The time has come for the church and her leaders to awaken to the dangers of mimicking business strategies rooted in competition and self-interest. The church is not a business. True effectiveness in the mission of Christ demands a return to the biblical principles of love, unity, and sacrificial service. The church must resist the temptation to build and promote personal empires and instead pursue genuine collaboration for the sake of the gospel and the transformation of nations.
In 2017, I was led by the Holy Spirit to organise and convene an interdenominational prayer conference, with the aim of uniting Christian leaders and believers in my city to pray for critical national issues and for the church in Nigeria and other nations. The plan involved reaching out to key leaders for support. One such leader, a prominent Nigerian leader in my city and across Canada, was approached with utmost respect and honour, including a thoughtful gift. Part of the plan was to reach out to key leaders, one of which was a key leader in one of our big ministries in Nigeria. I discussed the plan and vision with my wife, and we proceeded with the plans for the venue, including logistics, resources, and other critical aspects of any major event.
As part of the plans to get the buy-in of key leaders in our city, I scheduled meetings with a few key leaders in the city. There was this key leader who I booked a meeting to see. He is very key and strategic, in not just our city, but across the nation of Canada. As a well brought up person, honouring people and, especially, good leaders is at the core of my value proposition.
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I got this key leader a beautiful gift, but here was the problem. My wife was hesitant about my decision to meet up with him for support. She told me very plainly, “this man will disappoint you.” I refused to be discouraged and proceeded with our appointment. On the day of the appointment, I sat calmly at the reception of his office, waiting to be called up to see him. In short, I found myself sitting before him with zeal and passion, “Sir, the Lord has given me this vision, and we would be blessed to have you as one of the fathers and key leaders in our city. We are going to be praying for many nations and ministries, including yours.”
Looking at me from under his glasses, while staring at our colourful flyer on his table, he stunned me beyond words that day. He said and I quote, “Our ministry does not collaborate with other ministries. I wish you well in this programme.” It was like I had just been drenched in the cold and flying waters of Niagara Falls. My mind went to my wife – she had warned me. “Thank you so much sir for warmly welcoming me,” I said to him and left his office, driving home with sadness in my heart. He actually collaborated with my gift that was given to him but could not collaborate to pray for the body of Christ. The rejection was a sobering reminder of the entrenched divisions within the church.
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A few days later, I went to see another elderly servant of God, a white elderly bishop and father in the city. As I arrived and introduced myself, I received a time bomb of love, “This is amazing my brother. Thank you for putting this together. I am not just coming but will invite other leaders in our ministry to join us.” Right in my presence, he picked up his phone and called people, telling them about the event and asking them to make arrangements to attend. I sat down there with utmost amazement. I said in my heart, “no wonder, many of our churches in the black community, and most importantly in Nigeria have struggled to affect our society. It is a network of ministries and churches, firmly rooted in divisive practice and the promotion of personal empires that are cleverly disguised as kingdom-oriented, rather than fostering genuine unity.
The modern church, especially among large and influential ministries, has witnessed a subtle yet profound shift in its organisational philosophy and operational approach. Drawing inspiration from the world of business strategy, many church leaders have adopted models and frameworks that prioritise competition, market share, and organisational dominance, often at the expense of genuine spiritual collaboration and the collective good of the body of Christ. The introduction of the demonic book, 48 Laws of Power added fuel to our fire.
This timely word to the body of Christ explores this problem of wilful division through personal experience and critical reflection, highlighting the consequences of such an approach for the church’s mission and witness in today’s society. The values that underpin true Christianity differ appreciably from those of the systems of this world. Christianity, according to Bruce L Shelley, is the only major religion on earth to have as its central event the humiliation of its God.”
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The evil personified entity called, “Hitler” was quoted as saying, “the easiest way to conquer people is to divide them.”
Michael Porter, a renowned professor of strategy, revolutionised the business world with his models and frameworks for achieving competitive advantage. Porter’s theories, grounded in the art and practice of capturing market share and winning in competitive environments, have been widely adopted by corporations seeking to outmanoeuvre their rivals. Central to his approach is the notion that organisations succeed by differentiating themselves and, sometimes, by “short-changing” competitors to remain at the top. While effective in business, such a paradigm is at odds with the collaborative and sacrificial ethos that the church is called to embody.
“My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36)
Regrettably, the competitive mindset described by Porter has found resonance in many ministries. Despite the public display of love and compassion among leaders, especially on social media, an undercurrent of rivalry and self-preservation often shapes ministry decisions and alliances. My more than four decades of involvement in the church at different levels have revealed a systemic reluctance to work collaboratively for the broader interests of Christ and His body. Instead, ministries frequently function to serve and defend the personal mandates and interests of their founders and owners.
This reality undermines the potential for spiritual synergy and hinders the formation of kingdom-driven disciples capable of transforming nations. In a recent lecture granted by Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s former vice president and a pastor with the largest church in Nigeria, the professor reinforced this same sentiment, “why is the Nigerian church incapable of affecting the society, despite the amount of cash and human resources at our disposal?” According to him, “our messages and practices represent a complete departure from what Christ and the Apostles taught and lived to uphold.”
The core issue lies in the structure and motivation of many ministries. Rather than being oriented toward the collective service of God and the advancement of His kingdom, these ministries frequently prioritise personal and vested interests.
The loyalty demanded by such organisations is not to Jesus or the Bible, but to the mandates and constitutions of individual ministries. Departing from these ministries, especially without the leader’s blessing, can result in ostracism, blacklisting, and even spiritual threats. Such practices create a culture of division and fear, further eroding the foundations of love and unity that Jesus established and the apostles exemplified.
It is important to recognise that all organisational systems, whether in business or ministry, produce results of some kind. Communism, capitalism, socialism, fascism, military dictatorship, and democracy, all yield outcomes, though not all promote broad-based success or foster genuine growth among their constituents. Similarly, the results produced by ministries focused on self-preservation and competition may appear impressive on the surface, but they often come at the cost of spiritual depth, unity, and transformative impact.
“For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15)
Society is changing, and a new generation of youths is increasingly questioning the practices and ideals of the church. Many are discerning the discrepancies between biblical teaching and the realities of church life, leading to confusion and disillusionment. There is a plethora of failure of trust in the church that must be corrected. Countless cases of, “the church used and abandoned us” are out there on the internet. The building of ministry empires, branded as spiritual endeavours, cannot produce loyal disciples of Christ. Instead, it fosters a culture of allegiance to human leaders and organizational mandates, verging on idolatry, rather than devotion to Jesus and His kingdom.
Those who would receive the words, “well done thou good and faithful servant” already know themselves, here on earth. According to RC Sproul, “at the end of the day, it won’t be a matter of whether you know Jesus, but a matter of whether He knows you.” Those whom He knows are those who lived and died to uphold His values, nothing more, nothing less.
The time has come for the church and her leaders to awaken to the dangers of mimicking business strategies rooted in competition and self-interest. The church is not a business. True effectiveness in the mission of Christ demands a return to the biblical principles of love, unity, and sacrificial service. The church must resist the temptation to build and promote personal empires and instead pursue genuine collaboration for the sake of the gospel and the transformation of nations. Only then can we hope to produce kingdom-driven disciples whose loyalty is to Christ alone.
Ayo Akerele is the senior pastor of Rhema Assembly and the founder of the Voice of the Watchmen Ministries in Ontario, Canada. He can be reached through [email protected]
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