Leadership & Governance

Pastortution & Clergy system

The current pastortution/clergy stem has been taken too far. The clergy system has been running since AD 100 and so many Christians have accepted it as normative and inevitable.

No viable alternative

Most Christians have no idea what else we could do and fear that removing the pastortute or dominus will leave a power vacuum and confusion, much like removing Saddam Hussein in Iraq did. Libya is another example of repressive dictatorship still being better than the chaos and civil war that followed Qaddafi's death.

Understandable but not acceptable

This fear of chaos is an understandable concern and we see the same problem reiterated in decolonized Africa. The locals were governed in a brutal repressive model, supposedly for the good order and advance of civilization, although in reality the populations were subjugated and ruled for the benefit of the colonial powers.

Whatever advantages, such as medicine and limited education, flowed into the colonized nations was simply the minimum required for maximum exploitation. As an aside, many missionary organizations did try and really help the locals and educated them but that was limited and often overthrown by the powers that be. More on this elsewhere

The Japanese model

Japan is the only country in history where the ruling class emancipated the peasants without a revolt form below. After 1853, when Commodore Matt Perry humiliated the Japanese by demanding open markets at gunpoint, the Samurai and Daimyo realized that a huge part of western power lay in the emancipation of the serfs. In the west, human capital (capitalism) was unleashed in an unprecedented way. It really was admirable of the Japanese elite to realize this and to decentralize power, land ownership and education in order to strengthen Japan.

Servant Leadership is a ruse

Despite much rhetoric about “servant leadership “ the priesthood of all believers and the democratization of access to God, the Word and the Spirit the church is largely still in Qaddafi and Hussein phase.

The pastortutes have total authority, in line with the divine right of Kings of the middle ages, and the saints are simply taxed and given useless sermons that don’t empower them in any real way. The sermons are simply enough to lure then back for another one, (the next one also costs 10% by the way) making the anointed “man of God” indispensable.

This is so completely different to what Jesus did.

Jesus knew leaving was good for the youngmen

7. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.8. “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:9. “of sin, because they do not believe in Me;10. “of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;11. “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.12. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.14. “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.15. “All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

John 16:7-15

It is so telling that Jesus did not speak of pastors coming to reveal Christ and to minister but the Holy Spirit in each one of us.

Human leaders keeping saints in subjugation

Obviously many pastors are sincere in the mothering (nurture & control) model of leadership but that does not solve the problem. Ongoing mothering prevents maturity and growth. Fathering & Mothering.

Mothers obviously don't think ongoing nurture and control is bad and that is eon of the reasons why God appoints fathers and mothers. The two in conjunction have a much richer effect on the children and produce much more whole and powerful offspring.

Nehemiah had the same problem

6. And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.7. After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I called a great assembly against them.8. And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.9. Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?”10. “I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury!11. “Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”12. So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.” Then I called the priests, and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.

Nehemiah 5:6-12

The ruling class kept the peasants dumb and tithing and this hugely limited the work on God house.

The Israeli Defence Force (IDF)

the IDF is the least hierarchical army in the world and also the most combat effective. After the Yom Kippur war fiasco in 1973, a board on inquiry found that the Majors obeyed the Brigadiers too closely. They were instructed in future to us more initiative and further empowered to think and exploit opportunities on the battle field without trying to convince senior officers. The IDF does not work on a need to know basis but on an everybody knows everything basis. No other army does this, and not army can match Israel man for man fighting capability.

Fathering as the solution

In natural happy families, both father and mother love their children and are vital for the healthy growth and development. They have very different styles of paring though.

Fathering manifest as "equip & release" while mothering as "nurture & control".

Obviously, there is time for either one. Mothering is essential for babies under three years old, and fathering is appropriate for older children especially boys who are becoming men.

Pastors cannot afford to father

It is so depressing to ask, but how many us have a clear date when you become your pastor’s brother with equal authority and responsibility in church life? Does your pastor disciple you to grow up into Christ or grow up into tithing and submission? Have you been trained simply to keep attending church programs and supporting organizational initiatives, and maybe at best run a homecell?

This conversation my possibly be scary and unintelligible, simply because we are so totally into the clergy system. The Clergy System

Sadly most Christians are happy with the mothering and just like our failing masculinity in this word the churches are stocked with castrated men. Castrated by their mother.

Little children needs strong leadership in healthy community, but if this is all there is then our societies will become effeminate, castrated, barren.