The Upside Down Kingdom - Organic Leadership with Neil Cole

Aug 5

Episode Summary

In this episode, Brian and Cory sit down with Neil Cole—movement pioneer, author of Organic Church and Organic Leadership—to explore Jesus-shaped leadership that defies hierarchy. Neil shares raw and personal stories of surrender, including a 13-year season of silence and obscurity in the West, and how God used that time to shape a deeper trust in Christ. They discuss what it means to lead from underneath, flatten organizational structures, and embrace the messy but beautiful path of decentralized disciple-making.

Key Themes & Takeaways

1. Leading from Obscurity

Neil describes a 13-year period when God told him to stop speaking in the U.S., post on social media, or blog—and to simply be quiet and listen.
This season was deeply painful and costly, but produced intimacy with Jesus and shaped his view of leadership.
“I never felt like Jesus left me. Everyone else did—but He never did.”

2. Flattening the Hierarchy

Drawing from Matthew 20 and Mark 10, Neil unpacks how Jesus explicitly warns against hierarchical leadership: “It shall not be so among you.”
The church often reads hierarchy into Scripture because we lack imagination for something different.
True servant leadership isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a radical call to remove status, power, and control from the equation.

3. The Danger of Control & Celebrity

Hierarchy breeds fear: fear of chaos, false teaching, loss of control, and career insecurity.
But fear is not the currency of the Kingdom. Faith is.
“You’d be amazed what people will do for Jesus that they won’t do for your mission statement.”

4. Leadership as Going First

Biblical leadership isn’t about position—it’s about example.
Paul didn’t demand loyalty. He invited others to “follow me as I follow Christ.”
Leadership is better seen as a verb: leading, not leader.

5. Multiplication Requires Decentralization

Top-down systems slow or stop multiplication.
The more dependent people are on a leader, the less likely they are to multiply.
Healthy spiritual reproduction flows from simple obedience, not centralized permission.

6. Relationships Over Organizations

Relationships—not structures—are what sustain movements.
Don’t rush to brand, name, or logo a church plant. Focus on loving people well.
“I’d give my life for you—but not for Kansas City Underground.”

7. Real Love is Messy and Missional

When the Kingdom is built on love, not strategy, people don’t need convincing to come.
We don’t need better music or funnier sermons—we need Jesus Himself.
“Until what we’re offering is truly Jesus, it’s always going to be something less.”

Final Thoughts

Neil Cole calls us to repent of our addiction to hierarchy, platforms, and power. His life and message embody a leadership that looks more like Jesus: hidden, humble, and catalytic. If we want to see radical disciple-making movements in the West, we must flatten the hierarchy and let Jesus truly lead.