Church Models

This post is from the defunct blog "Dying Church"

Leighton comments on vision statements, mission statements, and ministry plans:

This way of church makes for a strong institution but has a tendency to turn people in to assets. People can become cogs in the ministry machine. People become servants of the institution whereas I believe that the institution exists to serve God and His people. I was taught the leader was the one leading the church. Everything had to fall under the leader's vision. We even learned tips and tricks on how to get people to buy in to our vision. It all seemed to make sense to me but I had this nagging feeling that what we call leadership could easily become manipulation. I wondered how the prophetic types fit in. The people that bring vision to the church based on God's revelation. Doesn't their vision count for something?