For the past several years, a certain kind of conversation has been common for me with church leaders. Here’s a sample:
In the recent past, I was solely attentive to the slow but steady encroachment of restrictions from some elements of the ideological left. Now, I fear, we must guard against the possibility of tyranny emerging from segments of the political right. What saddens me the most is the degree to which numerous saints aid and abet such developments out of fear of the former.
When church leaders assume that they can only scan for attacks in one direction, they leave Christians vulnerable to different dangers. What the church needs, then, is what Trevin Wax calls multi-directional leadership—leaders who demonstrate faithful versatility. And that’s what Trevin Wax commends in his new book, The Multi-Directional Leader: Responding Wisely to Challenges from Every Side (The Gospel Coalition). Wax applies multi-directional leadership to the most contentious issues facing churches right now, including race and politics and gender.
Unity and truth can still triumph in a divided age, and that’s what I talked with Trevin about in this episode of Gospelbound.
This episode of Gospelbound is sponsored by The Good Book Company, publisher of Faithful Leaders and the Things That Matter Most by Rico Tice. There are many books on leadership strategies and church structures, but this one looks at what matters most: the character and attitude of church leaders. More information at thegoodbook.com.