Today I read an awesome post by my friend, Troy Gramling. He talks about the issue of loyalty. It’s well worth the read. So go check it out here.
I have a lot of pastor friends, and most of them have had their share of hard knocks in the ministry. But almost without exception, the thing that hurts the most (according to all of them) is the betrayal that comes at the hands of a trusted friend. You almost never see it coming because it’s near impossible to be an effective leader if you’re always looking over your shoulder.
So you forge ahead and you cast the vision and gain momentum with God and His people and then, all of the sudden…
WHAM!
Someone you trusted enough to put in a place of leadership breaks the trust you placed in them and undermines the unity of the mission and the church. It’s messy, painful and flat out wrong. If you can no longer support the vision where you are at, or, if you feel like you need to spread your own wings and fly.
Then go right ahead.
Somewhere else.
God hates anything that causes disunity and division within the body of Christ.
And pastors love loyalty.
It never fails to rank high on their list.