Good Leadership Is Important, But Our Eyes Remain on Christ.

We should beware either-or thinking in so many areas. For example, in church history some used Christ's Lordship in the church as a way to downgrade the importance of mortal leaders (sort of all "all-chiefs-no-Indians" thing). This was sometimes a reaction against clergy dictatorships. I saw this among the Brethren assemblies many years ago. Many of the people had come out of the Roman Catholic church, and as a reaction to the papacy and the priests there was a spirit of anti-authority in the assembly. This has been such a problem among the Brethen that the movement has almost died out in the U.S., because their young men go elsewhere to use their leadership gifts. When the apostle John chastises Diotrophes, and commends Demetrius (III John 9-12), he showed us that the quality, talent, and character of a ministry-leader matter!  Christ works through people like us!  So it pleases the Lord for us not to deify or denigrate leaders. Keep the quality standards for leadership high, but support them as well.