Subsequent to his post on Chemistry, Anthony attended the Leaders Gathering Day at Stafford and shares his thoughts here…
It was good to be there for the day. Bill is an excellent speaker and communicator, and as he told some of his story, it enabled me to make much more sense of some of the things he was saying. For me Bill was at his best when he spoke from the Bible, theology and honestly from his experience (a ‘mini sermon’ on Malachi 1 and an answer to the question of women in leadership, for example – these were very powerful) and was weakest when he seemed to be drawing on management theory. My sense was that most of the rest of the audience were very taken with the more management material, which probably pin-points where I think differently and have most theological concerns.
I appreciated Bill’s concern to bring together pastors and business people (and in the light of his story this made much sense) but my concern is that there is still not enough theological reflection on this process.
Bill suggested that a church is a community, a cause and a corporation (three nice ‘c’s). If pushed he might say that there is a difference between the church as corporation and the others, but that did not come across. For me the church as community and cause are the biblical essence of the church -any local church in time and space is a community and a cause. But where the church is a corporation (and clearly Willow is) this must be only an incidental contextual factor. An underground church in Burma, with 12 members, no building and no paid staff, is still a community with a cause, but is certainly not a corporation.
But the central question then for me, as an outsider to Willow, is whether the church has so adapted to a particular culture (modern, western capitalism) that is has shaped the community with a cause in unhelpful ways. It is always easier to see how culture has too readily shaped another church than your own! Bill spoke about ‘his staff’, told stories in which he says to staff members ‘you are my employee’. Bill certainly gave the impression of being a CEO (if a very good one!) My concern is not about Bill’s ability (which seems significant) but about the model of leadership and behind this an understanding of the church. His desire for Willow to be unique and cutting edge spoke of a strongly market-driven understanding of competition. Yet western capitalism is not value-free, and maybe needs to be questioned more. I was left after the first session wondering what the difference in practice with employees would be between a church, a business run by Christians and a secular business? The impression I had was not much! ‘It is just the way life is – ugly but true.’ This left me feeling uncomfortable.
I thought Bill spoke very powerfully and honestly in his description of the problems of Christian celebrity and wealth and power. To suggest, as he did, that the megachurch phenomenon has permanently screwed up pastors was amazingly honest. I would want to push Bill to think more about the answer to this problem, and how more servant pastors can be found. It seems to me that talk of ‘fantastic people’ as he did again, and the leadership ladder, actually compounds the problem. I am not at all convinced that the Bible speaks about fantastic people in this way – in fact in both OT and NT it seems to me to do the opposite. The stress it seems to me is on God’s power and strength working in human weakness. If a church has a retain and develop at any cost programme, because these people will rip the heart out of the church if they leave, it not only says something about the church but about our understanding of God.
My sense was that the majority of us there (me included) are not fantastic people to retain and develop at any cost, but much more mediocre. If ‘mediocre people will screw up a great vision’ most of us are destined to sit on the sidelines. But, theologically, I do not think that is true and the Bible is full of stories of mediocre people in the service of a fantastic God. One of the benefits of a day like that is the way people went away encouraged and inspired. But one of dangers is that many people probably went away thinking they were really ‘fantastic people’ (which of course in one sense is true!) But this might then encourage the very view that ministry for us fantastic people is building big which Bill so passionately spoke against.
It was the first time I had heard Bill speak, and he generally spoke with a great sense of humility as well as passion. I was pleased to be there and felt both challenged and inspired during the day. But there are some nagging theological concerns, which for me are quite significant!
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