Systems: Key to Effective Reorganization of Spiritually Based Organizations

It seems to me that the GCR report had enough smoke in it that it is extremely hard to see what the lay of the land will look like when the air clears. My guess is that those who have written the report really don't know how it will all settle.

I understand that what we have been doing over the past 25+ years, at all levels of SBC life, from the church up to national entities, is not working. The systems (key word) that we have been using are obviously not working. When an organization is not getting the results it wants from any enterprise, you have to change the system. The previous reorganization from Home Mission Board to NAMB did not change the system--it just put a different face on an old operating system that wasn’t working. I think the system we currently have needs to be changed. Unfortunately many people do not understand systems analysis.

In the GCR document, there is an apparent change of system, although it appears cloudy at best. However, from what I understand from the report, I am not convinced that it is the right system. I have little faith that a group of pastors and denominational leaders (however intelligent and committed the group) can get together to discuss something this complex and come up with the right system---especially without some really significant professional advice (advice about systems management and organizational restructuring leading to increased effectiveness). SBC entities do not operate as a church. These organizations are different animals than the local church. I doubt that pastors of local churches (however large and influential) can effectively make decisions on how our complex SBC entity system ought to operate to get the Lord’s work done.

We all can probably get some general agreement of what kind of end result we want--certainly we ought to understand what God wants. That is clear from scripture. The Lord, however, seldom gives direction on the processes to get the end result. The "how" depends on context, which changes throughout history. The decisions to be made are not just "spiritual". The final system needs to be designed to produce the desired result that the Lord would be pleased with. It appears to me that much of the report is directed toward a reorganization of financial distribution. Proper money allocation is not the end result, but may be a means to the end result that we are all looking for. Relocation of NAMB staff from one location to six or seven locations is not a change of system--it is a simply a movement of offices from one location to another.

It seems to me that the GCR report needs to be a first step among several steps of thinking and action. Whatever the final report, I think it should initiate a comprehensive planning process where entities come together to work out the details before anything is ever put into concrete. I am sure that would not be an easy task. To ask the convention to adopt the document that was released is not a realistic option. When you embrace change, one cannot always see the end result. Decisions that are made along the way in the change process always impact the end result. But, the document released, to my opinion, does not give enough information for the convention to make a responsible decision. I fear that, if this report is something very similar to the final report to the convention, that it will have severe and adverse impacts to the cooperative program and the future of the SBC.

Is there a way for us to encourage this report to be a first step in a process of several teams working, over the next year or two, to give some structure for new systems to be adopted that will allow this huge sleeping giant (SBC) to be awakened to produce effective kingdom results?

Sorry but I must add this: It appears that many are convinced that our main problem is not allocation of resources or movement of people from one area of the country to another. Our main problem is spiritual identification with Christ. It is time we get off our own agenda (deny self) and get onto God's agenda (take up our cross). It seems to me that we have all not died to self.

It may be the best approach to start with a blank piece of paper (in reorganization of the SBC) rather than start with existing SBC structures (which seems that is where the GCR team started their thinking).

Dr. Larry Richmond, Director of Ministries
Gateway Baptist Association
Granite City, Illinois