10 Habits of Ineffective Christian Leaders

10 Habits of Ineffective Christian Leaders

Pastor Terry Hagedorn, Calvary Baptist Church, Reedsville, WV

1. Ineffective leaders lead by word only—not by word and example:

“Do as I say—not as I do!” (What you are speaks so loudly people cannot hear what you say.)

2. Ineffective leaders do not have clear objectives:

By establishing clear goals, you establish a purpose and sense of direction. Remember the hunter’s adage: If you don’t aim at something, you won’t hit it.

3. Ineffective leaders are inconsistent:

When all is said and done by the inconsistent, more is said than done.

4. Ineffective leaders never praise good work—just condemn the wrong:

Make a point of only telling people when they do something wrong. Or, praise them in a vague way, “Well, you did the best you could--I think.”

5. Ineffective leaders do not communicate effectively:

Good communication breeds good communication. So ineffective leadership causes people to not understand you--so, they respond accordingly.

6. Ineffective leaders discourage ideas and initiative:

Innovation and creativity are essential requirements for every organization to move forward. Therefore, ineffective team leaders should look to discourage team members.

7. Ineffective leaders see any change as dangerous:

An ineffective leaders makes certain he or she is unaware of the changes in dynamics in the team and do not regard change as an opportunity to improve.

8. Ineffective leaders neglect the development of team members:

This prevents members from growth and motivation. In turn, this will also stymie and stall the team as a whole.

9. Ineffective leaders do not treat team members as individuals:

All people are alike. What works for one team member will work for all—after all, they are sheeple.

10. Ineffective leaders do not learn from experience or advice:

Change means that you were wrong—else you would not need to change.

10 Reasons Why Preahers Avoid Cultural Issues

Clash Radio ^ | 12/26/07 | Doug Giles

Doug Giles: "As far as I'm concerned, a silent or waffling pastor in today's paranormal climate is about as necessary as Rosie O'Donnell is to CPAC. I don't care how much the minister likes kitty cats, candy canes and if he cries at Celine Dion concerts. Look, voiceless vicar, if you're not currently in the big middle of this crucial cultural squabble, pointing out what's putrid and cheering on what's proper, then you're Dr. Evil in my book.

Given that this is an upcoming election year and that the culture-dividing issues are more obvious than Joan River's last lip implants, it is mind-boggling to me that many ministers are mute or side with parties, policies and principles that are antithetical to the Christian worldview. I don't know if you got this memo in seminary or not but pastors are supposed to not only salvage souls but also build the good society.

In some kind of ascending order, it seems to me there are 10 reasons why pastors avoid political and intense cultural issues and thus aid and abet evil.

1. Fear of man. If you purport to be a man of God, then your regard for God and His opinion must trump the trepidation of the creature God created from spit and mud. Come on, man of God, don't fear the crowd ... we're ants with cell phones that'll shoot Botox into our foreheads. We're weird and fickle weather vanes of what's en vogue. You've got to lead us. Therefore, go to the mountain ... get a fresh dose holy terror and move into the Moses mode and command us to be and do what is holy, just and good. The grinning mild subtle Oprah approach doesn't seem to be stemming the current flood of filth.

2. Ignorance. Most people are not bold in areas where they are ignorant . . . always excepting Britney Spears, of course. I know keeping up with all the pressing political issues is maddening, but that's life, brother; and if you want to be a voice in society and not just an echo, you have got to be in the know. Staying briefed, running each political issue through the gauntlet of Scripture and determining God's mind on a certain subject are par for the course for the hardy world changer.

3. Division. Y'know, I hate the current non-essential divisions in the church as much as the next acerbic Christian columnist. Squabbling over the color of the carpet, who'll play the organ next Sunday or who is the Beast of Revelation, is stupidity squared. Hey, divisive Christian rebel without a clue-get a life, por favor! Or become a Satanist and go screw up their church. Do something other than make mountains out of your little molehill. That being said, there's a time and place for a biblical throw-down and an ecclesiastical split from political policies and parties.

For a minister to seek unity with secularists when they are trashing and rewriting scripture with impunity is to side with vice and to allow darkness to succeed. On these kinds of issues, the minister cannot group hug or sing a James Blunt song to the secularist or the apostate Christian.

4. Last Days Madness. Many ministers do not get involved in political issues because they believe that "it simply doesn't matter" since "the end has come," and Jehovah is about to run the credits on this failed earth flick. These defeatists believe that any change in the jet stream, war, earthquakes, a warming globe, the success of a corrupt politician-even a new Shakira video-are "proof" that God is getting really, really ticked off, and that His only recourse is to have Christ physically return and kick some major butt.

They see the church and themselves as impotent and having no real ability to change things culturally with any long range ramifications. Thus, any stab at a better tomorrow is simply an exercise in futility for this rapture crew. Attempting to right culture is, in their eyes, equivalent to polishing brass on a sinking ship; therefore, they are content to simply pass out tracts, tramp from Christian rock concert to Christian rock concert, eat fatty foods and stare at Christian TV.

5. Sloth. Classically defined, sloth is lethargy stemming from a sense of hopelessness. Viewing our nation and the world as an irreparable disaster, where our exhortations, prayers, votes and labors will not produce any temporal fruit, leaves one with all the fervor of a normal guy who's forced to kiss his sister.

If you're wondering why your flock is so apathetic, Pastor Eeyore, ask yourself if you have stolen their earthly hope that their valiant efforts can actually prevail in time, and not just in eternity. If you constantly pump the doom and gloom message, if you teach them that evil will ultimately triumph on our terra firma, if you spew messages that consciously or unconsciously convey "big devil" and "little God," then you have effectively zapped what's left of your parishioners' passion.

6. They don't want to lose their Tax Exempt status. Many pastors, priests and parishioners have been cowed into inactivity by the threatened loss of their tax-exempt status if they say anything remotely political. This can make pastors who don't, or won't, get good legal advice about as politically active as Howard Hughes was during the flu season.

The church may, among other things, register their members to vote, pass out voter guides, invite all candidates in a race to speak (even if only one of them shows up) and speak directly about specific issues.

Off the clock, in his personal capacity, the minister can endorse and support (or oppose) whomever or whatever he wishes-like any other citizen. There are no limitations to the individual; the ones that do exist under the 501(c)(3) statute are only for the church entity and/or the pastor in his official capacity, not for the pastor or the members who make up the church.

7. They bathe in paltry pietism. Pastors avoid politics because such concerns are "unspiritual," and their focus is on the "spirit world." Yes, to such imbalanced ministers, political affairs are seen as "temporal and carnal," and since they trade in the "eternal and spiritual," such "worldly" issues get nada.

This bunch is primarily into heavenly emotions and personal Bible study, and they stay safely tucked away from society and its complicated issues. How sweet. They forget that they are commanded to be seriously engaged with our culture and or fall into the worthless category Christ warned them of (Mt.5.13). Snap.

8. They have bought into the Taliban comparison. Pastors have muffled their political/ cultural voices because they fear being lumped in with Islam by the politically correct thought police. The correlation made between Christians' non-violent attempts at policy persuasion and the Taliban's kill-you-in-your-sleep campaigns is nothing more than pure, uncut crapola.

Ministers, please blow off the tongue-wagging blowhards who try to intimidate you into silence by making quantum, ludicrous, scat-laden and analogous leaps in equating the implementation of a gracious, Biblical worldview with the Islam-o-fascists cross-eyed dream.

9. They can't say, "No" to minutiae. Some ministers can't get involved in studying or speaking out regarding pressing issues simply because of the ten tons of junk they are forced to field within their congregations. Spending time wet nursing 30-year-olds without a life and being bogged down in committee meetings over which shade of pink paint should be used for the women's ministerial wing of their church, ministers are lucky if they get to study the Bible nowadays-much less anything else.

This is the fault of both the ministers with their messiah complexes and the congregants with their me-monkey syndromes, and they must all have their foreheads thumped if the church is going to tackle cultural issues.

10. They likey the money. The creepy thing about a lot of ministers is their unwillingness to give political or cultural offense when offense is needed, simply because taking a biblical stand on a political issue might cost them their mega-church, which means their seven homes, their Bentley and their private jet. Oh well, what do you expect? Christ had His Judas, and evangelicalism has it money loving hookers.

If the ministers within the good old US of A would crucify their fear of man, get solidly briefed regarding the chief political issues, not sweat necessary division, not get caught up in last days madness, maintain their hope for tomorrow, understand their liberties under God and our Constitution, not become so heavenly minded that they're no earthly good, focus on the majors and blow off bowing to cash instead of convictions, then maybe . . . just maybe . . . we will see their righteous influence cause our nation to take the needed sharp turn away from the secularist progressives' speedily approaching putrid pit."

The Christmas Invitation

(Luke 2:7)

It was the biggest event of the year in the little town of Cornwall – the annual Christmas pageant, starring many of the people of the town. When it came time for casting the various parts, every parent wanted their son or daughter to be included. On audition day, it didn’t take long to match every part with just the right person. But then there was Harold. The little guy really wanted a part. But because of his suffering with Down’s Syndrome, the directors kept passing him over. But Harold just kept popping up again, asking for a part. Finally, the directors gave in and gave him what they judged to be a no-risk part – the innkeeper who comes to the door and tells Mary and Joseph the inn is full. It was a part with only one simple line. Little did they know that the stage had been set for the most memorable Christmas pageant they had ever seen.

The night of the pageant, you had to get there early just to get a seat. Backstage, the shepherds were putting on their bathrobes, the angels were adjusting their haloes, and everyone was reviewing their lines. The directors were going over Harold’s line with him one more time – “Remember, Harold – ‘I’m sorry, we have no room.’” Slowly, but surely, Harold repeated his line.

The men of the church had built a set that portrayed Bethlehem in the background, a manger on the right, and the inn on the left. As Act One neared its end, a weary Mary and Joseph trudged up to the inn door, desperately looking for shelter. Joseph knocked on the inn door. Nothing happened. Backstage the front rows could hear the director whispering, “Now, Harold!” The set began to shake as Harold struggled to get the inn door open. Then, standing there in his bathrobe, Harold listened as Joseph begged for a room for his pregnant wife.

Harold said nothing. Again, the backstage whisper - “I’m sorry, we have no room.” Another long pause. Finally, Harold struggled through his line – “I’m sorry . . . we have no room.” Then he slowly closed the door. It was as Mary and Joseph began to turn away that totally unforgettable moment came – the one no one would ever forget. Suddenly, the set started to shake again as Harold again struggled to get the door open. Before the stunned director could get to him, Harold opened the door and ran after the departing Mary and Joseph. And loud enough for people in the basement to hear, Harold shouted - “Wait! Wait! You can stay in MY room!”

Little Harold understood exactly what Christmas really means. Luke 2:7, our word for today from the Word of God, says, “There was no room for them in the inn.” But Harold understood that when the Son of God is at your door, you have to make room for Him. Which is something you may have never done. You’ve done Christian things, gone to Christian meetings, believed Christian beliefs, developed a Christian image – but you’ve never really opened the door of your heart to the Savior who died for you. Why not make room for Him today? John 1:11

MARRIAGE/DIVORCE/REMARRIAGE

Recently, a fellow pastor told me that he had asked four other pastors what their position was on this topic. He said that he received as many different answers. Now, including his own, he knows five positions!

Why is there such a divergence of opinion on this subject in our Fundamental circles? How is it that we can come to a consensus on so many other topics and yet can be worlds apart on this one?

In part, it is because this topic has been dealt with in the most cursory manner by most books and commentaries. Even Bible schools and Seminaries avoid dealing with the topic. The solidly Fundamental school that I attended gave me a single page handout describing the DIVERSE opinions of leading Fundamentalists on this topic. There was NO consensus among their opinions. Also, for most preachers, it is a taboo subject. How many messages have you heard on the subject? Those who have attempted to deal with it are looked at askance. Questions arise about any preacher who addresses the issue in any manner less than in the condemnation mode. Questions arise in the hearer's mind: "Is he divorced? Is he planning to be divorced? Is he liberal, or just a compromiser?"

If you have already made up your mind on the topic of Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage, then stop reading now. However, if you are willing to read and consider this information, then I would appreciate your comments and criticisms.

POSITION

Please read Gen.1:26-31; 2:18-25; Ex.20:14, Deut.24:1-2; Ezra 10:9-14; Jer.3:1-9,14, Mal.2:13-16, Matt.5:31,32; 19:3-12; I Cor.7:1-28. PLEASE DO NOT PROCEED UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THESE VERSES.

MARRIAGE:

1. is the first Divinely ordained institution. (Gen.2:18-25)

The home predates the chronological revelation of the other two Divine institutions: Government and the Church.

2. is to be a monogamous relationship. (Gen.2:24)

Multiple spouses (polyandry or polygyny) and multiple marriages (polygamy) are not according to God's Will. His perfect will is ONE man and ONE woman for ONE life time. One MAN and one WOMAN are to LEAVE their individual homes, CLEAVE to one another to make a new one, and WEAVE a life together.

3. is covenant based on love and respect that joins (Gen.2:24-25) a man and woman in a holy relationship (Prov.2:17)

4. is Scripturally, legally, and morally binding for life and not to be put asunder by man or woman. (Matt.19:6)

5. is for the purpose of loving companionship and sexual intimacy. (Hebrews 13:4)

6. is for the purpose of child rearing. (Gen.1:28)

7. is to conform to the model of Christ and His Church. (Eph.5:22-33)

DIVORCE:

1. always stems from some sin and is therefore hated by God. (Mal.2:16)

2. is not sinful for the innocent spouse. (Matt.1:19)

Re: Jer.3:8, I Cor.7:27,28, Matt.19:9 (cf."except"), Ezra 10

3. is never necessary between believers. (Eph.4:32)

"Hardness of heart" (Mt.19) may refer to the inability of the wronged spouse to forgive the unfaithful spouse.

4. is not necessary when a spouse dies (Death). (Rom.7:1-6)

5. is permitted on the grounds of fornication (Dirt). (Matt.19:9)

Christ explains that the "uncleanness" of Deut.24:1-4 is fornication- the only cause that allows for divorce and remarriage. This agreed with the school of Rabbi Shammai. It is opposed to the interpretation of Rabbi Hillel. This school taught it meant that divorce could be granted "for any cause."

6. is permitted if an unbeliever Deserts a believer. (Desertion) I Cor.7:15

DEATH, DIRT, AND DESERTION BREAK MARRIAGE!

7. is forgivable even when sinful. (I John 1:9) However, Gal.6:17 still applies- you reap what you sow!

REMARRIAGE:

1. is forbidden to a believer who deserts an unbeliever. (I Cor.7:11)

2. is possible for a Scripturally divorced person. (I Cor.7:27,28)

Divorce AND remarriage were included in Christ's answer and the exceptive clause" of Matt.19:9.

3. is "better" for others who cannot remain celibate. (I Cor.7:9 )

4. is authorized for the one who receives a bill of divorcement . (Read Deut.24:1-4)

5. is recommended only when both partners are prepared for the commitment of marriage. (Luke 14:28-30 )

6. is possible ONLY when all Biblical requirements have been met. (Matt.5:31,32 )

7. is accompanied by special challenges (trouble) for widows and widowers, but especially for the divorced, former spouses,

custody of children, child support and allimony, etc... I Cor.7:28

I will make no conclusion or application. That is for you to do--in accordance with God's Word .

For a more detailed explanation of this topic please check out http://www.inkweb.com/divorce

The Poor Wise Man

The Poor Wise Man

Pastor Terry Hagedorn

Calvary Baptist Church

Reedsville, WV

There was another wise man. There were not just three wise men! Tradition says that there were three because the wise men brought three kinds of gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Gold speaks of His Deity—His Royalty, Frankincense speaks of His Priesthood; and, Myrrh speaks of His suffering as a Prophet. Combined they remind us the Person of the Messiah—Christ and His glory.

The other wise man is usually forgotten at Christmas. In fact, he is almost always forgotten. However, He brought salvation through wisdom--not gold, silver or precious spice. He reminds us of the Work of Christ—salvation.

We read about him in the Old Testament! Ecclesiastes 9:14-18 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

This passage simply teaches that wisdom (Spiritual wisdom) is better than strength (the flesh); and, spiritual truth and spiritual things are never appreciated--or even remembered—as they should be.

It is not too much of a stretch to see, first of all, the Christmas message in this passage: It speaks of a little CITY— There was a little city, and few men within it.. Isn’t this a picture of the Earth? The Psalmist recognized the littleness of the Earth and her inhabitants: Psalm 8:3-4 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? Amazing Grace is amazing not only for what He has done—but, for whom he did it! It should humble us to remember that “God so loved the world” that He offered His Son for US!

It speaks of SATAN—the Adversarial king: And there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. Satan used the bulwarks of deception, defeat and death to try and destroy this little city! And, no one cared—but God!

Thirdly, it speaks of the SAVIOR: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. This verse speaks of the Person and the Work of the fourth Wise Man. He was poor. He was wise—Wisdom incarnate. And, He was a

man.

He was poor: II Corinthians 8:9, For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. He was rich? When? Isn’t this verse a proof text for the Deity of Christ? He was rich as the preincarnate Son of God. As the Son of Man, he was poor: Mat 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

He was wise—Wisdom incarnate! 1Corinthians 1:23-24: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

He is a man—He was as much God, as if He was not man: and, He was as much man, as if He was not God! 1Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. This wise man did not come from the east. He came from the north—the sides of the north: the Throne of God!

He by his wisdom delivered the city. In the wisdom of God, God became a man. He lived a sinless life. And then, I Corinthians 15:3,4 Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

God in His wisdom sent Christ to pay a debt He did not owe—because we had a debt we could not pay! God died for the ungodly.

Sadly, the reaction to his wisdom and deliverance is the same response we see today: yet no man remembered that same poor man. v.15b.

Will you remember Him this year? Will your Christmas honor the wisdom of God in sending His Son to die for us? Will there be room for the poor wise man in your home this Christmas—and throughout the New Year?

Pastor Terry Hagedorn
Calvary Baptist Church
Reedsville, WV 26547
304-864-3870
http://www.calvarybaptistchurchwv.com
"Pointing Mountaineers to Mount Calvary"