On Monday I shared a chart and some observations concerning the process of change within an organization using Everett Rogers' book The Diffusion of Innovations as a template for understanding the process. This book has been used in a variety of different ways to describe the process by which ideas are accepted. I presented his material as a means of understanding how churches adopt (or reject) new ideas.
Since writing that post, I have been thinking about what this means for leadership with the church. I have often argued that a pastor's success in drawing new people to Christ through a church depends upon the leadership within the church. In other words, take a very "successful" pastor and place him in a different setting, with different leaders, and I strongly doubt they would have the same success. Effective lay and staff leadership is needed for any church to move forward.
So, if many churches know that they are literally "dying for change" why can they not pull it off? Most places believe if they just get a "dynamic" new pastor or a great new idea, they will take off. I believe such optimism is obviously false!
Why?
In many churches as new leader who had the characteristics of Paul, Apollos, and Peter rolled into one could not change their march toward decline and death. In fact, if Jesus himself led these churches, they would not grow.
Why?
Their structures and leadership are composed of people strongly opposed to change. These churches have built into them a cancerous seed that leads toward decline and ineffectiveness. These ministries are lead by the persuasive, rational, and tradition-bound members. Here is where Rogers' chart is helpful.
What I am suggesting is that most churches promote and encourage to leadership those who would fall into the "laggard" category. These folks can see the problems with any new idea. They are often seen as perceptive, knowledgeable, and the "pillars" of the church because of their strength, determination, consistency, and maturity. Yet, behind all these positive traits, they are attached to the safe and secure.
Please note that I am not suggesting that these folks who are resistant to change are somehow less mature or that they are intentionally undermining the church. By no means do I believe this! I think they cannot help it. They are being who God made them to be.
The problem is that such folks (and they might be us!) shoot down or radically change any new ideas from the innovators and they do not support the early adopters. These folks often force those who are early adopters out of a ministry due to the early adopters frustration that nothing can ever change. Of course these folks will rationalize that the early adopter's were just "too hasty" and that with time things could change. All that is needed is a new leader or a new idea (other than the one just presented)! As you can see, they will kill or radically change these new ideas also.
In response to leadership that is often blocked by those with a high propensity to change, innovators and early adopters often leave to plant new churches. If these new works can "stack the deck" with flexible, missional folks, they will take off. Unfortunately, as they organize they look for leadership and they often promote and encourage those "mature" folks who resist change! Now the new work has a different mode of operation than what they left, but it is just as rigid and intractable!
What joys are found laboring in a fallen world! How can we combat this tendency toward inertia?
I do not know! At least I know there is no good and universal answer. My hope is that talking about this tendency and discipling people in the gospel so they can understand themselves and confess their weaknesses is a good start. Still, all organizations- particularly church because they are "conserving" influences in society- are marked by this tendency.
If I am right, this does illustrate why churches/church plants/denominational structures/seminaries/etc. must re-invent and renew their vision every ten years! If we do not consciously renew and allow in new leaders and ideas, we will solidify into a ministry that is both dedicated to a past vision and highly resistant to change.
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