Making Innovation Part of Church Transformation
Reining in the Laity; Hobbling Transformation
The world of education is on the threshold of impressive innovation made possible by exploiting the capabilities of the internet and technology.
While hundreds of educators study educational methods and struggle to find new and better classroom practices, the Kahn Academy, a free online learning system provided to anyone with internet access, grew out of one man’s attempt to help a young cousin with math homework. It attracted the backing of Bill Gates and the attention of CBS’s 60 Minutes.
Religion, too, is in dire need of transformation. The need has been largely unanswered for decades, despite intense study among clergy.
The call for “transformation” is at least a decade old with little success.
The economy is causing small churches to focus on their own needs, sending less of their offerings to regional or central body. If something does not change, the regional and central church leaders will face extinction—but they don’t intend to be the first to go!
Church leaders are lost.
The Kahn Academy allows for a restructured classroom, making more teachers available to help more students. It is successfully restructuring the traditional classroom for a new era in education.
Google’s Eric Schmidt commented on Kahn Academy:
Many, many people think they are doing something new but they are not really changing the approach. Innovation never comes from the established institutions. It’s always a graduate student or a crazy person or somebody with a great vision.
We suspect that this is the big hiccup in transforming the church.
Church hierarchy is calling for transformation with no vision for change and an unwillingness to allow change without institutional oversight.
Change in the church is going to happen on the front line, where one or a few faithful people, with little loyalty to old ways, prayerfully try to solve problems.
Many small churches are the victims of regional leadership practicing what they call “triage.” Triage is a euphemism for neglect.
In some cases, congregations have had little or no leadership for a decade.
Left alone, dedicated lay people are free to experiment. They are not restricted by seminary education. They look for answers outside the usual parameters. Such small churches are ripe for change.
They face a major obstacle. The institutional church will be ready to step in and rein in “errant” lay workers. They will restore the old order and assign an approved pastor to help the congregation draft a stale, treacly mission statement—or they will flex their muscles and demand closure.
Redeemer was a small congregation engaged in such experimentation—and experiencing success. Our regional body, desperate for dollars, took the muscle-flexing route.
We are still experimenting with no support of any regional body . . . and still experiencing success.
Redeemer has visited 50 other congregations and we’ve seen similar lively efforts in small congregations. There is often a scent of fear hobbling their efforts. Will the regional body approve?
And that’s why transformation in the Church isn’t happening. God is trying to do something new . . . but the hierarchy won’t let anything happen that they can’t control and take credit for.