Toxic leaders are the products of toxic cultures. So we don’t seek out shepherds, but gurus. We don’t desire servants, but kings. We don’t long for pastors, but celebrities. Such a leader is not known by his or her congregation, not personally, but serves more as the logo of an organization. But this is what we ask for, and, unsurprisingly, this is what it takes to be considered “successful” in much of evangelicalism today.

