Robert's Rules | Register for Faith, Power, & the Ballot Box |
Friends,
I'm out of the cast and into the boot. It means I can get into the shower. Can climb stairs (very slowly). I can go outside!
It's my right foot, so some time before I can drive. And we are headed into a Nor'easter, so no soaking up the sun. But still, such good news.
-Elizabeth
Listen to the Naysayers. Really.
Worried about out of control church meetings? Is your church resisting because of naysayers, or theoretical naysayers, or just a fear of conflict?
It turns out that Robert's Rules of Order were created in response to an out of control church meeting! (I had no idea!) In 1876 Henry Martyn Robert, a General in the Army of Engineers published a short book about how to structure meetings. Here in New England, his (now much bigger) book, or at least his theory, is ubiquitous in churches.
Robert's is only one system that exists to organize meetings, and I'm not suggesting it is the best system. But I am suggesting that you need a plan for engaging differing views, especially those of naysayers, in your congregational decision making. Some churches authorize their pastor's to speak out on justice issues. This is good. If the congregation is going to speak out (and I believe it should) the first step is to actually talk about the topic at hand.
Unfortunately many churches have developed a practice of only taking action when everyone agrees, or, similarly, have a culture where there is no room for public disagreement. It is not a good sign if your congregation has only had unanimous decisions in recent history.
In those situations, you will need to do work to be sure the naysayers speak up. Your elected board, council, or vestry, only represents some of the community. If your decisions have all been unanimous, then it is likely that even those in the room do not feel free to speak their mind. Sometimes this is power dynamics, sometimes it is culture, and some people are just quiet.
One strategy is to ask the whole group to brainstorm why this might be a bad idea. Or to list all the reasons others might not agree with the team's decision. For one church I served I called people ahead of time to ask their opinions. Then in the meeting I would offer into the silence "Juan, you had good thoughts on this topic" as a way to encourage some member to share their views.
The more controversial the decision, the more important it is to seek out the naysayers that are not in leadership. Announce that you are considering a decision. Ask for feedback. For the biggest topics, hold a congregational information meeting to hear from members. And then contact the people who expressed discomfort or disagreement with the direction being proposed. Meet with them. Listen to their viewpoint.
It is important to listen with the intent to understand. Look for what is underlying the disagreement. Ask clarifying questions. If it seems appropriate, ask about alternatives to the basic idea. What if the sign you want to hang is worded differently? Hung in a different location? What if the protest or meeting with a senator or budget change is described a little differently? Make it clear that these are questions intended to understand their view point, not offers to argue for a different approach. But don't ignore good ideas that naysayers offer, either.
As leaders we must acknowledge that disagreement is uncomfortable. While there are some people who seem to enjoy disagreeing for the sake of it, most people in church leadership are there to be part of community, to build up their faith, to assist an organization they care deeply about. It's not fun to have disagreements.
At the next board or council or vestry meeting you will want to share what you've learned from the naysayers, and also to strengthen the theological reasons for taking action. Churches do not take a stand for justice in order to be nice, or caring, or because of social science arguments. We take a stand because of our covenant with God. We take a stand because of the power of the Holy Spirit calling us to action. We take a stand because the Gospel of Jesus Christ demands it. Develop a theological argument, and then members making the decision should practice explaining the decision.
The more controversial the justice stand, the stronger the theological argument must be.
And once decided, be sure that the naysayers hear about it directly from your leadership team members. Let them know you heard what they said, you understand their feelings, and that still, for this theological reason, the team has decided to act. If you adjusted the plan based on their input, be sure to thank them.
And then act. Act on the call you hear from the gospel. Listen to those who are opposed, but do not allow opposition to keep you from doing what is right.
What is your church doing, or thinking about doing these days? How are you being here in your particular place? Just reply to this email to let me know what's happening.
I never knew that Robert's Rules of Order started as a result of a church meeting! And that Robert was a General in the US Army of Engineers. Or that his "rules" started in the late 1800s. This blog is fixated on him, so there is a rabbit hole if you want it, but this one page gives a great overview.
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