Filed under: Institutional Church, Missional Church | Tags: Church Politics, Church Structure, Governance, Institutional theory, Institutionalism, Missional Church, Organizational Death, Organizational theory
A few weeks ago we had to take our Bichon Frise puppy in to get groomed. She had been spayed the month before and had developed some nasty “mats” in her fur. The groomer said that it was hopeless. The only option was to shave all the hair off and let it re-grow. Sooo, Fergi was shaved, and she ended up looking like a rat. Not very attractive, but necessary for her to be the super cute dog she really is. This got me thinking…
In fact, I think I even came up with a new term, institutional matting (IM). IM is what happens when a successful organization becomes so comfortable in itself that it stops exposing itself to risk or challenge. When an organization does this it subtly begins to grow stagnant and institutionalize, forgetting the very values that made it vibrant and successful. If this process remains unchecked it will eventually begin the downward spiral to complete loss of effectiveness and even institutional death (a fate worse then death in that an institution can hang on for a long time sucking resources and creativity that could be applied in successful organizations). The problem with matting is that the very thing that keeps it from happening (challenge, risk, change, obstacles) are the very things that a successful organization seeks to avoid to remain “successful” (Much like Fergi and the brush).
Once an institution develops “mats” it takes a drastic effort for them to be removed. This is where re-visioning, outside consultants, and new executive hires come in to play in order for the institution to become revitalized. Unfortunately many times this process is only a band-aid. Unless the entire organization buys into and commits to the re-visioning or the new leaders vision (which in turn brings the side effect of becoming a differently focused organization), those “mats” will remain, and while they will temporarily seem to be gone they will soon reappear more matted then ever.
While I’m not an expert on institutional lifecycles or theory, I have experienced matting first hand and have seen the disasters that it can cause. I’m wondering if the same solution that was employed for Fergi needs to be employed with Institutional Matting. When the vibrancy of of a cause and a mission have faded, and a successful cause has made the turn to institutionalism and risk-management, perhaps a “shaving” is in order. Perhaps all the trappings of institution need to shaved off, and the organization brought back to the heart of what it was established for in the first place. All the trappings of risk-management, “stewardship”, and “success” must be stripped away if the organization wants to re-become what it was created to be in the first place. Scary proposition, but perhaps just like for Fergi, it is a necessity.
So anyway, thats about all I have developed on that right now. I’d love to hear your thoughts if this has proved true in your experience. AND I’d love to hear your ideas on how to build “brushes” into organizations to keep them from matting.
On a side note, have you noticed this tendency in your personal life? I’ll have to think about that one.
Filed under: Bio, Institutional Church | Tags: Church, Church Politics, Dysfunctional Church, Faith, God, Life After Church, Post-Christian, Spirituality
My dissatisfaction with my role in the institutional church came to a head in April of 2007. After numerous years of battling within myself about whether or not I should continue working at that church I realized something had to change. I felt the church had no vision, no direction, no purpose. In my opinion we were not making the world a better place or living in such a way that people were experiencing how amazing life with Jesus was. For the past four years it was like living in a dysfunctional family. Everyone knew it was unhealthy, that things and relationships were not right, and regularly when this was pointed out, promises were made to change, new conversations began about direction and purpose, and I would convince myself that things were going to be different. Every few months a crisis or issue would arise and we would begin the cycle all over again. While in the short term, things did change, each time we always seemed to end up back at the same issues only worse. It was at the end of one of these patterns in April that I told my wife that I really wasn’t sure I could take it anymore.
I’m not laying this all out here to bash the church. Every church, like every family has issues like these. But I am putting it down to paper so as to remind myself (and anyone reading) how good God is.
My wife, Liza had been faithfully listening to me complain about things in leadership since I started working there in 1999. She had heard me declare I was quitting, and seen me struggle through tough situations many times. And each time, like this one, her answer was always the same. “Just do your best, do your job, and if God wants to take you out of there He will.” The next day I went to lunch with the new senior pastor and told him I was struggling with what I perceived as a lack of vision and direction for the church, and that I wasn’t sure I was a fit there anymore. I shared my heart and my frustrations and let him know that Liza and I were really seeking God’s direction in this. We agreed to continue the conversation and search after what God was doing.
Then I started meeting with the elders.
