Egypt has been a major player on the world scene for nearly 5,000 years now. Modern Egypt remains vital to world trade and stability in the Middle East. Since January 25, scores of protesters have demanded the removal of Hosni Mubarak’s autocratic regime.
While Egypt’s situation is both unique and complex, there are some striking lessons church leaders can take to heart from this crisis.
1) The Age of Censorship Has Gone – Facebook and Twitter are rapidly changing the world’s culture. It’s no longer possible to isolate the masses. Mubarak’s attempt to silence the Internet and cellular communications fell flat. Communications were re-activated within days.
Remember, while social networking provides rich promises for connecting your community and congregation, it also removes whatever PR control your office may have maintained for your church. Good and bad news can easily go viral in your community. Should you encourage your congregation to avoid social media? Some churches are doing just that. It’s not only a bad idea—it’s futile. People are going to connect and engage online. Your new role is to jump in the middle of the conversation and engage it head-on.
2) Paranoia Creates Dictators – Mubarak assumed the presidency of Egypt in 1981, following Anwar El Sadat’s assassination. The tragedy, coupled with Mubarak’s paranoia, led to an implementation of Emergency Law that has been enforced for the past 30 years.
Do church leaders ever get paranoid? Umm…yeah. Maybe you’ve had a bad experience with your board. Maybe a member of your staff has challenged your authority. A 21st century response cannot maintain totalitarian control of the organization. Deal with the problem and move along. Realize you’re always going to encounter challenges to your vision and authority. Don’t let these challenges turn you into a dictator. Opposition is good! If our ideas are never challenged, we can’t become better leaders. Believe it or not, sometimes you’re going to be wrong. Sometimes other people will have better ideas than you. Drop the paranoia and move along.
3) Trust Must Be Earned – For the past several days, Mubarak has made a series of promises to the people of Egypt in hopes he’ll be able to squelch the uprising. Unfortunately for Mubarak, 30 years of dictatorial rule has ruined his credibility. The Egyptian people will not believe his promises.
Church leaders should remember that rhetoric in and of itself will ring empty in the ears of churchgoers. Our culture is rapidly growing more cynical. It’s going to be more difficult than ever to earn the trust of your congregation. If you don’t deliver on your promises, don’t expect them to easily forget.
4) Powerful Alliances Mean Little – Mubarak probably had every indication that his regime was powerfully immune with such powerful allies as the United States. These alliances, however, mean very little to the Egyptian citizens. They’re more concerned with the corruption and injustice they see day by day.
Church leader, you may have some powerful allies in the church world. You may be friends with powerful leaders and enjoy respect among your peers. This will matter little to your congregation. They’re thinking of the church they attend each weekend—not your influential network. Learn what you can from their criticism. Rely on your friends for advice, not necessarily for influence.
5) Trouble Doesn’t Just Evaporate – It seems as if Mubarak, especially toward the beginning of the crisis, thought he could just be patient enough to wait out the crisis. The energy of the Egyptian people only grew stronger, though. Mubarak is pouring the concessions on thick at this point.
When trouble arises in your church, don’t expect it to simply disappear. Generally, these events spread and fester like an infection. Deal with crisis in its infancy, before it has a chance to grow into a monster too big to defeat.
Mark Forrester 