Workers, Critics, Visionaries, and Leaders

DateLine (10/5/06 – Nanuet, NY)

Have you heard the one about the Worker, the Critic, The Visionary, and the Leader? Wait a minute; this is a serious blog, what’s with the joke. OK, let’s get back on track here. An unavoidable fact is that the Church of Jesus Christ is comprised of fallible human beings. For some reason unknown to me, God has tapped humans for the most important job in the Kingdom, that of sharing the Good News of the Gospel, the message of salvation to an entire planet in need. It literally is a life or death responsibility. Let’s focus for just a few minutes on four generalized fallible “persons” normally found in the typical church body. These are not specific people but roles that people sometimes slip into in the church.

The first role is Worker. The church could not survive without the legions of members who selflessly devote themselves to the hard work of helping, sharing, singing, teaching, cleaning, cooking, and many more mundane tasks. The worker is the backbone of the congregation. The local work would grind to a halt should all workers lay off for a week. Matt. 9:37, “. . . he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.’”

The next role is Critic. Unfortunately the unbridled critic is a drag on the church. Fortunately they’re normally in the minority but the decibel level of their pronouncements would leave the casual listener to believe that they speak on behalf of the majority. Nothing is more disruptive in the church than the insensitive Critic. While on occasion the Critic is a valuable asset to the church, the wisdom to know how and when to “share” their criticism is illusive. The Apostle Paul speaks of criticism as a positive motivator when he states in II Corinthians 8:20, “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer.”

The third role is Visionary. The ability to look past the reality of the present to see the possibility of the future is a valuable capability. My suspicion is that there are more visionaries than we realize. People may not have the courage to share future visions for various reasons. The church is a dynamic growing organism; change is inevitable. A clear vision is the path to the future; an embracing of change. God given discernment is required to interpret visions. A vision is a glimpse of the omniscient heart of God and is a powerful force drawing people to God. Visions are how God coaxes the faithful to keep moving forward. “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions”, Joel 2:38.

The final role is the Leader. The Church often suffers for lack of leadership. Leaders are a rare breed. As I contemplate characteristics of leadership I realize that an effective leader is an amalgam of worker, critic, and visionary; that’s right all three. A leader sets the example of work. A leader inspires others to follow by demonstrating commitment and first hand knowledge of the work at hand. A Leader earns the right to criticize but delivers the criticism in a constructive and sensitive fashion. A leader must be a visionary; one cannot lead without having a vision of the end state of the journey. In God’s kingdom leaders sometimes are not immediately recognized, because God has an “upside-down” economy. “[Jesus] sat down, and called the twelve, and said unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all”, Mark 9:35.

Shoot high, go for last.