Welcome to the First United Methodist Church of Paintsville.
"It is good to extend the hand of fellowship to all persons. We attempt to be a friendly church that speaks with a purpose and meaning to all that come seeking GOD through Jesus Christ." Pastor Don Barnett.
Our Mission Statement:
To Worship Prayerfully, Praise Joyfully and Serve Gratefully.
Our Motto:
Loving Him, Sharing Him and Serving Him.
To Worship Prayerfully, Praise Joyfully and Serve Gratefully.
Our Motto:
Loving Him, Sharing Him and Serving Him.
Leading from the Self
Authentic leadership begins with self. In this chapter I will attempt to reframe leadership for congregations by exploring certain popular myths* about the nature of leadership that depend on external illusions of authority, power, or competence rather than leading from the self. A biblical and congregational reframing of spiritual leadership for the church rests on an understanding of the dynamics at play in the hidden lives of congregations, chiefly, that pastoral leadership takes place in an organic relationship system that is only secondarily an institutional organization.** That means that congregational leadership is primarily about the leader�s corporate relationships. And when it comes to being in relationships, understanding self is paramount.
To say that authentic congregational leadership requires leading from the self is not to suggest the notion of looking out for number one. Giving attention to self is not the same thing as being selfish or self-centered. Leading from the self is a matter of integrity and authenticity; it is a matter of providing genuine spiritual*** leadership. Leading from the self is tied into a biblical theology and understanding of the Church.**** If the leader has an institutional view of the Church, then his or her leadership approach will likely manifest itself around control, top-down management, and misplaced concerns about institutional development. But if the leader views the Church as a living relationship organism, then he or she will understand that the best a leader can do is to be in the kind of relationship that influences people toward maturity and responsible responses to the visionary challenge offered to the congregation. Leading from the self in a relationship system means that the leader understands the corporate nature of the leadership function. In this type of leadership, pastors and other congregational leaders are set free from the tendency toward willful influence and coercive methods because they understand that leadership in the church is not about personal goals. Leadership is corporate function and therefore must be accomplished within the nature of the corporate relationships in the congregation.
Myths about Leadership
Because there are so many misunderstandings about what leadership is all about, some myths about congregational leadership are worth examining. Pastors and lay leaders alike are subject to an enormous amount of mixed messages about what leadership is and what it entails. Some lay leaders tend to import their ideas about leadership from the secular workplace.***** No doubt, many are effective leaders in their corporate settings, and their motives are sincere. But lacking a theological understanding of the nature of the Church and the context it creates, they may wreak havoc on the congregation by trying to lead in the same way as they do at a company*****. Lay persons and pastors who apply these myths about leadership to the congregational setting often do get some things done, but ultimately they accomplish the task by doing more harm than good.*****
Space does not allow Galindos comments on the myths he goes on to speak about. However, here is a list of the 7 he mentions. [As you read these, bear in mind that Galindo is saying these are myths or misunderstandings and faulty ideas about spiritual leadership in the Church; he is NOT saying that this is what true spiritual leadership in the Church IS!]: 1) Leadership Is about Motivating People; 2) Leadership Is about Personality; 3) Leadership Is about Style and Technique; 4) Leadership Is about Authority and Power; 5) Leadership Is about being Innovative and Creative; 6) Leadership Is about Competence; 7) There Is One Biblical Model of Leadership.
--from The Hidden Lives of Congregations: Discerning Church Dynamics by Israel Galindo, the Alban Institute, Herndon, Virginia, 2004, pp. 163-171; ISBN: 1-56699-307-5.
*Don comment # 1: The authors use of the word myth in this instance does NOT mean myth as historical truth or story; rather it is the use of the word myth in its meaning as misunderstanding or faulty thinking.
**Don comment # 2: When the institutional organization is understood as primary, views are often taken that the real church is the building and/or that particular local congregations traditions; global, conference, district, community and even interpersonal relationships within the congregation become secondary, discretionary, disposable, and can be sacrificed on the altar of the real church.
***Don comment # 3: Please note the use of the word spiritual as an adjective for church/congregational leadership in this instance. This implies that in Christs body, the Church, the Holy Spirit is the foremost leader (i.e., another way of saying that Christ is the head of the Church).
****Don comment # 4: Note the use of the capital C in Church in this instance. Understanding the difference between the C and the c is an integral part of understanding the authors whole line of thought about spiritual leadership in the �Church.� [Hint: The church is the earthly, visible, seen institutional church. The Church is the unseen, spiritual, body of Christ that is present everywhere in the universe and can only be seen through Spiritual eyes.]
*****Emphases added by Don.
Authentic leadership begins with self. In this chapter I will attempt to reframe leadership for congregations by exploring certain popular myths* about the nature of leadership that depend on external illusions of authority, power, or competence rather than leading from the self. A biblical and congregational reframing of spiritual leadership for the church rests on an understanding of the dynamics at play in the hidden lives of congregations, chiefly, that pastoral leadership takes place in an organic relationship system that is only secondarily an institutional organization.** That means that congregational leadership is primarily about the leader�s corporate relationships. And when it comes to being in relationships, understanding self is paramount.
To say that authentic congregational leadership requires leading from the self is not to suggest the notion of looking out for number one. Giving attention to self is not the same thing as being selfish or self-centered. Leading from the self is a matter of integrity and authenticity; it is a matter of providing genuine spiritual*** leadership. Leading from the self is tied into a biblical theology and understanding of the Church.**** If the leader has an institutional view of the Church, then his or her leadership approach will likely manifest itself around control, top-down management, and misplaced concerns about institutional development. But if the leader views the Church as a living relationship organism, then he or she will understand that the best a leader can do is to be in the kind of relationship that influences people toward maturity and responsible responses to the visionary challenge offered to the congregation. Leading from the self in a relationship system means that the leader understands the corporate nature of the leadership function. In this type of leadership, pastors and other congregational leaders are set free from the tendency toward willful influence and coercive methods because they understand that leadership in the church is not about personal goals. Leadership is corporate function and therefore must be accomplished within the nature of the corporate relationships in the congregation.
Myths about Leadership
Because there are so many misunderstandings about what leadership is all about, some myths about congregational leadership are worth examining. Pastors and lay leaders alike are subject to an enormous amount of mixed messages about what leadership is and what it entails. Some lay leaders tend to import their ideas about leadership from the secular workplace.***** No doubt, many are effective leaders in their corporate settings, and their motives are sincere. But lacking a theological understanding of the nature of the Church and the context it creates, they may wreak havoc on the congregation by trying to lead in the same way as they do at a company*****. Lay persons and pastors who apply these myths about leadership to the congregational setting often do get some things done, but ultimately they accomplish the task by doing more harm than good.*****
Space does not allow Galindos comments on the myths he goes on to speak about. However, here is a list of the 7 he mentions. [As you read these, bear in mind that Galindo is saying these are myths or misunderstandings and faulty ideas about spiritual leadership in the Church; he is NOT saying that this is what true spiritual leadership in the Church IS!]: 1) Leadership Is about Motivating People; 2) Leadership Is about Personality; 3) Leadership Is about Style and Technique; 4) Leadership Is about Authority and Power; 5) Leadership Is about being Innovative and Creative; 6) Leadership Is about Competence; 7) There Is One Biblical Model of Leadership.
--from The Hidden Lives of Congregations: Discerning Church Dynamics by Israel Galindo, the Alban Institute, Herndon, Virginia, 2004, pp. 163-171; ISBN: 1-56699-307-5.
*Don comment # 1: The authors use of the word myth in this instance does NOT mean myth as historical truth or story; rather it is the use of the word myth in its meaning as misunderstanding or faulty thinking.
**Don comment # 2: When the institutional organization is understood as primary, views are often taken that the real church is the building and/or that particular local congregations traditions; global, conference, district, community and even interpersonal relationships within the congregation become secondary, discretionary, disposable, and can be sacrificed on the altar of the real church.
***Don comment # 3: Please note the use of the word spiritual as an adjective for church/congregational leadership in this instance. This implies that in Christs body, the Church, the Holy Spirit is the foremost leader (i.e., another way of saying that Christ is the head of the Church).
****Don comment # 4: Note the use of the capital C in Church in this instance. Understanding the difference between the C and the c is an integral part of understanding the authors whole line of thought about spiritual leadership in the �Church.� [Hint: The church is the earthly, visible, seen institutional church. The Church is the unseen, spiritual, body of Christ that is present everywhere in the universe and can only be seen through Spiritual eyes.]
*****Emphases added by Don.