“ISSUES WITH LEADERSHIP”

1 “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”

Acts 6:1

Church conflict can come from different fronts, and sometimes, these issues arise from the leadership level. How do we try and set things straight when the problem comes from those who are supposed to lead us?

In our previous blog, we mentioned that the church is to uphold purity and preserve its testimony. Here’s another source of squabble within the church:

Conflict with Leaders

There are times when members don’t seem to agree with their leaders’ actions or decisions. One good example is the record found in Acts chapter 6. The early church experienced rapid growth, and with such growth came a serious problem. The church was made up of Jews from traditionally Jewish places as well as nations from Gentile territories.

Most of the new converts were poor, including widows who had no means of providing for themselves. Some of the widows were being left out of charitable giving because there wasn’t enough supervision being done. So, some of the Greek-speaking Jewish believers were complaining about this “unfair” treatment.

In verse two, the Apostles decided that it was not wise for them to turn away from their calling to preach the gospel and do table serving instead. They practically became waiters!

The leaders’ response to the problem was to gather all believers and come up with a solution. They were convinced that their ministry of preaching should take precedence over serving tables or handling finances. So, they called qualified men and designated them to perform these tasks.

Likewise, church disputes can arise when people are overwhelmed and unable to function in their respective areas of ministry. Some leaders are overworked, to the point of exhaustion. As a result, they fail to deliver well-prepared sermons and properly shepherd God’s people. Some of them even get burnt out from too much work, doing nearly everything there is to do in the church.

In moments when the church has feuds, it is best to slow down and find ways to make things work, just like what the Apostles did—they delegated the task to men fit for service. At the end of the day, the church is God’s household, we are all mere servants with specific roles. When we do what we’re supposed to, we avoid disputes and give God the glory that He deserves.

Pursue the Savior today!