Mel Lawrenz - Spiritual Influence: The Hidden Power Behind Leadership

Not long ago a successful pastor of a large congregation was interviewed about his philosophy of leadership. What is uniquely spiritual about your leadership? he was asked.

Theres nothing distinctly spiritual, he responded. I think a big problem in the church has been the dichotomy between spirituality and leadership. I grew up in a culture where everything was overly spiritualized, he added. This attitude, he said, caused many Christians to excuse ineffectiveness and waste by their leaders simply because they were nice, well-meaning, or people of prayer.

Instead he has adopted the belief that good leadership is rooted in the right principles which may be discovered in any sphere business, government, or church. In his words, A principle is a principle, and God created all the principles.

Once the idea that some leadership models are spiritual and other models unspiritual was abandoned, the gates were opened to adopt effective models from virtually anywhere. And that is exactly what has happened over the last thirty years. But has our desire for effective leadership principles been an overreaction to the abuses and ineptitude of earlier generations of Christian leaders? Have we been too eager to dismiss the spiritual dimensions of genuine Christian leadership? After all, while secular leadership principles are often deemed effective at growing corporations, generating revenue, or creating brand loyalty, can they be deployed as effectively toward the work of Gods kingdom, which is not of this world? We are not called to simply sell Christ the way one sells Coca-Cola or Chryslers. Are we?

And what about the shortcomings of corporate culture? Studies indicate that workers within American corporations have a lower quality of life, higher divorce rate, and greater likelihood of developing clinical depression. And the ethical record of corporate America is probably not something the church would like to mimic. Reputable names like Enron, Anderson Consulting, AIG, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, BP, and News Corp have been soiled, and in some cases buried, by ethical scandals driven by the bottom-line values, and indeed the leadership principles, of their managers.

The tarnished reputations of corporations, governments, and large organizations in general have made more people question the validity of secular leadership models. And in response to the pragmatism of the baby boomers within the church, a younger generation of Christian leaders is now emerging that seriously questions the wisdom of embracing and employing leadership values simply because theyve proven effective in secular settings. They might agree that a leadership principle is a leadership principle if ones only criterion is effectiveness. But this risks deteriorating into a wholly unchristian utilitarianism where the ends justify the means.

Instead, when examining the ministry of Jesus, the apostles, or the patriarchs, one discovers that faithfulness often trumps mere effectiveness. And adhering to the countercultural, often counterintuitive values of Gods kingdom will cause a leader to make decisions incomprehensible to those without the mind of Christ. And so many of the younger leaders with whom I engage are asking themselves what is uniquely Christian leadership? And how does it differ from leadership in other realms? And if our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6:12), then how can our leadership not contain a uniquely spiritual component?

To answer these questions we need a wise teacher one who understands the historical continuity of Christian leadership from Jesus Christ onward, and yet recognizes the useful contribution more recent generations have made with their bent toward pragmatism. We have such a teacher in Mel Lawrenz.

Mel has been the senior pastor of a large church and has employed the tools necessary to lead an organization with hundreds of moving parts. In this capacity he has benefited from the practical wisdom of other leaders both inside and outside the church. But he has never lost sight of the uniquely spiritual dimension to our calling as servants of Jesus Christ. In this book he addresses the way character, prayer, communion with God, discernment, Scripture, and the Holy Spirit all impact our ability to influence those we lead. In other words, Mel Lawrenz sees the uniquely spiritual reality of Christian leadership without abandoning its practical application.

Mine is a generation of Christians eager to bridge the gap between our increasingly post-Christian culture and the present reality of Gods kingdom. And were not simply doing it through the institutional church. I have been encouraged by faithful women and men seeking Christs calling in business, the arts, government, education, media, and the social sector. But we need help understanding how to lead effective, transformative change in these callings.

For that reason I am incredibly grateful for Spiritual Influence. This book is not only helpful to anyone wanting to understand what is distinctive about Christian leadership, but by drawing from a wide range of historical sources, it also provides the reader a sense of context and continuity within the larger community of the church.

And those who thoughtfully engage this book will no doubt find themselves encouraged. Mel Lawrenzs perspective gives us hope that the leadership pendulum which has swung from overspiritualized to despiritualized in recent generations may have finally come to rest where it has always belonged upon Jesus Christ.

Skye Jethani, November 2011