The Study of Brokenness as a Critical Success Factor in the Effective Leadership of the Pastor

179 Pages·2017·1.45 MB·English

Digital Commons @ George Fox University
Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations
2-1-2017
The Study of Brokenness as a Critical Success
Factor in the Effective Leadership of the Pastor
Robert Thompson
George Fox University, [email protected]
This research is a product of the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program at George Fox University.Find out more
about the program.
Recommended Citation
Thompson, Robert, "The Study of Brokenness as a Critical Success Factor in the Effective Leadership of the Pastor" (2017).Doctor of
Ministry. 213.
http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/213
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GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY

THE STUDY OF BROKENNESS AS A CRITICAL
SUCCESS FACTOR IN THE EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
OF THE PASTOR

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO
THE FACULTY OF GEORGE FOX EVANGELICAL SEMINARY
IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

BY

ROBERT THOMPSON

PORTLAND, OREGON

FEBRUARY 2017
George Fox Evangelical Seminary
George Fox University
Portland, Oregon

CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
________________________________

DMin Dissertation
________________________________

This is to certify that the DMin Dissertation of

Robert N. Thompson

has been approved by
the Dissertation Committee on February 24, 2017
for the degree of Doctor of Ministry.

Dissertation Committee:

Primary Advisor: Darrell Peregrym, DMin

Secondary Advisor: Len Hjalmarson, DMin

Expert Advisor: Steve Kroeker, BA
Copyright © 2017 by Robert Thompson

All rights reserved.

ii
CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ V
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... VI
SECTION 1 THE PROBLEM ............................................................................................1
One Pastor’s Story .........................................................................................................1
Statement of the Problem and Purpose of the Study ......................................................2
Research Question and Definition of Terms ..................................................................5
A Return to the Old ........................................................................................................9
SECTION 2 ALTERNATE APPROACHES TO BROKENNESS .................................20
Alternate Approaches of Brokenness ...........................................................................23
Shock & Pain Approach .........................................................................................23
Denial (Pretend) Approach ....................................................................................24
Anger (Blame) Approach .......................................................................................25
Bargaining (Strive) Approach ................................................................................26
Depression (Reflection) Approach ........................................................................27
Testing Approach ...................................................................................................27
Acceptance Approach ............................................................................................28
Summary ......................................................................................................................29
SECTION 3 THESIS ........................................................................................................30
Introduction ..................................................................................................................30
Understanding the Process of Brokenness ...................................................................31
Voluntary/Involuntary Brokenness ..............................................................................36
Developing the Attitude of Brokenness .......................................................................41
Paul’s Leadership .........................................................................................................43
Field Research Findings ...............................................................................................54
Blessings ......................................................................................................................57
Summary ......................................................................................................................65
SECTION 4 ARTIFACT DESCRIPTION .......................................................................68
SECTION 5 ARTIFACT SPECIFICATION ....................................................................71
SECTION 6 POSTSCRIPT ..............................................................................................77
SECTION 7 ARTIFACT ..................................................................................................80
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................159

iii
FIGURES

1. Alternate Approaches.………………………………………..30
2. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs………………………………..33
3. Hierarchy of Spiritual Needs…………………………………34
4. Self-Actualization versus Servant Mind……………………...35
5. Spiritual Disciplines …………………………………………40
6. Brokenness Brings Blessedness……………..…………..…...62

iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to the many individuals who have walked with me on this journey:
Jackie & Don Gaetz, Ruth Copeland-Holtz, Karen Flanagan, Barb & Rodger Heringer,
Dan Russell, Jennifer & Richard Thompson, Kathy & Gerry Toms, and Bill Wong, thank
you for all your encouragement and support.
To Union Gospel Mission, for the past nine years, for encouraging me to
complete my dissertation because you believed it would serve the people we care for and
that it would impact the Church. May it be so. To George Fox University, Bakke
Graduate School of Ministry and Regent College, thank you for investing in me over the
years. To First Church of the Nazarene (Vancouver, British Columbia) and Granville
Chapel (Vancouver, British Columbia) where I served as a youth pastor, you showed me
grace and patience; to Tsawwassen Alliance Church (Tsawwassen, British Columbia)
where my family and I attend, thank you for all your prayers and encouragement.
With gratitude to my academic team: Dr. Loren Kerns, Dr. Clifford Berger, Dr.
Darrell Peregrym, Dr. Leonard Hjalmarson, Rev. Stephen Kroeker, and Rochelle Deans,
thank you for your patience, support, and encouragement in seeing me finish this part of
the journey.
I am so thankful and indebted to my family: my parents, Lucille and George
Thompson; and my sister, Pam, and her husband, Lee, for their love and encouragement.
Most of all, thank you to my amazing wife Terri for your love, sacrifice, advice, and
encouragement. To my son, Kurtis, and my two daughters, Jenna and Amy, who have
sacrificed so that I could complete this dissertation; and to my gracious Lord Jesus, who
knows me well, and in spite of that, really likes me.
v
ABSTRACT
In our western culture, many churches, pastors, and Christian leaders have
adopted secular leadership that emphasizes performance and results rather than
emphasizing spiritual leadership based in our identity in Christ as a servant leader and the
process of brokenness that God uses to develop His servants. Recent literature has
suggested that pastors and Christian leaders need to revisit the need for brokenness in
their Christian formation as a critical success factor in their leadership. The Church
should consider brokenness as a critical success factor in the effective leadership of the
pastor.
This dissertation will concentrate on the importance of brokenness in the life of
the pastor as it relates to spiritual leadership in the midst of secular practices and
leadership approaches used in the Church.
Section 1 outlines the problem pastors and Christian leaders are facing in the
church. Section 2 explores the various approaches to brokenness; these approaches fall
short of expressing the life and Spirit of the Lord Jesus being released through us. Section
3 outlines the thesis of brokenness as a critical success factor in the life and leadership of
the pastor/Christian leader and the blessings derived from a lifestyle of brokenness.
Section 4 consists of the Artifact description. Section 5 is the Artifact specification (book
proposal). Section 6 is the postscript. Appendix A is the artifact itself, a non-fiction e-
book written to inform pastors and Christian leaders about brokenness as it relates to the
spiritual formation of the leader and the benefits associated with brokenness. Appendix B
shares survey answers regarding brokenness obtained from various pastors and Christian
leaders.
vi
SECTION 1
THE PROBLEM
One Pastor’s Story

Mark has been a Senior Pastor of a large church for over 10 years. He’s been a
visionary: he developed two other church campuses where he preaches via satellite every
Sunday; he has taken on a large building project and has seen much fruit in his ministry.
Mark has completed his MDiv and is now beginning a DMin with the hope of publishing
or maybe even teaching in a Bible College or Seminary setting one day. He faithfully
attends an annual Pastors’ Conference and seeks to collect new leadership strategies and
programs that will enhance his ministry. Mark is well respected within his sphere of
colleagues.
Mark always believed that if he could improve his leadership skills, the church
would increase and have a greater impact for the Kingdom. His Church Board was made
up of business and professional people who were successful in their respective sectors
and who expected good outcomes. After each Leadership Conference, Mark would bring
back some new strategy, model, or principle that he felt would “ignite” his Church Board,
staff, congregation, and himself to minister more effectively. After the most recent
conference, Mark is encouraged to implement some changes that will bring better
outcomes.
Recently a number of setbacks have arisen: some of his key staff have moved on
due to better opportunities; the Church has seen a recent downturn in attendance on
Sundays; the number of newcomers has decreased (both in his main church and the
1
2
satellite campuses), possibly due to a recent increase in the housing market in Vancouver,
as people either can no longer afford to purchase new homes in the city, or older people
feel that it is the right time to sell and “downsize.” Mark has a growing sense that he is
less and less in control. His 17-year-old son, Todd, has decided that he’s no longer a
Christian and doesn’t want to attend youth group or even go to church on Sundays
anymore. Mark’s marriage to Debbie is in trouble. She’s told him that she wants out of
the marriage and is ready to file for divorce. The Church Board asked Mark to attend an
unscheduled meeting on Monday night (board meetings are always on Thursdays) and
Mark feels like the board is going to release him. The dreams Mark thought God wanted
for him and his church don’t seem to be coming true. He knows he’s called to be a leader
but everything he’s learned isn’t working. He is still committed to Jesus, he’s working
hard, and he has strived to make an impact. What if God is bringing Mark to a place of
brokenness so that he can acknowledge his brokenness and, in true submission, walk as
Jesus did?
Statement of the Problem and Purpose of the Study
In the Western Church today, with its focus on individualism and professionalism,
and its need to show results for its efforts, Christian leadership, it would appear, has
adopted secular principles in addition to spiritual leadership. Kevin Mannoia writes,
The secular leadership paradigm emphasizes function, results and performance. It
says to would-be leaders, “learn the system” in an attempt to replicate results.
Spiritual leadership must emphasize character, essence and nature while saying,
“become.” At this point, spiritual leadership asserts itself as counter cultural and
stands in stark contrast, and often opposition, to the basic elements of secular
leadership. Becoming this kind of leader, then, is a process. Rooted in Scripture