Periodically leaders with insight and courage will speak up when others won’t. Do we welcome that, or just put up with it, marginalizing those voices instead of earnestly listening to what they have to say? God may be speaking through them, not the current majority.

I’ve noticed a pattern in both the Old and New Testaments: people who have spoken for God have often spoken alone. This was true of nearly all the Old Testament prophets, but also of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul.

There are at least two things we can learn from this. First, just because someone is a dissenter does not, by itself, make it more likely that he or she is wrong. Scripture has many examples where the majority, including leaders, were on the wrong path. This was true in the days of Noah (leading, ultimately, to the flood), then centuries later during the period of Israel’s judges and kings. Lone leaders like Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha pointed in the right direction while nearly all others (leaders included) pointed the wrong way.

Jesus was by far the strongest dissenting voice in the New Testament. So was his predecessor, John the Baptist, and later the Apostle Paul. In Galatians 2 we read about the Paul confronting Peter, who was bowing to pressure from Jewish Christians separating themselves from non-Jewish Christians. In the end, Paul was proven right. He held true to the gospel when others compromised it to please the local majority.

Second, many dissenters, who are later proven right, at first stand alone. This was a hallmark of Paul’s ministry. He confronted fellow Jews throughout his journeys as he demonstrated from Scripture that Jesus was the Messiah. Shortly before his death, Paul again stood alone at trial before Emperor Nero: “At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be held against them!” (2 Tim 4:16-17). Soon after, Nero had Paul killed for his faith.

And leading up to Christ’s ministry, we see John the Baptist, a “voice crying in the wilderness,” confronting Jewish and Roman leaders alike. He also gave his life, often standing alone for what was right.

Here is an important question for pastors, elders, church staff, and search committees looking for leaders: is this willingness to stand alone something you look for in leadership candidates? That is different than looking for someone who is always contrary. Periodically leaders with insight and courage will speak up when others won’t. Do we welcome that, or just put up with it, marginalizing those voices instead of earnestly listening to what they have to say? God may be speaking through them, not the current majority.

I have seen this play out many times in churches where I have attended or served in leadership. No doubt many reading this have as well. Some of the recent evangelical scandals have resulted from failing to hear and heed needed dissenters.

We need to embrace and raise up leaders who have wisdom, insight, and courage, who are willing to stand alone for the right reasons. Given the challenging times that are coming quickly to the American church, there is no time to waste.

Steve Hall is the Executive Director of Joseph’s Way (www.josephsway.org). He is graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the University of Virginia School of Law. He is an attorney, has served as both a deacon and elder in evangelical Presbyterian churches, and is a contributor to Christianity Today (online), Crosswalk.com, and World Magazine (online).