Alistair Macrae
For the past three years I’ve been aware of an impending call to a particular leadership role within the church, namely, President of the Assembly.
For the past three years I’ve been aware of an impending call to a particular leadership role within the church, namely, President of the Assembly. And it is time to stop, pray and reflect on the meaning of that call. Theologically I regard the primary Christian call to be to discipleship which is marked by baptism. Within that call to love and serve Christ and to love and serve the world, God calls us to particular ministries and roles within church and community. Some of these are leadership roles. 
It is instructive to reflect on leadership in the church at a time when the lectionary is about to feature Israel’s most famous leader, King David. He provides an interesting link between leadership and the idea of ‘worthiness’.
On the one hand, David is regarded as the ideal, exemplary leader. His achievements cannot be underestimated. He united a declining and fragmenting federation of tribes into a unified and prosperous nation state.
However, the scriptures also tell another story — that of a very flawed human being. The story of Bathsheba and Uriah is a tawdry one — abuse, deception and murder. It took a word from the Lord, through the prophet Nathan, to reveal the truth of David’s abuse of the trust placed in him. Despite David’s penitence, his corrupt behaviour as a leader exacted a heavy toll upon him, his family and his nation.
It would be dangerous to completely sever the link between leadership in the church and the question of personal worthiness. Leadership in the church is based in the call of God and the discernment of the community. We seek leaders who will in some way embody the vocation and character of that particular community. If leadership is to be effective, the authorisation and trust of the community the leader serves is fundamental.
We have been reminded many times of the damage done to the church and other organisations by leaders who have failed to honour the trust of those in their care. People have been hurt, the reputation of the church has been damaged and the task of credibly bearing witness to the gospel has been compromised.
However, as with our Christian discipleship in general, our personal worthiness can never be the whole story, otherwise no one would make the grade! Only a sinner, surprised by joy at God’s call, could sing ‘Amazing grace!’
A quote, I think from Groucho Marx, has popped into my mind with alarming frequency these past three years: “I can have no respect for an organisation that would have me as its leader” — or something like that. I know myself reasonably well and am all too aware of the fragility of my faith, the flaws in my character, the depth of my ignorance; any of which, on a bad day, I will interpret as conclusive proof that in calling me to ministry or to be President, God and the church have made a terrible mistake!
But I am still in touch with the wonder of the first time I was aware of Christ’s call to follow and serve him, 'all the days of my life.' A call which, despite my manifest failings, has come again and again. The apostle Paul, one of the church’s greatest leaders, was himself, manifestly imperfect. The lesson learnt through bitter experience, that 'God’s power is made perfect in my weakness,' (2 Corinthians) is one that has sustained many in Christian leadership since.
Like in the story of the loaves and the fishes — where the resources seemed inadequate to do the job — when they were offered for Christ’s blessing they were enough and more than enough. That is how I approach the call to leadership in the church. To humbly offer what little I have — and trust that God will bless what is offered and make it enough.
Someone wrote that the task of leaders is 'to keep the main thing the main thing.' Maybe the ‘main thing’ in this challenging time for the Christian church is to believe that when the church offers the little it has for the ‘reconciliation of all things’, God can take what is offered, bless it and make it enough.
Rev Alistair Macrae is the President-elect of the Uniting Church in Australia. He will be installed as President during the 12th Triennial Assembly, 15-21 July 2009.
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