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Moving from the more theological perspectives on Eph 4
ministry, let us take a quick look at the church as a social system to explore further the impact of differing leadership styles based on APEST. When we do this, we discover that Paul’s basic template for ministry and leadership is affirmed by current best practice in leadership and management theory and practice.
“In most human leadership systems it is acknowledged that there may be one or more of the following leadership styles:”
- The entrepreneur, innovator, and ground breaker who initiates a new product, or service, or type of organization
- The questioner or inquirer who probes awareness and fosters questioning of current programming leading to organizational learning (agent provocateur)
- The communicator and recruiter to the organizational cause who markets the idea or product and gains loyalty and allegiance to a brand
- The humanizer or people oriented motivator who fosters a healthy relational system through the management of meaning
- The systematizer and philosopher who is able to clearly articulate the organizational purpose and goals in such a way as to advance corporate understanding
In The Shaping of Things to Come, we comment that the
Various social scientists use different terms for the above categories but recognize that these represent vital contributions that different types of leaders bring to an organization. In most leadership management theory it is assumed that the conflicting agendas and motivations of the above leaders pull them in different directions. However, imagine a leadership system in any setting (corporate, government, political, etc) where the entrepreneurial ground breaker and strategist dynamically interacts with the disturber of the status quo (the questioner). Imagine that both these are in active dialogue and relation with the passionate communicator/recruiter, the person who carries the message beyond organizational borders and sells the idea/s or product/s. These in turn are in constant engagement with the humanizer (HR), the carer, the social cement and the systematizer and articulator of the whole. The synergy in this system would be significant in any context. Clearly the combination of these different leadership styles is greater than the sum of its parts. (174)
These reflections on the dynamics of ministry callings takes us directly to the model proposed by Paul in Ephesians 4; Here we are presented with a dynamic synergy involving diverse interests and motivations held together in a profound harmony aimed at the building up of the whole. A possible socio-dynamic view of the APEPT matrix can be represented as follows:
Just as the various systems in the human body (e.g. the circulation, nervous, digestive, systems) work together to sustain and enhance life, so too in all living systems the various elements in the system inter-relate and serve to augment each other. Dysfunction is the result of a breakdown between various components or agents within the system. When each component operates at peak and harmonizes with the other components, the whole system is enhanced and benefits from synergy—that is where the sum result is greater of the individual parts. So it is with APEPT. When all are present and inter-related in an effective way, the body of Christ will operate at peak. To use Paul’s terms in Eph 4, it ‘grows’, ‘matures’, ‘builds itself up’, and ‘reaches unity in the faith’.
Furthermore, in living systems theory the way to move an organization into adaptive organic mode requires that we (1) develop and enhance relationships, (2) cross pollinate ideas from different specialties and departments, (3) disturb equilibrium by moving to the edge of chaos and, (4) focus information according to organizational mission. Developing a fully functioning APEPT system in a local church, mission agency, or denomination will go a long way to achieving these ends.
Comments
Alan,
I appreciate your good humor with my comments on your book. It is an overall terrific book. The last section in it where you deal with Leadership dynamics is right on. Here is my question. In a new church plant commissioned by my denomination, Tracey and I have not attracted many mature Christians. Should this make any difference in trying to establish the 5-point leadership team dynamic you speak of? And question 2 is about vision. I have dreamed that a community could birth a vision together, but this hasn't been a common experience as far as I can tell. It still seems to come down to a man or a woman setting the course. Thoughts? Thanks!
Perhaps this is not very PC but, David, I strongly resonate with that second question. We sometimes speak of "early adopters" and "late adopters". My experience, like yours, is that there is very often a "first adopter". Isn't that part of the (small a) apostolic thing?!
For me that's been so in the very values-driven close-community-based groups i've been part of in the last ten years and in the very strategy-driven events-based congregations I worked with prior. As I say, I feel that this may not be the PC thing to say, but it has been my experience thus far.
Paul,
Thanks for the feedback. I am finding that our older members still operate out of a strategy-driven approach (the "modern" paradigm). The younger ones, especially the "on-fire" ones are drawn to the values-driven approach (postmodern paradigm). This is a generalization of course, but it reflects our demographic pretty well. I am finding, however, that underlying it all is a very similar heart for the gospel and for people. With our steadfast desire to remain a culturally and generationally diverse church, I don't want to discourage our "modern" with their intentions, but I want to push them toward more values and more community. We are agreed that the events-based, strategy-driven approach didn't work? Yet, would you also agree that anytime we strategize relationship-building (even by calling ourselves values, relationship, and community-oriented), we are shooting ourselves in the foot? I mean, relationships always and only happen from an authentic, organic place, don't they?
Sometimes we need to remove some clutter from our schedules in order for people to have the time and energy for allowing relationships to begin "from an authentic and organic place", to echo your phrase, David. So perhaps that little bit of strategy might be needed.
Also I have found that people who have been busy for twenty years or more with church-things often find they have forgotten same very basic skills - like how to make a friend or how to have a conversation. I am quite serious. Maybe it's different round your parts but in the UK and Australia I have learned not to assume that adults - especially church people who have had "fellowship" provided on a plate all their adult lives - know how to do those things.
Giving a little attention to helping people with befriending and conversing might also be viewed as a little bit of "good strategy". On that second topic I would strongly recommend "How to have a beautiful mind" by Edward de Bono. (It's not a specifically Christian book, but it has some great insight on how to meet people and have conversations with them.) A book with a very practical section on befriending is "The Life-Changing Power of Winnie the Pooh". Again it's not an explicitly Christian book, but it's written by a Christian author. (It's not out yet. I'll try and keep you posted.)
Where those skills are not an issue, probably the most strategic thing we can do a propos relationship building is free up our time.
I guess I'm of an age that straddles the two mind-sets you describe. David, I'm guessing you are too (?) I fully agree with your analysis and note that in the parable of the sower,soils and seed, what chokes our effectiveness isn't strategy but:
the cares of this age (how often do we let the media tell us what to worry about?)
the deceitfulness of riches (how often material commitments take our money and time!)
desires for other things (fill in the gap!)
Now, tackling those; hmmm; would that be a strategy or a values orientation?! ;>)
Blessings