It was wonderful to have the school director, Mark Macalister, lead a session on leadership. Mark said the Apostle Paul was open and transparent, showing humility and endurance. Paul chose to humble himself, rather than be humiliated. No one wants to feel humiliated.

 

I have seen many leaders with inflated egos. It reminds me of my work in various sectors of society. You often meet people who only want to climb the corporate ladder. They will push others aside to get ahead. Hendrik has faced such discrimination. Sometimes it was a show of power. Other times, it was to belittle him and elevate themselves. Occasionally, it was out of fear, as they saw him as a leader and a threat. As a pastor, Hendrik has learned much about leadership. He is always willing to support and empower others. But insecure managers will do anything to reach the top. Once there, they view their supporters as threats to eliminate.

 

For instance, Hendrik and another manager spent a lot of time talking about leadership. When the company promoted the manager, he restructured the team and pushed Hendrik to the lowest position in the hierarchy. But, God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. In the end, God intervened by appointing a different manager to take charge and elevate Hendrik. The manager's unwarranted favour overwhelmed him with God's blessings. Hendrik has always been a diligent worker, even when unfairly treated he perseveres. Apart from the Lord, I was the only one who understood how Hendrik felt.

 

We have a choice in how we react to such situations, and the path is always one of humility. This brings us back to the word humility. I recall a year in our church planting journey. The pastors in our region attended our annual retreat. Upon arrival, we gathered in a public dining room for tea. A few people were already there. Only a couple of them acknowledged us with eye contact and greetings. We decided to sit at another table, as they seemed deeply engaged in conversation. As others arrived, only a few got a warm welcome. The rest were barely acknowledged. The atmosphere remained unchanged in the large house where we stayed. The dining room was small, accommodating only two long tables with benches on either side. The pastors had a habit of sitting at the entrance of the benches, blocking others from taking a seat. We had to get their attention and ask them to move over.

 

We had a professional trainer with us for two days to discuss teamwork. On the final morning, he wanted us to show more humility and vulnerability. He posed a question I sensed would be difficult for us to navigate. Nobody responded, but he was not giving up. Suddenly, Hendrik said, “Okay, I will speak.” My heart sank. Hendrik addressed everyone. He said, "Do you know how it feels when you arrive and some of you don't even acknowledge us, let alone greet us? At breakfast, we needed a table to eat at. But, you all sat in a way that made some of us have to stand and eat in the kitchen. There wasn't any acknowledgement, no ‘good morning,’ and no seats available. We are pastors, yet we can’t be kind to one another on a weekend retreat. How can we be kind and welcoming to those we want to join our churches?”

 

Only one person was happy with Hendrik's little sermon. It was the one who wanted us to be open with each other. I felt a deep sense of pride for Hendrik. For a moment, there was a few minutes of silence, and then the atmosphere shifted as repentance set in. It was a painful, uncomfortable moment. But, it broke down walls. It fostered greater intimacy among the group of pastors.

 

About three years later, we were at another one of these gatherings. One of the main leaders from the Vineyard joined us as a speaker for a few days. After lunch, he was in conversation with a few of us and said, "I attend many gatherings across the country, but this group is very different and special." Our local area leader, who was part of the group, replied, “It wasn’t always like this. Things changed a few years ago.” I immediately knew he meant the time Hendrik poured out his heart. That is the power of humility.

Mark Macalister continued his teaching on leadership. He reminded us of Jesus' words in Matthew 11:30: "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." He offered this as the best advice for anyone in ministry, and often refer to it as bearing the scars of following his way instead of what God requires. Mark warned us to:

 

A – Don’t strive for promotion. Let God promote you. Some pastors have buckled under this pressure and left the ministry, vowing never to return. We often seek our leaders' approval to reassure ourselves. We want to know we are doing a good job and to get encouragement. Those leaders are often ministering under pressure themselves.

 

A pastor in South Africa once told me "Leadership is a lonely place". In the UK, we had limited connections with our main leaders. If you are not the type of person who seeks them out at every opportunity, it can feel as though they don’t even know you. Even a simple acknowledgement or greeting can be encouraging. It’s easy to feel like you’re not doing well when you don’t receive that acknowledgement.

After we released a couple in our church into church planting, they shared that the then main overseers presumed that one of the well-known UK Vineyards released them. That was hurtful, but we were not seeking recognition from our leaders. We did it because God asked us to, and we understood how the Lord feels about it. That is what holds the greatest significance.

 

B – Don’t try to do everything, especially tasks you are not gifted in or called to do. I thank the Lord for this reminder as we began to plant our church in Yeovil. With a small leadership team, there are many demands during a Sunday service. You can't start a new church plant with a children's ministry for four age groups. It's hard to create even one class for all ages. I prayed and asked God to provide for us, and I committed not to take action until He did. It is God’s church, and He will establish it. Do only what He has called you to do. Following this principle will make you an empowering leader.

 

C – Learn to say “no.” Oh my! This is one of the most difficult things for Christians to do. Upon becoming a Christian, many feel expected to say "yes" to all church requests. You may believe that saying "yes" pleases God, especially if you feel thankful for His salvation. Amid burnout as a home-group leader, God asked me what He had called me to do. I realised my problem was saying "yes" to everything. I found it challenging to say “no,” but I developed a way to do it by saying, “I’ll pray about it.” If I received no reply from God, I did not respond. If He said “no,” then I said “no.”

 

In the church we planted, I created the annual schedule for individuals who signed up to serve on Sundays. If I saw that someone volunteered to serve every Sunday in a month, I wouldn't allow it. I made an exception for our church-planting team in the early years. I also viewed this as a warning sign regarding their spiritual well-being. Are they spending enough time with their family? Do they prioritize time alone with God? They tend to focus on doing rather than simply being with God. As their pastor, I need to care for their well-being. By following these guidelines, you will ensure you fulfil the scripture in Matthew 11:30.