THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP IN RELIGION INSTITUTIONS

Hello friends and family,
I believe you are all doing great in your respective locations. Throughout the day, I found myself reflecting on a conversation I had last night with a very good friend of mine. Like him, I have also been deeply bothered by the issue we discussed, and I decided to share it with this community.

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My friend Johnson called me late in the night, and as soon as I picked up, he asked, “Why do men of God act this way?” I was confused and, at the same time, felt sorry for him because, from the tone of his voice, I could tell he was heartbroken.

I gathered the courage to ask, “What happened?”

He proceeded to tell me how he went to his pastor to confess all the terrible things he had done in the past because he genuinely wanted to amend his ways. Unfortunately, when he attended the midweek prayer meeting, he was shocked to hear the pastor discussing their private conversation with the entire congregation. I asked him, “Did he mention your name?” He replied, “No, but the way he described the person, anyone who knows me could easily tell that he was referring to me.”

At that moment, I was speechless and deeply concerned because I understood how damaging such an experience could be, especially for a new convert. Sadly, Johnson was already talking about leaving the church. I knew I had to say something to calm him down.

So, I asked, “Do you think there is any perfect human being on earth?”
He remained silent for a while but eventually responded, “No.”
I then asked him, “Was your confession meant for the glory of God or the pastor?”
He replied, “For the glory of God.”

At that point, I helped him understand that before a pastor becomes a "man of God," he is first a man, and man is naturally imperfect. We should not expect absolute perfection from anyone, including religious leaders. I reminded him that he made his confession for God, not for the pastor, and that he should trust God to handle the situation. I pleaded with him not to make any rash decision he might regret later, instead let God be the Judge.

My words consoled him a bit, but I could still sense the anger in his voice. After our conversation, I started wondering whether some of these religious leaders have received proper training in leadership, counseling, and discipleship before being entrusted with an entire congregation. Do they truly understand the weight of their responsibility?

This incident made me reflect on how society can contribute to raising effective leaders who know how to manage and guide people with wisdom and integrity. In my opinion, leadership is a skill that religious leaders must acquire before they can effectively manage a congregation, whether in a church, mosque, or any other religious setting.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you had a wonderful time reading.

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