The Problem with Leadership and Discipleship

November 22, 2010 in Paradigm with 5 Comments

I am reading through Almost Christian and have had some great affirmation in what is being discussed by those reading it. One of the biggest is that teens are becoming exactly what we are expecting of them.

After reading through this book, I think we face a very similar problem in discipleship that is being seen in teens. Discipleship in our culture and time has become so watered down that it’s a hindrance to the church and it’s people. Just like youth ministry, discipleship has become exactly what we have expected of it.

Jesus had a great model for discipleship that was a compelling way of bringing people into a crisis of faith. It was challenging and often off-putting. Comparatively, many of the challenges of modern discipleship aren’t dropping your nets and walking away from your livelihood, but instead trying to get out of bed early enough to meet someone at a coffee shop. How did we get here?

It is similar to Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. We just don’t expect that much from discipleship. And that is a problem for me. I remember someone once asked Seth Barnes what he thought the best discipleship curriculum was. He said, “You are.” If discipleship is leading people into a deeper relationship with Jesus and helping people practice their faith, then the discipleship is only as a good as the leader.

You can’t lead people where you haven’t been yourself. That is the biggest problem with leadership and discipleship.

Related posts:

  1. Attractional vs Discipleship
  2. Sustainable Discipleship
  3. The Gospel – Remarkable?

About Paul Martin: Paul Martin lives in Birmingham, Alabama and serves at St. Peter's Anglican Church. He has been working in youth ministry for two decades, but his real passion is discipleship.

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  • http://www.engagehtc.org Chris Zoephel

    Agreed. Well stated. Discipleship is caught more than it is taught as well… Let’s get after it Paul!

  • Pingback: Discipleship Environments | Being Ministry

  • Stuart

    In Matthew 23:10, Jesus says “Do not be called [a]leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” Its interesting that he says this in the middle of a long oration condemning spiritual leaders (pharisees and “teachers of the law”). But, when he says “…One is your Leader, that is, Christ” I believe he means we are to be discipled by His Spirit; not earthly “disciplers.” No christian should submit to an earthly leader. It’s worth researching to find the many cases where spiritual abuse occurs. Some examples are disciplers telling disciples who or whether they can marry, where they should live, etc.

    • http://twitter.com/sleestac Paul Martin

      Stuart, thanks for commenting. I don’t disagree with what you are saying, but it’s not that simple either. Jesus tells us to go and make disciples, teaching them to obey… It seems reasonable that Jesus is more against the title of leader/teacher/Rabbi than he is against the work of teaching and leading.

      I wonder, though, how the Holy Spirit disciples someone. I would love to hear more about this.

      • Stuart

        Hi Paul,

        I’m glad your interested in this subject. The passage you refer to is Matthew 28:19. But, if you read a few verses before and read very carefully:

        18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “ All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

        Notice, Jesus emphasizes that “He” has authority. But, people who call themselves disciplers say that “they” have authority. I was a part of the Navigators in the Military and of Campus Outreach in college. Both organizations emphasize discipleship. I can testify that my “disciplers” were making unjust decisions about my life; about who I should date, whether or not I should leave the military and go to college, etc. Fortunately, I sensed that this was wrong and I “disobeyed” them. But, some people are not able to perceive that they are being manipulated and they have there lives altered unjustly by such people.

        Don’t get me wrong, I understand that many people who practice discipleship are well meaning. In fact, one of my “disciplers” at the Navigators was very nice and understanding. But, another one treated me like a fool and ridiculed me ruthlessly when I didn’t memorize my scriptures perfectly.

        Getting back to the scriptures, notice in verse 20 that Jesus says to obey “all that I commanded you…” not all that your “discipler” commanded you. Again, abusive disciplers claim authority from God to weild unjust power over the lives of their “disciples.” Notice that disciple is related to the word “discipline.” If we are honest with ourselves, the mere use of the word implies a master/slave relationship. I do not believe that christians are called to enslave their brothers and sisters in Christ.

        I hope this is helpful and again, I know many people are very well meaning who believe in discipleship as it is taught today. But, I believe that Jesus is warning us that this kind of ministry opens the door for abuse and the new believer who is still learning is vulnerable.

        In Christ,

        Stuart