I once sat in on a church youth leaders meeting which left me a little perplexed. Issues were raised and discussed; people spoke their minds and there were some good ideas and solutions advanced which everyone agreed. The only downside was that after every issue was discussed by the team, the leader said something like ‘Let’s ask the young people what they think’.
So the team, thinking that their evening had been given to deciding what was to happen, ended up thinking that all their plans now had to be filtered by the youth group. And it wasn’t just a small group, as all the issues had to be aired at the next youth group meeting. It left me asking who the leaders were around there.
Total bully?
Before I’m accused of being a total bully who loves to throw his weight around, let me assure you that I often had a small group of young people who I met with to discuss the group and often had them working in service roles within the group. But leaders are there to lead — not to ‘lord it over the flock’ (1 Peter 5). If 1 Timothy 3 contains mostly character issues when talking about leadership, leaders are there because they are people who are ‘sober, self-controlled, and respectable’ (along with many other characteristics). That example is there is to lead young people by their teaching and example rather than because they are natty dressers or incredibly cool. I believe, therefore, that their wisdom and discernment is greater than that of the youth group and that they are more capable of making godly decisions about the ministry they exercise. That’s why they are leaders.
