The warning is this: we need to think hard and honestly about how we got here. We need to recognize that part of the problem is us and the story we like to believe about ourselves.
That story goes something like this: a heroic group of men and women stood for the Gospel, the ethical teachings of Jesus Christ, and the discipline of the Church, even the unpopular bits. Because they did that, God blessed them and the organizations they led. Many lost their property and possessions, but our churches grew and flourished anyway. We got the people; the other guys got the empty buildings. Despite fierce opposition, something new and good was born, something on the leading edge of God’s work of saving souls and purifying His Church in our time.
This story is powerful and mostly, but not entirely, true. To begin with, there were both heroes and villains at work in the formation of the ACNA and still at work in it today. Churches will always attract both. This is why repeatedly vetting leaders and practicing safeguarding at every level and at every decision point is so important.
It also needs to be said: sometimes, growing churches and dioceses are not signs of God’s blessing and approval but rather time bombs built on ambition, personality, and manipulation.
I do not underestimate how difficult it will be to prioritize anything more than charisma, talent and a track record of success. We want and need those things so badly. But it is always worth asking ourselves why we want them. Sometimes I think it is because we have conflated… pic.twitter.com/FUOIQaNC5m
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) October 27, 2025