Not So with You: Power and Leadership for the Church
Ebook
The spate of recent scandals of power abuse by leaders within the evangelical world suggests something is wrong in our churches. When a leader misuses power, they have misunderstood and misrepresented God and the gospel. This volume addresses the key underlying issue of what a biblical and healthy use of power in the church actually looks like. Authors from a variety of Christian backgrounds and traditions help frame a biblical and theological understanding and practice of power use, describe what it looks like when things go wrong (and how to recognize the signs), and suggest how the contemporary church can and must do better in this area. This book is a rigorously grounded biblical challenge to much contemporary practice. It is a call to reformation.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Why Another Book on Power and Why Now?
Mark Stirling
Imitating the Mindset of Christ
Mark Stirling
Confessions of a Potential Authoritarian: Knowing the Trinity as Antidote to Pastoral Authoritarianism
Jared Michelson
"You must not do as they do . . . " Old Testament Israel's Distinctive Patterns of Leadership
Chris Wright
Sin and Why We Need to Take It More Seriously
Nick Mackison
The Power of the Imago Dei and the Imago Dei in Power
Mark Meynell
Symbolic Capital and the Dynamics of Leadership: The Gospel and the Idolatry of Status
Grant Macaskill
Use, Not Abuse: An Augustinian Approach to Loving People
Graham Shearer
When a Church Becomes a Cult: Twenty-Five Years On
Steve Wookey
The Cost of Brokenness
Blythe Sizemore
Authoritative, Not Authoritarian
Sam Allberry
When Our First Love Is Loving to Be First
Chris Green
Mentors, Not Masters
Marcus Honeysett
Of God and God-Men
Sushila Ailawadi
Pastors Empowering Women to Flourish
Tasha Chapman
Signs and Symptoms of Unhealthy Leaders and Their Systems
Mark Stirling
Conclusion: That No Bruised Reed Is Ever Broken
Mark Meynell
“Grounded in the Trinity, Not So with You comes like a breath of fresh air into the current confusion surrounding leadership in the church. It is just the tonic for anyone wearied or burnt by evangelical activism or misuse of power, as it reminds us that the church is not foremost a means of accomplishing tasks on this earth. It is rather about Christ and his love for his bride—the church.”
—Jonny Dyer, vicar, Christ Church Fulwood
“The alarming number of high-profile ministry failures involving abuse of power continues to increase. While many helpful books have been written, we have needed a comprehensive multi-voice resource to guide us through the landmines. Not So With You is the book we have been hoping for that gives both deep biblical and theological insights and extremely helpful pastoral and practical applications The multiple voices are thoughtful, strong, balanced, biblical, gospel-centered, and focused on Christ.”
—Mark L. Dalbey, president emeritus, Covenant Seminary
- Title: Not So with You: Power and Leadership for the Church
- Authors: Mark Meynell, Mark Stirling
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666760187, 9781666760163, 1666760161, 9781666760170, 166676017X, 1666760188
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666760187
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-08-31T21:23:15Z
Mark Stirling directs the Chalmers Institute and teaches at Highland Theological College, Scotland. He is a former medical doctor and pastor and has a PhD in New Testament from St Andrews University.
Mark Meynell serves as director (Europe & Caribbean) for Langham Preaching (a program of Langham Partnership), is ordained in the Church of England, and has a DMin in cultural apologetics from Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis.