I once heard a wise man say that the main reason that an organization exists is because it chooses to. It doesn't matter if it is a church or a charity. We choose to organize in the way we do. Think about it. If your church group did not exist, you would just choose another. God did not hinge his plan on just your group, in your town, in your country. The architectural firm I started may be founded on principles I believe in, but in truth it exists because I wanted it too.
Same goes for every organization. The March of Dimes story is my favorite. It started in the 1950s with the express mission of stamping out polio. Many years later an organization existed that employed several thousand people and a great fund raising ability, but they had conquered polio. They got together to consider their future and changed their mission to Children's illnesses. A generalized statement assuring they would always "exist".
A couple of the organizations I am in are looking at themselves and their existence. In Group A leaders are looking at decreasing attendance and loss of funds and wondering whose fault it is. Group B wants to expand to reach people different from them to expand their reach in the community.
Group A takes great care of each other but as the club aged and as people move about (mobile society) the group has grown smaller. It does not reach into the community with the intention for new members. Group B has membership drives at least once a year. This time it is focusing on new members that are different from them. They want people from all walks of life. Both groups do good in the community and abroad. Group B keeps expanding its budget. Group A is more reluctant to give to general causes, but is well equipped for any perceived need that arises.
Both organizations are unified in general direction. Can you tell which is a church?
Answer: Group A (Group B is Rotary.)
I not only work with my home church. In my business I work with several churches each year. They cover the gambit of all types common to Oklahoma. I also am on the Board or Commissions of 5 public/civic groups and have been on past boards of about 7 other groups.
All leadership in these groups and churches have strong individuals, but no group has a harder time leading than churches.
The churches that I work with and the church that I belong to plays the game tip-toeing around the minefield of about 10 members or less. These people must be kept happy because they control either money or participation. One word from them and a program will slow or halt. A few seeds of mistrust and a lot is wrecked.
In Building projects, I can recognize who on the committee control things within two meetings.
You would think that in church leadership (both formal and informal) the idea of pleasing God would come up more often. Instead time is spent trying to please 10 people (usually 5 who have no intention of being happy.) In my 30+ years in being active in groups, the Rotary prays as much as the church groups in their meetings.
You would think that if love is the driving impulse of a church, brotherly-love would be front and center. I have people in my church life that will not have anything to do with me unless I defer to their thoughts in every situation. I always thought that love and acceptance were together!
I think that this is the reason Jesus spent so much time battling the Pharisees and religious leaders and not the Roman government. He was foretelling the problem. Jesus did not give us as many organizational rules as we would have liked, but he did give us clearly the manner in which we were to live with each other.
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