Book Excerpt

From Overcoming the Darkside of Leadership chapter 15

"On arriving in Scotland, the American minister and two of his church's board members were anxious to meet their counterparts at a mission work they had been commissioned to visit. Coming as they were from a strong evangelical church in the States with a rich heritage in missions, the men were anxious to see what exciting things were being accomplished through the ministry of this church they were supporting. As they left their airport shuttle at the curb, they climbed the centuries-old stone stairs that led to the rectory. Before they could knock to announce their presence, the resident pastor flung open the door with his arms fully extended in a grand gesture befitting a eucharistic blessing, he enveloped the visitors in a warm embrace. Ahhh, the warmth of Christian felowship extends even across the Atlantic, thought the Yanks.

After appropriate hugs and greetings the Scottish pastor ushered his guests into the wood-paneled comfort of the study and directed them toward ancient leather wingback chairs. It was an exciting occasion, one that called for a proper inauguration. The host reached for a richly grained wooden box that smelled of cedar. When he opened it, his guests saw a treasured store of choice cigars. With obvious pride he offered each guest a cigar. The two laymen nervously looked at one another, then gazed toward their own pastor, not quite sure of the proper protocol at such an awkward ceremony. With sullen faces belying more than a little disapproval, both laymen refused the offer. Their pastor, however, eagerly snared a cigar from the humidor and lit it up, appreciatively admiring the curl of thick smoke that rose to the beamed ceiling. The Scottish rector smiled with satisfaction.

NExt the Scot went to his credenza and collected from it four small glasses and an etched glass decanter containing a caramel-brown liquid. The laymen looked mauseous. Surely this was the reason that Christianity had died in the British empire! When they returned home, they would see to it that the church reconsidered its financial support for such a carnal operation. They refused the brandy with even less decorum than they had rejected the cigars. Their host was by now looking worried, wondering if he had somehow done something wrong. The American pastor, to the chagrin of his traveling companions, once again accepted the offering and took a satisfying sip. After an hour of visiting, confirmation of the coming itinerary, and a departing benediction, the American left. Once in their cab the laymen wasted no time before launching into an interrogation of their pastor. "Pastor, how could you!" exclaimed one of the board members. "I can't believe you did that!" vented the other. "I thought we were here to support their ministry and encourage them in their evangelistic efforts-it's no wonder the church is dead over here!" After a moment of silence the pastor replied with more than a hint of disgust, "One of us had to act like a Christian."