Powerful Leaders? Quotes

“Perhaps we find it easy to sympathize with leaders who, in the face of unsustainable expectations, step outside their legitimate authority to ‘get the job done’. But what happens in the process is that they discover they can exercise power that isn’t rightfully theirs, and the church won’t question it but rather allows them to act unaccountably. The unspoken understanding is that the minister is the CEO, so is probably authorized to do whatever they like. This is a first step towards people looking to the minister rather than to Jesus.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“It is quite possible for leaders to become self-promoting without realizing it. Over time, defending their reputation becomes important to retaining and growing control. They become harder to disagree with because of the combination of the control they exert within the formal structure and the relational support they can gather privately outside of it.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“All the way back to Genesis 3 we can trace twin instincts. On one hand the human heart has been hard-wired to seek solitary, authoritarian power and safety. On the other, there is a deep-seated responsibility-abdicating acquiescence to ungodly leaders or groups.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“While Christians do have a general duty to be soft-hearted, forgiveness is dependent on repentance. To forgive in the absence of repentance is to validate sinful behaviour. And even when someone does genuinely repent, and forgiveness is appropriate, there should be no obligation to remain under their leadership – nor for them to remain in leadership.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“There is little that Satan hates more than godly repentance.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“Churches that lack accountability structures for leaders (or where leaders have dismantled them) are powerless when things go wrong. Not only are they driving without a seatbelt, they have cut the brakes and may be hurtling towards a cliff.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“The antidote to a culture of self- promoting leaders is one where leaders – and everyone else – repent often and forgive often, delighting themselves in the Lord, praying and praising him for the glory of his wonderful grace. A culture, therefore, in which leaders can lead out of weakness, no longer needing to be impressive or having to prove themselves to receive praise and affirmation from people.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“Leaders who are reluctant to engage with Scripture, or who insist that their way is the only scriptural way without discussion, or who demand obedience without reference to Scripture, are almost certainly outside the limits of legitimate authority.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“The key principle, however, is this: power must be exercised wholly for the benefit of others and not for the benefit of the leader. Christian leadership, modelled on Jesus’ leadership, is self-giving, not self- serving.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“Authority, used correctly, is a deeply positive, nurturing thing.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“It is no good pretending that as Christian leaders we have little or no power. We do. Power and power differentials are givens in leadership. Being realistic about this is essential if we are to grasp how we affect others. We need to be as insightful as possible if we want to ensure that we use our power and authority in right and godly ways.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“It is when we are weak that God’s power is manifest, not when we are strong [...] The trouble for many of us as Christian leaders is that we simply don’t like it! Or we think that our churches don’t want it. Faced with a choice between apparently strong, resilient, visionary, resourceful leaders or weak but prayerful ones, we secretly think the church wants the first type. We can imagine that they won’t want us if we delight in weakness. We can confuse confidence with competence, all the while neglecting character.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“Authentic Christian leaders boast in weakness, not strength.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“Christian leaders are not Jesus’ top generals. They are under-shepherds helping the flock enjoy and feed on God, out of which flows firm and secure faith: ‘Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm’ (2 Corinthians 1:24).”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“No Christian leader – no leader of any kind – is immune from the dangers of misuse of power and position.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It

“There is a clear difference between leadership that is gentle and loving in its strength, and leadership that is forceful and overbearing. Shepherds lead others to walk in the ways of the Lord.”
― Marcus Honeysett, Powerful Leaders?: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong And How to Prevent It