Unity

Mission

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Unity...and why it matters

What puts those outside the church off the idea of ever coming inside? Many issues, but our disunity has to be one of the most important. In 1992, David Cohen and I published our book 'How to close your church in a decade.' Now out of print in this country, and nearly twenty years on, the condition of the church that concerned me then still concerns me now. I cannot see that, in twenty years, the racial or the gender divide has changed much. Women speakers and leaders are still very much the minority. Most churches – with a few notable exceptions – are monocultural. The burden of work in most churches is still laid firmly on the shoulders of the clergy, the “professionals”, and the laity are still not expected to practice their gifts widely, even if they wish to do so.

So what do I prescribe? Shared leadership, the establishment of an “eldership”, the redefining of the role of deacon – all these things can lead to the involvement of others in the authority and responsibility structures of the church. While strong leaders are still necessary, the leadership skills of others must be recognised, developed and fully utilised. I have been horrified by the number of “ex-pastors” I have come across – people burnt out by the demands of their congregations.

Communication is crucial to any change, and particularly change in leadership. If you don't keep everyone involved informed, then insecurities run riot. Prayer is essential – you need to find the right people, and God can have different ideas on who the “right” people are.

You need people who are committed to the growth of God's kingdom, not their little republic. And leaders have to be ready for disagreement – the first acid test, usually, of how committed we really are to sharing our leadership. Everything takes longer when you have to consult more widely and, initially, standards may fall. But these are teething problems. Far more important, in many churches, is for the pastor to really recognise that they are not necessarily the best person for each and every job. For some, this is an enormous revelation!

What about the issue of women? The church still seems to be well behind the times to those outside of it, and this can also be a huge problem for professional women, being treated as adults with full responsibilities in the workplace, and then ignored and relegated to the kitchen in the church. We cannot get away from the need to repent over this – that is absolutely crucial – and to repent in its true sense – to change our minds. We also have to avoid an aggressive feminism, as well as resisting old-fashioned and familiar chauvinism. We need to look for the best people for the tasks, the most-gifted, regardless of gender. We must avoid tokenism – the answer to not enough women being involved is not to simply put a woman onto every committee or planning group. Women need to be encouraged in their ministries, and they have a significant contribution to make to the leadership of church life.

And across the racial divide? Again, if we don't see that God is committed to destroying barriers, then anything we do will be a token gesture. We really need the mind of Christ on this issue. But be aware that those leading the black-majority churches often feel that they have been misunderstood by white churches (if not deliberately excluded) and are nervous of links which could open the possibility of rejection again.  So we need to start making friendships with those from other churches and, yes, even those of other faiths. Invite a converted – or even an unconverted – Hindu or Muslim to speak at your church. Arrange a visit to a synagogue. Encourage your church to seek out those marginalised by the rest of the community because of their colour or race. As a minister, go down the personal route: approach the leaders of other churches, drop in on them, build friendships, ask for their choir to sing at your church, challenge them to a football or cricket match, and recognise that you have much to learn from them. And to bring people together across the class divides, mix up your home groups – put the unemployed shop assistant in with the managing director. Add a wealthy scrap metal dealer and an impoverished university lecturer.  If you can get them to listen to each other and love each other, you will be doing a great deal to tear down walls established by class, intellect and social status.

(first published in the Baptist Times January 2010)