Authority vs. Authoritarianism

"...among the Gentiles, those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them."
Mark 10:42

Mark 10:35-45 2 Corinthians1:23-24 Rev. Todd B. Freeman

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Dallas October 19, 2003

In 1997, Dee Hock, the founder and former CEO of VISA credit card company wrote the following concerning the topic of leadership:

Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. If you seek to lead, invest at least 50 percent of your time leading yourself - your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivations, conduct. Invest at least 20 percent leading those with authority over you and 15 percent leading your peers. If you don't understand that you work for your mislabeled subordinates, then you know nothing of leadership. You know only tyranny.

With that, I ask you this morning: Is exercising authority the same thing as being authoritarian?

Back when I was in seminary, as a pastor-in-training, we were cautioned not to shy away from our authority as a pastor and preacher. Being a very egalitarian kind of place, most of us were confused what that meant. It was explained that being ordained, such as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament, brings with the position an inherent authority, one which we best be prepared to accept and exercise. This also applies to the corporate business world and certainly to those in elected government positions.

But perhaps those of you who are parents can understand best. With your position and role as a parent comes an inherent authority, which if not exercised will most likely lead to any number of problems with that child. The key is to not become authoritarian - in other words, turning your authority into a weapon of power and control, even to the point of domination, over your child.

The same is true for anyone in a position of authority, including pastors. And this applies not only to pastors, but to elders and other church leaders as well.

This difference between authority and authoritarianism is nicely explained in a book we studied three years ago in an Every Other Wednesday Night Study Group. The book is entitled Saving Jesus From Those Who Are Right . Feminist theologian and author, Carter Heyward, professor of Theology at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, writes:

Authority, the 'power to authorize' or the 'ability to empower,' can be held and bestowed in just and unjust ways. Authority is a morally neutral concept, neither good nor evil in itself...

By contrast, 'authoritarianism,' the hoarding of authority as power over others, is always spiritually problematic.

The biblical phrase used for this hierarchical, authoritarian style of leadership, which we heard about in all three of today's scripture passages, is "lording it over" others. Let's look briefly at all three.

The Old Testament text from the book of Nehemiah reveals that he, as governor of the Israelites, refused to "lord it over" the people like the previous governors did, who laid heavy burdens upon the people, taking from them food and wine and money. We're told that even the servants of these governors "lorded it over" the people.

Examples of this kind of governing can be found in many countries today, wherever people are led by authoritarian dictators - and also in an increasing number of democracies where one political party attempts (and sometimes succeeds) in lording it over those in the other parties.

In the New Testament, Paul writes in his second letter to the church in Corinth that he had wanted to visit them again, but refrained from doing so. Then he adds, "Not that we lord it over your faith; we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith." (I personally have a hard time believing that Paul didn't "lord it over" other people's faith at times, but that just my opinion.)

I'm sure you can think of examples of religious folks and even entire churches who "lord it over" the faith of those in their congregations. An excellent example of authority vs. authoritarianism occurred a few years ago when the Southern Baptist Convention reiterated it's belief that wives should graciously subject themselves to their husbands. You may recall that as a result, former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, renounced his life-long affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention. He had had enough with people in positions of authority, using that authority to control others, especially women. Jimmy Carter, and others, finally said, enough is enough.

Look what's happening within the Episcopal Church as we speak, as the conservative wing threatens to discipline, or eve split, from those who would consecrate a gay man to the position of bishop.

And we are not immune as Presbyterians. There are elements within our denomination who have desperately tried to silence the voices of those who disagree with them on particular theological and social issues.

But we must not be deceived, for hidden behind their particular interpretations of the Bible (whether they are aware of it or not) lie authoritarian issues of power and control.

If you need another example, this one involving the Roman Catholic Church, I encourage you to read the new bestselling book The Da Vinci Code - it's fascinating!

I am among those who strongly oppose the national level of our denomination "lording it over" pastors and congregations, especially when it comes to issues of leadership and pastoral care.

In today's gospel lesson from Mark, Jesus makes the reference to "lording it over" others in relation to how the Gentiles govern their people. Jesus immediately follows this statement by declaring to the disciples, "But it shall not be so among you." For it seems that brothers James and John had authority issues of power and control of their own.

They had the gall to ask Jesus to grant them anything they asked. Like a wise parent responding to a 4-year old, before he said "OK" Jesus first asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" Oh, nothing less than to let James and John sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in his glory.

In a sermon entitled The Call to Downward Mobility , by Kenneth Carder, a bishop in the United Methodist church in Nashville, TN, he begins by stating, "Everybody want to be somebody. Since the dawn of history, human beings have been trying to move up the scale of importance."

Henri Nouwen, a former Harvard professor and a Catholic priest (and my favorite author on spirituality), writes that people have always been tempted to replace love with power. And he includes the church. "The long painful history of the church is the history of people ever and again tempted to choose power over love, control over the cross, being a leader over being led."

For as Bishop Carder writes, "Religion is fertile soil in which the seeds of ambition subtly grow.

Many pastors get caught up in this idea of upward mobility - seeking bigger churches with larger salaries and more prominent leadership positions. With this mindset, many seem to have forgotten the core of Jesus' ministry: to serve not to be served. Jesus' own declaration that he came not to be served but to serve reflects a downward mobility . Mother Teresa, who the Pope moved one step closer to sainthood just yesterday, exemplified this. Not only did she work among the least in India, she considered herself the least of the least.

Bishop Carder adds, "The world's image of greatness is hierarchical, with the greatest at the pinnacle of the pyramid and God hovering over the top... Success, upward mobility and being served are signs of faithfulness to a hierarchical god." God with a small 'g'.

The way of Jesus leads in another direction, turning that pyramid upside-down. Nouwen writes, "The way of the Christian leader is not the way of upward mobility in which the world has invested so much, but the way of downward mobility ending on the cross..." Discipleship, including church leadership, as we continue to learn, is costly.

I'll close now with another statement about leadership. I shared it with the elders on our session at our monthly meeting just this past week. It comes from a book that is part of the Congregational Leadership Series, which we will be looking at as we proceed in our Long-range Planning efforts here at Bethany. Under a subsection entitled "Leadership" it begins:

What does the word leadership really mean? Think of it as having three dimensions: character , knowledge , and action . Character permeates all [aspects of congregational leadership]. Leaders have principles and try to live them out... leaders are honest, trustworthy, dedicated, caring, disciplined, and faithful to the core principles - and have many more virtues as well. Although everyone sins and fails, be clear that improvement is expected from all leaders.

It is not only character that counts. Leaders must also know things and do things. Knowledge and action can be developed. They can be learned in books and classes or from working with people who have expertise. Things we know from one part of our experience can be applied to other parts of our lives."

I think that this statement, along with all of today's biblical texts, are appropriate to reflect upon before we elect new elders to the session next Sunday. For we believe they are called by God, and then confirmed by the Nominating Committee and you, to not only represent you, but to lead and serve this congregation - as are all the elders of this church, both past and present.

And also reflect this week upon what authority you have in your life: your home, work, relationships, whatever. And as you recall Jesus' words that we are to serve, not be served, remember Carter Heyward's definition of authority as the "ability to empower" others.

Amen.