Posts Tagged ‘Add new tag’

In studying about the various theories and models of leadership, such as servant leadership, spiritual leadership, transactional leadership and transformational leadership, I was reminded of the old adage, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  In the exercise of leadership, power is necessary.  So the question for a leader who strives to be a servant and to be spiritual, is how to use that power effectively but keep it in check so that it does not corrupt the leader.

Today, I meditated on Psalm 113:7-8 “He raises the poor from the dust, And lifts the needy from the ash heap.  To make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people,” and on Isaiah 57:15 “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit.”  Contrast this with Isaiah 57:17 “Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid my face and was angry, and he went on turning away, in the way of his heart.”  What a sober reminder of who is the absolute power holder!  What a needed reminder that those of us who exercise any kind of influence do so because the Lord lifted us up!  What a convicting thought it is to remember that God identifies with the lowly and the humble!

I also read an article today in Time magazine entitled ”Why Powerful People Overestimate Themselves.”  (Click here:#mce_temp_url#) I encourage you to read it.  In it the results of a study are reported and briefly analyzed which link power, overconfidence and outcomes (usually extremely good or extremely bad).  Illustrations of these are given in the decisions of presidents and financial gurus on Wall Street.  While it recognizes that often times leaders accomplish significant feats by overconfidence and unilateral decision-making, it warns that unchecked, this can lead to failure also.  One suggestion the article makes is the discipline of considering pros and cons of the decision in collaboration with others, even with those who are not in our “party.”  This to me is a key of collaborative, servant leadership.  Bold decisions and initiatives best serve the people we lead when they are discussed in a team setting and in a disciplined way.  If legacy is our concern, then collaboration should be part of our strategy.  If power is our concern, then we must beware that it does not consume us and ultimately be our downfall.

Of course, the part that the article does not touch is the spiritual aspect.  The Scripture (see references above) reminds us that God is the one who lifts people up and who tears them down.  Thus, as leaders, we must submit our power and influence to Christ’s lordship.  We do this by a daily attitude of brokenness and humility before him.  We do this by not ignoring the lowly around us.  God notices them!  Is it possible to do this and to be effective and influential leaders?  Jesus did it!

Perhaps I am getting too nostalgic in my old age and I begin to pay more attention to dates, anniversaries, funerals and the like.  But several events have caused me to reflect recently.  Forgive me if I sound a bit melodramatic, but it feels to me like the passing away of Bro. Rudy Sanchez signals the end of an era.  At the same time our youth and singles CONGRESO celebrates its 45th anniversary.  This is a whole generation!  I am humbled by the reminder that I was called to ministry at the 1982 Congreso (27 years ago) and that I was licensed to the ministry shortly after High School graduation in 1984 (25 years ago).  Interestingly, the same month and year I was licensed to the ministry at the age of 19, my friend Frank Palos began his ministry at the BGCT.  As the longest tenured Hispanic employee of the BGCT, he has recently been recognized for his 25 years of service.  These events bring, for me at least, to the forefront several topics of discussion regarding the legacy or legacies that we have been left and that are passing on.

One of those topics for me is that of mentoring.  Who has mentored us?  Who have we mentored?  How significant has this been?  How important should it remain as we pass the baton to the next generation?

 Another topic is how outward-focused were our churches and events a generation ago?  How was the evangelistic fervor evident 25 to 45 years ago?  (It seems to me that it was a primary focus of our work but I may be mistaken)  How have we grown in that?  Have we become more outward-focused than a generation ago or has the opposite happened?

What about youth?  How important was youth ministry in our Hispanic churches in those years?  How were these youth integrated in the overall fabric of our churches and Baptist work in general?  How many of our current pastors and leaders were produced by the youth ministries of that era?  Was this effective?  If so, in which ways?

What about cross-cultural ministry?  How were the leaders of our Hispanic Baptist work in Texas of a generation ago innovative and effective in cross-cultural ministry or not?  How far have we come in this respect?  

Lastly, how were our leaders of a generation ago visionary in respect to cross-vocational domain networking?  In other words, how were they able to see the impact that their youth could make for the kingdom, not only through being pastors and missionaries but also doctors, lawyers, teachers, counselors, social workers, etc. etc.  I understand that one of the early purposes of Congreso was to encourage our youth and singles to pursue higher education and to be encouraged in their quest for professional careers so that we could multiply the leadership base of the church’s next generation?  Where are we today in this respect?

I would like to invite our writers to post on any of these topics or other related topics in the next few weeks.  The posts may be reflections, memoirs, or suggestions.

Julio Guarneri

Getsemani, Fort Worth

I have enjoyed reading Dr. Albert Reyes’ post about Dr. Rudy Sanchez here and on his pandulce blog. I have also enjoyed the articles published in the Baptist Standard and on the North Dallas Family Church website. (See links to these below).

Bro. Rudy was not my pastor but he was nevertheless an encourager and his ministry has blessed me in so many ways. I first came in contact with Bro. Rudy Sanchez as I attended Convención each year as a young man. I was encouraged by his no-nonsense assertiveness. I watched him as he interacted with people, as he spoke from the platform (whether preaching, speaking as a messenger, or leading as the president) and noticed his enthusiasm for the Lord’s work, his concern for our youth and singles, and his determination to advance the cause of the kingdom. He would often honor those Hispanic leaders who had come a generation or two before him. He referred to them as “Los paladines de la obra bautista en Texas” (a graphic image of a champion knight to refer to the heroic service of those pioneers of the Baptist work among Hispanics in Texas). Though he referred to people of the caliber of Josue Grijalva, Leobardo Estrada, Ignacio Gonzalez, Carlos Paredes, Fortunato Gonzalez and others who came before them, I count Dr. Sanchez as one of those “paladines.” His desire to work across denominations and vocational domains to advance the cause of Christ, his ability to relate cross-culturally in the denomination, and his tireless efforts to see Hispanic work on the same playing field as its Anglo compliment mark him as such. We were all proud the day that Dr. Albert Reyes was elected the first Hispanic president of the BGCT, but it was a few years before that Dr. Rudy Sanchez broke ground by becoming the first Hispanic chairman of the executive board of the same institution!

Bro. Rudy Sanchez encouraged me with affection and words. He would see me at denominational events, spoke words of encouragement to me and hugged me with affection. That was significant to me. I saw him doing that with other young ministers also. He had a deep sense of connection with those who had come before him and those who were coming after him. He made it known that he was confident about the leadership that God has raised among us. May we be encouragers to those God is raising up and will raise up after us!

Though not explicitly stated below, Dr. Sanchez was also pastor of Primera in Fort Worth. This is significant because it is during his pastorate there that he met and married Hna. Ruth. It is significant to me because many of the members of my congregation were members of Primera then and remember him fondly. In fact, because of this connection, I have had the privilege of celebrating wedding anniversaries and officiating funerals for families in my church that loved him and whom he loved also. On one occasion, a family in Fort Worth that had not attended any church for many years asked him to officiate a funeral. Bro. Rudy agreed but asked if I could also officiate. This was his way of lovingly connecting a family with a local church. It was also a way of his communicating to me his trust of my pastoral leadership. It has been about ten years since this incident and that family continues to attend Getsemani faithfully every Sunday. What a lesson in pastoral ministry!

I am grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to have known Bro. Rudy, to have been encouraged by him and to learn from his leadership.

Julio S. Guarneri, pastor

Iglesia Bautista Getsemani

Fort Worth