Christian leaders: It's about calling not celebrity.

Let me state clearly. Church is about two things; Jesus and people. Church is not about music, image or agenda.

Church leadership is about two things; calling, and character (fruit of the Spirit). It is not about having a degree or going to one of the so called enthused 'hip' bible colleges If you have a true calling from God you will be concerned about the church and people, not image or how you appear on TV.

However in recent times we have had high profile pastors, of large congregations, have extra marital affairs, indulge in sexual abuse, sexually exposing themselves and others living a lavish lifestyle far beyond that of any of their parishioners and doing so as though it were their right.

Now I have met the leader of the denomination that has had to fire and remove from ministry the people guilty of the above transgressions. I don't know him personally, I have only had the privilege of interviewing him once, but I know his values and his foundations and I know that he has never reflected- to the best of my knowledge, any of the behaviours exhibited by his leaders. So where is the disconnect, between how the head of denomination lives and how these particular leaders have conducted themselves?

The leaders looked to the man not to Christ Jesus, they endeavoured to reflect an image and an ethos rather than a reflection of Christ crucified. Their particular churches mirrored a broken society rather than the kingdom of God. They preached a gospel of 'managing sin' rather than a gospel of the transforming power of God. They saw and behaved as though God was only for a Sunday and not the other six days. The disconnect came about when they reflected their behaviour rather than their beliefs, others saw behaviour not belief and thought it was good. Over the years these people have allowed their behaviour to cloud and eventually shut out their consciences, and this has resulted in corrupt character.

Christian character is a reflection and the out working of God's transforming power in our lives through the fruit of the Spirit.

Rabbi Heschel said" What we need more than ever is not textbooks but text-people" In other words we need to learn to reflect and act and live out the text, which is the word of God. The book of James in the NT says that we need to be doers of the word not just hearers of the word.

Church Leadership is about calling and character not a degree and certainly not celebrity.

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