Not every stiff posture in ministry is a sign of strength.
The spine is the most essential part of the body’s frame because it provides the necessary structure. It supports movement and without it, you collapse. But a damaged or compromised spine doesn’t just affect posture, it radiates pain everywhere else; limbs, muscles, nerves, and organs. In many cases, a bad back isn’t the problem, but is the symptom of something deeper.
In the Church, we often assume that firmness in leadership equals faithfulness. If a man stands tall, speaks loudly, and doesn’t budge, we say he has a spine. But the question isn’t how straight it looks, but it’s what’s holding it up. Vertebrae don’t stand on their own. Between each one is cartilage, soft tissue that absorbs pressure and keeps the spine stable under stress, and spiritually speaking, that soft tissue can be made of many things. Sometimes it’s truth and conviction. Sometimes it’s pride. And sometimes… it’s emotion: offense, fear, or the need to be seen as compassionate, even when cowardice is driving the response.
So yes, he has a spine. But is it a shepherd’s spine? Or a self-preserving one?
Two Spines, Two Shepherds
Not every man who stands firm is standing in faithfulness. Some are just stiff, while others are just scared. We like to say a man “has a spine” when he refuses to bend, but that alone tells us nothing. What holds him upright? That’s the real question. A principled spine and an emotional spine may look the same at first glance. Both resist pressure and stand tall. But one is held together by conviction; the other by weakness. One is shaped by truth; the other by ego. One bends only to Christ, the other bends to offense, pride, or self-preservation, and then calls it “leadership.”
The Principled Spine
This kind of leader is anchored and not reactive. He’s not easily swayed, neither does he dodge confrontation. But neither does he love it. His firmness is shaped by Scripture and softened by humility.
He corrects with gentleness—not passivity (2 Tim. 2:25).
He shepherds willingly—not as a tyrant (1 Peter 5:2–3).
He holds fast to sound doctrine—not to his own opinions (Titus 1:9).
He wounds only when it’s faithful to do so (Prov. 27:6).
He fears God—not man (Prov. 29:25).
This is a spine cushioned by grace, sinewed with the Spirit, and braced by truth. He may be hated and be misunderstood. But he stands anyway. He stands not for himself, but for the sheep.
The Emotional Spine
This kind of leader also stands tall, but only when you question him. He’s quiet when doctrine is diluted and silent when unqualified people are placed in sacred roles. He’s even placed some of them there. He’s flexible when a favorite falls short, but stiff when challenged. Rigid when disagreed with and unyielding when his ego is scraped. This is not strength. It’s emotional posture mistaken for principle. The emotional spine is reactive. It equates disagreement with betrayal and interprets correction as attack. It hides cowardice behind “compassion” and calls sentimentality “gentleness.” It may look upright, but it’s held together by fear of man, not fear of God.
What I Witnessed
I saw this firsthand, not in a book, but in a church. During my internship, there was a pattern: real issues were tolerated in silence, but honest concerns were punished. The associate minister was often lax in his duties, even contemptuous toward things pastors should love, but no one dare speak. There was no firmness, no correction, no polity in practice. But when I raised concern, respectfully and within the bounds of our tradition, I wasn’t met with conversation. I was met with woundedness, emotional deflection, and backlash disguised as pastoral response.
The spines straightened then, but not with conviction. They stiffened with offense, not with Scripture. What should’ve been cushioned by wisdom and held up by humility was instead braced by insecurity and propped up by silence from others who knew better. That was the moment I learned: not all spines are good spines. Some are simply braced by bruised egos. Some are fused together by fear and coated with the language of gentleness. But they are not shepherds. Not in the biblical sense. Because a shepherd’s spine bends only to Christ, not to conflict avoidance.
Leadership in the Church is not about looking firm. It’s about being formed by the Word, by the Spirit, by the cross. The Church doesn’t need more stiff men. She needs shepherds. Men whose spines are held upright by truth, cushioned by grace, and strong enough to kneel when Christ calls them low.
Rev. Christian Leto | Founder