Power has a way of making us feel important and hence unaware of how vulnerable we are to its sinister side. Effective Ministry in the Presence of Power Instead of succumbing to either of two extremes, we need a third approach to power. I simply call it a critical engagement with power. My goal in ministry is to chart a middle course that will neither be seduced by power on the one hand, nor repudiate it on the other. I've discovered four basic understandings.
Power is people.
As we minister in places of power, we must not let the trappings of power obscure the human beings behind them. The CEO, the church leader, the bank president, the school superintendent, the pro athlete, and the U.S. Senator like all people have spiritual, emotional, and social needs. We often see power in a new light when we focus on people. This was brought home to me recently after a speaking engagement when a man I recognized from newspaper accounts approached me. He was the former CEO of a large corporation, and was now under indictment for mishandling of corporate funds.