Megachurch, Megasin
We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads."
Acts 26:14
A goad is a long stick with a pointed end that farmers use to poke cattle and other herd animals. They use the stick when animals stray from the rest of the herd or misbehave. Of course, no animal likes to get poked by a pointy stick, so they may try to kick it.
Sometimes, I wonder if I am kicking against the goads. Am I living my life and even pursuing ministry in a way that goes against God's purpose and plan?
And this is an important question for all believers to think about, not just professional ministers.
I was talking with someone about one church that has recently been the center of some controversy. This church is the biggest Asian American church (it's huge) that not many people have heard about ... until now.
They have been publicly accused of abusive methods, especially among the leadership. In particular, when some leader falls out of line with policies, there have been instances of public shaming.
And so reports and articles have come out about how the church has left a trail of people who have been hurt and scarred by the emotional abuse.
But the thing is, I know people who are a part of the senior leadership of this church. And I have always known them to have a deep and genuine love for Jesus and His church and the community of believers.
And like I said, it is a huge megachurch with many campuses across the US. Something got them to where they are. And even if people (usually former leaders) have reported instances of abuse, there are still thousands upon thousands of people who have called this church their spiritual home.
What got them to where they are is the strength of the vision of the senior pastor to grow God's kingdom, as well as the skill that both he and his wife have as leaders.
But what has led to their own recent public disgrace is simply the sinfulness of people in trying to implement this vision across a broad, megachurch network. In other words, it seems to me that the purity and the goodness of the vision that came from the senior pastor got diluted and polluted by sin and pride as it worked its way to the various local churches.
For some of the leaders out in the local churches, following Jesus (followership) somehow became secondary, while leadership structure and policies (leadership) became primary. And so, even though it was never intended to be this way, the implementation of the vision became pharisaical--and abusive in some cases. And, of course, the senior leadership will be held accountable for the abuse.
It feels like to me that in this age of information overload, leadership is valued way above followership. In fact, followership is not even considered as being a thing at all. And so every problem that we encounter in this world is attributed to a failure of leadership.
Today, no one ever seems to expect people to zealously pursue perfection in followership (although none of us can be perfect), while people seem to expect leaders to zealously pursue perfection in leadership (although none of us can be perfect).
And yet, in the kingdom of God, the essence of our very life is followership, not leadership.
When we consider the problems that we face in this world, if we address only one part of the problem, will we ever get to the heart of the problem?
Am I kicking against the goad of Christ because I don't know how to follow Him?
Father, teach me Your ways. Give me understanding and discernment. Lord, may You not need to poke me with Your goad. But if I need it, plz get me back on track. In Jesus's name. Amen.
