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Creating a Culture for Change

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Liberty University

The Traditional Church: Creating a Culture for Change

Submitted to Dr. Austin B. Tucker in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
Christian Leadership DSMN 605

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary

By
Terence McCrimmon

Fayetteville, North Carolina
August 6, 2013

Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………

1

Stagnation within a Traditional Church………………………………….……….

1

Changing the Method does not Mean Changing the Message………………..…..

4

Christ at the Center of Change………………………………………………….….

5

Change is a Process…………………………………………………………..……....

8

Conclusion...………………………………………………………………..…………

10

Bibliography...…………………………………………………………………………

12

Introduction
Leading a traditional church through change can be a very arduous task for any progressive minded leader who desires to promote growth within his context. Innovation within a traditional context tends to attract opposition from many angles. Resistance may come from the executive board of the church, members who feel they have some control, or from those who do not recognize the varying needs within the local congregation. However, change is an essential and never-ending need in the church because of the constant change in culture and church membership.1 This research paper will address the problem and offer solutions in creating a culture for change within the traditional church.
Stagnation within the Traditional Church
In a newspaper article published by the Telegram & Gazette, the author claims, “Once a fulcrum of rural West Sutton, the 262-year-old First Baptist, the fourth-oldest Baptist church in
Massachusetts, is in the throes of a painful, inevitable decline.”2 The author further claims:
In a good week, the church draws fewer than a dozen people to Sunday worship, making it an acute example of an affliction infecting many old New England churches. They are gradually losing relevance in modern life, incapable of competing with all the other activities that eat up the average family's Sunday, from soccer practice to lawn mowing. "The core problem is how to be more attractive in a supermarket world," Hartman explains.” This leaves many a traditional house of God in a decidedly mortal predicament, with an aging congregation unable to attract younger members to keep it alive. At the First
Baptist Church of Sutton, the problem has been as gradual and insidious as a cancer.3 1

Richard L. Hamm, Recreating the Church: Leadership for the Postmodern Age (Saint Louis, MO: Chalice
Press, 2009), 3.
2

Mary-Liz Shaw and Gazette Staff Telegram. "Sutton Church Slowly Dying." Telegram & Gazette, Dec
21, 1997. 0, http://search.proquest.com/docview/268677391?accountid=12085.
3

Ibid.

1

Amazingly, the First Baptist Church of Sutton represents the condition of many traditional churches that become stagnate and eventually die. Stagnation generally occurs when there is failure to recognize the church as not only an organization but also an organism. Traditional churches are viewed by some as institutions that are well organized with very little need to deviate from its long standing rudiments and rituals. This ideology must be challenged because the church has been designated to exist as the body of the living Christ, an organism.4 An organism grows, develops and changes; thus, the church should also. A living body possesses distinguishable parts, yet those parts are not invariable. The parts of the living body grow and develop out of the very DNA of the body.5 The fact is the church should be a living, growing entity of a social nature, which also needs clear and definite structure. Moreover, if the organization maintains consistent growth, upgrade and evolve as a living body, it will be very difficult to become stagnated. Sadly, many traditional churches have not come to this reality.
Imagine if different businesses, organizations and institutions did not upgrade or evolve. They would be left behind, and unable to meet the varying demands of society. Why does the church fail to see the importance of upgrading or is often the last of organizations to do so? Our conservative religious nature, which borders on superstition, tends to make everything sacred and untouchable.6 The author of this paper argues this is why traditional churches never modify its programs, rarely implement unique ministries and often resist anything that remotely resembles a contemporary church. The lay leaders are generally unwilling to adapt to new trends, and many of the congregants are stoic in their idea of what church should be. Apparently, traditional church
4

Hamm, Recreating the Church: Leadership for the Postmodern Age, 3.

5

Ibid.

6

Neil Cole, Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church (Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass, 2010), 4.

2

organizations tend to presently serve the needs of the previous cultural context. This means being devoted to the ways and needs of the pre-1968 “modern” era rather than the current post-1968
“postmodern era”.7 In his book, God Wants You to Grow! How to Live Beyond Your Limitations,
Dr. William Watley gives a vivid imagery of boiling a lobster to demonstrate the current condition of a vast number of churches that started in the modern era. Watley says, "You can throw a lobster into hot boiling water. But such a way is very painful to the lobster and throws its nervous system into shock. Or we can put a lobster into a pot of cold water and then turn on the fire underneath.”8 He goes on to propose that:
In this way the water heats up gradually and the lobster does not realize how hot the water is becoming. Before he realizes it he is boiled and death has come.
That's what has happened to a number of our lives. That's what has happened to a number of our relationships. That's what has happened to a number of churches.
That's what has happened to a number of us in our jobs and careers. That's what's wrong with a lot of our religion. We have become so comfortable with where we are that we didn't realize how things were changing all around us. We didn't realize the temperature around us was changing, the culture around us was changing, the attitudes and values and perspectives of those around us were changing. We became comfortable with being the way we were, and we stopped growing. While we were glorifying the good old days and taking pride in what we had done and wanting to keep things at the temperature we have grown accustomed to, the water temperature gradually went from cold to warm to hot to boiling. And now we look up to find that death has come to our relationships, to our careers, to our faith, to our church.9
It is true that churches in the modern era served their congregations well, and they should be commended for maintaining their firmness in their convictions. However, the down side is long after a method or program is out of sync with culture and no longer produces any good results, they will continue to embrace those methods which consequently results in becoming
7

Hamm, Recreating the Church: Leadership for the Postmodern Age, 9.

8

William D. Wately, God Wants You to Grow: How to Live Beyond Your Limitations (Valley Forge, PA:
Judson Press, 2003), 5.
9

Ibid

3

irrelevant.10 The temperature is rising and many traditional churches do not know how to shift within this postmodern context. So, then, for decades the church does not magnetize any new attendees, it does not make any significant impact within the community, and it eventually deceases. Changing the Method does not Mean Changing the Message
When change is introduced to a traditional congregation, it is readily resisted in fear of compromising the church’s message or warping the Gospel’s message. For instance, when the weekly bulletin has a new trendy look similar to a corporation’s handbill, some perceive that as the ways of the world being brought into the church. If the teens are allowed to do a liturgical dance performance during morning worship, it is sometimes frowned upon by those who feel dancing is an inappropriate form of worship. When preaching from a more contemporary translation of the Bible, in some churches, the pastor is accused of compromising the Gospel.
Traditional congregations must realize two things as it relates to change: change is profitable for the welfare of church, and change does not mean principles are being compromised. If the handbill, the liturgical dance performance or the contemporary translation blatantly contradicts
Christ, then the rejection thereof is warranted. But, to reject a thing merely because it is something new or has never been done before is irrational.
How is change profitable and what does changing the method really means? The world today is in the midst of a communications revolution.11 Taking a look back into history, the technology of Gutenberg’s press back in the early 1400’s dramatically impacted the transmission

10

Cole, Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church, 4.

11

Mel Lawrenz, Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement (Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass,
2009), 142.

4

of information. Ideas and expressions could be disseminated within weeks. However, within the last year twenty years, the population has grown at an exponential rate and the world has changed rapidly.12 Today, one can compose an email, press Send, and within seconds will be in the inbox of recipients all across the world.13 The advancement of technology has literally forced people to relate to each other differently.14 Some traditional churches will at least invest in a website or even use social media in order to keep people abreast with events that are occurring within the life of the church; for some that is the extent to which they will “step out of the box”.
When it comes to relaying Christian truth to this postmodern era with metanarratives or drawing out the power of the narrative portions of Scripture in order to colorfully depict the stories15 can be “pushing the envelope”, but it captivates the attention of the postmodern audience. Using
PowerPoint presentations and props to aid with delivering a sermon can be “over the top” for some, however, many people in this postmodern era are visual learners. Deviating from singing the traditional hymns to singing songs with upbeat tempo will be too radical for some; nevertheless, the music is more engaging to a postmodern culture. This is the profitability. Has the method changed? Absolutely! Has the message changed? Not at all! The message has only changed when absolute truth as been denied or biblical truth has been miscommunicated.
Christ at the Center of Change
In the third chapter and the seventeenth verse of Colossians, the writer states,
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving

12

Cole, Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church, 15.

13

Lawrenz, Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement, 142.

14

Cole, Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church, 15.

15

Lawrenz, Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement, 142.

5

thanks to God the Father through him.”16 Change must be implemented with Christ as the center and should be designed to give God the glory. Hence, a leader who leads a traditional church through change should be attentive to appropriate theological reflection.17 A simple definition of theology is thinking about God and God’s work in the world, especially in persons.18 One could postulate theological reflection as how one processes or demonstrates theology within a particular communal context. It is necessary to understand how theological reflection influences the church’s identity. Although change and transformation within the church involves different facets, it still must remain faithful to who God is and what he has revealed in Scripture.
Understanding theology and theological reflection is plausible for this research because when transforming or presenting change to a traditional context, a leader should have a clear-cut understanding of God and his will in Christ Jesus for the culture of that particular church. A leader must ensure he does not fall into the snare of secularization by losing sight of God’s will or the concept of God. When a church loses a clear concept of God, there is a significant decline in its worship and moral standard.19
In his article, Theology and the Healthy Church, Robertson makes the argument “The church lives in a quick-fix world of how-to-do-it manuals.”20 He goes on to say:
Churches are surrounded by a visually oriented culture. If churches are not careful, they will find their ministries driven by worldly methods and goals rather than godly perspectives. A church easily can become mesmerized with bigger
16

Colossians 3:17 (ESV).

17

Paul E. Robertson, "Theology of the Healthy Church," The Theological Educator: A Journal of Theology and Ministry 57 (Spring 1998), 46.
18

Ibid., 47.

19

Ibid., 48.

20

Ibid., 50.

6

buildings, bigger budgets, impressive reports, large salaries, and prestigious positions. A success-oriented society can drive a church’s ministry focus she is not attentive to the task of theological reflection.21
Maintaining God’s will in Christ Jesus will assuredly influence the church’s identity as well as its activities. So, as a leader promotes change he must resist any secular or worldly motivation.
When the world becomes smaller, and people are more exposed to other religions, cultures and philosophies of life, it is not uncommon for there to be a rise in relativism—a belief that truth is not absolute, but relative.22 This simply means what may be true for one may not be true for another. When an individual embraces such philosophy for life their hunger increases for something more substantial; they are seemingly unsatisfied.23 Innovation and employing new ideas will be birthed out of a desire and passion to please Christ, uphold his message and present absolute truth. The church, then, must offer Christ who can satisfy the seemingly insatiable hunger. In the dialogue between Jesus and the Samarian woman, he stated, “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.”24 Moreover, a church should seek to be relevant, not relative. As Jesus did, relevant churches meet people at the core of their need.
Relevant churches engage their congregants and attract new people through creating worship, programs, fellowship, and ministry opportunities that cater to the whole man and the entire family. To be clear, the Gospel message itself is always relevant for any era; modern and postmodern. However, the method of transmitting or conveying the message may vary. As long

21

Ibid., 51.

22

Cole, Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church, 19.

23

Ibid.

24

John 4:14 (ESV).

7

as the method encompasses appropriate theological reflection and remains Christocentric, then
God is able to use that church for his glory.
Change is a Process
As aforementioned, the church is living body of Christ. God’s will for the church is revealed to leaders through relationship with Christ. Change is not designed to “box God out”, but rather to embrace every aspect of who he is so the ministry can flourish and serve its constituents holistically. As reflected thus far in this discourse, change is not always readily embraced. One of the most daunting tasks that a pastor can face is seeking to navigate the turbulent waters of change within an aging and declining church.25 In most traditional contexts, the majority within a congregation wants the leader to engage in technical change only: change that remedies the day-to-day problems in the organization as it is. The organization does not want the leader to engage in adaptive change: change that adjusts the organization so that the organization itself is changed.26 As it were for the Pilgrim Community Church that was deep in its heritage, became limited and restrictive. Like most traditional churches it had a small constituency who wanted to experience new ministry opportunities for the new millennium, they wanted worship to be updated; and desired to experiment with new forms of ministry.27 Sadly, the leadership was afraid to initiate change for fear of upsetting some of the other congregants.
Many leaders recognize change is imperative; however, they refuse to change due to fear of

25

William Snow, "Creating a Passion for Growth within an Aging Church." Order No. 3515640, Drew
University, 2012. In PROQUESTMS ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text, http://search.proquest.com/docview/1024823431?accountid=12085., 15.
26

Hamm, Recreating the Church: Leadership for the Postmodern Age, 4.

27

Lawrenz, Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement, 137.

8

people not supporting the church financially or even leaving 28 Mel Lawrenz, author of Whole
Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement contends, “But when all is said and done, people who say they will leave rather than tolerate change under any circumstances must be left to leave.”29 He goes on to explain this is only if the person has decided to join another church.
Now, if the person chooses to leave because they have given up on God as a result of the change, then that person must be seriously ministered to. Lawrenz suggests, “That is where the shepherd’s drive to find the one in a hundred who has wandered off must kick in.”30 The leader cannot be afraid to pursue the path God is leading him.
For successful change in a traditional context, a leader should first begin with communicating to his congregation why the change is necessary. In many instances people resist simply because they do not understand the reasoning behind the change. He then should help his congregation see how the change will be beneficial to the growth of the church. This may require him to help shape the mindset of those in the congregation so they can envision what he is proposing. He should write out a plan and present it to his congregation and assure them they all can take a part in some form and fashion. Longtime members of a congregation sometime reject change simply because they feel they will no longer play a significant role in the ministry.
Once they feel secure they will be instrumental in the change, they will possibly be more likely to adapt. A leader should soon identify those who are on board. Those individuals will generally become the advocates as the atmosphere is being conditioned for transformation.

28

Ibid., 139.

29

Ibid.

30

Ibid.

9

Those who are proponents often times have the ability to influence others even when the leader cannot. If a leader believes the timing is right and God has given him the green light, one of the most effective ways to implement change is through a gradual process, especially within a context that has those who resist and those who are craving it. In Lawrenz’s work, he introduces continual incremental change.31 This change gradually permeates the context month by month along a perpetual improvement and adaption.32 Incremental change suggests various aspects of the ministry take on new form while evolving without the congregation feeling overwhelmed or experiencing culture shock. Often times the congregation can see the sensibility of the change when they experience it in steps.33 Thus, radical and drastic change will more than likely not be needed as congregants adapt to the new culture. He goes on to share the success of Elmbrook
Church that chose a path of continual incremental change. The leaders of that church decided having a multigenerational was not impossible. Every year they introduced some new and creative element of worship: drama, creative storytelling of global outreach via video, interpretative dance, and creative elements in the sermons.34 This method was successful for
Elmbrook and will likely work in other traditional contexts.

31

Ibid., 140.

32

Ibid.

33

Ibid., 146.

34

Ibid.

10

Conclusion
As demonstrated in this paper, change is inevitable; change is necessary.35 In this postmodern era, in order for a church to survive and continue to make its impact within the lives of the congregants and community, as well as draw new worshippers, there must be an evaluation of where the church currently is and then an evolution into what God desires for it to become. The fundamental principles of Christianity and core values of the church never change; however new methods and approaches should be employed in an effort to provide ministry that is engaging and relevant to its congregants. The church is the body of the living Christ; change and let it grow.

35

Ibid., 147.

11

Bibliography

Baker, Christopher Richard. Hybrid Church in the City: Third Space Thinking. Abingdon, VA:
Ashgate Publishing Group, 2007.
Cole, Neil. Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass,
2010.
Guyton, Lanel D. "Transformation and Transition: Empowering the Church Toward Creating a
Relevant Ministry for Today and Tomorrow." Order No. 3451757, United Theological
Seminary, 2009. In PROQUESTMS ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text, http://search.proquest.com/docview/864741460?accountid=12085. Halverstadt, Hugh F. Managing Church Conflict. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press,
1991. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed July 20, 2013).
Hamm, Richard L. Recreating the Church: Leadership for the Postmodern Age. Saint Louis,
MO: Chalice Press, 2009.
Haskins, Roger W., Jr. "Guiding the Church through Change." Order No. 3392050, Union
Institute and University, 2009. In PROQUESTMS ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full
Text, http://search.proquest.com/docview/305170080?accountid=12085.
Lawrenz, Mel. Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement. Hoboken, NJ:
Jossey-Bass, 2009.
Peters, Dave. Surviving Church Conflict. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1997. eBook Collection
(EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed July 20, 2013).
Robertson, Paul E. “Theology of the Healthy Church.” The Theological Educator: A
Journal of Theology and Ministry 57, (Spring 1998) 45-52.
Sanders, John Glenn. "Creating a Climate for Change at Pacific View Baptist Church by
Redeveloping the Pastor's Role." Order No. 9533499, Fuller Theological Seminary,
Doctor of Ministry Program, 1995. In PROQUESTMS ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
Full Text, http://search.proquest.com/docview/304220374?accountid=12085.
Shaw, Mary-Liz and Gazette Staff Telegram. "Sutton Church Slowly Dying." Telegram &
Gazette, Dec 21, 1997. 0, http://search.proquest.com/docview/268677391?accountid=12085. Snow, William. "Creating a Passion for Growth within an Aging Church." Order No. 3515640,
Drew University, 2012. In PROQUESTMS ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text, http://search.proquest.com/docview/1024823431?accountid=12085. 12

Watley, William D. God Wants You to Grow: How to Live Beyond Your Limitations.
Valley Forge: Judson Press, 2003.

13

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