Abstract
From the beginning of time the use of power has been a major problem. Having observed situations relating to ministers and their exercise of authority, it is unfortunate that too many clergy view ministry as the license to be authority figures and exalt themselves to the point of practicing religious quackery. The ministry, especially in the Black Church Tradition, expects charisma from those who occupy the pulpit and presupposes God's grace as the basis for this gift. Instead of effectively utilizing this resource for ministry enhancement, many of us rely on theatrics to demonstrate power and control. Persons are used as objects for manipulation rather than as divinely created human beings in need of loving care—the recipients of God’s grace. Regrettably, many ministers acclaim their own importance, interpreting personal understandings as reality. Consequently, orality, for instance, is whatever they say. The authority of the ministry is confused with the power of the minister.