A great pastor, Lowell Bakke, explained Paul's
letter to the Philippians as a treatise on partnership, which made me think
about the concept of megacommunities. A megacommunity consists of organizations
from the business, government, and civil sectors joining forces to solve a common
problem. The civil sector means
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the non-profit sphere interested in
development or humanitarian work. Joining together, the organizations must
navigate the learning curve via a relationship called "permanent
negotiation" because their different mindsets naturally set them in some
opposition to each other. Businesses seek efficiency and returns in the short
term. Governments seek the approval of a majority of people in diverse
constituencies. NGOs seek resolution of specific problems regardless of the
cost. Permanent negotiation involves continually finding ways to move forward
in ways that help each other.
Do churches have a
role? Maybe, but I doubt the modern church can collaborate its way out of a wet
paper bag. Last year at The University of Alabama, we were trying to put on a
conference on aging, relying on the churches in the area as the backbone of the
effort. Two years later, we put on the conference but only after walking away
from the churches and involving non-church organizations and people. The church
leaders who were on the planning committee couldn't agree on the content of the
conference, its format, and its logistics. Different denominations weren't
interested in working with each other on theological grounds, and one large
church that could have had an impact, told the conference's champion to never
approach that church again.
Church members, not
leaders, may be the key to turning those situations around because current
trends indicate church
members may be less parochial. That suggests they may be more ready to work
with each other. BGU can play a role in facilitating that by channeling some
Mustard Seed Foundation support to accelerating training on transformational
leadership perspectives through the theology of work programs. For example, shalom leadership, the pursuit of reconciling
relationships that results in wholeness in the community and in individuals,
can provide a foundation for such collaboration (Bakke Graduate University, Student catalogue, 2014). Shalom leadership can be a way to use that
trend for the benefit of the Gospel and
break down walls between churches.
