1. As a leader of this congregation, how would you take the Smiths’ suggestion? I would address the need to pray over the decision and ask that George come to the meeting to discuss if this would be some interest to him attending and why. I think having George actually say yes, I want to or no I don’t want to attend this meeting and why, in front of everyone would be helpful in gaining the non-smith family board members support for why Elizabeth should go.

2. What values are evidently apparent in the dynamics of this congregation? John Smith seems to value his family having control of the pastor and the church. He knows that his family is a majority of the congregation and without the majority of the congregation the church may struggle staying open financially or the pastor may be asked to leave. Manipulation seems to be a value also, because John Smith wants to be the person to make the suggestions and if a suggestion isn’t from him, he will kindly say that it will not work and that they have tried it before when the pastor may have no idea of what really happened before due to the high turnover.

3. How can you minister to the Smith family in a way that is meaningful to them and beneficial to the overall ministry of the church? Ministering to the Smith family solely through the Holy Spirit is essential. …show more content…
Describe the various cultural domains present in this scenario. How are they affecting the expectations of the players involved in this scenario? “In collectivistic culture an employer never hires just an individual, but rather a person who belongs to an in-group” (Plueddemann, 119). It seems like the Smith family is trying to initiate the pastor into the “Smith Club”. The pastor has to do things the Smith way in order to get their support. I also thought that John may have suggested George because of his age, I’m not sure of Elizabeth’s age, but it was mentioned that Elizabeth had attended other conferences so George may have been