Kiss The Ring

Often when I attend conferences, associations, and meetings consisting of pastors of predominantly African descent, there always exist many leaders who exude the "kiss the ring" persona. The "kiss the ring" persona derives from a series of motion picture movies titled "GodFather", which depicted a grown man of a certain other culture that possessed excessive community influence to the extent that their culture-group's grown men prioritized the needs of the "GodFather" over these men's day-to-day participation in their own families' events. Well, pertaining to pastors of African descent, often there are those whom were trained by other distinct Black leaders in different regions of the country, and God led them to eventually settle in places away from their home city or home state. However, these transplanted clergy possess the same or better leadership skills and experience than the natives of the new region, which speaks for transplants' own stature. Nevertheless, the Africentric pastoral leaders in the new region exude a "kiss the ring" persona and maintain an arms-length distance from the transplant, sometimes for years, waiting for that person to express an endearment that was never earned. I have often found myself in this same place ill/wrongly viewed in "less than" ways by Black clergy leaders who did not lead their congregations nor communities with the pastoral-care necessary for enduring and transforming the church and community, nor for increasing the church's relevance in its new community. Don't get me wrong, I have served the church with humility, honored my senior clergy, and looked to colleague-clergy for advice, all due to their different experiences. However, when one never allows oneself to co-serve in an "excessively subservient" posture to preexisting Black pastors, then these leaders place influential barriers between oneself and one's opportunities. (Which is critically unbiblical). What do you think about this? Have you ever obtained a new job, or moved into a new neighborhood, or joined an association in which its long-time leaders or fellow colleagues (native to the region) treated you "less than" for no apparent, moral, or personal reasons, to the extent that barriers were placed for preventing your promotion or ascension within the group or professionally? Share your experience.