I have been a part of a ministry on and off which is for teens and young adults. The ministry ultimately took off and spread, resulting in divisions of the ministry across the state but mostly in the county where I live and the surrounding area. Right now there are seven of the branches still in operation.
The ministry was founded by a church in the area as a part of the ministry of one man, I am going to call him Dan. Now Dan had been a part of several churches before the church at which he settled. He had seen two of them fall apart because of leadership issues, and was nervous about leadership of ministries. He knew all too well how power affected even the best of men.
So Dan would go out, found a new branch of the ministry, train up his replacement, and leave his replacement to run the branch. This worked very well for Dan, as he never put himself into a position where he would be tempted by power. He had been afraid that he would fall into the same trap into which he had seen others fall. Dan knew his besetting sin, and avoided the temptation at all costs. Matthew 26:41 says "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Dan and other members of the founding church planned and prayed and worked together to try to bring together the best people possible for the positions. And these men and women were spirit-filled individuals, truly on fire for the ministry. But four years later, two of them were suffering from the same power-hungry tendencies, with a third who was making Dan a little concerned that they were headed in the same direction.
1 Timothy 6:17 (ESV) says "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy." I know this verse refers to money, but I truly believe it also applies to those with earthly power. For one, we know "So the last shall be first, and the first last." Matthew 20:16 (ASV) Power on earth means nothing in heaven. On earth we need to set our sights on heaven.
Accumulating power on earth, enjoying power on earth, is not the way to go. Matthew 6:2 points out that those who do their deeds for the earth receive their rewards on earth. The reality is that those of us who focus on accruing anything on earth, wealth, power, prestige, fame, get what we asked for here on earth. Matthew 6:20-21 says "But store up your treasures in heaven.....For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Now these people were once on fire for Christ, they were passionate about everything He asked them to do, they were passionate about the things that were of God. But now, with all the time they spend facilitating their power on earth, how can they possibly have time to spend focusing on God?
Now in the case of this ministry this is a two part problem....what to do in the future, and what to do about those already in authority. I can tell you what the successful solution to the first was....leadership teams. In a team leaders hold one another accountable. So far, this method has been incredibly successful. Two of the branches now are run by husband and wife couples. They seem to still hold one another accountable and keep the passion burning.
As to what to do for those already in authority, I think that an intervention is in order.
Matthew 18:15-18 says "If your brother sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church.... Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." As usual (ok always) with the Bible, I couldn't have said it better myself.
