Friday; September 26

The other night I was looking up why the police in Great Britain don’t carry firearms.  In recent years, some specialized British officers have been armed, but “policing by consent” is the fundamental concept of Law Enforcement in England.  In essence, the populace makes a commitment to the government to abide by the rules and accept the inherent authority of administrative government. 

Now, I am not here to debate this concept nor its possibility in the United States, but I was intrigued by this concept as it applies to things like leadership – especially church leadership.  In all honestly, Christian leadership derives its practical authority from the congregational adherents accepting the leadership of those who have volunteered.  Sure, there are biblical passages that outline spiritual authority, but when it comes down to it, it is the group’s willingness to accept the influence of their appointed leaders.  Maybe the reason some church struggle with their leadership is there is a breakdown in this concept – either by a congregation not consenting to accept the wisdom of the leaders or the leaders’ failure to realize their influence will only go as far as what they earn from the congregation.

Let’s work together to build churches that work well.  This begins with understanding and abiding by the principles stated in the Scripture – then, by living up to the commitment and consent we need from each other to make it happen.

          Think About It!


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