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The
Dangers Of Hierachialism
in
Christian Organizations
by
Rev. Roger Smalling, D.Min
Hierarchialism
is an organizational structure based on ascending ranks, like a
ladder. The military is a hierarchial structure with generals,
colonels, sergeants, down to privates. Authority is entirely vertical
with no accountability at the top. No number of privates could
ever hold a general accountable for his actions. Blame is always
passed downward. Large corporations are also structured hierarchies,
with high-paid CEO's, vice presidents and department managers,
down to the stock boys. Again, authority is always from the top
down with no accountability at the top. Lower ranks usually take
the blame for the errors of the management.
Officers of hierarchies do not represent the will of their
subordinates. Biblical government is the opposite and fundamentally simple. Officers
serve the people in a representative system. When it comes to the
relationship of 'officers' to one another, such as in a Presbytery,
every member has equal voice and vote. There are no ranks, just differences
in functions. If there is blame, it accrues to the group as a whole. The difference between the two is comparable to a ladder versus
a round table. The entire structure is different because the goals
and purposes are dissimilar.
When Christian organizations attempt to mimic the world's structures,
the central principles Christ taught tend to be strangled. People
become lost in a maze of bureaucracy as a monolithic organizational
machine feeds itself rather than the people, focusing on its own existence
as though it had intrinsic value. During 35 years of ministry, principally in missions, I have observed
many Christian organizations. Comparing these observations with other
experienced ministers confirms the effects of hierarchialism in a
Christian context.
By modeling the world's structures, Christians may forget to consider
consideration a central aspect of biblical theology...the corrupt
nature of man. In structuring a Christian organization the issue is
not efficiency, but sanctification. Dictatorship is the most efficient form of government known to man.
That is why dictators are hard to defeat.
Dictators dehumanize people,
depriving them of the free expression necessary to reflect God's image.
It is the straight line between two points but casualties are strewn
along its wake. To discern the morality of a leadership structure, one should ask
what it stimulates...the Adamic nature or the new nature in Christ. The "Peter Principle":
Mediocrity and Incompetence
In
his classic book, "The Peter Principle", sociologist John Peters
describes how each member of a hierarchy tends to rise to his level
of incompetence. As a person performs well at one level, he may
be promoted to the next, until he attains a position beyond his
abilities. He will remain at this position generating problems
for himself and others. Meanwhile, many gifted people abandon ship.
With time, incompetence of this sort multiplies until the organization
as a whole becomes mediocre. Good Christian leaders, functioning
within an hierarchial system, try to mitigate these negative effects.
(See Appendix B) These efforts are laudable, though often futile.
Human nature, including among Christians, is susceptible to the
temptations generated by hierarchial systems.
Hierarchies Tend To Stimulate The Worst In Fallen Human Nature This includes Christian hierarchies. Some of these aspects are:
Arrogance
People tend to want to feel superior to others. Hierarchies
provide for this by giving ranks, one superior to the other. The
assumption is, 'I have a superior rank because I am a superior
person.'
Unholy Ambition And Jealousy
- A person sees another in a rank above his and says to himself,
'he is no better than I. In fact, I can do his job better. So
why shouldn't I have that rank?'
C. Dirty Politicking
- If a person wants a superior rank, he may be tempted
to try to pull strings and make deals to get it. This is morally
questionable and wasteful of effort that could be spent in productive
work.
- The Apostle
James notes, "For where you have envy and selfish
ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." James
3:16. The term 'evil practice' translates 'phaulon pragma',
literally 'foul business.' The modern phrase, 'dirty politicking'
expresses it well.
D. Blame Shifting
- This a form of moral cowardice. Human nature has a tendency
to blame a subordinate when something goes wrong. Blame shifting
was Adam's first reaction after the fall. (Genesis Chapter 3)
- Imagine a man carrying a load up a ladder. If the man on the
top drops his load, where does it go? On the man beneath, who
dumps it on the man below him. The guy on the bottom gets the
full load. In a hierarchy, the load is the blame.
E. Man-Pleasing
- Since a person's rank in the hierarchy depends on the good will
of the rank above him, this tempts him to focus on pleasing the
man above rather than pleasing God.
F. Loss Of Competent Personnel
- According to Dr. Peter, in The Peter Principle, hierarchies
tend to squeeze out people who question the way things are done,
even if they are highly competent.
- A hierarchy, like any organism, becomes more focused on perpetuating
its own existence than to what it was created to produce. People
who 'rock the boat' will be thrown out of that boat. It does not
matter if they were among the few doing the rowing.
G. Disregard Of The Spiritual Authority Of The Ordained Offices
- I mention this one last for emphasis, not because it is least
important. In fact, I consider it the most serious problem generated
by authoritarian structures. In a Christian hierarchy, leaders
sometimes act as though their man-made title or ranks negates
the spiritual authority of biblical ones. The Word of God accords
certain rights and privileges to all ordained officers in the
body of Christ. Hierarchial structures overlook these. See Lesson
Eight for more on this.
What If You Are A Leader In An Authoritarian Christian Hierarchy?
- With a little imagination, you can install administrative devices
to minimize the damage, though doing so requires a rare moral courage.
Why courage? These strategies require accountability to the people
you lead.
Examples:
- A. Periodic evaluations of your leadership, in writing
and anonymous, by the people you lead. This gives subordinates the
opportunity to say what they really think and do so safely. In this
way, you will get the truth about your leadership style.
-
- B. Create an anonymity committee. This may consist of two
or three people who can receive complaints about problems without
revealing the sources. If there are enough complaints about a particular
leader, this can be brought to the attention of upper level management
before the leader is able to do serious damage. The reason this
requires moral courage is because the leader in question might be
you.
- Tip: Do NOT insult the intelligence of your subordinates by announcing
an 'open door policy' unless they can hold you accountable for what
you say or do to them inside the door.
- C. Memos to subordinates about proposed policies asking
for their feedback, gives people the feeling of participation in
the decision process.
Any device that allows you to be vulnerable to your subordinates and
accountable for your actions will gain respect and credibility. Ironically,
once you have respect and credibility, those devices will likely become
unnecessary. Are You Joining A Christian Organization? A
good way to discern if the organization is authoritarian is to ask
them, "In what way can you be made to stand accountable
for the way you treat subordinates?" If you get no answer, look
elsewhere.
Summary Authoritarian hierarchialism is unbiblical for Christian
organizations or churches. It stimulates latent tendencies in our
fallen nature. Christian leaders need to be aware of these tendencies
and do what they can to minimize them. This may require an uncommon
moral courage and commitment to the fundamental principle of absolute
integrity in making ourselves vulnerable and accountable to those
we lead.
From This Article We Learn:
Authoritarian hierarchialism is a worldly form of organizational structure,
antithetical to the leadership principles Christ embodied. Authoritarian hierarchialism stimulates the worst in human nature,
leading to arrogance, selfish ambition, politicking, blame shifting
and more. Christian leaders involved in such structures can mitigate the damage
if they have the courage to do so, by instituting administrative devices
to make themselves vulnerable and accountable to those they lead.
Many who enjoyed this work also liked our book, Unlocking Grace.
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