Tony Abbott as reported in the article said he thought it was the most incompetent and untrustworthy government in modern Australian history. The former government made a whole lot of commitments, which they scandalously failed to honour.
He continued in that they did a lot of things that were scandalously wasteful and the actual conduct of government was a circus. They were untrustworthy in terms of the carbon tax. They were incompetent in terms of the national broadband network, they were a scandal when it came to their own internal disunity. Moreover, he said they made a whole lot of grubby deals in order to try and perpetuate themselves in power. It was an embarrassing spectacle.
As to their incessant claim about climate change, Tony Abbott said we've had much bigger floods and fires than the ones we've recently experienced. You can hardly say they were the result of anthropic global warming. Indeed, the victors write the history.
The question is put therefore, is there a parallel analogy in the local church situation where the congregation has gone through a woeful experience where specific members of the congregation and the minister of the time did not see eye to eye. What about missions and Christian agencies where the CEO walks after a long and bitter dispute over policies and personalities and take-over scenarios.
In both situations, the local church and that of missions, a new minister enters the scene, or a fresh CEO comes into the life of the mission and the start of a new beginning is announced.
Local Churches
Sad to say, there are some local congregations that have a bit of a history of seeing off their minister, especially when the congregation's King Masker (the person who is the real power) falls out with the minister. The pathway is fraught with turmoil and heartache and can go on for a year or more, but usually, the King Maker triumphs yet again.
Reverend Dr Rowland Croucher of John Mark Ministries has specialised in this area of pastoral disaster for almost 40 years where he and his team pick up the pieces of the minister. There are 14,000 pastors today in Australia who have faced such diabolical trauma and have simply moved on in their lives away from pastoral ministry.
Many of these live with their pain and anguish for years. No one came to their aid. Congregational members who had seen this all before were too weak to do anything about it or did not have the numbers on the floor (as it were) to right the wrongs.
The new minister coming into such congregations come with high hopes, there is very little forewarning as such situations only raise their head when a dispute of some fashion down the track occurs and unless handled with great care, it becomes a repeat process. But until then, the new minister and the church deacons / elders write the history. Welcome to church land.
Mission organisations
Mission organisations have all the same hallmarks as a local church in terms of disputes with board members and / or associates, but there are two significant differences.
First, how the money is raised? If the money is raised through the founder and that person is the CEO, then the paper work and accounts will inevitably be spotless. If the CEO goes, more questions of propriety get directed to the trouble makers and their careers are placed in jeopardy or at least it is their reputations are up for grabs. Some trouble makers quickly resign afterwards so as to avoid this very scrutiny.
Second, once the CEO goes, every eye will be on the trouble makers as to whether they can make a go-of-it as compared to the person whom they saw off. The common outcomes is that those people themselves slowly but surely depart the scene and sometimes it takes two of three cycles of board members before they get back on track.
And of course, everyone on each side of the argument believe they are right! But in mission life, you at least can look at the evidence of what happens after the event: Has the founder or the CEO of that mission body who left, has that person forged ahead with astonishing blessings – if so, then it might be wise to check out those who were in leadership in the troubles and look at their outcomes. You'll soon see a pattern emerge in which-ever-way. Therein the story is re-written.
Reverend Dr Rowland Croucher John Mark Ministries has a host of research on all these issues, and from all sides of the equation. It is rarely as pretty picture. People are cut to the quick on all sides. Wounds last for life times. Those in party of the deceit by their silence, often years later, reveal more of the truth of what occurred behind the scenes but it is too late and too little.
One thing is for certain. Those in leadership who have gone through their dark night of the soul rarely if ever trust again. The social sciences call this aggrievement syndrome. I've written of this particular thing previously where the intricate accountability to which they were held was somehow not required of those who came against them. (au.christiantoday.com )
There will come a time when at the end, the true victor will tell the story. It is this in hope that we commit our lives.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at
www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html