Honoring the Truth-Teller
Brent T. sent an excerpt and a link to a three-part article
by Dr. Roger W. Sapp, called
Honoring the Truth-Teller, about the roles
of loyalty and truth-telling in organizations, especially the church. Not
surprisingly, loyalty is listed as the number one essential
characteristic required of a worker in George Geftakys' ministry. Brent says, "Especially those who are currently in an Assembly, or
sympathetic to the Assembly: Please read this, it is excellent,
edifying, and short!"
Not Valuing Truth Results in Blindness
"Blindness is characteristic of organizations and leaders that do not
value
truthfulness in their relationships. This is because truth telling has
been
stifled in a loyalty-based organizations or individuals. Because there
is
no honest feedback, they will often be blind to their abusive behavior
and
honestly wonder why others are reacting. There will be no one to tell
them that it is wrong to shift the blame for difficulties in the
relationships
to the victims of their abusive behavior. The value of truth is what
keeps a local church or any organization from becoming like a cult.
Honoring the
truth-teller is a characteristic of godly relationships. Dishonoring
the
truth-teller is a characteristic of cults. Cultic behavior, which
always
includes blindness, will result from an overemphasis of loyalty above
the
truth. Leaders must understand that their own desire for loyalty may
overcome truthfulness in their subordinates. They must actively
cultivate
truthfulness along with loyalty in their subordinates."
(
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