“Gaining Consensus in the Church”

“Gaining Consensus in the Church”
A Case Study
by Don Emmitte, DMin

One of the churches I have worked with in the past had spent nearly four years struggling with gaining consensus concerning a project to expand their facilities to meet their burgeoning congregation. They had done both architectural design and capital development. However, because of the lack of unity they were turned away from going forward with any of their plans. At the time I became involved with the church they had also experienced two pastoral leadership changes and a third had come to the field. It was a church much like the nation of Israel as Judges describes it: In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit (Judges 17:6 NIV).

The background of this verse and the rest of the chapters to the end of this book was the spiral of sin and idolatry that led to the destruction of Israel. It is clear that while the nation was happy under the Judges’ leadership, they were certainly unhappy when there was no Judge. Outward losses drive good people to their prayers, but bad people to their curses. It was one small step and soon they did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

As a church we can fall into the same trap. When we fail to clearly define and communicate the vision, it leaves a void that will be filled by the aimless insistence of individuals. Often this causes misunderstanding, and at other times the destruction of relationships and communities of faith. There are several strategies that can be used to assist the church in shifting its focus from its own agenda to Christ’s. You may want to think of them as spiritual disciplines that cultivate openness to what Christ wants to accomplish in and through the church.

Designing this process is more difficult than some would imagine. One difficulty lies in the fact that many lay leaders (and pastors for that matter) are steeped in business models that focus on deciding rather than discerning. As the core leadership team meets together with our assistance, the following principles will develop consensus:

 Honor the church’s Culture. As much as possible, the process should honor the established culture of the church. There are exceptions to this principle, particularly in a congregation dominated by a few controllers; however, the rule generally applies. The process should recognize and abide within the boundaries of the church’s institutional systems.

 Include the People of Passion. There is a difference between the position of position (those who have formal power) and the people of passion (those who are the informal leaders). Any process that does not honor both of these groups will not achieve consensus.

 Keep the Planning Team Focused on Process. A business oriented “deciding” model tends to pull together a representative collection of high rollers who “guide” the outcome. In most cases, this group consists of primary decision-makers who in turn exert substantial influence. With a kingdom-oriented, discernment approach, the planning team is more focused on learning through the process than controlling the outcome. Of course, this allows the true “Head of the Church,” namely Christ, to guide the values, beliefs and missions. Accordingly, the planning team is then free to focus on building consensus rather than controlling the final results.

 Sustain Congregational Communication. The phrase “multiple mediums, maximum redundancy” is wise counsel for the church to create and sustain unity. Though it may seem to be overkill to some, a steady stream of updates and information is vital to keep the process open. The appropriate term is “dialogue” rather than “presentation.”

 Develop and Emphasize the Congregational Cornerstone. The cornerstone of any church should include written core values, logos, mission statements, vision statements, statements of faith, mottos, theme songs, and related symbols that remind the church of its basic reason for being a church. They define both the vertical (worshipping God) and horizontal (serving others) baseline for everything that is to be done.

These principles when applied will bring consensus. As we have often said, “Vision glorifies God, directs our actions, and brings reward.” Clearly defining and communicating the vision will bring unity.

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A Note about the Author: Don Emmitte, Church Navigator with Trinity Design Group, is a new “old hand” in church growth, facility design, and management. After serving for over thirty years as a pastor of churches with over two thousand resident members, founder of Grace Restoration Ministries, and author of Morning Devotionals, he joined the team at TDG in 2009 to expand his passion: helping churches reach their God-given goals by making the most of their resources. For more information, contact Don at demmitte@trinitydesigngroup.com, or visit the web site at www.GraceRestoration.org.

Related posts:

1. Who should be involved in the master planning process?
2. Rick Thurman – Principal and Church Planner
3. Who should be involved in the master planning process?
4. A Unity Project is Underway.
5. A Biblically-Based Process of Design and Construction