Difficult Staff Members (Part 1) The Borg Leader

The Borg staff member: This person arrives and slowly, you begin to notice people in the church being assimilated  much like the process by which the Borg add new members to the Collective. 

Context: If you’ve never seen Star Trek, I’ll explain; Borg assimilation in Star Trek is predatory; every species that the Borg

encountered was forced into joining their "perfection.” 

In Star Trek, each species was set upon and forcibly assimilated; the Collective considered the species' will in the matter "irrelevant." When a species was assimilated, their neural pathways were restructured to link them to a single collective mind, with the hive, and the end result was them becoming drones.

Practically, in churches this happens slowly because the staff member has to gain influence over the power players in the church first before moving ahead to the flock.

By garnering the influencer's support, the Borg leader can ultimately achieve their goal of Uniformity rather than Unity. 

As the Borg leader gains control, we must now worship in the same way. We must now say the same things. And above all, the variety that is supposed to exist in the Body (1 Corinthians 12), cannot be approved of because the parishioner's and staff alike are expected to all look the same and align with the will of the Borg leader, even if they are simply an associate.

What a limited mindset this leader has. Make everyone dependent upon your approval, build an entire personal kingdom that strongly resembles a cult, then what?  How can the church accomplish the fullness and variety of it's mission that Jesus has designed us for? 

Each person should enjoy their personal discipleship journey and adventure of becoming like Christ, not puppeting the preferences of the Borg leader.

Fear is their modus operandi.

Praise or Disapproval are used to reward those who assimilate, and shame all who don’t leave. 

The gravity created toward their ministry is like a black hole. Volunteers are funneled into this ministry (whether needed or not) and no one ever gets out. Not until the Borg leader is gone, then everything falls apart.

Simple Advice: Each person in the Body is unique, so don't shoehorn them into your small mold. We need a variety to reach a variety. Each person's growth is their adventure and doesn't determine your value as a pastor. Don't judge the success of the ministry by outward conformity. "The Lord looks at the heart" (1 Sam 16:7). Rather partner with God and trust for inner transformation.