Thoughts on Non-Hierarchical Leadership

Leadership in the Church is being challenged and is evolving and this can be healthy if it comes from a pure motive. The idea of moving from a hierarchical structure is appealing to many but for different reasons.

For some with big personalities founded on inferiority complexes the seeming absence of what they perceive to be autocratic leadership gives them the chance to seize power and claim a superficial allegiance to ‘team’ or ‘democracy’ or ‘non-hierarchical leadership’.

Many have been hurt by abuses of power in leadership and cry for change and this needs to be addressed and people need to be helped to find healing in the love of God and His people so they can trust again without embarking on a crusade to get rid of all leadership.

Some people desire an equal say in every decision in church life without a desire to take on an equal share of the responsibility that goes along with that.

The deconstructionist concepts of church purport that no leadership is required in local church expressions and we all lead together. This is a sweet ‘hippy’ notion but the dreams of such a paradigm that I have witnessed seem to end in a church family being deconstructed to a place of weakness or non-existence with a few people left who don’t seem to be able to function in any expression of church. These people seem only to be reconciled to their own opinions on how church needs to change, living in unreality, defining their lives through their ability to question everything, creating much frustration in themselves and in others.

I believe that many are genuinely seeking evolution in leadership from a healthy standpoint. Their desire is to see the church grow and mature and reach the world more effectively. I do not believe we need another system of leadership superimposed on us as the church. Moving from what we perceive to be hierarchical leadership to non-hierarchical leadership is not the full answer. If each of us moves completely out of fear and into love then we will have the leadership and community we desire. You may say this is not practical and I say, to lay our lives down for one another and to honour each other’s calling, gifting and function is intensely practical but it requires love on a supernatural scale.

Love-based non-hierarchical leadership is the way of the Trinity. It is an honouring and loving environment where each One lays themselves down for the good of the others. There is no selfish competition or political manoeuvring between the members of the Trinity. The only competition between Father, Son and Spirit is to out do one another in loving and preferring one another!

This kind of leadership has its foundation in love not fear. This template of leadership will not work amongst us if we remain insecure and fearful and orphan-hearted.

We all, no matter how spiritually mature we perceive ourselves to be need to allow the love of the Father to shape our image as His sons, the grace of Jesus to inform and unveil to us our identity and position in Him before the world began and we all require the daily fellowship of the Spirit to bring us healing, restoration of heart and a perception of others based on love.

A church culture needs to be a God-centric, Christ-centric, Holy Spirit-Centric family culture. Creating a family culture through only social events produces integration, creating it through a revelation of God’s love for us produces life, real relationships and reconciliation.

We are all equal before God as His sons. We are all sons of God and part of the bride of Christ. We are not all equal in gift and function and we need to be ‘grown up enough’ to celebrate, honour and release the different gifts amongst us.

Non-hierarchical leadership is not an absence of leadership and it does not work in a culture without honour because honouring each others gifts and functions empowers leaders to lead instead of us being stuck with people in position and having titles but not functioning as leaders or relating healthily together as leaders.

More than ever before, I believe the church does require strong leadership. Just because we may perceive ourselves to be strong does not mean we no longer require leadership, fathering and accountability. In fact if we feel no need of these things we are in deception and our assessment of our own strength is over inflated. I believe strong leaders still need to emerge today. A leader who leads with strength is not necessarily an autocrat or a creator of hierarchy just because they may not take onboard every one of our suggestions or desires.

I believe local churches still need someone to carry seniority in leadership gift and function and vision, supported by and accountable to a myriad of gifted leaders and people who function together for the good of the body and the extension of the kingdom. This is not a hierarchy. A hierarchy by definition does not function for the advancement of others but the advancement and preservation of itself. The church still requires leaders as shepherds who will lay their life down for the sheep, those who will die daily to recover and resurrect people into their purpose and life in Christ.

Just as in family life, mum and dad don’t live primarily to be recognised and admired as ‘mum and dad’ by their children but actually live for the benefit of their kids coming through to healthy adulthood. Releasing to them responsibility and resource, even if it means they have to give away that which they have built by God’s grace or that which has been given them by their spiritual forefathers. Love can only liberate and release, fear holds and inhibits and calls that practice ‘wisdom.’

For me, non-hierarchical leadership is seen where leaders lead in love and through their God-given authority, their gift, their function and their service not through title or position bestowed by man. Where leaders lead out of relationship and shared life together not out of business meetings and pecking orders. Leadership is not bestowed as a reward upon the greatest servant in the church community - this is a childish notion. However godly leaders will serve willingly as they live for something greater than themselves. They serve out of love, not out of hope for recognition or preferential treatment.

I have the privilege of being friends with many young leaders coming through who simply have a heart to see God’s dream for man become a reality in our day. I am a friend of many older leaders and fathers and mothers in the faith who have lived in the light of God’s dream and continue to serve to bring it about. I am excited about the future of the church so let us not get bogged down in a navel gazing inward looking irrelevant debate on what leadership method is required but let us be the family of God together, allowing God to heal us and restore us and bless us to be a blessing. We are here for the restoration of all things spoken by our Heavenly Father through the prophets we are not here to impose our vision of perfect church on each other. I conclude with the beautiful Scriptures:

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion...

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

 - Romans 12:3-16+21