Lessons in Leadership from King Henry V

Christian leaders can learn much from one of the most amazing and lop-sided military victories of all time—the Battle of Agincourt. Though fought 585 years ago (October 25, 1415), the clash reverberates in Shakespeare’s famous Henry V (1599), in Laurence Olivier’s Academy-Award winner (1944), and in the brilliant film by Kenneth Branagh (1989).

England’s King Henry brought to the field only 5,000 or 6,000 men, while the French force numbered 20,000-30,000. As Shakespeare’s soldier Exeter exclaimed in anguish, “There’s five to one; besides, they all are fresh.”

The odds become more stunning when you realize the French knights were better rested, better fed, better equipped, and healthier. Plus, they were fighting on their own territory.

The night before the battle, the English camp lay stone quiet, fearful, with men kneeling and making their final confessions to the priests before they died. The French camp sounded like Mardi Gras as knights threw dice to see who would get which prisoners. The French even painted a cart on which to haul Henry V through the streets of Paris.

Yet when the sun rose over the small French village of Agincourt, David rose up and slew Goliath. About 6,000 French lives and only 1,600 English were lost.

What could possibly explain this stunning outcome? And what can Agincourt teach you, as you and your church face battles of your own?

1. BE OPEN TO NEW APPROACHES. The English brought a relatively new weapon in military history: trained longbowmen. Archers, with their steel-tipped arrows, could penetrate an oak door four inches thick, and trained bowmen were accurate up to 300 yards. While the traditional armored knights struggled to move (a helmet and breastplate could weigh 90 pounds), the longbowmen could scamper and reposition.

The French could have brought longbowmen, too, but they were still attached to the familiar crossbow, which required much cranking and was slow and inaccurate. The French knights looked down on their bowmen (as upstarts and unprofessional lowlifes) more than the English knights looked down on their new comrades.

In your church, has an existing approach outlived its usefulness? What new approach does your church need? Is a new group of people essential to accomplishing this? How can you help the old-timers not look down on them?

2. WORK TOWARD UNITY. The French were divided between the Burgundians, the men from Orleans, and many other rival factions. Exacerbating these divisions, French lords were so eager to capture opposing nobles—a captured enemy nobleman could bring a huge ransom payment—that they packed themselves into the front lines.

Unfortunately, the battlefield lay between two woods only a half- mile apart in places. The French ranks became so densely packed that men could not raise their swords. The narrow ground churned up by the thousands of horses became mud ankle-deep. Many French knights fell and could not get up; they were then crushed and suffocated by other men and horses falling upon them.

How can you reduce the tension between competing groups in the church? Are there ways each group could benefit and feel rewarded?

3. STAY CALM AMID CRISIS. Henry V spoke to the English troops in words they could understand. He didn’t fall into hysteria or panic, for he had an iron-clad confidence in God’s support of his cause (his claims to French land through the long-ago marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to the English king). Shortly before the battle, one of Henry’s commanders said in regret and fear, “If only we had some of the thousands of men in England who aren’t working today!”

Henry shot back: “Don’t you know that the Lord with these few can overthrow the pride of the French?”

Amid the difficulties you and your church face, can you step back and regain your confidence in God?

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM READERS

Readers sometimes send me information about resources they’ve found helpful. I’m not able to include as many of these recommendations as I would like, but here are two to note:

A Conference with Lyle Schaller Nobody knows more about the way churches work than Lyle Schaller. Thankfully, you can spend a day with him at a one-day seminar on February 22, 2001: “The Changing Context for Ministry in the 21st Century.” Site is Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 3641 N. 56th St. in east Phoenix; cost is $60, payable at registration. Please make checks out to “Prince of Peace Lutheran Church/Schaller.” For further information, call Les Hoffman at 480-945-3102.

A Guide to Make Your Web Site Evangelistic Do you want your church Web site to be more than a brochure? A church site can also reach seekers. Check out the strategies at www.web-evangelism.com/church.html