The "Servant-Leader"

Wandering over reading a link through from Glen reminded me - for an entirely different reason - of one of my least favorite current phrase in the Christian vocabulary:  the "Servant-Leader".

The origin is, of course, like the origin of most things bent in Christianity into wrong uses, based on an example - in this case, the example of Christ, who was both the "Suffering Servant" and the "First born among many sons" - the quintessential servant and leader, who gave examples and then lived them out, who led by example, who called upon all His followers to be servants, and some of those servants to be leaders.

What He most specifically did not do is call upon servants to define themselves as Servant-Leaders.

The great thing about being a Servant-Leader is it is a completely self defined role.  Unlike the roles called out in the New Testament, of bishops and deacons and elders with specifications and conditions to measure them by, the current Servant-Leader becomes this merely by self-identifying as one.  "I am a servant, therefore I function as a leader."

The outcome?  Thousands of people who have no business at all leading anyone pushing themselves as leaders and role models to anyone who will listen.

Let us be clear, folks:  nowhere does the Bible discuss the concept of self promotion as a tool for leadership.  Every one who was called to lead by God -even those who did not want to - acknowledged that they were in some way called to this by God.  It is those that appointed themselves that found His wrath and his abandonment of whatever their programs were.

The reality - the uncomfortable reality for a lot of Christians - is that one can be a servant - and in fact should be a servant - for long years, perhaps all of their lives, without ever being a "leader".  Whether or not we are leader does not obviate our obligation to serve.

We have done this mostly to ourselves, of course.  We have confused the concept of servant with "slave" or "underling" and thus the idea of being a servant without being, at some level, a leader, is something which humiliating to a great deal of people.  "God calls me to serve, but He cannot mean that I will be treated as a servant" we think, and so abrogate to ourselves roles and names that we have no right to.

Being a servant is hard.  It can be tiring.  It can mean that we seldom get the praise we feel we deserve, or even are completely passed over or forgotten.  It can mean we will be mistreated and misunderstood - there are plenty of people who will happily be served while treating us like service personnel, because that is what our society does.

I say all of this from a place of hard learning.  At one time - 30 years ago - I thought I was called to the ministry.  15 years ago, I surrendered that I was not called to be in the ministry but was called to be in visible public service in the Church. 5 years ago, I surrendered that I was not called to be in visible public service in the Church and have found the small cracks to serve in.  And of this service, I would never in my mind call myself a Servant-Leader.  I am merely one who serves.

Servants will build the Church.  Servant-Leaders will destroy it by making every service dependent on the fact that the ones involve be recognized as a leader if they are to serve.