Why Pastors And Leaders Don't Get Fired. Even When They Should

It is always hard to address failure. When the person failing is the leader of a church it is even harder. As painful as it can be to confront a leader, the pain of ignoring a problem is almost always worse.

I read with sadness recently the reports on the demise of Mars Hill Church, a massive church in the Seattle area. The church welcomed over 12,000 attendees each Sunday to its services at 15 different venues in the city and surrounding communities and its Pastor, Mark Driscoll, was somewhat of a celebrity in evangelical circles. The church seemed to be growing and successful. Members were understandably shocked when the announcement came in the fall of 2014 that Driscoll was resigning and the church would cease to exist in its existing structure. The organization dissolved, and what was once one church with 15 locations fractured into 11 independent churches. Mark Driscoll was out of a job.

While the news caught most people off guard, it was not a surprise to those who were in the know. It seems Mark Driscoll was not a very nice man. While charismatic and gifted as a speaker, church leaders revealed that he was mean-spirited, domineering and profane in his dealings with other church leaders and members. He lacked the personal character required of those in his role. When his inevitable fall from grace came he took the church down with him. The fault was not only Driscoll's. The elders of the church tolerated the intolerable for too long and their unwillingness to act irreparably harmed the church.

Reading of the tragedy of Mars Hill leads me to reflect on why it is that churches and other organizations select, tolerate and even enable dysfunctional leadership. The fiasco of Mars Hill is not an isolated event. In my years in ministry and medical practice I have observed many men who were not qualified to lead be allowed to continue in their roles unchecked and undisciplined. The list of pastoral wrong doings of which I am personally aware includes foul language, arrests, sexual indiscretions, recurrent gossip, bullying of staff, and misuse of church funds. The list of professional malfeasance in secular organizations is even longer.  In the majority of circumstances the pastors continued in ministry and leaders continued in their roles without significant consequences. When I consider the cases of which I am aware I see a number of recurrent problems. While I specifically address the role of senior pastors, the role with which I am most familiar, the issues and principles they represent apply not only to churches but to leaders in other large organizations as well. 

Problem #1-      A Culture of Celebrity.

We live in a world that makes pastors into stars. Mark Driscoll had a salary of over $500,000 a year and commanded speaking fees of over $15,000 per appearance. Even in smaller churches the pastor can become the center of the church community, the focus of the ministry. This can lead to a fear that the church could die if the pastor leaves. As a result sin is overlooked. As long as people are coming, the pastor is not confronted. When the pastor is the focus, focus is lost. 

The Solution-  Churches need to guard against making one man the focus. This danger is increased with multi-campus churches that broadcast one pastor's preaching into multiple venues. It can be addressed by having other men assume more visible leadership roles, and by making character a priority. Talent is no substitute for character.

2-      Weak Leadership.

Elders (or governing boards) are supposed to be overseers, shepherds who guard the flock. Men in this position may at times be required to confront those who are in error. In many churches elders are poorly suited for this aspect of the job. They are often chosen or elected because they are nurturing and supportive by nature. In churches where Elders are elected there is a danger of selecting leaders who are more popular than they are firm in their convictions. 

The Solution- Churches should seek out men with proven records of character who have shown they can make difficult decisions.

3-      Change is Hard. And Risky.

No one wants to admit they are wrong, and it is not easy for leaders to admit to a congregation that they picked the wrong guy or that the right guy turned wrong. How do you explain to a church body that the man they have been listening to every Sunday is not the godly leader they thought he was? It is often easier to rationalize and ignore than deal with the fall out.

The Solution- Create a culture where self-assessment is expected. Periodic reviews of the ministry should be scheduled and results shared publicly. When self-correction is a part of the culture necessary change is less disruptive.

4-      Small Parts, Big Whole

Often times no single event is big enough to merit confronting the pastor. While multiple small events are at times indicative of a major character flaw, confrontation in such circumstances is more difficult. This can result in pastors who remain in their positions if infidelity is non-consummated, or whose bullying of staff is verbal but not physical. 

The Solution- Create a culture where leaders are expected to perform at the highest levels of personal conduct and where the truth that words and deeds reflect a man’s heart is embraced. Simple apologies should be rejected and replaced by definitive action plans and formal counseling.

5-      Misplaced Faith

We believe in a God who restores, redeems and rehabilitates. Leaders often feel that they need to give struggling pastors time to allow God to move. While this is true in most circumstances, when it comes to the senior pastor the bar can and should be higher.

The Solution- If the pastor needs significant rehabilitation he needs to step aside. There is a spiritual battle being waged and a weak general puts everyone at risk. Extending grace does not necessarily mean foregoing action.

This list could be much longer. It is my hope that pastors and leaders who read these words will be encouraged to stand up for their flocks and their faith. Scripture is filled with examples of people suffering due to the sins of their leaders. None of us want our church's story added to the list!

For those in leadership roles in other organizations the principles still apply. When we allow dysfunction to continue unchecked everyone suffers.

- Bart

Know a leader who needs to hear this message? Please consider sharing it. Comments or questions? I would love to hear them.

Where have all the true Friends Gone?

I speak without fully listening. I interrupt frequently. I dominate conversations. People are intimidated by me. I am hypercritical. How do I know these things? My friends and family told me.

While none of the above messages was pleasant to hear, they have all been essential to my personal growth. They helped me identify my faults, understand the responses of others and grow as a person. If my friends had not cared enough to speak up, if they had simply “loved me for who I was” I would not be the person I am today.

It seems to me that although friends such as these are invaluable they are a vanishing breed. Most people seek out friends who validate and affirm, not friends who challenge and exhort, and our society is suffering as a result.

Not every feeling we have is healthy and not every desire should be fulfilled. It is our friends and family who can lovingly correct is when we wander, who can remind us that “being true to ourselves” is nowhere near as important as being true to our God.

Part of the reason such exhortations are increasingly rare is due to an incorrect understanding of judgment. If there is one scripture even atheists can quote it is “Judge not, lest you also be judged.” Jesus’ was teaching that we should not condemn others and reminding us that we would all be judged one day. What is overlooked in applying His words is that he also taught his followers to follow God’s law and that sin should be addressed. Avoiding condemnation is good, ignoring and accepting sin is not.

Distaste for judgment has become dominant and moral relativism has become the norm. As a result increasingly strange behaviors are becoming common place. Infidelity and sexual deviancy are so common as to be expected and embraced. No one speaks out anymore, no one stands for goodness. If anyone dares make a stand they are labeled as a hateful bigot.

The truth is that all human beings are broken and dysfunctional in one way or another and all of us have feelings and desires that are selfish and harmful. If we do not have people in our lives who love us enough to point out where we need to change and grow, we will do neither.

Let us pray that God will bless us with friends who care enough to correct us and that we will be true friends to those we love.

Bart

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A Heart Attack in the Medicine Cabinet

People don’t like pain, even in small amounts. Look in any medicine cabinet in America and you are likely to find multiple medications for pain. Among the most common and most effective are anti-inflammatory medications such as Motrin, Advil and Aleve. Millions of people take these medications on a daily basis to treat headaches, muscle pain and arthritis. New evidence now suggests this may be dangerous.

While doctors have known for a while that there was a slight increase in heart attack risk in patients taking anti-inflammatory medications the risk was considered to be negligible. We knew about it but we didn’t talk about it. We are in the business of making people feel better and when patients are in pain we want to do something about it. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) make people feel better. They are inexpensive and available over-the-counter in low doses or by prescription at higher doses and the benefits of decreased pain and improved function seemed to greatly outweigh any concerns. 

It seems we were wrong.

Recent studies have demonstrated that the risk of heart attack and death was significantly increased. The strongest evidence came from an analysis of several studies totaling over 120,000 patients. The analysis revealed an average of 3 more heart attacks over 10 years for every 100 patients. As the patients in the study averaged an age of 61 and were not typically at high risk for heart disease the results are particularly concerning.

One expert, Dr. Peter Wilson of Emery University is quoted in the NY Times,-

“The over-the-counter medications, which have the lowest doses, probably increased risk by about 10 percent, he said. Low-dose prescription medications were likely to increase the risk by about 20 percent and higher-level dose prescription medications by about 50 percent”

Interpreting these numbers requires an understanding of a patient’s baseline risk. Using myself as an example, as a 54 year old man with normal blood pressure and high cholesterol treated with medication my risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years is about 4%. If Dr. Wilson is correct, over-the-counter medications cause a net increase of 0.4%, low dose prescription medications 0.8% and higher dose NSAIDs have a risk increase of 2%.

For men like me this translates into one more heart attack for every 250 patients for OTC use, one of 125 patients for low dose prescriptions and one in 50 for high dose medications! If I had diabetes and was treated for high blood pressure those numbers would double. When I realized that the medication I was taking every day to manage my arthritis pain had a 1/50 chance of leading to a heart attack in the next 10 years I decided my pain wasn’t as bad as I thought it was! 

While younger people at very low risk for heart attack can take these medications with little concern and occasional use for headache and back strains is not likely to have much of an impact for anyone, the reality is that a large number of older patients have been taking these medications on a daily basis. This new data will require us to reevaluate our approach to arthritis pain.

Here are some of the approaches I am considering-

1-      I am having individual conversations with all of my patients who are on daily NSAID medications

2-     I am encouraging my patients to consider acetaminophen as first line treatment for pain

3-     I am revisiting the lifestyle changes that can help ease arthritis pain. Obesity is an important factor that patients typically do not want to address. It can no longer be ignored.

4-     I am becoming more willing to tolerate mild to moderate pain. I stopped my daily medications 2 weeks ago. My pain has increased significantly, but it is not unbearable.

5-     I will consider prescribing more medications that are pain modifiers and not pain relievers such as certain anti-depressants (duloxetine is a common medication for this) and seizure medications (such as gabapentin)

6-     When necessary I will be more willing to consider narcotic pain medications

Medicine is changing. Treatments we once thought to be safe weren’t. Doctors will need to individualize approaches to the management of pain and patients will need to be willing to consider new options. It is not hyperbole to say that lives are at stake.

Bart

Comments and questions are welcome! Please consider sharing this post as it may save the life of someone you know. A reminder you can subscribe to the blog by clicking on the subscription button and that I can be followed on twitter @bartbarrettmd

One of Christianity's Biggest Lies

We like formulas. We want to know that when we follow the appropriate steps in the correct order that a positive outcome is guaranteed. To this end we buy books that promise such things as 6 Steps to a Happy Marriage, 8 Principles for Success in Business, and 7 keys to Getting into The College of Your Dreams. Falling for these fantastic promises in our personal lives is sad. Falling for such false promises in our spiritual lives is a tragedy.

The idea that God blesses us because of what we do is one of the biggest lies in Christianity. Too many of us fall for it.

Blessing in this life is not guaranteed by following any formula or set of rules. God’s blessings are based on His character and not our performance. While many Christians will profess this truth our lives can say otherwise. When we follow God we expect him to bless us and give us what we desire. When it doesn’t happen we find ourselves disillusioned, disappointed and depressed.

This is where I found myself in 1993. I had just started my first “real” doctor job and life was going well. Lisa and I were both teaching Sunday School and regularly attending Bible Study. We were giving more to the church than we ever had before in both time and finances and we were checking all of the spiritual boxes. Everything was going well except for the area of fertility.

We had struggled to conceive for years. Our son appeared to be a fluke, as in the three years after his birth Lisa had not conceived in spite of our not using any contraception. A miscarriage in June was disappointing but it at least confirmed that conception was possible. We were certain that God would soon bless us with another child.

In November our prayers were seemingly answered. It all made sense to us. We were faithfully serving God and He had blessed us with another pregnancy. A few weeks later the bleeding started and an ultrasound confirmed another miscarriage. We were devastated. We found ourselves wondering what had happened. We had actually thought, at least to some degree, that our faithful service would result in God answering our prayers. We were wrong.

The broken thinking that led us to believe that we had a part to play in God’s blessing us, that there was an element of earning blessings, caused our grief to be greater than it would have otherwise been. In the loss of that pregnancy we were taught the truth that God blesses in His time, for His purposes, to those that He chooses, for His reasons. We don’t earn anything.

It is only when we understand the truth of God's grace that we can break free from the lie of earned blessing. Sadly for me, it took the sorrow of loss for me to learn the lesson.

- Bart

I share more details of our heartbreak and the lessons learned in the 4th part of the series I taught on Broken Thinking. All four parts are available on my vimeo page at www.vimeo.com/bartbarrett. This particular lesson can be viewed by clicking here.

Planned Parenthood and Selling Body Parts, a Christian Doctor Responds

Baby parts are on sale. We just didn’t know it. The release of the Planned Parenthood videos revealed repulsive secrets about the organization and our society.

Many people reacted with shock and disgust to the hidden camera footage of a Planned Parenthood physician callously discussing getting reimbursed for the organs of aborted babies. In the conversations I have had and in the articles I have read there has been a common question, “How could they do such a thing?”

My answer has caught people by surprise- “Why wouldn’t they?”

The Planned Parenthood policy of selling aborted baby organs is the natural and expected outcome of the worldview and mindset of the organization. Planned Parenthood believes that unborn life has no inherent value apart from that given it by the mother. Regardless of the stage of pregnancy or level of development, it is only a “fetus”, just a blob of tissue until the mother declares it otherwise. Life is only life when it is wanted.

While Planned Parenthood denies the value or sanctity of unborn life it proudly proclaims its support for adult life. (The “rights of the woman” are its guiding value) If unborn life is not at all life and adult life is of supreme value, why wouldn’t you collect the end products of a medical procedure so they could be used for medical research? And since your work is noble and valuable, why not make a little profit while you were at it?

If Planned Parenthood gave any credence to the opinions of those disturbed by the revelation of their tissue procurement policies they wouldn’t be in the abortion business to begin with. Arguments about the dignity of life or the morality of the policy were dismissed long ago. In the minds of Planned Parenthood those who make such arguments are anti-women, anti-science, simple-minded religious fanatics. Planned Parenthood knows what they are doing is right, they know the tissue they are dealing with is not a baby and not yet human. They have to believe this in order to continue in business. Like so many monsters in history their evil deeds are justified by their determination of what is fully human and what is not.

When something or someone is determined to be less than human then it is not entitled to the legal protection or respect accorded to other human beings. The Jews under Nazi rule, slaves in early America and Christians in many Muslim nations all attest to the atrocities that come when men determine that other men are not fully man.

We have allowed Planned Parenthood to determine what and who is human and who is not. The videos reveal the natural outcome of their determination. As shameful as their practices are, the greater shame is that we have allowed these practices for so long. As a society we have ignored the truth about the atrocities of the abortion industry and pretended that barbaric providers were rare. We turned the other way when Kermit Gosnell preyed on poor women, we ignored the fact that abortion clinics are disproportionately located in minority neighborhoods, and we lied to ourselves and pretended that abortions after the first trimester were rare and in the best interests of the mother. Worst of all, we lied and said it was “just a fetus” or a lump of cells.

It is a sad reflection on the nature of man that when we deign to decide what is and is not human we do so in a way that elevates ourselves and devalues other life. A true and correct definition of life can only come from the God who gives it. 

- Bart

The drawing in the post is of a baby at 18 weeks of pregnancy. The first video released shows the Planned Parenthood doctor describe selectively crushing a child like this in order to harvest intact organs. 

UPDATE: I have received some appropriate questions which have correctly pointed out the legality of Planned Parenthood's actions and that the fees charged for the tissue were not all that great and profits were nominal. Objections were focused on the term "selling baby parts", if money is exchanged for the intact liver of a baby of 18 weeks gestation the term is every bit as accurate as the euphemistic "reimbursement for collection of fetal liver tissue." 

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