Take the Next Step: Leading Lasting Change in the Church, by Lovett H. Weems, Jr. (Abingdon Press, 2003)
Review by: Jerry Devine, Detroit Conference Director of Connectional Ministries
After five years as a ministry consultant followed by five as district superintendent, I have heard many clergy say, “If only I were appointed to a church that was ready to change, I could _____!” (You can fill in the blank, but it usually has something to do with vitality, growth and fulfillment.)
Having served in several local church appointments as a pastor, I would agree that some parishes are more ready to embrace change than others.
However, I have almost never found a setting where no change is possible. With God all things are possible. How we identify and bring about needful change may be the issue.
In Take the Next Step: Leading Lasting Change in the Church, Dr. Lovett Weems, Jr. takes on the dynamics of change in a manner that makes it accessible for any size church.
He helps to demythologize the dynamics of change that can so often lead to polarization and demonization among church leaders. By looking at congregations as cultural communities and family systems he identifies the factors that will influence how positive change can be approached. While radical change is sometimes called for, in most local churches the methodology that will work best will be more “evolutionary than revolutionary,” Weems suggests.
Because we are an itinerant, appointive, and connectional system, addressing issues of change requires the building of trust. That is not the same as building consensus.
Caring for the basics of relationship provides a foundation for naming, defining and reframing reality.
Weems lays this out as the precursor of beginning a visioning process. Learning the essential art of asking questions to invite insight is vital as one infuses accurate information into faulty assumptions.
New insight becomes a base for considering vision and direction. It moves into an accurate picture of the present without losing aspects of the past.
Weems writes very clearly for clergy and lay leadership whose responsibility it is to guide their congregations into considering where God is moving them. His approach is non-threatening yet clearly aware that we cannot assume that our present reality is where God intends us to remain.
He reminds the reader that in order to seek vision and the subsequent change required for fulfilling that vision, one must also understand the “phases of thriving and declining organizations”.
He also helps make visioning a more practical “looking for clues” rather than the abstract approaches that have often been used. This allows a more natural discernment, and builds a bridge between past and future.
It is an easy read with pithy quotes. Even if not used as a guide for your visioning process, it can be an instrument of study and holy conferencing among your leaders as you seek regeneration.
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