I have noticed church leaders in a number of countries reading John C Maxwell books. Recently it was suggested to me that I should also read him and so I obtained the above-mentioned title and two others and have gone through them. Whatever else these books are they cannot be described as Christian. They are filled with pop- psychology, are ultra American and have little relevance to people living in the two-thirds world. Thank God that true Christian writings are relevant and life bringing to both the two-thirds world and the remainder! One of the books I read had evidently been purchased as a gift from one couple to give to another couple, involved in some kind of business, it had a dedication written on the first page, “You have the vision and belief. We shall see you at the very top. It’s a privilege working with you”. This just about sums up the goal of these writings, they are dedicated to the developing of human potential so that we become better people and maybe ‘reach the top’. There are many pointers and insights as to how this can be accomplished but Christ is nowhere to be found. John C Maxwell is about sixty years of age now and was a former Wesleyan Church pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego. It is intriguing to contemplate that he shifted to the formation of an organization to encourage the development of human potential rather than to minister Christ Jesus as Lord. Bear this in mind if you obtain and read these books, they do not lead you to Christ, they strike helpful chords of how you can help yourself develop, correct imbalances in your living and work at becoming a leader and a better person. For some there will be a little help here, anecdotes are legion, the books are readable, communicate well and examples are culled from so many sources to bolster the picture of the qualities of being a team player, a leader and so on. I doubt whether there is a place for these writings and seminars in God’s churches. If the writers have made the shift away from being a ministers of Jesus Christ to promoters of encouragements to human potential I suspect that the fruit of reading the books and following them avidly will be the same, away from a life in fellowship with Christ to one where I am striving to reach the pinnacle of self development; albeit ostensibly for the good of others as well as myself. In one of the books the author quotes a letter of John Wesley to William Wilberforce. Wesley is nearing the end of his life and writes to encourage Wilberforce in his labors to end slavery and focuses upon the fact that in Christ alone is the strength Wilberforce will require to persevere until the task was accomplished. I was stunned to read the way the author twisted this and completely missed Wesley’s point, instead, drawing out from it the lesson of human stick ability and Christ a kind of side line help in that. To me, this sums up the writings, man to the center, Christ to the side as a prop.
