Most church leaders today are suffering from the McClellan Syndrome …
The “Evangelical Industrial Complex” and all the forces involved in influencing church leaders for the past few decades have shaped today’s leaders more for the marketplace than the church.
Some view themselves as CEO’s, have a Chief of Staff and a Human Resources Department, view their Sunday gatherings as a product and church members as customers, and consider themselves organization builders, not a lowly servant responsible for shepherding a tiny part of God’s family.
With all of these shaping influences, many have succumbed to what I call the “McClellan Syndrome.”
If you stayed awake during any part of your American history class in high school, then the name General George McClellan might sound faintly familiar.
First, his military background:
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- McClellan graduated second in his class at West Point in 1846, demonstrating academic and military prowess.
- Experience in the Mexican-American War. He served with distinction in that war, earning brevet promotions and gaining valuable combat experience.
- Chief engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad. McClellan’s post-war engineering career demonstrated his organizational skills and logistical understanding, crucial for managing a large army.
Leadership qualities would be essential for an army commander, and McClellan seemed to be strong in this area as well:
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- He was admired and adored by his soldiers, earning him the nickname “Little Napoleon” due to his imposing presence and meticulous attention to detail.
- McClellan excelled at creating a disciplined and well-equipped army. He implemented rigorous training programs and improved logistics and communication within the army.
- He was a strategic thinker; McClellan developed sound plans and strategies for military campaigns, although his tendency to overestimate Confederate strength sometimes hindered their execution.
From a political context, McClellan seemed to have strengths as well:
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- Public support: McClellan’s reputation and victories in the early stages of the war garnered considerable public support, making him a politically safe choice for Lincoln.
- Need for a unifying figure: The Union needed a strong leader to command the massive volunteer army and inspire confidence in the Northern population.
In spite of what seemed to be a sterling resume for commander of the Union Army, Lincoln would dismiss McClellan from his central command just one year later, in November of 1862.
McClellan was very good at organizing and training an army, but that was his focus instead of actually using that army to engage the enemy. One of the more famous quotes attributed to President Lincoln is, “If General McClellan isn’t going to use the army, I’d like to borrow it for a time.”
And that leads us to the concept of the “McClellan Syndrome.”
A lot of ministers are weary from being very busy organizing this particular program, that event, and an assortment of other activities that they’ve failed at their primary responsibility to equip the saints (Eph. 4:11-12) to be effective ambassadors for Christ who engage the lost of the world with the message of reconciliation as part of a ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17-20) — in other words, in making disciples, which is the specific command and commission Jesus gave His church (Mt. 28:18-20).
Most ministers in most churches in the West don’t do anything — nothing — to equip disciples of Jesus to effectively proclaim the Gospel to the lost. Even though in 2023 it’s still common to hear ministers and Christians refer to the church as being an “army” for the Lord, what good is an army if it won’t engage in the battle (this one being spiritual), and deliver the Commander’s terms for peace (in this case, the Gospel)?
Scotty
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