In his book, The Shepherd and the Flock, sub-titled Leading a House Church, Professor Zacharias Tanee Fomum demonstrates that God desires a work in which a spirit of the body reigns, where all the co-workers put in the gifts they have received from the Lord for the common cause, for the edification of the body, which is His church. He also describes the ill-effects of spiritual leadership that misses its mission.

The work of such leaders can only produce petit kingdoms and petit empires. Actually, an empire blocks the pathway towards the global conquest of a locality, seeing that each person concentrates on his small constituency. It is clearly demonstrated that the Lord of the Church and the Lord of the harvest will never take the transformation of spiritual gifts to build the kingdom of an individual lightly. 
 

Below is a list of some characteristics that can enable everyone to identify an emperor leader, that is, a leader committed to build his own kingdom. Read it attentively, repent and take the commitment to work for the entire body, in the same spirit and in loyalty to the bearer of the vision; for it is written, “There will be one flock and one Shepherd.” May the Lord bless you!

1.            The emperor leader is the one who detaches himself from the bearer of the vision or from the principal leader.

2.            The emperor leader is the one who detaches himself from the influence of the bearer of the vision or from the principal leader.

3.            The emperor leader has a weak relationship with the bearer of the vision or with the principal leader.

4.            The emperor leader is not transparent.

5.            The emperor leader is disloyal. 
 

6.            The emperor leader is irregular and unfaithful to the meetings of the Church, but is faithful to the meetings he organises in his own assembly, zone or region of conquest.

7.            The emperor leader is proud. 
 

8.            The emperor leader acts on his own and for his glory. 
 

9.            The emperor leader loves praises about who he is. 
 

10.        The emperor leader takes contrary opinion badly.

11.        The emperor leader refuses to acknowledge his failures.

12.        The emperor leader wants to be consulted for everything. 
 

13.        The emperor leader makes his sheep believe that he can make them grow spiritually without help from whoever.

14.        The emperor leader is self-centred.  
 

15.        The emperor leader only sees around himself.

16.        The emperor leader is closed up.

17.        The emperor leader has control of his zone or his zone of conquest ; he does not produce missionaries, but holds back men and their capacities in his assembly or region of conquest.

18.        The emperor leader practises protectionism: he scrutinises who enters or leaves his assembly, or his zone or region of conquest. He stops the brothers and sisters of his assembly, zone or region of conquest from having contact with the leaders of other assemblies, zones or regions. For a project like the purchase of ministry land, the emperor leader gives preference to the purchase of land for his assembly, zone or region. He also ensures that there are no other ministers who come to render ministry in his assembly, zone or region of conquest.

19.        The emperor leader prohibits anyone of his sheep to have contacts with other sheep who can influence them in an absolute manner.

20.        The emperor leader judges matters single-handedly.

21.        The emperor leader only trusts his disciples.

22.        The emperor leader does not give responsibilities to those who are not his disciples.

23.        The emperor leader is not interested in the projects of the ministry as much as the projects of his assembly, zone or region of conquest.

24.        The emperor leader does not carry the burden of the work at the national and international levels.

25.        The emperor leader gives priority to that which comes from his zone or region of conquest.

26.        The zone or region of conquest of the emperor leader is the be all and end all. 
 

27.        The emperor leader lightly announces ministry matters but insists more on his own messages. 
 

28.        The emperor leader does not take the distinctive marks of the ministry into consideration.

29.        The emperor leader sets his own model.

30.        The emperor leader innovates much in accordance to the model followed by all. 

31.        The emperor leader lords it over the people. 
 

32.        The emperor leader goes as much as to intervene in the relationship between affianced persons and seeks to see their correspondences with each other. He can even arrange a marriage without the consent of those concerned.

33.        The emperor leader can stop any brother who has offended him even in private from preaching for a period of time.

34.        The emperor leader does not recognise himself as an emperor leader.

Boniface MENYE