Church Reform When You're Not the Pastor #5
5. Have conversations with people---lots of them.
Church reform does not happen in business meetings. If church reform goes like you want it to, business meetings are just the moment of formalizing a congregational decision that has already been made. When we went through the process of reforming Third Avenue in Louisville, the really exciting business meetings were the ones that didn't go well. All of us remarked over and over again that when the reform progressed in a good way, the actual vote at the business meeting was always a little bit of a let-down. All the actual work of reform happened before the meeting---in conversations.
That's how church reform works. You change people's minds and shape people's views in private--over coffee, a good book, and a Bible. You don't change them by offering hostile amendments and making speeches.
So make it a point to try to meet with as many people as your schedule will allow, and do it regularly. Read through books with people and talk about them. Mark's Nine Marks of a Healthy Church would be a good place to start, or back issues of the IXM e-journal, or even maybe a selection of old and recent resolutions of the Southern Baptist Convention if you think that would help. The point is to get people thinking about what a New Testament church really looks like, and to let them do so when they're not under the gun of having to vote on something in the next few minutes---or even the next few weeks.
Schedules are what they are; we all know that. So you're also going to have to be strategic in deciding who to try to meet with. Unless you're in a really small church, you're just not going to be able to meet with everyone. So try to figure out to some degree who the church's opinion leaders are, who are the people most likely to spread enthusiasm for reform among other members, and who would really cause a congregational sigh of relief if it turned out that they agreed with the reform. Then meet with those people, over and over and over. Be a friend to them, care for them, and at the right time, start asking questions and teaching about the nature of a Christian church. In time, you may find that you have more allies in reform than you thought---or, perhaps even better, you may find that you've created some.
i've enjoyed this series, but this post raises some questions in my mind. is there a sense in which what you are suggesting here might be divisive? how would you suggest having these types of discussions in ways that do not undermine the authority of the pastors who lead the church?
Posted by: david | Jul 22, 2008 3:50:50 PM
Thanks for this latest suggestion, Greg: it reminds me of a piece of advice I was given when training for ministry (yes, I think it applies at that level, too). If you want elders / church members / whoever to give a matter serious consideration, don't float it for the first time at the point the decision has to be made. Take time to raise it well in advance, especially with key leaders; to discuss the pros and cons; to address any concerns that may be expressed etc. The decision may still not go your way - but at least you've given others the time to consider whatever it is you're proposing before *taking* a vote.
I appreciate the concern expressed by David here - if you're trying to 'lead from the floor' on something, I think the answer is probably to talk with the leadership *first*. If they're hostile to a change you're proposing, and likely to respond poorly if they perceive that you've been 'canvassing' the congregation, you really have to ask yourslf: how important it is to get your way on this one RIGHT NOW? Would vital ground be lost, spiritually, if you were willing to bide your time? Wherever possible, win your battles by winning people over (especially the leadership). Sometimes you *do* have to go in hard, and take your stand on matters of principle - but win too many battles at the expense of genuine good will, and you may well lose the war...
Posted by: Gordon Coleman | Jul 24, 2008 7:33:20 AM