laid down his life for his opponents.

Technorati Tags: A New Kind of Christian, Christianity Today, church, Tim Keller