Who Would Have Thought? Administrative Commissions as Tools for Church Planting – Jan Edmiston
Freshly back from NEXT Church 2013 in Charlotte, ideas are still churning. One excellent presentation led by Bill Golderer and Aisha Brooks Lytle from Philadelphia lauded the oft-dreaded Administrative Commission as a tool for Starting Something New.
Administrative Commissions are occasionally assigned by Presbyteries – something akin to court appointed trustees – to help congregations navigate their next steps in ministry. Generally speaking, ACs are assigned to “churches with issues” which could mean anything from pastoral discord to financial struggles to fears of closing to actions moving towards leaving the denomination.
ACs are often resisted because congregations fear losing control. But as Bill and Aisha discussed, an AC can be an enormous blessing: the AC takes care of the nuts and bolts of daily ministry (i.e. the budget, the building) while the core leaders become free to focus on prayer and discernment. Bill Golderer believes that every congregation – small or large – needs an AC. I agree.
Every church has issues. Every. Church. Has. Issues. All congregations need a team of coaches who will guide them, hold them accountable, ask penetrating questions:
• For the large church: Who assesses your effectiveness in ministering to your closest neighbors?
• For the small church: Who assesses your viability, especially if you insist on meeting in a too-big building.
• For the new church: Who coaches you through the initial stages in your congregation’s life cycle?
• For the established church: Who points out that you are on the descending end of your church’s life cycle?
• For the church in the shifting neighborhood: Who is helping you navigate demographic shifts?
Sometimes churches hire consultants. But what if we worked together like a connectional church is supposed to work with teams from churches serving other churches? Imagine using Administrative Commissions as tools to help congregations create new spiritual communities with the joy of knowing that we are making church about pleasing God rather than pleasing ourselves.
Imagine a 30-member congregation being lovingly supported yet coached to close so that a new church which better fits the neighborhood can be planted.
Imagine a 1000-member congregation being lovingly coached to start a new church in a suburb where several of their families live, partnering with the new church to train leaders, partner in mission, mentor new disciples.
Imagine a 100-member church being lovingly coached to call a racial ethnic pastor who looks like the people in their changing neighborhood and also coached in radical hospitality so that current members can welcome them lavishly.
Yes, every church could use an Administrative Commission in order to incubate a new church.
Just imagine.
Jan Edmiston pastored churches in upstate NY and the DC area for 27 years before serving on the staff of The Presbytery of Chicago. Her life is now spent helping churches make the shift to become 21st Century congregations. She happily sticks her hand in the crazy, while also writing and speaking on new church development, emerging church, and healthy congregations. Her blog is A Church for Starving Artists, http://achurchforstarvingartists.wordpress.com/
She’s also the spouse of one and the mom of three. And she is a fabulous baker.
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FWIW .. most conservative congregations in the PC(USA) now trust Administrative Commissions only as far as they can throw them.
I would only trust an AD if there were very CLEARLY set out parameters that the AC MUST follow for any
darn … hit enter too soon ..
As I was saying … clear parameters that the AC must follow and NOT go beyond.
Perhaps administrative Commissions could be repurposed to friendlier, more constructive ends, like those mentioned in the article. But their past histories make them slightly less welcome than an IRS audit notice, which can only cost you money, not your home. When the folks from “Headquarters” show up to “hep ya,” hope is lost most times. They’re not there to help at all. They’re there to take control.
Away from you and your congregation.
This is an interesting/crazy/great idea full of possibilities and potential.
First for the detractors: The baggage associated with ACs is only known by Presbyterians (members of Presbyterian congregations who are already active and involved). That baggage isn’t inherently transmitted to members of NCDs/NWCs who don’t have a Presbyterian history. So, if we can set that aside as we think about the way an AC could work with NCDs/NWCs I think we can see the potential.
Think if you were trying to begin a community with a group 20 & 30 somethings who have no real church background. They don’t know polity, they don’t have insight into church admin, an they don’t know what a yearly statistical report is. And now tell that same group, hey we have a small group of pastors and church leaders who want to help you as you get this new thing going. We want to provide you with some coaching and support and take some things off your hands. The AC, along with the NCD/NWC, could take on the tasks of budget management. The presbytery has invested in the group (ideally) and now they have some say (hopefully not complete) in how the investment is being spent and they have a reporting body. The AC could be an official sounding board and cheerleaders for the NCD/NWC. They could take on the tasks of teaching how to keep records in a “presbyterian way” and how the NCD/NWC could shape form their leadership to work in a new context but fir the historical traditions of our denomination and heritage. Really, how an AC could help is pretty limitless if they understand their support status.
But think about the flip side. An AC might 6-8 members from 6-8 different churches. If the NCD/NWC is successful those 6-8 people have just had a first hand education. If the NCD/NWC thinks outside the box and takes some risks and really stretches then think of the take home the AC members have. One NCD/NWC strengthens the established churches and if they do something truly amazing think what an impact the AC’s report to presbytery might have. But, what if they fail? Same education. Learning from mistakes is a pretty healthy way to learn too.
I think this is a pretty great idea. But hey, maybe I see the glass half full.