Don't train leaders?

Last issue's most controversial article is turning out to be "Why I Don't Train Leaders in Malinta, Ohio," by David Coffin. Some people sent letters saying the article "lifted my spirit more than anything I've read lately." Others asked, "Why was this in a journal called Leadership?"

For those who thought we lost our minds or editorial judgment, we thought the article raises an important question: What is the shepherd's role in an era emphasizing pastor-as-leader?

Unconditional surrender

In a recent letter, Matt Woodley, pastor of Cambridge (Minnesota) United Methodist Church, passed on this quote from seventeeenth-century spiritual writer Francois Fenelon: "When it comes to accomplishing things for God, you will find that high aspirations, enthusiastic feelings, careful planning, and being able to express yourself well are not worth very much. The important thing is absolute surrender to God. You can do anything he wants you to do if you are walking in the light ...