The Nepotism-Driven Church

Moses. Eli. Samuel. Saul. 

As far as the Word of God goes, these were some of the most uncommon and heroic men of their day.
Reading about them inspires us to become friends with God, to see him face to face, to serve in the house of God, to hear him clearly, never miss a beat, to not let our words fall to the ground, to know that God can pick the smallest and the least to do great things with. But what else do these men have in common? Their sons did not follow in their footsteps.

 Let's see what the scriptures say:

Moses' position as leader of Israel was not hereditary. His son, Gershom, did not inherit the leadership of Israel. Moses' chosen successor was Joshua, son of Nun

 ⁹ Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit^[b] of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses. (Deut. 34:9).

David is Chosen instead of Saul's Son Jonathan:
 ¹ The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” (1 Samuel 16)

 ¹² Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD.

¹⁷ This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they^[b] were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.

¹⁸ But Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.

²² Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ²³ So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. ²⁴ No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the LORD’s people is not good. ²⁵ If one person sins against another, God^[d] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the LORD, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death.

²⁶ And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.

Prophecy Against the House of Eli

²⁷ Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? ²⁸ I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. ²⁹ Why do you^[e] scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

³⁰ “Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. ³¹ The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, ³² and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. ³³ Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.

³⁴ “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day. ³⁵ I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. (1 Samuel 2:12,17,18, 22-35)

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These are Old Testament examples, remnants of what can still be seen in the Church setting today. Many Churches have a structure that consists primarily of family related leaders that serve in key positions in the Church. While this is not necessarily a bad thing (most American Churches have a membership of 200 or less, and many of the core or founding members are family) when leadership is not held to a formal standard or code of ethics, it can spell trouble.

Nepotism is defined as favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis (m. "nephew")

Here are 5 things to consider in a Nepotism-Driven Church:

1. You may rely too heavily on family support rather God's provision

2. You may be more family directed in decision-making rather than Spirit led

3. You may be reluctant to remove family members when they are in error

4. Your staff of personally connected friends and family may develop an entitlement attitude

5. You might actually stunt the growth of your ministry;
    people who are not blood-tied may see your church as "exclusive"

These are hard things to consider but it is important as a Leader in the Body of Christ that blood ties not be placed above the Lordship of Christ. Jesus said it this way: (Matthew 12:46-50)

⁴⁶ While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. ⁴⁷ Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
⁴⁸ He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

As the Body of Christ, we are to be above reproach. That includes every aspect of ministry and life. The key here is granting a place regardless of merit. There are countless examples of Ministry Royalty and Secular Family empires. The key here as a leader is to seek God for the best man or woman. Jesus' brother James was a disciple. His mother was in the upper room at Pentecost. David's Son, Solomon became King. Can your family, or  my family, lead in ministry? They could. Should we be open to whoever God calls to walk alongside us?

That, my fellow Leader is the point.

 ⁷But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart

It can be tempting to simply place people in position because it is convenient, they are your friend or family member, or because you don't want to upset the person who may be really nice yet they have absolutely no skill in the area they desire to serve in. Your temporary fix could be creating future problems. Let us not be guilty of overlooking and basing our decisions on our own understanding. Let us trust that God knows what he is doing. He sets members in His Family as He wills. When God does it, the Church will looked the way he intended, love the way He intended, and when people look on us, they will see a true picture of the Body of Christ. Jesus chose 12 men from different walks of life to paint a picture. The women who followed him and supported his ministry were just as diverse. The message? God can choose anyone, even me.

When the Un-Churched encounter The Church, let that same sentiment ring true.

BlackThought: Voices Of Change NOW

"You cannot feed the world and starve your countrymen and expect an applause from God."

Shantae A. Charles

 Someone may be wondering: Why is she writing about Black History? Isn't Black History over?

Let me just clear the air:

Well, it might be  "over" if you are not Black or African-American. But, if you are one of the 14% of Americans described as such, Black History is everyday. It is constantly being written by each one of us who carries within our genetic code the characteristics that define us as such, mainly the melanin that infuses our skin with color, making some of us more obviously black than others. From ebony to cafe au lait to near ivory, we vary in shade and many of us are of mixed ethnicity & culture (Caribbean, Afrcan, American, Latino, Native American, Asian), and to the on-looker that can confuse the conversation and dialogue. Which is why we should talk. We are not all the same.

As I pondered today what I wanted to share, the words Black Thought Thursday popped into my head. God deals with me in rhyme and analogy, and alliteration, so I just go with the flow. I had been reading this wonderful book about the speeches and letters, and lectures of African American leaders, writers, poets, and statesmen, teachers, peanut farmers and university founders, and I was floored by their eloquence, their precision in commuicating that change needed to happen for our people and by our people.

They faced the hostilities and predjudices of the day head on and did not flinch at the backlash they recieved for plain speaking, as my friends would call it. I wondered, where are those voices of change now? The voices most of us hear are so politically correct, and neutral that you cannot really be sure what side they are speaking from.

These Voices of Change demanded a NOW answer to the growing problems of racism, economic, social, and educational disparity. They did not have a "sit back and shut up" mentality. They demanded justice based on the document of justice that was put in place first for white males, but essentially for everyone. The declaration that "all men are created equal" was to apply to humanity, not just to one race, or one gender, or to the person who was able-bodied but to all. I want to share with you some of the statements that stood out and challenge you to do a little reflecting of your own and research some of these great voices of change.

On Slavery

A slave was rarely killed. They were too valuable. It was quite easier and more effective to sell him Down South. In slave times, a Negro was kept subservient and submissive by frequency and severity of scourging.~ Ida B. Wells Barnett

The white man's happiness cannot be purchased at the price of the black man's misery.~Frederick Douglass

Reflect: What way has slavery been institutionalized in our society?

Lynching is the aftermath of slavery.~ Mary Church Terrell

Reflect: Do you think political, economic, social lynching exists?

When you give away your right to speak, you put the next generation back in chains.

Reflect: What social justice efforts have your children or those you mentor seen you speak out about?

On Equality & Democracy

What the people want is simple. They want an America as good as its promise.~Barbara Jordan

The color of the skin is in no way connected with strength of mind or intellectual powers.~ Benjamin Banneker

We wish to plead our own cause. Too long others have spoken for us.~ John Russwurm

This country can have no more democracy than it accords and guarantees to the humblest and weakest citizen. ~James Weldon Johnson

The American Dream reminds us that every man is heir to the legacy of worthiness.~MLK

If America is to remain a first class nation she can no longer have second class citizens.~MLK

The price America must pay for the continued exploitation of the Negro and other minority groups is the price of its own destruction.~MLK

Reflect: Do you think we have made real progress in racial  and social equality?

Now, more than ever before, America is challenged to bring her noble dream into reality.~MLK This thought still rings true in 2012.

On The Struggle

It may get me crucified, I may even die. But I want it said, even if I die in the struggle that, "he died to make men free." ~MLK

Sadly, this came to pass when he was assasinated on 1968.

The citizens of America want and deserve more than a recital of problems.~Barbara Jordan

How can we begin to build institutions that allow people to relate as human beings? This country has not done that. Especially around the concept of black or white.~Stokeley Carmichael

Reflect: How can we end the struggle for equality personally?

On Globalization

All of us must develop a world perspective if we are to survive. The American Dream will not become a reality devoid of a larger dream of a world brotherhood and peace and goodwill. MLK

The world in which we live is a world of geographical oneness and we are challenged now to make it spiritually one?

Reflect: Do you think globalization has minimized the needs of people of color who are still underserved?

On Self Education & Empowerment

If you want to hide something from a black man, put it in a book.~Anon

The whole world opened to me when I learned to read.~Mary McLeod Bethune

One of the things young people should learn is how to see for yourself and listen for yourself and think for yourself.If you get in the habit of going by what you hear others say about someone or what others think about someone instead of searching that thing out for yourself, you'll be walking east when you think you are going west...the most important thing we can learn today is to think for ourselves. ~ Malcolm X

Every time black people move in this country, they are forced to defend their position before they move.~ Stokeley Carmichael

If you form the habit of taking what someone says about a thing without checking it for yourself, you'll find that other people will have you hating your friends and loving your enemies.~Malcolm X

Reflect: Do you see double standards when it comes to accountability?

On Integration, Segregation, and Responsibility to the Race

What integration is in this country: You do what I tell you to do, and then we'll let you sit at the table with us.If there is going to be integration it has to be 2-way. If you believe in integration, come live in Watts. Send your children to the ghetto schools. Let's talk about that.~ Stokeley Carmichael

We commit racial suicide by not sounding the alarm and protecting our own children from the poverty that ravages their dreams. Marian Wright Edelman

Integration is subterfuge for the maintainance of white supremacy.~Stokeley Carmichael

Hug your grandparents and say, "I want to thank you for what you've done to make me and my life possible."~Alex Haley

Reflect: What responsibility, if any do you think you have to your race?

On the Black Middle Class

Unless the black middle class begins to exert more effective and sustained leadership with and without the black community on behalf of black children and families, both as personal role models and value instillers and as persistent advocates for National, State, and Locally funded policies...then all of our Mercedes and Halston frocks will not hide our essential failure as a generation of Black "Haves" who did not protect the Black future on our watch.~ Marian Wright Edelman

Don't be so busy getting that you get down in the mud of oppressing your own race.~Sac

I hope the quotes and reflections here will promote a dialogue long after the last sentence is read. I encourage you to be a voice of change Now, not an echo of political correctness and status-quo thinking.

Blessings to You, Next Generation Leader.