Think on These Things

Paul Borden 101, 102, 103

This is the first in a trilogy of blogs that seeks to review the work of Paul Borden – “Hit the Bull’s-eye,” and “Direct Hit.” Paul Borden is an executive judicatory leader in the American Baptist church in California. While it is true that the structure in that tribe is different from that which we have in the Nazarene tribe, the principal themes for church growth are transferable, in my opinion.

Borden insists that what is terribly wrong in the way we do church today is a lack of authority, accountability, and responsibility. Church health and subsequently church growth cannot be assured when no one has the authority to make the necessary adjustments to move forward. Neither pastors nor district superintendents, under our system, seem to have the authority to make changes because the church boards sometimes gets in the way. The maintenance approach by most congregations could only be reversed by a system that grants permission to the pastor to take ultimate authority for the turnaround of that congregation.

Furthermore, it has become a pattern in many congregations to reward faithfulness more readily than fruitfulness. The status quo must be viewed as inacceptable to leaders. It is much easier for the pastor to be held accountable than it is for the church board. However, this would require a c-change in the structure of the church. I doubt that many congregations or district superintendents are willing to hold the pastor accountable, since there is the existence of the scapegoat of church board deference. Borden was critical of the governance fundamentals of John Carver in this area. He proffers that churches can give extensive powers to the board to the degree that the pastor/leader is left deficient of the responsibility for ultimate church growth.

Borden is passionate about transformational change in congregations, but he is convicted that accountability and responsibility can be harnessed by the very structures that were intended to be the skeleton to bring form and focus; as stated by Borden “a skeleton that does not grow and develop produces great deformity and eventually death.” Intrinsic in the present structures is the perception that the pastor adopts the shepherd/chaplain model rather than a leadership replica. What is called for, according to Borden, is a hybrid of the traditional methods and an emerging machinery that gives permission to pastor, board, and the congregation to experiment with new forms of strategies to foster transformational change.

However, Borden is quick to point out that changing structures would not guarantee change. Real and effective change comes by a reorientation and implementation of new vision, mission, and values.

MY CONCLUSION
Change is difficult! However, change can only be accomplished if there is put in place a person or body that has the authority to do whatever is necessary to employ the leadership role to effect such change. One of the most radical suggestions of Borden is that the board, ministry team, or pastor should commit to resignation if the preferred change is not accomplished in a prescribed time frame.

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