Leading Biblically

New Ministry and New Unknowns
About 8 months ago Sara and I moved to New Madrid after receiving a unanimous call to pastor New Madrid Baptist Church (NMBC). We had made a few moves in ministry already so we knew what to expect in some areas, but there are always unknowns... And it's the unknowns that make life interesting.

I spent 10 years or so as a youth pastor, and a couple of years planting a church from scratch, but I had never pastored an established, traditional, church. Although I grew up in churches a lot like NMBC, and saw my dad pastor churches a lot like NMBC, every church is different and leading this church would require personal stretching and growth on my part.

Modern Church Leadership
Although every church requires a different type of leadership, the universal requirement is that you lead biblically. I am not using the term biblical leadership, to mean adopting the style of biblical leaders or even leading like Jesus. For me this term is more about leading according to biblical precepts and principles. This is probably the moment when you're saying "Well, duh Cary!" But hang with me for a minute...

We live an era of unprecedented access to information and technology. We also live in a era where you could fill your bookshelves with nothing but communication and leadership books. Many of these leadership books are written by experienced, Godly, men and women. I have learned a lot from these men and women of God. But unfortunately all this access can distract us from leading according to simple biblical principles.

A Big Unknown
A few months into my time as pastor of NMBC, we noticed a significant discrepancy in the church's books. Our investigations led us to an unfortunate discovery that involved a church member who, at that time, had unchecked access to the church's finances. When confronted, their confession was quick and heart-breaking. Obviously the church needed a massive overhaul in the area of financial accountability and responsibility--that was long overdue, but relatively easy thanks to some gifted church members.

But we also had the issue of how to deal with a church member who had been stealing from the church for two years. Understandably there was much anger, disappointment, frustration, you name it. Here I was, a couple of months into my tenure as pastor and I was saddled with dealing with this incredibly difficult situation. Some people wanted to file charges and seek prosecution, some I'm sure would have been fine to sweep it all under the rug. Neither of those were acceptable options to me. I knew that God's Word admonished us to avoid taking other believer's to court and I knew that the law of Christ meant forgiveness.

Leading Biblically
I knew what I needed to do--what our church needed to do. It was unconventional by many people's standards, but it was biblical. We must call for repentance, seek restoration, and encourage retribution--then we must forgive unconditionally. I (we) did (and are still doing) just that. We confronted this church member with the sin and called for repentance. This didn't happen immediately, but within a couple of months we saw this member of our church family stand before the body and publicly confess their sin, express their repentance and ask for forgiveness. We have forgiven. We have even received the beginnings of financial retribution being made.

Sounds Easy Enough...
Not really. We could have called the police, and let the prosecuting attorney sort it all out--that would have been easier. Then we could just write this family off--that would have been easier. We could shake our heads, plant bitterness in our hearts and hold on to unforgiveness--that would have been easier.

Easier... Maybe... But damaging beyond what we could imagine. I knew that choosing a path of prosecution would lead to unforgiveness and bitterness. I knew if we did not handle things biblically our church might never recover... In the roughly six months since we made this heart-breaking discovery of sin within the body of Christ we have witnessed people finding forgiveness like they never imagined. I have had members drop by my office to share how they have found forgiveness in their heart and given it more freely than ever before. We have people in our community who are still somewhat dumbfounded at our response to the situation--But they have seen true, Christ-like, forgiveness in action!

My Conclusions
Let us never get to the point that we have accumulated so much "wisdom" in the modern church that we no longer depend on biblical principles to guide our leadership. As I shared this story with a fellow-pastor, he marveled at the outcome so far. He commented that "This never happens in churches, usually the guilty party never shows their face again!" My response was simple, "I guess I didn't know any better, so I just depended on Scripture." (I hope that never changes.) And if we will lead biblically, we will reap the fruit of leading biblically: restored people, changed lives, transformed church and communities.

Finishing What I Started...

In 2006, after three years and three months of ministry with First Baptist Church of Livingston, TX, Sara and I followed God to the next destination in our journey with him...

Right off the bat that was leading me toward Seminary. I began my Seminary studies that March and made a good dent in my completion plan, but God has moved us around a few times since then. With each step my intentions have been to keep chipping away at my degree, but ministry, and having kids, and money haven't always cooperated to let that happen. And now it has been 4.5 years since I started with no degree to show for it!

Well, the time has come. Next week I will pick my studies back up and work quickly toward completing my first Masters degree. Hopefully by early next summer I will have reached the end of this leg and be able to evaluate what my further educational goals will be.

I've never taken as many hours as I am about attempt while pastoring full-time so I would appreciate your prayers as I dive back in head-first.

I have three specific goals in mind with my Seminary Study:
1. I want to honor God with the intellectual abilities he has given me.
2. I want to learn and grow to become a better Preacher, Pastor, Husband & Father
3. I want to finish what I started.

What task or goals are laying in front of you--unfinished? Maybe it's time for you to dive back in head first and let God's grace and provision lead you further in your journey!

Change

Let me throw this at you: "Church-leadership is Change-leadership." A leader is unnecessary if nothing ever changes or needs to change. If you're just going to stay where you are and do what you've been doing, you don't even need leader!

But the thing is...New Madrid Baptist Church...my church...NEEDS CHANGE! We need it because we have not arrived and it is inherent in following the Spirit's leading that we be moving and changing. You can't follow God and stay where you are at the same time--it's just not possible. Galatians 5:25 "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." that's following...moving...changing...

But change is a funny thing. If we're honest none of us like change. Well, I guess it's more accurate to say that we don't like change when it is someone else doing the changing... All of us have a little "control freak" lurking beneath the surface, and it will rear it's ugly head when we feel like someone is encroaching our comfort zone.

But God's Word never says anything about Christians being comfortable. In Matthew 8:20 Jesus reminded an eager scribe and would-be disciple that "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Not a whole lotta comfort there. And what about John 15:20..."A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you." That is anti-comfort!

So where did American Christians get the idea that the Christian-life, and consequently, Church-life, was supposed to be comfortable? It is time that we get uncomfortable. Time to get dis-satisfied with a comfortable Christian-life. God created a world that constantly changes and let us know that in the midst of the discomfort of change we can lean on him - The only unchanging one. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" -Hebrews 13:8. He never changes...he doesn't need to...WE DO!

So I'm going to lead. I'm going to lead my church in following the Spirit...and I know that will require changes. We simply can not stay here and still go where He wants us to go. Some of those changes will be painful... But hey, if we're willing to get uncomfortable, only God knows what he can do through us!