Speaking the Truth About Toxic Leadership
“… it was one of the most amazing experiences that I have had in church planting, and I think the one I’m most proud of….” [1] EPC Church Planting Coordinator , Tom Ricks, speaking at this year’s General Assembly about a multi-ethnic and urban church plant he helped coordinator. I was watching the stream of the 2024 EPC General Assembly [2] to see how the denomination might handle a controversial matter before the body. Quite accidentally, I caught the panel discussion on Church Health and heard Tom Ricks say the words above. When Tom said he was “most proud” of this project, I felt an obligation to speak out about the toxic management of this project behind the scenes. Further, while I have spoken and written about my concerns over platforming leaders who have organizational success but who are a corrosive force to the long term health of those same institutions, I decided it was time to move beyond talking about it abstractly. It was time to be specific and explicit. A