In about a month’s time the TOC constituency will gather to elect the leaders for the next three years. It is also that time of the year when the churches are conducting the elections. In view of this, I would like us to look into the subject of ‘position and power ‘in the church.

The following two accounts illustrates the need for us to have a serious look at this subject:

I once heard about a man who was elected to serve as a deacon, but he refused to accept the position, and he told the pastor that if ever he was elected to be an elder, at least then, he was going to consider the offer.

In the previous TOC session, I was elected to be a member of the nomination committee, I remember a number of people including pastors came to me with suggestion for names to fill certain positions. I am told some go around campaigning (in some subtle manner) for different positions

All of us are born with an ego that seems to require recognition and awards in order to satisfy it. Many people will do anything and everything to be noticed. It is a nature of man to compete with his fellow man, they say. Everybody seems to want to stand out in the crowd. To be elected into a high office goes a long way to satisfying this ego (or self). Some feel that if they are not elected into a certain office then it means they are failing somewhere in their work. It is unfortunate that some of our ministers view the ministry as a profession career. They want a career path just like the corporate world viz. junior pastor, Ordained pastor, Conference department leader, and Conference/Union/Division administrator.

When people are called to the ministry are they called to administration? What was your calling really about? Jesus said come ‘I will make you fishers of man’; if I still know how to read, it does not say ‘I will make you administrators of fish.’ This does not only apply to ministers; the laity have the same problem. In many of our churches they are certain people if they can be removed from their position they will leave the church. It is true we have been called, but I think we have forgotten what we have been called for. We have forgotten our agenda if we ever knew it. If we are true to our calling, we will realize that we need neither position nor employment to perform our duty. I don’t believe that they should such a thing as an unemployed minister. If you are truly called by God you do not need employment from the conference to prove it. Go into the field without a position and see if God will not bless your ministry and supply your needs. But if your calling is to conduct elections, baptize the children of members, preach some of the Sabbaths and then go a vacation from time to time, during which you attend churches in the nearby conference were they do not know that you are a pastor, then, only a conference can confirm your call. So it is with members, if your calling is to make announcements on Sabbath and preach some half-cooked sermons when the Pastor is not there, then you definitely need to campaign for an eldership position.

The Bible says that we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. I believe that a good leader is not only the one who listens but the one who is also a good follower. A Christian is by definition a follower of Christ. Me thinks that anybody who has a problem with been led by his fellow brother in Christ, will have a lot of difficulties following Christ.

A true leader is a servant of those he leads. Like a Jewish shepherd he is even prepared to die for his sheep. I believe that if true leadership was understood for what it is many of those who aspire to leadership positions were going to think twice about it. Unfortunately many of us have a misconception about church leadership. We cannot differentiate it with worldly leadership. So our worldly ambitions motivates us to use worldly methods in order to lead a Holy church of God. Like Nadab and Abihu, we are using the strange fire, and their end will be ours also.

Positions in the church in most cases are rewards for an individual’s achievements, a form of recognition for one’s efforts. Unfortunately this does not follow the rule that says "you have been faithful in small things, here is the big responsibility." In most cases our criteria for choosing leaders has nothing to do with leadership skills. What often happens is that a good speaker/preacher/evangelist get promoted to administrative position. At the time when we need more reapers in the field, the best reapers are been turned into office bureaucrats. The IT (Information Technology) world has in recent years realized that just because you are a good programmer that does not make you a good manager. So many companies create career plans where technical specialists do not need to be turned into bureaucrats in order to be recognized. If this is good for a programmers, how about a men and women who are called by God, do they need a bureaucratic positions for their ministry to be recognized? Who is to reward them for their work in the ministry? Is man or God? My brothers lets wake up and realized that we do not have time to waste in politicking while souls are dying. Lets forget about positions and work to save the dying world and one-day when Christ shall come, He will say ‘Well done good and faithful servant’. God will then give you a crown that will not be taken away after a year or three years. As one man put it, "the rewards of Christians are out of this world". I am looking forward to the time when we will have workers like Nehemiah who will say "I can’t come down I am doing a good job." Workers who know and understand what they are called for. Workers who are faithful to their calling. Workers who will not be enticed by power and position. For the want of such worker, the work of God languishes.

Where are men like Moses, who, as one man put it, know more about God than they know the people. Man who, even though God says he is more than a prophet (Numbers 12:7) still remains the most humble person who ever lived on earth (Numbers 12:3). When God tells him that He will destroy the whole of Israel and starts a new generation after him, he refuses and pleads with God to change His mind. At times he offered himself to die in place of the nation of Israel. He was not the most eloquent man in Israel but his heart was in the right place. Where are such men? I was quite surprise to realize that many of spiritual leaders were reluctant to lead. Moses says he can’t speak, Jeremiah said he is still young, Saul hides behind the garbage to avoid been anointed king, Isaiah says he has unclean lips.

Where are the leaders? Could it be that the true leaders are hiding behind the garbage or we have never heard them speak because they stammer or they are not fluent in English? May be they have never been guest speakers at the camp Meeting. Where are the leaders?

In 2 Samuel 23:18-19 the Bible tells that Abishai who was not included in David’s top three generals, raised his spear and killed 300 men. He then became as famous as the three. The Bible continues to ask a rhetorical question "Was he not held in greater honor than the three? He even became their commander even though he was not included among them"

The message in the above text is that you don’t have to be included in the top three positions in order to fight the battle for my Lord. You don’t have to be the president, secretary or treasury neither do you have to be the First elder, clerk or treasurer for you to perform the duty that we are called for. Like Abishai go into the battle field and you will see how the Lord will bless you. Remember the battle is not in the office out there in the field. The word still goes out, "Not by power or position but by my Spirit"

When Christ comes, it will not matter how many positions you have held or occupied. What will matter then will be whether we were faithful to our calling? If positions won’t matter then, they should not matter know.

Lord forgive us for we do not know what we are doing. We have lost our way that’s why we always run to the wrong direction. We are blind. Please open our eyes so that we can see the way home before it is too late. Souls are dying. Save us so that we can go and save them. Amen.