“Is there anything I need to know?”
My life as a consultant allowed me to visit many churches and associations. When consulting with a church, I typically contacted the association to let them know I was working with a member church.
I gained crucial pieces of information such as opportunities and challenges facing the church and hidden information that might be landmines for my work with them. Sometimes I got information I am not sure I wanted to know.
I often obtained information that included the future the association desired for the church. At times this helped me learn about the unrealized potential of the church. At other times it was pressure from the association regarding what this church ought to do and how my consultation should bring this about.
When this was the case, it was clear the association wanted the church to be nurtured into their own image for the church.
The ‘is-could-ought’ continuum
Remaking or nurturing a church into the image of the association breaks one of my core principles and convictions as a consultant. It was one I learned 50 years ago from the 20th century’s master of church consulting, Lyle Schaller.
Lyle taught me — and thousands of other people — that a third-party consultant can work in two of the three areas of an “is-could-ought” continuum.
Consultants can help churches obtain a clear picture of reality — what “is” for them.
Churches can visualize possible scenarios for their future based on reality, contextual opportunities and bold spiritual and strategic actions. In this case, the association can help with what “could be” for churches.
But addressing the content of what “ought to be” for churches is off limits. This is between the church and their discernment of God’s leadership. For the association to address “ought” issues might result in the church being remade into the image of the association rather than of God.
Only God’s image for them will do. During the tough days of seeking to achieve their full Kingdom potential, only God’s image is sufficient. Any image of humankind — though appearing to be good — will not work.
Only the positive spiritual passion about future ministry by which the church leadership is captured is sufficient for the future journey.
What are some associations doing?
In these days of denominational disruption, associations want churches to be unified and to be faithful to the direction of the overall denomination.
They want them to fulfill the strategy the leadership of the churches in association has outlined. The desire is that they choose and support faithful and effective pastors and staff and increase their financial gifts to the associational budget.
There is nothing wrong with wanting these and other things that could be named. The challenge is that each of these are organizational success factors.
I do not know exactly what God wants for any church. I do know the best thing for every church is to serve in the center of God’s will for them and to seek to fulfill God’s mission for Christians in general and specifically for their church.
What could all associations do?
Every association that believes the Holy Spirit is trustworthy to lead each church in the direction of God’s call can do three things. These directly and indirectly address the “is-could-ought” continuum without violating the autonomy of the local church.
First, associations can lead churches to engage in a season of spiritual discernment to ask God to speak clearly to their fellowship about their God-inspired Kingdom direction. Many churches use processes that focus on 40 days of discernment. In many situations, I believe up to 100 days should be devoted to discernment.
Second, associations can provide knowledge about excellent contextual strategies available to churches. Then they can help churches craft three scenarios for their future ministry based on wise choices for the Kingdom advancement of the church.
Third, associations can help churches rethink their structure once they develop their strategy. Many churches have helpful spiritual seasons and good strategies, but they do not intentionally align the structure of their programs, ministries and activities to fulfill their strategy.
Alignment is essential or the strategy will fail.
These three steps — spiritual, strategical and structural — are key, but the most difficult of these is to get churches to restructure to empower forward Kingdom progress.
EDITOR’S NOTE — George Bullard spent 45 years in denominational ministry. He served on the staff of three associations, was a key staff person working with associations in two state conventions and served on the association missions division staff of the former Home Mission Board of the SBC. He retired in June 2022 as director of Columbia Metro Baptist Association in South Carolina. He has led strategic planning processes in more than 100 associations and has written extensively in this area. Bullard now serves as a strategic thinking mentor for Christian leaders through his ForthTelling Innovation ministry and a correspondent for The Baptist Paper.
To request permission to republish this article, email news@thebaptistpaper.org.
