The Sad State Of Things

So the other day, I attended this Christian leadership seminar and the guy who was leading it started with this quote from George Barna. It made me more than slightly upset:

"The American church is dying due to a lack of strong leadership. In this time of unprecedented opportunity and plentiful resources, the church is actually losing influence. The primary reason is the lack of leadership. Nothing is more important than leadership."

I just want to start right off by saying that that is a bunch of bull-ony! I didn't even really hear what he said in the rest of the seminar, I was so upset. Now I do agree with him that the American church is dying. But it isn't dying because we have a lack of leadership. We have leaders coming out of our ears. It's dying because of the very attitude that this quote conveys; that leadership and techniques and the next big trend are more important than a pervading attitude of Christ exultation and God centerdness in the church.

To say that "leadership is the most important thing" is blasphemous and the very reason for the sad state of the American church. O, that the church would stop exalting man above his rightful status as the one being saved and start exalting Christ as the center of everything we do! We have abandoned this in favor of fluffy stories, books on leadership and weak, man centered worship. God centered worship, preaching, and teaching are what is going to save the church, not another charismatic leader!

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth." ~ Psalm 57:5