Out of Egypt: 7 Leadership Principles for a Post-Covid Church
What the Israelite wilderness wanderings and contemporary change management theory can teach us about church leadership in the aftermath of COVID-19.
As the world assesses the early aftermath of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape has shifted. Heartbreaking death toll aside, the virus’ effects are evident in all spheres, whether personal, social, economic, or spiritual.¹ Whether a direct result of this season or accelerated by it, society is grappling with an epidemic of distrust.² In a recent study, fewer than 10% had total confidence in the health system.³ Broader societal institutions and norms have come under scrutiny.⁴ Political division is intense. Divorce rates are rising sharply,⁵ and trust between nations is tracking an opposite trajectory.⁶ Employment dynamics, travel, healthcare and social interaction has profoundly changed.⁷ Life looks different.
Similarly, the shepherds of the global Church have wrestled with leading worship in this isolated, digital reality, learned to live-stream corporate gatherings and grappled with theological conundrums in the process, with mixed feedback from the sheep.⁸ What exactly is ‘church’, if not the physically gathered people of God? The great signs of unity that have characterised the last few decades amongst the body show signs of splintering — if not over COVID responses, over other theological minutiae — a sombre reflection of a divided society at large.⁹ It will be years before the dust settles, and when it does, this period will likely be more devastating to the global psyche than anyone currently realises.¹⁰
Given such seismic and far-reaching cultural shifts, how do church leaders shepherd their flocks? Answers to this question can be found in the life of Moses during the years following the people’s escape from Egypt. Like the participants of the Exodus, the global Church experienced a period where certain freedoms were curtailed and is now stepping into a period where newly free life looks very different. Like the Israelites, the Church must assess its place — and faith — in the world after such a monumental transition. Some will struggle. Fundamentally, church leaders are embarking on a journey of change management on a significant scale. Given that as much as 70% of change efforts fail, leaders must handle this period cautiously.¹¹ By analysing Moses’ leadership through the Exodus and combining it with contemporary change management theory, I propose seven leadership principles as the Church enters the beginnings of a post-COVID world:
1. Do Not Lead Alone
2. Overcommunicate the Vision
3. Build a Culture of Community
4. Anticipate Negativity
5. Be Patient with Laggards
6. Be Strong Against Ungodliness
7. Walk Humbly with God
Though deceptively simple in theory, most change initiatives fail because leaders overlook these principles in practice. Without these foundations in place, the house will crumble. What follows is an explanation of each principle and its relevance to the post-COVID change management process.
Principle 1: Don’t Lead Alone
In Exodus 18, Moses received a visit from his father-in-law, Jethro. Though he rejoiced at all that God had done through Moses, Jethro presented a blunt assessment of the prophet’s leadership. Less than three months after crossing the Red Sea, he had taken on too much alone (Ex. 18:18). Fortunately, Moses saw the error of his ways and selected a strong leadership team of able, God-fearing, trustworthy men to direct the change effort with him (Ex. 18:21). Following this, Moses takes time to nurture future leaders like Joshua (Ex. 24:13) and publicly takes time to honour other leaders such as Oholiab and Bezalel (Ex. 35:30–35).
In order to enact any meaningful, lasting transformation, it is crucial to recruit what John Kotter describes as a powerful “guiding coalition” of people who will implement the desired change with you.¹² Other change experts describe such similar concepts as “getting the right people on the bus”¹³ or “strategic alliance building.”¹⁴ Whatever the terminology, the fact remains that lone ranger leaders risk missing fundamental cultural shifts and may struggle to gain the buy-in necessary to facilitate significant change. Considering the profound emotional, physical, and spiritual challenges of the pandemic where change has been intense and painful for many, building a robust guiding coalition is all the more vital.
As churches transition from an emergency phase to a recovery phase, leadership styles must change with it.¹⁵ Out of Egypt (emergency phase), the prophet par-excellence led singularly under God in what essentially amounted to crisis response. However, as people started to adjust to the new reality of life in the wilderness and more permanent change (recovery phase), the situation necessitated a new approach; thus, Moses followed Jethro’s advice in implementing a guiding coalition. Like Moses, it is wise for leaders to allow trusted confidants to speak candidly into their leadership, especially during such a testing period as a global pandemic. Are there blind spots in the leader’s vision? Is the leader missing the mark or veering off course in any area? Were this the case, an outside voice would be invaluable.
More broadly, a guiding coalition can help nurture a culture and attitude toward change that is almost invariably impossible alone, even in a small church context. A team of leaders can provide the necessary tipping point to ensure sufficient backing from the congregation and present a united front in such uncertain times.¹⁶ Importantly, this period also presents a valuable opportunity to develop new leaders as the coronavirus period brings traditionally unchanged church structures and methodologies into question.
Principle 2: Overcommunicate the Vision
In Exodus 15, the Israelites were full of praise after they were brought out of an impossible situation and miraculously freed from captivity.¹⁷ Leaving the Red Sea in their wake, Moses led the people into the wilderness. What follows in the four successive decades is a mixture of faith and fear. Though under forced servitude in Egypt for generations, the Israelites had experienced some semblance of normality. Their first taste of freedom was a seemingly endless diet of manna, quail, and want. At the same time, the people could not help but recognise God at work in their midst (Ex. 20:18). Given such drastic change, one can somewhat understand the confusion and distraction amid the people. At various points in the wilderness, the Israelites lost sight of the vision: to serve God as a set-apart people and trust in his provision along the way. Much, if not all, of the challenges and troubles during the wilderness wanderings result from this issue. An omnidirectional focus led to complaints from some, outright rebellion from others, and even disobedience from Moses himself. Additionally, this caused a far longer sojourn through the desert than was necessary.
Vision is of paramount importance to any organisation, particularly in the context of change. Indeed, most change efforts fail because they lose focus.¹⁸ A vision “helps clarify the direction in which an organisation needs to move.”¹⁹ Kotter’s famous steps to bring about change emphasise creating a sense of urgency in vision-setting, an effort that is often grossly overestimated among leaders. He suggests that one of the most significant errors in change management is “under communicating the vision by a factor of ten,” such is its necessity.²⁰
Given the notable increase in division and decrease in trust in both society and within the church (not to mention significant shifts in daily life for the majority), it is as crucial as ever to unify people around a singular vision. Leaders are helping followers adjust to the church’s new reality, whether it is obvious or not to those following. The emergency phase of COVID-19 may have garnered an “all hands on deck” mentality for some, but during the recovery phase, it is likely that exhaustion will set in. Early anecdotal evidence suggests this is the case with volunteer participation and general church attendance around the world. There will undoubtedly be problems to solve, but most church leaders will quickly recognise the immense opportunities accompanying this new season. As J. Oswald Sanders eloquently puts it, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”²¹ A leader’s vision may look different to another. However, the imperative in the post-COVID world is to highlight in some sense (almost ad nauseam) the enormous opportunity before the church to display love, community, unity, and hope in the Gospel before a world in desperate need of all those things.
When the church ceases to divide and instead unifies behind a singular vision, it can press forward into this new season with vigour and effectiveness.
Principle 3: Build a Culture of Community
The Israelites stepped into the wilderness as a renewed people, but the effects of four centuries as slaves ran deep. Through Moses, God establishes new rhythms and rules for “life in community that would sustain the people and help them live as human beings in the presence of Almighty God.”²² The Sabbath is established (Ex. 16:23); the Law received (Ex. 20 ff.). A community begins to develop, and when the community is intact, the people flourish. Even with so many specific identifiers for the people of God, the challenges were many throughout the years. There was a real threat of division amongst the people, but Moses fought to ensure unity through community.
The previously discussed division and distrust in society increase the rate at which the Western world is propelling toward ethics of autonomy. Cultural anthropologist Richard Schweder presents three dominant ethics in society:
- Ethics of autonomy: “A conceptualisation of the self as an individual preference structure.”
- Ethics of community: “A conceptualisation of the self as an office holder.”
- Ethics of divinity: “A conceptualisation of the self as a spiritual entity connected to some sacred or natural order of things.”²³
In other words, ethics of autonomy promote relativistic individualism, ethics of community look to one’s relationship to the world around them, and ethics of divinity focus on one’s place in relation to a divine being. More could (and perhaps should) be said. The critical point is that post-COVID, the rapid push toward autonomy is accelerating, even though the Bible primarily teaches ethics of divinity and community. This reality is problematic, to be sure, as the value system of the Western world is decidedly less congruent with Biblical values than generations before.
However, God establishes community through His prophet for a reason: people desperately need it (although they might not quite realise it). In the post-COVID world, one of the most excellent opportunities before church leaders is celebrating community in the face of rampant individualism. There is ample opportunity to build relationships, values, and rhythms within the body as a set-apart people of God. Hebrews 10:25 calls believers not to neglect to gather, and leaders should heed that call where possible. Similarly, there is an opportunity to reach the broader community as a whole; one that is starved of deep relationships. In The Post-Quarantine Church, Thom Rainer suggests that “It’s time to reset how we use our facilities. . .At the very least, we hope many churches will become much more intentional about using their church facilities as a means to connect with their communities.”²⁴ Rainer is astute in attempting to address the need for community that permeates Western society after COVID-19.
By enthusiastically pursuing this opportunity for community in and through the church, leaders will strengthen their guiding coalitions, add credibility to the vision, and take a firm step towards impacting this changing post-COVID world.
Principle 4: Anticipate Negativity
Besides Jesus the Messiah, no prophet compares to Moses (Deut. 34:10–12). How he related to the Lord — along with the miracles God performed through him — is unsurpassed throughout history. With this in mind, those unfamiliar with the wilderness wanderings might expect a trusting, committed, perhaps even fanatical followership. Of course, this is not the case. The Israelite’s continually flitted from faith to fear, revealing their lack of confidence in both their leader and their Lord.²⁵ The people grumble against Moses and God as they flee from the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Ex. 14:10–12), at the waters of Marah (Ex. 15:22–24), in the desert west of Sinai (Ex. 16:2–3), and at Rephidim (Ex. 17:1–4). Miriam and Miriam even complain about their sibling (Num. 12:1–3), and Korah incites a rebellion (Num. 16:1–3). What may appear a crisis of authority at first glance instead provides helpful insight into the current leadership context today.
It is easy to forget the extreme change that had taken place in the lives of Israelites during this period. Change is difficult at any time as “most people are reluctant to alter their habits.”²⁶ When that transformation affects every facet of life, it is unsurprising that some will struggle enormously. Negativity is a natural bi-product of those struggles.
To reiterate: the post-COVID world is not the same as before. The virus has affected all facets of daily life, and as church leaders shepherd their people into this new territory, they can anticipate a level of negativity along the way. While this may, of course, be a result of poor leadership, it is essential to recognise that it may simply be a reaction to the cultural shift that has taken place. Leading change “requires asking people to confront painful issues and give up habits and beliefs they hold dear.”²⁷ Such requests are not always easy to hear. The Israelites were in a different place to Moses in several ways.²⁸ So, too, may the flock be in a different place to the shepherd today. Moses was considered the greatest of all prophets, a multi-faceted leader who walked closely with the Lord. Still, he experienced negativity from the people as he led them through a substantial period of change.
If even Moses experienced resistance, one could reasonably assume that contemporary leaders will as well. Such negativity is emotionally taxing, to be sure, but a reasonable price to achieve a God-given vision.
Principle 5: Be Patient with Laggards
Sometimes, followers may not be moving at the same pace as the leader. In Numbers 13, Moses sent twelve tribal leaders to explore the land of Canaan. Two of them see what Moses does: an opportunity to venture to where God had called them. However, in what is a core theme for much of the wilderness wanderings, the remaining spies had lost sight of the big picture and only saw what they perceived to be insurmountable challenges. The Lord was ready to destroy the people who continued to reject him, but Moses interceded on their behalf. The transgression of the rebellious contingent does not go unpunished by God, but because of Moses’ patience, the Israelites as a whole remain the Lord’s chosen nation.
Part of Moses’ maturation as a leader was his ability to discern when to challenge his people or show patience and understanding.²⁹ Followers may not show outright negativity or grumbling, but they may not quite yet share the leader’s faith for the future either. Everett M. Rogers, in his seminal work Diffusion of Innovations, specifies five adopter categories: “(1) innovators, (2) early adopters, (3) early majority, (4) late majority, and (5) laggards.”³⁰ In Roger’s estimation, “The point of reference for the laggard is the past. Decisions are often made in terms of what has been done previously.”³¹ In light of profound and forced structural, cultural, and societal change, one may posit that the leader will encounter a more significant number of laggards in their followership than before. Such an assertion was certainly true in the experience of Moses, and it stands to reason that the post-COVID leader will confront similar challenges, even with a solid guiding coalition, clear vision, and close community.
The pandemic has resulted in loss, fear, disorientation, distrust, and disunity worldwide. In this context, a leader’s patience and grace can help provide an opportunity either for the laggard to catch up to new realities or step away into something more suited to their disposition on their terms.
Patience is key. John Kotter recognises that one critical error in change management is “declaring victory too soon.”³² Leaders must maintain a delicate balance: keeping ahead of their followers and calling them forward, but “not running too far ahead. . . and thus discouraging them.”³³ Are followers keeping up in the way that the leader assumes? They may not be. Lagging followers must not be dismissed out of hand; they can grow with the necessary support and nurturing from the leader if they afford sufficient time to the process.³⁴
Principle 6: Be Strong Against Ungodliness
Moses was lenient with laggards, but he was strong against ungodliness. While he was initially patient with the Israelites who had fashioned for themselves a golden calf (Ex. 32:7–13), he was incensed when he witnessed firsthand the extent of their idolatry, fiercely punishing such transgression against God (Ex. 32:19–28). When Korah led a rebellion against Moses (and therefore the Lord), Moses was firm (Num. 16:15) and did not ask for mercy when God punished the dissenters, causing the earth to swallow them up (Num. 16:28–35). The prophet was resolute despite the complaints of the people (Num. 16:41). In Leviticus 24, Moses followed the command of the Lord and punished him by having him stoned to death.
What these three instances have in common is not rebellion against Moses, but against God. Given the new foundations recently laid for the Israelites, the prophet needed to set clear expectations from the outset. While not acceptable, the desire to complain or to lag was understandable given the dramatic change that had taken place. What was wholly unacceptable was blasphemy or sowing seeds of division among the people in relation to God.
As the church enters the aftermath of the pandemic, leaders should show patience with laggards and negative expressions from their followers. However, they must not allow this to stray into ungodliness. Ungodly people will seek to pervert the grace of God (Jude 4), and there will be wolves in sheep’s clothing that will aim to distract believers from godly living (Matt. 7:15). Importantly, general, repentant sin is not in mind here. In the post-COVID world, where excessive individualism, distrust and disunity are rife, ungodliness may look different depending on the cultural context of the leader. In some settings, believers may stray too far into the political sphere and allow themselves to become distracted by unhealthy, unhelpful, or unbiblical thinking in the process, losing sight of the Gospel and sowing discord in their wake.
In other settings, believers may allow a fear of the virus to override their trust in the sovereign grace and mercy of God, pulling other believers away from the gathered church, similarly losing sight of the Gospel and sowing discord in their wake. There are myriad reasons for brothers and sisters in Christ to be drawn into divisive, ungodly behaviour. The leader must be strong in rebuking such behaviour. Such rebukes can be firm without being unkind, but as many believers wrestle with the realities of a post-pandemic world, the leader help must foster a healthy view of God in the process. Failure to do so could be catastrophic for the body of Christ.
Principle 7: Walk Humbly with God
In many ways, Moses displays exemplary leadership during the wilderness wanderings. He was not perfect by any means, but perhaps the most distinguishing feature of his period in charge of the Israelites was his humble, anointed devotion to the Lord. Indeed, the Bible describes him as “a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3). Rather than self-aggrandisement, Moses was quick to turn to the Lord. Though this attitude is evident throughout most of his leadership, it is unmistakable at Rephidim when the Amalekites attack. In the face of great danger, the prophet stood before the Lord with his hands held high, an act of humble devotion and reverence that led to a great victory for the people of God. Ruth Haley Barton puts it this way: “[Moses] lasted because he allowed his leadership challenges to catalyse and draw him into a level of reliance on God that he might not have pursued had it not been for his great need.”³⁵ He recognised the unmistakable grace of God in their lives; in light of this, humility was the natural result.³⁶
Much like Moses, leaders in this current environment must allow their leadership style to transition with the change from emergency to recovery. However, humble dependence on the Lord must always be present. Humility is “the hallmark of the spiritual leader.”³⁷ Church leaders must “not see themselves as greater than they are, but neither [must] they discount their talents and contributions.”³⁸ They act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord (Mic. 6:8). They seek to develop “powers of spiritual receptivity by trust and obedience and humility”.³⁹ In the words of N. T. Wright, they “put Jesus at the centre of the picture and work outwards from there.”⁴⁰
As leaders take the first steps into a post-COVID world, it is essential to remember that humble submission to the Lord’s call supersedes any of the previous principles. Moses’ success in a period of profound change came from his devotion to God; his failures from the lack thereof. Leaders must press forward, remembering that they do so under the anointing and grace of the Holy Spirit and not in their strength alone.
In Summary
It is easy to be deceived by the simplicity and familiarity of the seven principles outlined above; this must not happen. As the global Church strides into the unexplored territory of substantial cultural and societal change, it is clear that a competent guiding coalition, unifying vision, and healthy sense of community will make a profound impact along the way. The church will flourish in this new age by anticipating inevitable negativity, allowing laggards the time to catch up, and standing firm in the fight against ungodly behaviour. All of this presupposes humble leadership dependent on a good God who is sovereign over all.
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[6] Newport, “The Impact of Shifts in American Culture.”
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[9] Kevin DeYoung, “Why Reformed Evangelicalism Has Splintered: Four Approaches to Race, Politics, and Gender,” The Gospel Coalition, last modified March 9, 2021, accessed September 6, 2021, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/why-reformed-evangelicalism-has-splintered-four-approaches-to-race-politics-and-gender/.
[10] Thom. S. Rainer, The Post-Quarantine Church: Six Urgent Challenges and Opportunities That Will Determine the Future of Your Congregation (Carol Stream, IL.: Tynedale, 2020), 3.
[11] Michael Beer and Nitin Nohria, “Cracking the Code of Change,” in HBR’s 10 Must Reads On Change Management (Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, 2011), 137.
[12] John P. Kotter, “Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail,” in HBR’s 10 Must Reads On Change Management (Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, 2011), 7.
[13] Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don’t (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2011), 13.
[14] Debra E. Meyerson, “Radical Change, the Quiet Way,” in HBR’s 10 Must Reads On Change Management (Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, 2011), 62.
[15] Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg, “Leading into the Post-Covid Recovery,” Harvard Business Review, last modified 2020, accessed September 3, 2021, https://hbr.org/2020/08/leading-into-the-post-covid-recovery.
[16] W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, “Tipping Point Leadership,” in HBR’s 10 Must Reads On Change Management (Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, 2011), 82.
[17] J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1967), 165.
[18] Beer and Nohria, “Cracking the Code of Change”, 137.
[19] Kotter, “Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail”, 8.
[20] Ibid., 10.
[21] Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer, 72.
[22] Ruth Haley Barton, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership (Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012), 131.
[23] R. A. Shweder et al., “The ‘Big Three’ of Morality (Autonomy, Community, Divinity) and the ‘Big Three’ Explanations of Suffering,” Morality and Health (1997): 138, 139.
[24] Rainer, The Post-Quarantine Church: Six Urgent Challenges and Opportunities That Will Determine the Future of Your Congregation, 15, 22.
[25] J. D. Hannah, “Exodus,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, Vol. 1. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1985), 131.
[26] David A. Garvin and Michael A. Roberto, “Change Through Persuasion,” in HBR’s 10 Must Reads On Change Management (Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, 2011), 17.
[27] Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky, “A Survival Guide for Leaders,” in HBR’s 10 Must Reads On Change Management (Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, 2011), 101.
[28] Norman J. Cohen, Moses and the Journey to Leadership: Timeless Lessons of Effective Management from the Bible and Today’s Leaders (Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2007), 159.
[29] Ibid., 110.
[30] Everett M. Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations, 5th ed. (New York, NY: Free Press, 2003), 89.
[31] Ibid., 516
[32] Kotter, “Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail”, 14.
[33] Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer, 87.
[34] Cohen, Moses and the Journey to Leadership: Timeless Lessons of Effective Management from the Bible and Today’s Leaders, 163.
[35] Haley Barton, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, 32.
[36] Charles R. Swindoll, Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1999), 336.
[37] Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer, 75.
[38] Patrick Lencioni, The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues (Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass, 2016), 156.
[39] A W Tozer, The Pursuit of God, eBook. (New York, NY: Start Publishing LLC, 2012), 71.
[40] N. T. Wright, God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath (London: Zondervan Reflective, 2020), 18–19.
