In the January-February 2006 Communion newsletter recently mailed to ministers, Congregational Ministries Team Leader, Jeannette Flynn, asks the question: How do you change a culture? If you haven't already read her front page article, "Do We Need a Change of Culture?", I encourage you to do so.
Flynn honestly looks out across the church (both outside and inside our movement) and sees some disturbing trends, including pastors struggling and leaving ministry, and more churches closing than being planted. While this article is only Part One of an on-going series, she already suggests that the problem is rooted in our culture.
I was impressed to read this emphasis on culture. Admittedly, "culture" is a difficult thing to pin down, and can be easily relegated to an abstract description with little relevance. Yet, within the Church of God we have avoided this type of discussion that probes into the underlying theological and social factors that guide and express our corporate life. Apart from denial, other attempts to address our problems have been limited to providing simplistic answers and spiritualizing rationalizations.
Jeannette posed a number of important questions. For the benefit of all of us, here they are:
- How do you change a culture?
- What is a culture?
- Does the Church of God reformation movement have a culture?
- How do we know when you need to actually change a culture versus just changing some practices or inserting some new concepts?
- Where do you start if you're going to change a culture?
- Where does the responsibility for a changing a culture really lie?
- Can one person really have any influence on changing a culture?
- Are there pitfalls to avoid or nonnegotiables that must be engaged?
I will make some attempts at these questions in the coming days. I'd also love to hear from many of you out there.
It was encouraging to read that Jeannette is planning on starting her own blog to further this discussion. We welcome her participation in the blogosphere. Until then let's begin the dialogue!
3 comments:
I am surprised no one has commented on this yet. I too read the article and was left wondering just exactly what Jeannette Flynn was talking about. If she is talking about how the US culture changed, she is 15 years late. If she is talking about how the CHOG needs to change its own culture, she is 25 years late.
However, no matter her intended target, I applaud her bringing it up. The CHOG, generally speaking, hates change in any form. It is called apostasy, back sliding, and just plain old worldliness in our churches. There are some very serious and real changes that must occur inside our movement. We need to have a better understanding of the Kingdom of God [it is not just the church and not just our church]; we need a better understanding holiness [it is not just not smoking]; and we need a better understanding of ministry [it is not for those inside the church but for the community]. Until we have the courage to face some tough realities, we will not effect any change in our churches. I hope this is where Jeannette Flynn is headed. I am a little frustrated it is going to take 3 months to find out (her article was divided into thirds and will be published in this manner).
we had Jeannette here in AL for our state campmeeting services and she was more than on target with preaching the Word to a church in need of culture change
i e-mailed Jeannette and thanked her for bringing up this conversation before the larger body. i too am disappointed that the article will take place over several months -- but i'm looking forward to the dialogue that will be created through the blog she's intending to create. i told her to check out this site and all the previous conversations because we've begun good dialogue on many of these questsions/issues
Jeannette will be back in AL this March to help further promote and plan and prod our two separated ministerial assemblies into one.
her active role in leadership for this particular culture change has helped to move the decades of division or simple discussion into application
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