An Interesting Post on Leadership Styles
“Gotcha” Leadership in the ELCA
I wrote something similar for 2×2 ages ago. I called it the “gotcha factor.”
Dave’s post deserves a read by church leaders because gotcha leadership is a common tactic in the ELCA.
- Approach a congregation with YOUR vision for THEIR future.
- Stonewall anyone who disagrees. Gotcha.
- Intimidate existing leaders. Gotcha.
- Bring a posse, a lawyer and a locksmith to meetings. Gotcha.
- Sue those who pursue their grievances. Gotcha.
- Drag a simple, manageable dispute into court and rely on separation of church and state and immunity from the law (while using the law against church members). Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha.
- Reluctantly allow a congregation to bring a grievance to Synod Assembly. Allow them no voice. Line up a host of witnesses who if they ever knew anything about the church have no current knowledge. Give them ALL the limited microphone time, supposedly available to everyone (thus doubling their side’s allotted debate time). Allow these additional witnesses to publicly ridicule the congregation, including individual members, none of whom are permitted to answer their accusers. Gotcha.
The only thing with which I would disagree is what Dave calls the tendency of peers to speak up for one another. This has happened in the Redeemer conflict only in private.
Otherwise, he is correct. Gotcha church leaders discourage risk-taking while imploring congregations to innovate. They manage by shuffling resources around, including resources that don’t necessarily belong to them! The activity makes it look like they are doing more than they actually are. Move failing Pastor A to Congregation B and then Congregation C and D to use up resources more quickly. Shut down the German heritage churches and give the resources to Korean/Latino/Homeless, etc. Lutherans. Close the older working class churches who are debt-free and build new churches in the suburbs with their assets. Forget the pain caused to the closed churches. Celebrate the new churches. All this shuffling of resources creates “us” against “them” scenarios.
Gotcha leaders can really do no better than keep and celebrate the status quo. They can do this with great fanfare! They control the media—at least until all churches discover the power of the internet.
In reality, they are more likely to start congregations down the road to failure and break the morale of their able and hard-working members.
This kind of leadership spreads fast, especially in desperate times.
The Church is facing desperate times.
Oh, and there is another word for “gotcha” leadership. Bullying.