We all know of great people who have contributed much to the world. America has George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. England has Winston Churchill. In Australia the great names don't instantly spring to mind. Maybe that is because we enjoy crushing tall poppies.

Australia does have its heroes, it is just they are local or group specific rather than universal. Sydney has them in our church history. There are the great theological minds like T.C. Hammond and D.B Knox, the great pastoral warriors like R.B.S. Hammond, and the great visionary leaders like Howard Mowll. In our own day we know the names of great church growers, great visionaries and great preachers. Past and present leaders like these should move us to our knees. Personally, I am so thankful to God for allowing me to be shaped by them.

But there is a downside to having great people.

Firstly there is the danger to themselves; that they will begin to believe the rhetoric about them, and not accept advice or criticism.

Secondly, great people always have followers and this causes all sorts of problems. These include:

Division between those committed to one person and those not committed to them
Followers are in danger of demonising or dismissing the other side and the other side can caricature the followers and put them down. People, engaged in the same battle for the Kingdom can be unnecessarily pitted against each other.

Entrusting our hopes to the visionary and their plans and not toiling personally in grass roots ministry, nor striving and praying for the raising up the next generation to replace them.

Not perceiving the wonderful gifts God has given to others because they are outshone by the great ones, both in the present and the next generation.

Using the gifts and abilities of the great ones as benchmarks for our own performance, and so losing heart.

Becoming consumers who go hunting to be part of the great one's movement, at the expense of other local ministries.

All these dangers necessarily go alongside the gift of great ones. They are dangers not of their own making, and we must be careful not to let them take hold.

So what do we do in Sydney which is so blessed with wonderful leaders? I want to suggest two things.

Firstly, rejoice in having them and pray for their leadership, godliness and wisdom. Rather than chopping down the tall poppies look for opportunities to spread the benefits even further.

Secondly, these heroes are like a ship that leaves a wake behind it. Often they will tread new paths, create new methods, unearth powerful strategies. Consequently, we should look for new opportunities that arise from skiing in their wake for both you and others around you.

Archie Poulos is a lecturer at Moore Theological College and heads the Moore College Missions Committee