Celebrity or Movement Leader?
I was recently scrolling through the internet and came across a scathing article about the “celebrity pastor culture.” I generally try to avoid those things, because who needs that much negativity in life, but on this occasion I read on.
The article was quick to dismiss the once-adorned leader, and how the church has to move away from this type of individual-centered leadership.
And on the most basic level, I agree. I don’t think being a “celebrity” is the same thing as being a leader. Yet, I also wrestle with the very real truth - people don’t follow buildings, they follow people.
In Matthew 4:19 Jesus makes a very legitimate request - “Follow me.”
And that is exactly what happened. They followed Him, and the crowds followed Him, and even His enemies followed what He was doing.
By all accounts, Jesus was a celebrity.
Except in His actions.
John 13 shows us what a humble servant He was, and the intentionality in which He went to lower Himself so that His followers could learn from Him. He was clearly a movement leader.
And maybe that is the difference.
The moment we begin to believe we are above anyone, we lose everyone.
Movement leaders can be best defined as a part of the movement, leading from the pack rather than above the pack.
I think as church leaders this might be a filter we should examine in our own lives.
Am I doing ministry?
Am I with the people I’m leading?
Am I doing all the same work I am asking others to do?
This isn’t about everyone being equal in rank (movements can’t move if everyone is equal in rank). This is about everyone being equal in value. I think the best movement leaders are the ones who value every person in the movement with more regard than themselves.