The Church Needs Courageous Leaders

Men with courage and conviction are in short supply these days. I’m often discouraged by the lack of men who are willing to take a bold, biblical stand on the issues du jour. This is true not just for society, but within the church as well.

It seems many are just too afraid to speak openly on what the Bible says on issues like human sexuality, gender, politics, freedom, etc. Many leaders seem more concerned with their prestige and position, being accepted by the Academy, pleasing people, and being popular. As a result, many leaders speak out of both sides of their mouths. It’s often difficult to tell where they stand on a certain issue. They are often silent when they should be speaking up.

President Ronald Reagan warned against being all things to all people. He spoke of raising a banner:

A banner of bold colors, no pale pastels. A banner instantly recognizable as standing for certain values which will not be compromised. 

We need this kind of bold, clear thinking in the church. In an age when moral and theological lines are blurred, and society is more confused than ever about right and wrong, we need the church to be the pillar and foundation of the truth. Leaders should quit worrying about being “nice” and start being concerned with being faithful.

I’m convinced many churchgoers in the pew don’t know the Biblical position on certain issues because their pastor never speaks about them. Thus, they probably get their ideas about what to think about those issues from the world. And we know the world is not telling them the truth.

What causes this silence among Christian leaders? Fear of persecution, fear of losing a job, and fear of losing friends are just a few of the reasons. More than ever, we need singularly focused men of God who care only about what the Word of God says; men who will speak that truth boldly and unapologetically regardless of the pushback. We need men who won’t calculate how many people will leave or quit giving money. We need men who will obey God rather than men. We need men of courage and conviction.