The Colleagues Mentality and the Bandwagon of Clan in Ministry

The Colleagues Mentality and the Bandwagon of Clan in Ministry
By Dr Joel Dabbas 

There is a silent struggle in ministry that many will not talk about openly. It is not the struggle against sin, nor the burden of leadership, nor even the warfare of the spirit. It is the struggle within the camp. The struggle of colleagues mentality and the bandwagon of clan.

Ministry was never designed to be a marketplace of comparison. It was never meant to be a political field where alliances determine relevance. It is a calling. It is service. It is obedience to God. Yet today, many who wear the same collar and speak the same language of faith quietly measure themselves against one another.

Colleagues mentality in ministry is subtle. It begins when fellow servants of God stop seeing each other as co laborers in one vineyard and start seeing each other as competitors for space, honor, members, and influence. The heart posture shifts. Applause becomes currency. Invitations become validation. Platforms become proof of significance.

When ministry becomes a stage for comparison, purity is lost. You no longer rejoice at another man's growth. You begin to calculate it. You no longer pray for your brother sincerely. You monitor him. And when you gather, smiles are exchanged but hearts are guarded.

This mentality is dangerous because it feeds pride and insecurity at the same time. It makes ministers perform rather than serve. It tempts them to guard territory rather than build the kingdom. And slowly, the focus shifts from Christ to self preservation.

Then there is the bandwagon of clan.

Clan in ministry is not always about tribe or bloodline. It is about circles. It is about camps. It is about who belongs to which father, which stream, which association. There is nothing wrong with spiritual covering or accountability. We all need fathers and mentors. But when identity in ministry is built more on affiliation than on calling, we have lost our way.

The bandwagon of clan creates inner rings and outer courts. Access is no longer based on character or grace but on connection. Doors open not because of faithfulness but because of familiarity. And those outside the circle are treated as threats or strangers.

This spirit fractures the body of Christ. It creates suspicion instead of synergy. It breeds competition between camps that preach the same gospel. We begin to defend territories instead of advancing the kingdom together.

Let me speak plainly. God does not anoint clans. He anoints servants. He does not endorse bandwagons. He calls individuals and places them in the body as He wills.

If ministry becomes a network game, we will produce celebrities instead of shepherds. If colleagues become competitors, we will lose the fragrance of unity. And if clans become idols, we will trade divine assignment for group loyalty.

The cure is humility.

Humility that remembers that the work is God's. Humility that celebrates another man's grace without feeling diminished. Humility that understands that the vineyard is vast and the laborers are many, each assigned to different fields.

Another cure is a God and kingdom first mentality.

When God truly comes first, personal ambition bows. When the kingdom becomes the priority, reputation loses its grip. A minister who is governed by a kingdom first mindset does not ask, How does this benefit me. He asks, Does this advance the will of God. Does this glorify Christ. Does this strengthen the body.

When God and His kingdom are the center, there is no need to compete. The success of another becomes a shared victory. The growth of another church becomes evidence that the kingdom is advancing. We stop building names and start building lives.

Another cure is pursuit devoid of personal gain and ego.

Ministry must never be a tool for self elevation. The moment ego becomes the engine, the oil of grace begins to dry. A pure pursuit is one where obedience is enough reward. Where serving in obscurity carries the same joy as serving on a large platform. Where faithfulness matters more than visibility.

When we are free from the hunger for applause, we are free to truly serve. When we are not driven by personal gain, we can collaborate without fear. We can support without comparison. We can celebrate without insecurity.

A healthy minister sees another ministry flourishing and says, God is at work. A secure leader raises sons who may surpass him. A mature servant builds bridges across streams rather than walls around his circle.

We must return to the heart of service. We must remember that we are stewards, not owners. That the church belongs to Christ. That no man died for it except Jesus.

When we stand before God, He will not ask which clan we defended. He will not ask how many colleagues we outshined. He will ask if we were faithful.

Let us labor without rivalry. Let us serve without insecurity. Let us build without forming factions. Let us decrease so that Christ may increase.

That is the ministry that heaven recognizes.

But this conversation does not end with ministers alone.

If there is a colleagues mentality among leaders, there is also a deeper question among followers. Culture in ministry is never one sided. The posture of those who lead often reflects the expectations of those who follow, and the motivations of those who follow often shape the conduct of those who lead.

If clans form at the top, it is because there are crowds willing to gather around them. If competition thrives among ministers, it is often sustained by the appetite of those who celebrate personalities over purpose.

So we must look at the other side of the mirror.

Why do people in this age gravitate and submit to certain men of God.
What drives alignment.
What fuels loyalty.
What shapes spiritual submission.

In the next reflection, we will examine the motives behind the movement.

Read Part Two