DE PONDERINGS
by Kevin Kessler
Margaret J. Wheatley compiled several of her essays on leadership in a book Finding Our Way: Leadership For an Uncertain Time. Wheatley's thrust is to help her readers understand organizations as "responsive, self-organizing living systems where creativity and commitment flourish, rather than cold mechanisms of control."
In one particular essay she makes the argument that "freedom to create is essential for change." Change does not occur where control exists in the hands of one individual or one small group. However, where all members of an organization have the opportunity to be creative, the entity lives and evolves in ways to become even more effective and productive. Wheatley uses four principles to validate her argument, one of which is "we do not see 'reality'; we each create our own interpretation of what's real."
On the surface, the principle Wheatley uses may seem as if it would create disunity in an organization. She acknowledges this implication and thus presents the basis for her conviction with this paragraph:
"It's not about arguing about who's right and who's wrong. If we talk with colleagues to share perceptions, if we expect and even seek out the great diversity of interpretations that exist, we learn and change. Biologist Francisco Varela redefined organizational intelligence: It isn't the ability to solve problems that makes an organization smart. It is the ability of its members to enter into a world whose significance they share. Everyone in the group has to feel that what is occurring is significant-even as they have different perspectives."
Wheatley's essay, particularly the preceding paragraph, provides an interesting perspective with relevance for the Church of the Brethren. Undeniably, as a denomination, many different theological and values-based perceptions exist. The result of this diversity of thought is too often seen in people taking sides and arguing for their respective positions while losing sight of what is significant.
What if in the Church of the Brethren focus shifted from taking positions to entering into a world of shared significance? The question then becomes, "What is our shared significance?"
Recent exploration of this question occurred with the Together Conversations. An emphasis was placed on understanding who we are as the Church of the Brethren, having that common identity become significant for us, and then moving ahead under that umbrella in a unified manner to help us evolve into a more effective and influential body of believers.
The work of the Together Conversations was valuable and productive, but did we miss an important Brethren publication already in print that gets at the heart of our common significance, specifically the small book entitled Who Are These Brethren? written by Joan Deeter? Deeter uses alliteration to help us understand that the Church of the Brethren has a shared significance of conviction, covenant, compassion, and conversation. The significance of these categories continues in spite of our divergent viewpoints.
For example, Deeter writes about the Church of the Brethren vision for mission under the category of conviction. The early mission emphasis was to establish the Church of the Brethren in other areas of the world. Over time, the emphasis changed from planting churches in other countries to working with already established Christian churches in those countries. The emphasis has shifted again to "parallel new church planting at home" meaning there is an emphasis in evangelism and new church development in other countries. The shifts in interest indicate divergent and varying viewpoints about mission. But what is not lost is an emphasis that mission work is significant. We maintain that conviction.
Can these alliterated categories Deeter provides become for us a rallying cry by which we together become creatively engaged in self-organizing a more vital and healthy Church of the Brethren? Possibly! Is it worth a try? Definitely! The possible results are potential benefits to our organizational health and intelligence.
Suggested reading:
Margaret J. Wheatley compiled several of her essays on leadership in a book Finding Our Way: Leadership For an Uncertain Time. Wheatley's thrust is to help her readers understand organizations as "responsive, self-organizing living systems where creativity and commitment flourish, rather than cold mechanisms of control."
In one particular essay she makes the argument that "freedom to create is essential for change." Change does not occur where control exists in the hands of one individual or one small group. However, where all members of an organization have the opportunity to be creative, the entity lives and evolves in ways to become even more effective and productive. Wheatley uses four principles to validate her argument, one of which is "we do not see 'reality'; we each create our own interpretation of what's real."
On the surface, the principle Wheatley uses may seem as if it would create disunity in an organization. She acknowledges this implication and thus presents the basis for her conviction with this paragraph:
"It's not about arguing about who's right and who's wrong. If we talk with colleagues to share perceptions, if we expect and even seek out the great diversity of interpretations that exist, we learn and change. Biologist Francisco Varela redefined organizational intelligence: It isn't the ability to solve problems that makes an organization smart. It is the ability of its members to enter into a world whose significance they share. Everyone in the group has to feel that what is occurring is significant-even as they have different perspectives."
Wheatley's essay, particularly the preceding paragraph, provides an interesting perspective with relevance for the Church of the Brethren. Undeniably, as a denomination, many different theological and values-based perceptions exist. The result of this diversity of thought is too often seen in people taking sides and arguing for their respective positions while losing sight of what is significant.
What if in the Church of the Brethren focus shifted from taking positions to entering into a world of shared significance? The question then becomes, "What is our shared significance?"
Recent exploration of this question occurred with the Together Conversations. An emphasis was placed on understanding who we are as the Church of the Brethren, having that common identity become significant for us, and then moving ahead under that umbrella in a unified manner to help us evolve into a more effective and influential body of believers.
The work of the Together Conversations was valuable and productive, but did we miss an important Brethren publication already in print that gets at the heart of our common significance, specifically the small book entitled Who Are These Brethren? written by Joan Deeter? Deeter uses alliteration to help us understand that the Church of the Brethren has a shared significance of conviction, covenant, compassion, and conversation. The significance of these categories continues in spite of our divergent viewpoints.
For example, Deeter writes about the Church of the Brethren vision for mission under the category of conviction. The early mission emphasis was to establish the Church of the Brethren in other areas of the world. Over time, the emphasis changed from planting churches in other countries to working with already established Christian churches in those countries. The emphasis has shifted again to "parallel new church planting at home" meaning there is an emphasis in evangelism and new church development in other countries. The shifts in interest indicate divergent and varying viewpoints about mission. But what is not lost is an emphasis that mission work is significant. We maintain that conviction.
Can these alliterated categories Deeter provides become for us a rallying cry by which we together become creatively engaged in self-organizing a more vital and healthy Church of the Brethren? Possibly! Is it worth a try? Definitely! The possible results are potential benefits to our organizational health and intelligence.
Suggested reading:
- Finding Our Way; Leadership For an Uncertain Time, Margaret J. Wheatley (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2005, 2007) 270 pages
- Who Are These Brethren?, Joan Deeter (Brethren Press, 1991) 32 pages
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