I once knew a bartender who was 40% Christian.
On Sunday mornings, he was fully committed—front row at church, hands raised in worship, genuinely seeking God. But Monday through Saturday, especially behind the bar, his faith took a back seat to “just doing business.” He wasn’t a bad guy. He was just compartmentalized.
The problem isn’t unique to bartenders. I’ve seen it in boardrooms, ministry offices, and yes, even church leadership meetings. We live as part-time disciples, bringing our full selves to some areas while leaving our faith at the door of others.
The Compartment Problem
After decades of working with leaders across commercial banking, nonprofits, and churches, I’ve observed that our greatest organizational challenges often stem from this split existence. When leaders operate from only a portion of their convictions, they create cultures where everyone else learns to do the same.
The result? Organizations that look Christian on paper but operate by entirely different principles in practice.
What Partial Discipleship Costs
1. Eroded Trust When team members see leaders making decisions that contradict stated values, trust erodes. Not just trust in the leader, but trust in the values themselves. If love, integrity, and service are only guidelines—not governing principles—why should anyone else take them seriously?
2. Confused Culture Mixed messages create confused cultures. Employees don’t know which version of the leader they’ll encounter on any given day. The result is an organization that speaks Christian language but operates by secular standards, satisfying neither fully.
3. Missed Opportunities The marketplace is hungry for authentic leadership. When we show up as whole people—faith integrated with competence—we stand out in ways that benefit everyone involved. Partial discipleship robs us of the full impact God intends through our work.
4. Personal Exhaustion Living a divided life is exhausting. Maintaining different personas for different environments drains energy that could be channeled into meaningful work. Integration brings not just authenticity, but efficiency.
The Integration Alternative
During my time as President of Williamson College, I learned that effective leadership isn’t about preaching at people—it’s about living consistently in front of them. When our faith informs our decisions, guides our relationships, and shapes our responses to challenges, people notice.
This doesn’t mean quoting Scripture in every meeting (though it might mean that sometimes). It means:
- Making decisions through a biblical lens, considering not just profit but people
- Treating conflict as an opportunity for reconciliation and growth, not just resolution
- Viewing success in terms of service and stewardship, not just shareholder value
- Leading with transparency and admitting mistakes instead of covering them
From Compartment to Integration
The shift from compartmentalized to integrated living doesn’t happen overnight, but it starts with honest assessment. Ask yourself:
- In what areas of my leadership do I operate as less than 100% of who God made me to be?
- What would change if I brought my full self—including my faith—to every leadership decision?
- Where am I asking my team to live by standards I’m not fully embracing myself?
The 100% Challenge
The marketplace desperately needs leaders who don’t just talk about their values but implement them consistently. Your organization—whether it’s a church, nonprofit, or business—is waiting for you to show up as your whole self.
Not 40%. Not 75%. 100%.
The bartender eventually made a choice. He realized he couldn’t serve both his calling and his compartments effectively. Today, he’s still in hospitality, but he’s integrated his faith with his work in ways that have transformed both his career and his customers’ experience.
What about you? Are you ready to step out of the compartment and into the fullness of who God created you to be as a leader?