Not So With You

Reorienting Power, Status, and Privilege for the Sake of Redemptive Ecclesial Life

As a lifetime church member and long-time church leader, I struggle to reimagine church without first reimagining power within the church. For five years, I have served as pastor with a healthy egalitarian church with a keen sense of what it means to use power in a Christlike way. This has renewed my desire to see more churches launch a “power audit” within their church community and their leadership. A discussion on power within the church is fraught with complexities and challenges. Still, I believe that reimagining the church calls for an honest reconsideration of power—its origins, manifestations, and ethical implications. This is a much-needed assessment, especially against the backdrop of declining church attendance, particularly amongst younger generations, as well as the growing awareness of countless cases of church misconduct and abuse. My hope is this article will be a call for churches to reassess their understanding and use of power, inspired by the life and ministry of Jesus, for the purpose of cultivating a healthy church culture in which all members can flourish.

Jesus provides abundant examples of a healthy and God-centered understanding of power. These examples help us reimagine power, reassess worldly paradigms, and return to the transformative vision of servanthood, humility, and mutuality exemplified by Christ. In Mark 10:35-45, we observe an enduring struggle in ecclesiastical contexts—the human inclination to seek power and status. James and John boldly ask for seats of honor in Jesus’ coming kingdom. “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”¹ Jesus corrects their confusion and reorients them to his mission and the true nature of his kingdom. His kingdom is not about power and status, but service and sacrifice. The other disciples become frustrated with James and John and Jesus shares a key message,  “Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (e.g. Mark 10:42-45).” 

James and John want to be as close as possible to Jesus (and his power), and they don’t mind saying so in front of others. An unhealthy attachment to power and authority can develop easily, especially when it is accumulated and conserved within smaller groups. In Playing God, Andy Crouch asserts that some of the most egregious acts of “god playing” come from concerns about status.² Status is privilege; it is about our place in line and the human drive to be ranked above another or counted more worthy than another. The quest for status and power rarely stays within the bounds of a limited domain. Instead, we chase status itself, and because there will never be enough status (for every move up the line means someone else moves back), the quest for status pitches us against our fellow image-bearers.³ Does this sound familiar? 

Jesus does not instruct his disciples to give up power; power is not inherently bad. Instead, he reorients them by demonstrating that his kingdom is different. It is not one of grasping for earthly power, where some dominate and lord their power and authority over others. It is one where greatness is found by using power and privilege to serve others. Jesus also tells them that he is not exempt, he too, came to serve and give his life for others. 

In The Living Gospel, Luke Timothy Johnson puts a finer point on Jesus’ requirement for leadership: “Jesus emphatically rejects the attitudes of ambition and self-serving that he sees among those whom he chose to lead his community. As he moves toward his own death, he summons them to a higher vision of leadership that corresponds to the pattern of his own life: they must be small and they must be servants.”⁴ Jesus exercises power in ways strange to our modern sensibilities. His higher vision of leadership translates to being small and serving others. Can you imagine a church leader praying for smallness? 

Jesus releases his followers, releases us, from that which prevents us from being agents of flourishing in our churches and in the world. Everything Jesus does with power and privilege is about liberating us from it. Jesus demonstrates a shift away from the First Century Roman desire for power and status to a culture of service, mutuality, and smallness. As local churches take on the challenges facing Christianity in America, it would be tragic to miss the opportunity to be converted to Jesus’s way of regarding power. 

One of Jesus’ most radical demonstrations of putting power and privilege in their proper place is the Last Supper in John 13:1-17. The night before his arrest, Jesus gathers with his disciples and washes their feet. This is not a desperate act of one who is powerless, but an intentional one. Andy Crouch speaks to his intent:

Jesus knows that, far from being powerless, he holds “all things” in his hands. He knows where (and Whom) he has come from. He knows where (and to Whom) he is going. In short, the action and passion that is about to follow is not the sign of someone who has lost power, but someone who has been given all power.⁵

Jesus leaves his place of honor and picks up the last thing anyone in the room would expect—a towel for washing guests’ feet. Touching the feet of another was an act of profound subjugation, fit only for slave or supplicant, an action that would fall to the person with the least status.⁶ This leaves the disciples in shock. Jesus is steadfast. This is the requirement for a place at Jesus’ table in this perplexing new kingdom.⁷ In this moment, Jesus creates culture, forever transforming the meaning of power, status, and privilege. This intimate and communal act is how the mission of God will be manifest among those who follow Jesus. It is a moment of kenosis, or self-emptying, pointing to the cross and the continued mission of Jesus for us today. 

Consider too the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness from Matthew 4:1-11. The tempter takes Jesus through three temptations starting with the same line, “If you are the Son of God.” Anna Case-Winters illumines that the word translated “if” (Greek ei) could well be translated “since.”⁸ So, the question is not if Jesus is the Son of God, but what he will do since he is the Son of God. This shifts the question from whether Jesus is who he says he is, to what he will do with his great power. Winters elaborates, “The temptations he faces will each in turn urge him to take his relationship to God as a position of privilege, using it to meet his own needs, receive protection from the vulnerability of his humanity, and gain power over all the kingdoms of the world. Is this what it means to be “the Son of God”?⁹   Identity and mission are on the line here. Jesus faces the same temptation that all children of God face: will we understand our calling and vulnerably partner with God in redemptive work for the sake of others, or will we pursue more power and privilege at the expense of others and the mission of God?

Next, the tempter tries to convince Jesus to throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple. This act would show his power, demonstrate God’s special protection, and reveal that he is the Son of God. Jesus again refuses, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” 

During the third temptation, the tempter takes Jesus high on a mountain where he can look down on “all of the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” (Matthew 4:8) In exchange for worshiping the tempter, Jesus will receive kingdoms and power and glory. What will Jesus do with this elevated view and power? Again, Jesus refuses. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is tempted to misuse his power and acquire even more. By refusing, Jesus shows us how to resist the temptation of acquiring more power and more privilege. 

Throughout Jesus’s ministry, he dispels lies about power. A healthy church culture depends on addressing these lies and reforming a healthy attachment to power. Life in the kingdom of God is not a struggle for power, but an opportunity to go about the work of ensuring that power is shared and dispersed throughout the Body. Local churches must be vigilant against hierarchical structures that siphon power to a select few. Reimagining power within the local church requires consistent and intentional steps to reshape organizational structures, leadership paradigms, and communal attitudes. Here are some practical suggestions, rooted in the teachings of Jesus, that I have experienced as a pastor with New Heritage Fellowship:

Cultivate a Culture of Humility and Servanthood. Using examples of Jesus in the Gospels, regularly encourage leaders and members alike to embrace a mindset of Christlike servanthood. Philippians 2:5-8 is a place to start! Leadership should be an opportunity to serve, not dominate. Provide practical opportunities for individuals to serve one another and the community and commit to telling one another when you see them imitating Christ.

Foster Inclusive Decision-Making. Move away from top-down decision-making models and embrace communal discernment approaches. This is likely easier in smaller churches, but as much as possible, seek input from diverse voices within the congregation, recognizing that true power is shared power. This not only enriches decision-making but also promotes a sense of member ownership.

Reevaluate Traditional Hierarchy. Challenge hierarchical structures that perpetuate unhealthy power dynamics. Consider overturning established organizational hierarchies in favor of collaboration and mutual accountability. This may involve rethinking titles, roles, and responsibilities. Diversity and multiple perspectives often lead to healthier outcomes.

Emphasize Learning Community and Character Formation. Place a strong emphasis on discipleship that prioritizes the formation of Christ-like character. Equip members with spiritual and ethical values needed to navigate power ethically. A focus on Christlike character can help prevent the abuse of power.

Engage in Honest Self-Examination. Regularly assess the church's practices, structures, and attitudes about power. Employ self-reflection to identify areas where power dynamics may be inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus. Encourage open congregational dialogue about power. Consider places where new voices could be heard and make space for those voices, especially in settings typically reserved for a few.

Encourage Transparency and Accountability. Foster a culture of transparency where decisions and actions are open to scrutiny and dissenting viewpoints. Establish accountability mechanisms that hold leaders and the community responsible for ethical conduct. Transparency and accountability build trust and help mitigate the potential for abuse of power. 

Reimagining power in the church requires a theological and practical shift away from worldly paradigms of power, status, and privilege. The local church must actively engage in self-reflection, acknowledging and dismantling structures that perpetuate unhealthy power dynamics. As churches navigate the challenges of the contemporary world, we have the opportunity to reimagine structures that embrace the radical, countercultural vision of power embodied by Jesus. In doing so, they can demonstrate that true power is found in self-giving love and a commitment to the flourishing of all.

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Cheryl Russell and her spouse and favorite ministry partner, Tim Russell, have three adult children. Cheryl is the lead pastor at New Heritage Fellowship in Fairview, Texas and she has graduate degrees in ministry and missional theology and leadership from Pepperdine and Rochester University, and she recently completed her Doctorate in Missional and Spiritual Formation from Hazelip School of Theology. Cheryl is passionate about missional community, healthy church culture, and small church ministry.

1. Mark 10:35-37. In Matthew’s account, it is James’ and John’s mother that makes the request of Jesus.

2. Andy Crouch, Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power, Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2013, 156.

3. Ibid.

4. Luke Timothy Johnson, The Living Gospel, London: A&C Black, 2005, 58.

5. Crouch, Playing God, 162.

6. Ibid, 164.

7. Ibid, 165.

8. Anna Case-Winters, Matthew, Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015, 52.

9. Ibid.