Changing the Church
Posted on April 17, 2009
Filed Under change, leadership
I will never understand why people don’t understand why it’s hard to change a church. Think about it. The church has been in in existence for 1500 years. During that time it has changed very little. In some cases the changes are so minor that they shouldn’t really count as change. They would more appropriately be called a “tweak”.
Our current society values rapid change. Look how quickly your iPod becomes out of date. While the church is made up of visible people, it is driven by principles and dynamics that are invisible. The truth is that most people who are in leadership positions in the church choose that role because it fulfills their personal issues. Psychological studies of those who answered a call to Ministry show that many of those men and women come from a place of brokenness and/or insecurity. Within the walls of the church they find a place where they are loved and accepted and secure. Asking these men and women to risk all of that to bring change to their local church is more than many of them are able to do…
The irony is that the same deep-seated issues are often what drives them to be successful leaders and pastors in our churches. If you’ve ever spent time working in the church you have seen what I’m talking about. On the other hand, if you’ve ever spent time working in a church - you may be one of the broken ones and not be aware of the same deep issues within you.
There are somethings in the church that should never change such as the basic teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, the methods in which we teach that message need to constantly change. I imagine everyone would agree that we do a better job teaching in our education system now than we did 50 years ago. It is foolish to think that the methods of teaching should always stay the same.
The church itself expects people’s actions to change quickly once they embrace the teachings of the church. But at the same time the church itself refuses to change its actions. Either you believe in change or you don’t.
Change can come to the church. The challenge is finding healthy leaders who are willing to take a stand, and make the needed changes (and get good counseling!)
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