Leadership Reflections – Alexander F. Venter

My morning devotions have been in 1 & 2 Kings. I came to an interesting story in 2 Kings 8:7-15, about three people who were leaders. Here’s my meditation… speaking to leadership, prophetic words, and power. Read the story to get the full picture.

Briefly, pagan king of Aram (Ben-Hadad) was sick. He heard Israel’s prophet (Elisha) was in town (Damascus). So, he sent a court official (Hazael) with a huge gift, asking Elisha, “Will I recover from this illness?” The answer was, “yes… but he will die” (not from his illness). Then Elisha stared at Hazael and began to weep. When asked why he was weeping, Elisha said he spiritually saw how Hazael would attack Israel’s towns and massacre people. Hazael was surprised: how could he do that – he wasn’t the king of Aram? Elisha then gave him a personal prophetic word, “The Lord has shown me you will become king”. Hazael returned to the king saying, “you will certainly recover”. But the next day he took a thick cloth, soaked it in water and covered the king’s face, so that he suffocated and died. Then Hazael became king.

Israel had true and false prophets who exercised (prophetic) leadership that influenced the king and the nation, for good or bad, depending on their truth or falsity. Elisha was a true prophet in the character and gifting of his mentor, Elijah. Pagan kings knew of him, having heard how God used him (2 Kings 8:4). They often wanted an ‘oracle’ from ‘the man of God’, e.g., “Will I recover from this illness?” Note, ‘the man of God’, like ‘prophet’ was a description, not a title as is used in some contemporary prophetic circles.

Kings in the ancient world knew the reality and power of the spiritual realm in personal and national affairs, unlike governmental leaders today, who generally dismiss it. But some are aware of spiritual power and how it can work in/through leaders, for good or bad. And they use it to wield political power for their purposes. For example, coopting religious leaders to legitimize and empower their rule. Spiritual leaders who allow that to happen to themselves are portrayed as false prophets in the Bible.

King Ben-Hadad recognized and sought the help of true (prophetic) leadership, evident in God’s authority working through Elisha. Hence, spiritual leadership that operates in the integrity of God’s Spirit will be seen and known, even by pagan presidents.

Power works by favours and gifts. Though this was the custom (Proverbs 18:16), Ben-Hadad ingratiated himself to Elisha through extravagant gifts, “forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus” (2 Kings 8:9). The temptation of material reward for a favourable oracle. This is reinforced by Hazael’s opening words, “Your son Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, has sent me to ask…” For the king to call himself the son of the prophet could be, at best, acknowledging Elisha’s superiority – thinking in terms of power. Or it is self-humiliation, with false flattery, for favourable outcomes. The temptation of pride and power, a test of Elisha’s character. But Elisha simply answered the king’s question, ignoring the gifts, the power hierarchy, and the flattery.

Worldly leadership is power play, making deals and currying favour with those they perceive can influence outcomes. True leadership, in contrast, cannot be manipulated and controlled, because materialism, pride, and power have no hold on them.

Elisha said the king will recover, but disclosed to Hazael that the Lord had shown him the king would indeed die (in another way – implied). This revelation was a test of Hazael’s character. His name means, “one who sees God” or “God has seen”. What went through his mind? Did he see God in this? God certainly saw his heart. Our response in thoughts and feelings, to what God reveals, is a test of character.

What followed revealed Hazael’s heart. Elisha stared at him and wept. “Why is my lord weeping?” Hazael, on hearing what Elisha saw (he would butcher the Israelites, “dash their little children to the ground, rip open their pregnant women”), responded, “How could I accomplish such a feat?” He wasn’t the king with the power (power thinking), just a servant, “a dog” (self-humiliation). He had no sense of repulsion at the extreme acts of violence, nor empathy for Elisha’s tears for his people. Rather, Hazael saw no possibility to gain the power needed to do these acts. Leaders who lead by power have little or no empathy for others, for those in pain, especially perceived enemies. Leaders who have no empathy are dangerous – it’s a sign of psychopathic narcissism.

“The Lord has shown me you will become king”, was the final test of Hazael’s character. He returned to the king saying, “you will certainly recover”, but then promptly murdered him to fulfil the prophecy. “The Lord says I will be king! Activate it! Make it happen!” Elisha’s prophetic word implied that Hazael was not the legitimate successor. Indeed, an Assyrian inscription designated Hazael as “a son of nobody” – a commoner “dog” who usurped the throne. Leadership is not taken, it is given.

How should we respond to prophetic words? Test them with trusted leaders. Surrender them to God. Prayerfully wait in trust of God to fulfil them in his time and way. All ‘words’ are a test of character. How we respond to true and/or false prophecies will reveal pride, ego needs, psycho-emotional wounds, inferiority, superiority, ambition, material greed … I can go on. Prophetic ‘words’ are spiritual encounters by Holy Spirit or evil spirit that expose any of the above mentioned “holds” or “handles” that evil uses to lead through you. “The prince of this world” came to Jesus and found no “hold/handle” in him, to shake him and damage others through him (John 14:30). May we be like Jesus.

Leaders who grasp for power reveal the spirit that has formed them, driving them to use any means, even violence, to attain it. They image Lucifer, who grasped for power to be God, but was “cast down”, imparting death to humanity (Isaiah 14:12-15). The opposite is Jesus, “who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped”, but let go and emptied himself in powerlessness, in suffering service of others (Philippians 2:5-11). This is the Spirit of all true leadership that imparts God’s life to humanity.

After the buildup of all the leadership failure I’ve been reading about this year, I saw an article this morning that ‘tipped me over the edge’. I wanted to weep and tear my clothes in lament. Perhaps, even, to put on sackcloth and ashes and publicly repent. However, here’s my reflection and lament for all who are interested. And please, read it all, and check my references via the hyperlinks of underlined words.

I am a leader. Specifically, a Christian Church leader, ordained as a pastor in January 1975. Fifty years in leadership. In my life-long human journey of ‘brokenness recovery’, I’ve sought to be faithful to Jesus, the true model of all leadership, including spiritual leadership. The way I lead, the way others lead, can commend or shame all leaders – by association – depending on how we lead. Why? Because leadership is about public trust, and therefore public accountability. We are given trust by those we lead.

What triggered this reflection was not only Donald Trump’s election triumph, which calls for its own reflection as some have done. It was yet another article by Julie Roys exposing the failure of Church leadership. Robert Morris, the (celebrity) leader of Gateway Church and former advisor to Trump, was accused of sexual abuse and resigned in June 2024. It shattered and scattered the mega church. The fallout has been enormous. The way the elders handled it has been seriously problematic. A class-action lawsuit by some members has been filed against the church.

So, this morning I read The Roys Report (TRR) on the investigation into Morris’ wealth: “How did Robert Morris obtain vast wealth to buy so many multi-million-dollar homes? TRR found Morris owns $8 mill, 370-acre ranch and $1.7 mill lake home. He also recently sold $3.5 mill mansion in Westlake and there’s the former $8 mill mansion in Colleyville”. Congregants are asking for ‘money back’ on their tithes.

This is a scandalous testimony of Christian spiritual leadership. I remember how, years ago, Morris’ popular ‘The Blessed Life’ teaching series, went far and wide in Evangelical-Pentecostal-Charismatic (E-P-C) churches. Even here in South Africa. As with most teachings, many simply believe what is taught, without discernment. This (the above paragraphs) is the fruit of his teaching, of his life and leadership. Morris did not start well – sexually abusing Cindy Clemishire between twelve and eighteen years old, when he was her youth pastor – and has ended his ministry in shameful disgrace.

This is but one story of multiple stories – of 100s, if not 1000s that have come to light. Check the TRR archives and see the unprecedented long list of reports over recent years of exposed leaders. And weep for, and with, the many, many more victims left in the wake of these so-called leaders. Many damaged and scarred for life. God have mercy! I mean that: God, please, have mercy and help us!

Abusive leadership – whether it’s spiritual, sexual, psycho-emotional, or financial abuse – is the result of flawed character. And the people pay the price. Followers of those leaders are victims of evil working through the leader’s brokenness in manipulative predatory behaviour. Two or three decades ago, E-P-C churches condemned the scandalous revelations of widespread sexual abuse in the Catholic priesthood. But we (they, E-P-C church leaders, I’m one of them) are no better. The cocktail of spiritual power (charisma) with moral malformation (character) is lethal in Satan’s hands. God’s name and integrity is maligned – we, leaders, represent God.

No wonder the massive movement out of E-P-C churches to ‘deconstruct faith’, in order to find some semblance of renewed integrity of Christian faith. All this is close to home as a Vineyard pastor – with Alan Scott’s spiritual abuse of false prophetic-apostolic leadership, first evident in Causeway Vineyard, then the full fruit in his heist of Anaheim Vineyard. And of Jackson Gatlin, a pastor at Duluth Vineyard, who has now confessed to sexual, spiritual, and emotional abuse.

For E-P-C leaders, our personal healing of unresolved brokenness (psych-emotional needs) and our spiritual formation toward Christlikeness (moral character), is seriously lacking. Or it’s non-existent. We mostly live and lead by ego needs, personality, titles, charisma, branding, platform, manipulation and control, not by the spirit and character of Christ. We must take responsibility for our ‘stuff’ through which demons work: the unresolved issues that catch up and unmask us for who we are. And therefore, the need for accountability. Unaccountable leaders, who are not genuinely accountable to other credible leaders, are dangerous. Don’t follow them!

E-P-C churches pray for revival – it’s part of our culture. It has intensified in recent years. God knows, we need genuine revival, seen in societal and structural change, not in the sporadic flashes of refreshing or renewal that is wrongly called revival (see Richard Lovelace). I believe God is sending revival. How so? What are the signs? The Asbury outpouring? No (as wonderful as that was). Revival is near, or has begun, because God is taking the wraps off Christian leaders who are duplicitous and deceitful, corrupt and abusive in their lives and leadership.

Peter says, “judgement begins at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). And in the house of God, it begins with the leaders. We are held to a higher standard of judgement (James 3:1). God is exposing leaders. Some are dying under discipline, as in the days of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). God is jealous for his name, his integrity, in the Church, let alone in the world. By praying, “May your name (integrity, character) be made/kept holy, on earth as in heaven”, we pray judgement on those who flaunt his name in unholy and abusive ways. God answers our prayers.

Character matters. Character matters in leadership. Always. Why? Because it’s about integrity in holding public trust, truth, and justice. Look for character first, second, and third. Then look at beliefs, policies, competence, skill, practices, track record, etc. God can use a donkey or a corrupt king (president/prime minister) to speak and do his will, but that does not endorse the donkey or the king – let alone make them holy!

Jesus taught us to evaluate leaders by the fruit they produce (Matthew 7:15-23). Fruit reveals what has formed the person’s character (“heart”), seen in their words, attitudes, and behaviour (Matthew 12:33-37; Mark 7:20-23). Fruit does not lie, it (eventually) reveals who we really are, either true or false leaders.

Jesus taught about false shepherds of God’s people (John 10:1-21). They rob and destroy people’s lives – evidence that they’re actually thieves. A good leader lays down their life to defend the sheep from such robbers, to impart God’s quality of life to people. Hearing this, many said, “He is demonised, and raving mad” – the fruit of the blinding power of the false shepherds of Israel at that time. The truth sounds like madness and the madness of abusive leadership makes us believe it’s the truth.

Jesus was, in fact, referring to Ezekiel 34:1-10. After describing the characteristics of false shepherds (read them), Yahweh says, “I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.” This is exactly what God is doing.

I feel strongly in the face of injustice. I feel God’s fire burning in my bones, and I cannot keep quiet, as with Jeremiah (20:9, in the context of false prophets in his day). But, I process by prayer and writing. And my appeal is to God.

Lord, have mercy!
Lord, help us!
Keep us humble, utterly dependent on you.
May we have integrity with you and your precious people.
May we bring any hidden sin and brokenness to the light of confession.
May we receive the grace of forgiveness and healing.
Give us discernment of leaders, of the fruit of their character and doctrine.
Let us not be dazzled by gifting, personality, and success.
Deliver us from false prophets and leaders who end up destroying.
Have mercy on victims of leadership abuse – heal them, O God.
Make us like you, Jesus, good shepherds of your people.
May we lay down our lives in selfless service for the good of others.
Amen.

Category: Leadership Reflections

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