The Challenge of Leadership

One of the things I enjoy about being a military officer is the opportunity to lead people. Most people in the Air Force are dedicated and competent individuals who enjoy their job and do it well. There are always a few, however, who are neither dedicated nor competent, and they don't do their job well. It's my job as a leader to ensure they do their job, or, failing that, take disciplinary actions against them. This is my least favorite part of leadership, especially when the individual is 10 years older than me.

I had to do some of that this week. A guy that works for me hasn't been doing his job, so he's been fired from that position. That doesn't mean he isn't in the Air Force any more, but he'll be reassigned to another area and his records will reflect this problem. It probably means he won't be promoted again. I hate having to do that kind of stuff, but I firmly believe it's necessary and even Biblical.

Yes, I did say Biblical. Paul was not afraid of confrontation. He corrected Peter, preacher of Pentecost, when he was acting hypocritical. His letters to the Corinthians address a number of problems within the church, and several of his letters give instructions on how to take disciplinary action within the church, including a public rebuke. It's never easy to do these things, and there's probably something wrong with you if you enjoy it. Like my parents always said: "This will hurt me more than it hurts you." That's true of a good leader, also.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

A Great Divide?

There seems to be a great divide in the Apostolic movement today. It's not over doctrine, per se, nor is it over organizational structure or practices, but over media. 90&9 has seen its share of discussion over use of TV (some for it, others against it, a few undecided), as has the United Pentecostal Church, but it hit me again this week as I read the Survey Sez answers in the Once & Again area. We are a divided movement.

The answers to the survey ranged from "I love American Idol," to "I can't believe 90&9 is asking such a question to Apostolics." I don't want to rehash any of the previous debates on TV. My concern is the divide and its impact on our collective strength. I don't foresee either side changing their minds, so the question is whether it's important enough to divide us.

If I don't believe television should be in the home of an Apostolic, should I belong to an organization where large numbers of its members own a TV? If I believe television is an acceptable part of today's society, should I belong to an organization that does not allow ministers to own a TV or use one for advertising or ministry purposes? My personal opinion is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ should unite us--the message of His death, burial, and resurrection--and we should be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with brothers and sisters who hold different views in the media debate. If not, we are destined to become a fragmented movement with no synergistic strength. I don't think that's the church Christ is looking to find upon His return.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Apostolic Girl Slain After Youth Event (updated)

In case you haven't see it, Cara Davis has the story on the 13-year-old Apostolic girl who was murdered in Florida. David Onstott, a registered sex offender who once dated the girl's mother, confessed to the crime. From the news stories, it sounds like Sarah was what we would call a "bus kid," someone who church members picked up for Sunday School every weekend. You never know how your efforts will affect a soul.

For parents everywhere, however, this is a chilling reminder that there are bad people out there who do sick things. This is the second registered sex offender in a matter of weeks to kill a young girl in Florida. A quick Google search of the words "Louisiana registered sex offender" turned up my state's searcheable database. There are 46 sex offenders in my zip code, one of them less than a mile away. Another click, and his picture pops onto the screen. He looks like a normal guy in his mid-30s, a clean-cut, hard-working American. If sex offenders don't look weird or wear identifying clothes, how do we identify them? Should we let our kids leave the house? Maybe we should start an Apostolic commune in the middle of nowhere.

Seriously, all you can do is be aware of your environment (I recommend you take a look at your state's sex offender database), educate your kids on what do to in crisis situations, and say your prayers. Be sure to pray for the Lunge family as well.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Does God Like Democracy?

The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God is a new book by George Weigel that attributes all good in Europe and the U.S. to Christianity/Catholicism, and all bad to secularism. At least that's what John Brady had to say in his book review. I can't speak with much authority on the book, since I haven't read it. The review did cause me to think, however, about how God feels about democracy.

Does God like democracy? He didn't choose democracy as the form of government in ancient Israel. He used divinely-appointed prophets, and, after Israel's bellyaching, kings. There is no mention of electing pastors/elders in the New Testament (NT). Instead it talks of appointing elders for each assembly (Titus 1:5). In all fairness, the NT does seem to refer to some sort of election of the 12th disciple to replace Judas in Acts 1, and the selection of Stephen and the other "church administrators" was probably a type of popular election.

Some questions I have:

• Although it is almost impossible for us to divorce our thoughts from our culture, would we utilize democratic procedures within the church if we had only the Bible to guide us?
• Which is better--a morally corrupt democracy or a benevolent monarchy?

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!