Managing the Church
For council chairs, trustees, and others with
gifts of administration
Transforming powers and structures in local congregations
By Phil Bergey
In a fable, Ping is a frog who is disillusioned with the inaction of other pond-dwellers when their pond is clearly drying up. So he starts hopping into the unknown. Along the way Owl becomes his mentor and at one point advises Ping: “Never count on the future, nor your ability to control it.”
Much like Jesus’ disciples hearing one of his frequent parables, Ping could not hide his bewilderment. So Owl explained: “To possess the power of true strength is to possess the ability to yield, to change course if need be. … Few elements are more yielding than water—it is the softest most yielding thing, yet its power is such that it can ultimately prevail over the hardest rock or the strongest steel.”
Jesus modeled this approach to power, to death, and to victory. His victory over death revealed, in the words of theologian Hendrikus Berkhof, God’s “defenseless, superior power.” You might say that Jesus favored having influence more than having control. I can’t think of a better way to follow Jesus’ example, and Owl’s advice, than to be leaders who, like water, can flexibly do their best work by having a healthy influence rather than by pursuing futile efforts to exert control.
Too often we focus on the Here—that is, on our limits, our past, our lack of something. Jesus was not distracted by the Pharisees who constantly found ways to make the law and the past even heavier than they were. Rather, Jesus focused on the There—that is, he focused on God’s preferred future and began to make it a reality.
How does this affect our ideas of power in church structures? Consider these questions with other leaders in your congregation:
1. Purpose:
Many congregational leaders are finding that over time their congregation has collected about 20 or 30 things to do instead of doing only a few things well that are in harmony with who God has uniquely called them to be. What two or three priorities would every leader in your church say reflect your congregation’s unique calling? How clear is your leadership team about the specific niche that your congregation fills within God’s reign? In what ways does your current structure support or hinder those few things you’re called to do well? Read 1 Corinthians 4:1, 5–7.
2. Infrastructure:
Are your congregational structures, policies, and bylaws set up more for leaders to control things or for leaders to influence people and processes? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Which may work better for a congregation pursuing a missional vision? Read Luke 5:36–39.
3. Perspective:
In what ways is your congregation dreaming from God’s perspective? How do these allow you to work from There to Here instead of from Here to There? What changes would strengthen your congregation’s perspective? Read Isaiah 43:19–20.
4. Identity:
In what ways does your church structure help you handle the challenges of identity as a missional 21st-century Anabaptist, Mennonite Christian? What changes would help you be more effective or clearer about this calling? Read Luke 4:18–19.
Leaders do their best work by exercising influence rather than exerting control.
5. Decision making:
Church leaders do well to consider the reality that not all churchly matters should receive the same amount of time and energy, but who decides? Does your church have a one-headed leadership body, or is it twoheaded or even three-headed or more? What are the advantages and disadvantages various decision-making structures? Is your congregation clear about what decisions the board or council is empowered to make? About what decisions staff are empowered to make? About when the full congregation needs to be consulted? What are the missional implications? Read Matthew 12:1–14.
6. Faith and confidence in the gospel:
As followers of Jesus Christ, do we honestly anticipate, expect, and allow God’s Spirit into our administrative and leadership assumptions and planning? In what ways does your congregation see some parts of the church’s work as spiritual and other parts as administrative? Are there times when people in your congregation are more likely to forget that we wrestle not against members of other committees? Read Ephesians 6:10–20.
Phil Bergey is from Souderton, Pennsylvania, and provides executive leadership and consulting for Design for Ministry and the Franconia Mennonite Conference.