That's not a real popular Bible verse for a lot of people. We are a country that was born out of a thirst for independence that led to rebellion against authority. Of course that act gave us our freedoms and set us up to pursue happiness, but it has also made us a people that questions authority more than almost any other.

If you live in a free agent nation and don't like your current boss, then find another. If you find accountability to a certain set of standards too rigorous, then go somewhere where life is easier.

Thus are authority structures weakened and relationships rendered more temporary. In a portable culture, you just pack up your RV and transfer your membership. The pain that attends submission is optional.

Please understand, I am not a control freak, nor am I advocating for a top-down style of leadership. In fact, I've chafed under the authority of others as much as anyone. But I am saying this: We were made for one another; we are covenantal beings who come alive most fully in the presence of others. We need community to thrive. And any community needs authority structures
to guide it. The early church may have been communal, but it was set-up with elders and deacons. Any promise made requires some sort of accountability if it is to mean anything. And teams making promises need to know how they will keep them. Leaders wielding authority are part of God's plan for holding communities together and for building the Kingdom. They themselves must give an account. More of us probably need to learn the truth of Hebrews 13:17.