Anatomy of a Ministry Shipwreck - This might be about YOU!

The captain of a sailing ship in the high seas sometimes must turn his wheel over to someone else when navigating unfamiliar waters. That person does not become the captain, he's a pilot. He gives advice, guidance. He might man wheel for a time, but ultimately it's the captain's ship. He is responsible for the safe passage of his cargo. If he is wise he will heed the advice and guidance of someone who knows the waters better than the Captain does.

That experienced pilot to help the captain must be able to navigate the ship into a rocky harbor must be familiar with all the hidden dangers and currents. If not the cargo can be lost.

This is a metaphor for many good ministries led by talented anointed men of GOD that start out with great promise but because of a Captain without the ability to take guidance or worse, take it from people who do not have experience or understanding, he goes shipwreck. The church or ministry closes. People (the cargo) are hurt. All the money given to traverse the water is lost. The ship goes down. Nothing is recovered. The Captain many times will not have learned from the experience an will try again, repeating the same pattern. Again and Again.

The following is a true story. It is NOT about any of my friends on Facebook so if you are and reading this it's NOT about you. I am confident that the person about whom I write will not read this. He is self absorbed and unlikely to seek understanding. Here's the painful truth as I have watched him go down.

Many years ago I met this man. I'll call him Tom. Tom was a great teacher. Had understanding of the Word beyond anyone I ever knew. He operated in intimacy. The worship he led was amazing. He worked hard at connecting with a few national ministries. Tom was always impressed by being recognized by famous people. He thrived on having his ego salved.

Tom's self esteem was all wrapped up in his ministry. He started out in his house like everyone does, but soon it grew. The house was packed. So, he started to look for a place to meet. He connected with a few local pastors and for a time used their building to meet. Soon those relationships withered. Tom had a problem. He was very thin skinned. He nearly always felt persecuted, lied about, abused. It seemed like his paranoia had no depths. Whenever anything unpleasant seemed to happen around his ministry he blamed demons, devils, anti Christ spirits; anything but a self examination of who he was. He felt like he was constantly being rejected. Every perceived rejection would cause Tom to become more and more insular.

Tom was not only a good worship leader and teacher, he also flowed in the prophetic. He would give words. They were great. People flocked to this. Many loved his prophetic gift.

You would think that Tom with his great anointing, great talent, after over a decade would have a great church. Not so. People would come, become part of the fellowship, then over time would become discouraged by the direction of the ministry. The intransigence. The inability of the Apostle of the House to take correction or questioning. This became his prime stumbling block. At one point Tom had a mature elder board. He was fine with them until they questioned him. Why what or how? He was immediately defensive and unwilling to hear.

Eventually Tom disbanded his elders group. He believed he knew better. Oh sure he kept a few yes folks around him to rubber stamp his decisions. Time and time again he would hit the wall.

Tom believed that his connection with God was enough. He never could or would connect with other local ministries. He worried that they might try to steal his members. He was unaccountable to anyone. He had a few "Names" he claimed were his "covering" but in reality those men had their own issues. They were never in his meetings, they might drop in to preach from time to time. Never observing. Never measuring. Never prepared to offer a word of correction if it was needed. There was no accountability.

Now years and years later he is still running a few dozen folks. Maybe up to 50 in a good service. He milks them pretty hard financially so he can stay full time. What he doesn't realize is by continuing to chase off those with means because of his hard headedness he lives just barely above the poverty line.

Those who had the ability to give financially eventually became frustrated at the direction of the ministry and left. Of course every single one that left was pronounced by Tom as deceived by the devil. The door was slammed on them when they left. There was no return.

I suspect in the last 15 years there have been a thousand people in thru the doors and out the back. He just can't keep them. Tom's immaturity has been his biggest handicap. His thin skin. His unwillingness to hear wisdom. His "Know it all" attitude is his biggest flaw.

I wish all the best for Tom. I love him and his ministry. I owe him a lot spiritually. I wish it weren't so. I can't go back. It's too hard to watch.

I don't have all the answers, but I have some. I would love to sit with Tom and give him some elderly wisdom. He won't hear it. I know other wise men with experience who might offer wisdom. I know that it's fruitless to connect them to Tom. He only hears what he wants to hear.

I don't have to be a prophet to tell you what the outcome of this mess will be. There will come a day when Tom has burned all the people he can and his ministry will close. Shipwreck. It's on a trajectory now. Of course he will blame everyone but himself. Persecution he will say.

I believe the sin of unteachablity is the death of most ministries.

One of the reasons I have such a passion for young ministers I am in fellowship with is the fact that they are still learning. Perhaps I can help them avoid some of the submerged hazards. I know not all will hear. It's rank immaturity to be so confident in what you are doing to the point where you hear from no one. A teenager is like that. Unfortunately we have men in the pulpit who are years past being a teenager with a teenager's attitude. Knowing it ALL.

I keep saying to these men, I don't want your pulpit. I want to be an encouragement. Encouragement has as part of it's meaning the ability to define a better way. Edification defined means to establish; to educate morally or spiritually; to improve; to strengthen. But that assumes that the person being edified will agree to be improved.

Ministries fail because of pride. Pride blames everyone other then themselves for failure or difficulty. The inability to look in a mirror at themselves for who they really are is the key issue. Most of the problems in ministry are not caused by demons, devils, evil spirits or Antichrists. They are caused by pride and holy arrogance.

This is not as it should be.

I hope someone who reads this will hear what the Spirit says. I know this isn't prophetic per se....but maybe it is.

Let those with ears to hear, HEAR!