Advisors: Of Counsel and Character

I've been thinking about the President-elect's opportunity to select his cabinet - those men and women who will be his closest advisors.  It is interesting to watch the process unfold, and would be fascinating to be able to peek behind the scenes and see the inner workings of the decision-making and selection process.

The character of an advisor is often indicative of the quality of her/his advice.  We see this often in Scripture, but never so clearly as in the case of Jonadab advising Amnon regarding Tamar (2 Samuel 13).   

This whole, sordid story begins because Amnon listens to bad advice. Ever looking for an opportunity to ingratiate himself with the man who will one day be king, Jonadab guises himself in a cloak of concern when he observes Amnon’s anxious, disheveled appearance. He no doubt believes that helping Amnon get what he wants will result in Jonadab getting what he wants—the perks and power associated with being in the future king’s inner circle.

Jonadab’s deceitful plan is only a reflection of what is in his heart. Deceiving David and violating Tamar are deemed justifiable if the result is Amnon’s satisfaction.

The character of your friends is often indicative of the quality of their advice. Leaders can quickly get themselves in trouble by selecting advisers based on competence alone, without considering character. The fruit of Jonadab’s bad character is bad advice. A generation later, Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, will also seek advice from the wrong kind of friends.  The consequences of that advice, like Jonadab’s, will prove devastating.

Leaders need advisers with good character. Such advisers can offer counsel that has the best interests of the organization in mind, rather than guidance that has the best interests of the adviser in mind.

If the advice you receive comes from a person of bad character, you would be wise to reconsider before implementing that person’s advice. If the advice you receive entails the deception or violation of another, you would be wise to completely ignore that person’s advice.

The kind of advice you seek also reveals your own character. You can always find someone who will validate your desires and tell you what you want to hear. Only strong leaders value truth more than the validation of their own opinions and desires.

Beware of counsel offered by persons of bad character, for the fruit of bad character is bad advice. 

Excerpt taken from Eddie Estep, Who’s By Your Side?: More Leadership Lessons from the Life of King David (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2016).

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The Advantage

I have long enjoyed the wisdom in Patrick Lencioni’s books on leadership (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Death by Meeting, The Three Signs of a Miserable Job, et al.).

In his book, The Advantage, Lencioni proposes that “the single greatest advantage any company [you can read “church”] can achieve is organizational health.”  This, “because the health of an organization provides the context for… everything else that happens within it.”

Lencioni suggests that the single greatest indicator of organizational health is clarity.  An organization [church] has clarity if the leadership can answer these six critical questions:

1.     Why do we exist? (what is our mission?)

2.     How do we behave? (what are our core values?)

3.     What do we do? (what is our activity?)

4.     How will we succeed?  (what is our strategy?)

5.     What is most important, right now? (what is presently our “rallying cry”?)

6.     Who must do what? (what is our playbook?)

I found the book had several “takeaways” for leadership on the South Carolina District, especially the need for a single top priority or “Rallying Cry” – what Lencioni refers to as “The Thematic Goal.”  This question – “If we accomplish only one thing over the next nine months, what should it be?” – will be the focus of the next strategy meeting of our district leadership.

What is the “one thing” the church you serve must accomplish in the next year? 

Parish Appreciation

After ten years in the superintendency I am still sometimes asked, “What do you miss about the pastorate?”  My usual response goes something like this: “What I miss most is the privilege of preaching, Sunday after Sunday, to the same congregation.”  If I were completely truthful I would add, “… and I miss Pastor Appreciation Sundays.”

We had a special family tradition on Pastor Appreciation Sundays.  Following the service we would go home, sit down in the living room floor, and together open the cards - reading the encouraging words and celebrating the gifts.   Then we would divide everything four ways – with Diane, Josh, Jeff, and Eddie getting equal shares.  (I think those days may be one reason why our boys love the church today.)

If you are a pastor, I hope your church honors you with a Pastor Appreciation Sunday. 

If you are a pastor, I also hope you honor your church with a Parish Appreciation attitude.

None of us are guaranteed a place to serve.  None of us are guaranteed that some church will open their doors and their hearts to us.  To serve a congregation is a privilege, even though it may not always feel that way.

When counseling troubled marriages, I sometimes ask, “What is it that God is trying to teach you through the gift of your spouse?  Is He trying to teach you patience?  grace?  responsibility? humility?  Do you view your spouse as the gift God intended him/her to be, even in troubling times?”

What is it that God is trying to teach you these days through the gift of your parish? 

Perhaps He is trying to teach you appreciation.

The Mistake of Overlooking Character

As leaders build their teams, they are wise to consider character to be more essential than competency. 

David gave Joab a battlefield promotion to commander of the army on the basis of one accomplishment—the results produced in one battle—the capture of Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 22:6). As far as we know, Joab’s character and integrity were not considered in the appointment. 

Before long Joab had not only shed enemy blood but also shed innocent blood. Ruthless and brutal, Joab was the kind of leader who reacts in jealous anger and leaves destruction in his wake. You can hardly find a failure among his military exploits, but he was prone to kill potential rivals as easily as real enemies. 

During the assessment and evaluation of potential ministers, we often speak of “gifts and graces.” Gifts refer to talents, abilities, and skills that are often most evident in public settings. Graces refer to the day-to-day ability of ministers to relate to people—even problem people—in ways that bless them rather than offending or alienating them. Individuals who have “gifts” but are lacking in “graces” often create more problems than they solve. 

Be careful whom you put on your team. Choose poorly and you will be dealing with a burden rather than a blessing. You will spend significant time cleaning up the messes and rescuing those capsized in the wake of bad behavior. Character is as important as competency; integrity is as important as ability. Character matters in leadership.

Excerpt taken from Eddie Estep, Who’s Got Your Back Leadership Lessons from the Life of King David (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2014).

Leadership Lessons and the Pacific Crest Trail

When I received the invitation, I thought, “This will be the most unique Leadership Development Retreat ever!”  The opportunity involved joining 5 other ministers on a 5-day, 65-mile hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) while packing needed gear and supplies on our backs.  My companions would bring the devotions each morning and I would teach on leadership each evening.  Through the course of the day there would be opportunities for stories and conversations as we made our way up the PCT.

I could not resist accepting the invite.

The PCT is an interesting and challenging classroom.  It spans some 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington.  Hikers experience desert expanses, glaciated stretches of the Sierra Nevada, deep forests, and the volcanic peaks in the Cascade Range.  We hiked a beautiful section in central Oregon that included lush woods, secluded lakes, high desert, lava fields, and commanding vistas.  We were continually awed by the beauty and diversity of God’s majestic creation.

Every year, hundreds of thru-hikers tackle the PCT, usually travelling south to north, attempting to complete the journey in about 5 months.  The thru-hikers we saw had already been on the trail 3-4 months.  They were tanned and toned, travelling fast and light. 

We were section-hikers.  With 6 months notice, I had plenty of time to prepare.  I gathered the right gear and trained carrying a 35-pound pack on 10-mile hikes.  Unfortunately, that didn’t prepare me to carry a 32-pound pack for 17.5 miles on one day, with sore feet, while effectively climbing the Empire State Building and then the Eiffel Tower.  It’s one thing to hike on level ground at sea level.  It’s another to start at 4,500 feet and climb 2,400 feet in a few hours.  That was the day I learned lessons in proper preparation, foot maintenance, altitude effect, endurance, and humility.  Lessons in humility are easily learned when you are consistently lagging in the rear of a group for which you are supposed to teach leadership.  The leadership my companions modeled was far more effective than any leadership I taught.

The scenery was stimulating.  The conversations were thought provoking.  The obstacles were challenging.  The relationships were motivating.   The experience was priceless.

I learned much about leadership.  I learned more about my companions.  I learned most about myself.   It was an adventure I will always cherish.

I’d write more, but I need to soak my feet.

God Bless You, Nazarene Pastor

I owe so much to Nazarene pastors.  They have been, and are, such a means of grace to my family and me.  If it is true that we have guardian angels, mine have come in the form of Nazarene pastors.

It was a Nazarene pastor who dedicated me when I was eight days old.  Born on a Sunday, I was welcomed to church by a Nazarene pastor on my second Sunday of life.  That pastor—John Lawwill—is one of the reasons I am a Nazarene.  He provided much-needed pastoral care and spiritual guidance to my parents during a very difficult season in their young married life and helped them become grounded in their faith and active in their church.

It was a Nazarene pastor who baptized me. His name was O. C. Rushing.  He was my pastor when as a child I gave my heart to Jesus in a Sunday night service.  One of my favorite photos shows me as a six or seven-year-old wading out of a creek after being baptized by Pastor Rushing.

It was a Nazarene pastor that preached the sermon God used to call me to the ministry.  Jim Bearden was the speaker at the youth camp in Summersville, West Virginia, where, as a young teenager, I discovered my vocation would be the Christian ministry.  I had long forgotten who the preacher was that night, only to be delighted a few years ago by the discovery that the man I followed as superintendent of the South Carolina District was the preacher that night of youth camp.   I don't know if he takes the credit or takes the blame for that.

It was a Nazarene pastor who mentored me following my call to preach.  L. K. Hostutler pastored my home church.  He was a pastor who believed in leadership development long before that phrase became popular.  As soon as he learned of my call to preach, he took a special interest in introducing me to ministry.  He drew back the curtain on local church ministry and allowed me to view the wonders of my future vocation.

It was a Nazarene pastor who inspired me during my formative college years.  To a boy from the hills of West Virginia, Jack Archer was bigger than life.  He captivated me with his gift for weaving together story and sermon and opening the altar.  Those were the days the romance of the ministry began to blossom in my soul.   

It was a Nazarene pastor - actually several of them - who taught me the adventure of serving with a pastoral staff.   Greg, Tim, Cathy, Harvey, Scott, Terry, Deb, Chuck, Josephus, Amy, Jason, Eric, and Ted helped me discover lessons in synergy, grace, self-awareness, loyalty, teamwork, prayer, authenticity, and the value of investing in entrepreneurial missional opportunities.  I will forever be indebted to them.

It was a Nazarene pastor—Geoff Kunselman—who was a blessing to my family when I transitioned from parish ministry to the superintendency some years ago.  Geoff’s preaching, pastoral care, and friendship helped our family more than he will ever know.

Nazarene pastors continue to inspire me.  I am privileged to serve with some of God’s finest servants.  Seldom does a day go by that I am not awed and humbled by a pastor’s commitment to the mission and passion to see lives transformed.  I am privileged to hear their stories and humbled to see their sacrifices.  I marvel at their commitment.  They are my heroes.  These are pastors who labor diligently in their mission fields, often appreciated, but not nearly as much as they should be.  They preach and pray and visit, counsel and lead and disciple, teach and comfort and mentor.  The world is not worthy of them, but so desperately needs them.

God bless you, Nazarene pastor.  You are making a bigger difference than you may realize..