Why are Struggling Baptist Associations Overwhelmed?
A perspective for local denominational organizations/judicatories on how they best empower their churches to serve from the base of their local context.
Synopsis: The is the fifth in a series of at least eight columns about various types of Baptist associations (with implications for local denominational organizations or judicatories in many denominations). A series of FREE video conferences are offered to support and dialogue about this typology.
To sign up, send a message to George Bullard sharing your desire to participate and provide your email.
Read the overview column on this associational typology HERE.
Read the columns on Soaring Associations, Strong Associations and Stumbling Associations by clicking on the titles/links.
Rundown: Articles on Baptist associations are often applicable to the local denominational organizations/judicatories of various denominations. They may be called associations, districts, classis, synods, and by other names. They are typically organisms more than organizations. Relational more than functional. Regional and national expressions of denominations are more organizational and functional.
(This column appears this week in the digital and print edition of The Baptist Paper. Access the column in the digital edition HERE. The Baptist Paper is a publication of TAB Media. Request a free trial HERE. See all TAB Media columns written by George Bullard HERE.) (Subscribe to this Substack Blog using the “Subscribe now” button below.)
Why are Struggling Baptist Associations Overwhelmed?
Struggling associations act more like organizations to which congregations belong than they do a family of congregations. They are overwhelmed by their past-to-present organizational culture. They focus on reorganizing the association rather than on empowering congregations.
Their internal focus is on making tomorrow a return of yesterday. Change and innovation are not a priority. They do not want to take risks.
Looking forward to the new thing God is in the process of doing in and through them as a Baptist association is not an important agenda item. Why look forward? Recovery of the past is their focus.
(Continue reading HERE.)
Reflections from George:
Struggling associations and their member congregations often share a common characteristic. Eighty percent of the member congregations are plateaued or declining. The joint relationship of a local denominational organization/judicatory mirrors this. Eighty percent of the associations are plateaued or declining.
Doing the same things, the same way year after year will not work for Struggling associations. Incremental transition and change is inadequate to help these associations move forward along a continuum of success to significance to surrender.
Disruptive transition and change that transforms the direction of the association is needed. (Not fully radical or destructive transition and change. At least not yet.)
The eight or more columns in this series and the FREE video conferences talking about them will cover associations which are Soaring, Strong, Stumbling, Struggling, and Spiritless. This parallels a typology for congregations that includes the same five types. I have been working on this typology periodically over the past four decades
I invite you to learn alongside me. I am still learning! I look forward to learning from you.
Sign up for the video conferences that began August 7th and will run about every other week for a while.