We Want to Be Like Everyone Else: 1 Samuel 8 (for Clergy)
The Rev. David Hanke, Restoration, Arlington, VA
Resources provided during session:
The most dangerous time to make leadership decisions is when fear is in the driver’s seat. When anxiety about decline, relevance, or control begins to shape our imagination, we become vulnerable to choosing the wrong kind of leaders and subsequently becoming them ourselves.
In this opening session, David Hanke will explore Israel’s fateful request for a king in 1 Samuel 8. It was an anxious bid to be “like the other nations.” Through Scripture and present-day case studies, we’ll trace how those same fears echo through the modern church, forming leaders who misuse power and authority. Together we’ll ask: What happens when fear, rather than faith, sets our agenda? And how can we cultivate leadership that protects rather than harms?