Messing with the DNA (by BRUCE REDMAN)

I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived.

"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley Horror stories often illustrate the inherent danger of cobbling bits of a body together or messing around with the essential DNA. A monster is usually created which eventually gets out of control, wreaks havoc and destroys original intentions and lives in the process. And so it often goes with church planting. Planting a church is a complicated, many facetted and unique experience, but from my observations there is one thing that seems to be a constant. In an ideal world everyone who got involved either by choice or appointment would be on the same page but unfortunately that is often not the case.

Reverend Colin Stoodley (a former SA officer, very successful Baptist pastor, church planting expert at Pines College, Queensland, Australia) talks a lot about the importance of determining the initial, God inspired DNA of a church plant and staying true to it.

DNA … contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of … living organisms. DNA is often compared to a set of blueprints or a recipe, or a code, since it contains the instructions needed … WIKIPEDIA

I have seen recent examples over the past decade where a church was planted by lay, bi-vocational, incarnational people who intimately understood the demographic and spiritual and physical needs of a potential congregation in a specific area. They faithfully slogged it out, putting in the hard yards to make the vision a reality, only to then have the project hijacked by the THQ/DHQ appointment of an outside team leader or officer just as things were starting to succeed. In many cases this imposition often destroys the original vision and the essential DNA. As recently as last month some colleagues who had built a church plant from their loungeroom to a full-on corps, have finally chosen to retreat out of absolute frustration, after an officer was appointed without any consultation. In spite of countless hours of briefing and seeing the plant process work firsthand it has become obvious to all concerned that the officer just “doesn’t get it”. The officer feels it necessary to create the place in their own image rather than take time to understand the DNA and establish how they could use their own training, experience, personality and fulltime position to take this church to a whole new level while maintaining the essence of why people started attending in the first place. The fact that the appointed officer has very little in their personal skillbase to offer this congregation and very little desire to meet them where they are is a tragedy but all too common.. Unfortunately the place is now crashing and burning and I suspect that soon the officer will be discretely moved away, quite probably apportioning blame to the team for their incompetence and non-stickability (have you heard that one before?). The visionaries concerned are off to the Pentecostals, who for their many and varied faults reverently respect a God-directed vision from the laity and willingly provide oxygen to the flickering flame with respect for the visionaries, TLC, resources and prayer. It’s quite possible that at least half of the plant will go with them. Another example is of a young person whose vision for an inner-city youth based ministry inspired many others to move into the area and to commence a community of Christians. An external leader was appointed to the project. The eventual collapse of this ministry (within a very short time) resulted in many disillusioned and economically effected people. There were a number of now obvious factors that contributed to the demise but it could be argued that it was mostly due to the DNA being messed with again. We would be naïve not to realise that some people have their own agenda in starting a church plant, and that sometimes needs to be called to account, but I believe that it is essential to church plant health to respect the original dreamers (as we so often do with the Booths) and allow them (if appropriate) to be “custodians of the vision”. I have seen this “custodian” attitude work very well with respect to rural-based churches, mission plants and culturally specific ministries. Appointed officers or imposed leaders should be allowed to lead from the front but they must be sensitive awareness of the blood, sweat and tears of those who have blazed the trail. If they come stomping into the appointment in virtual jackboots and arrogantly claim that they are “anointed” specifically for the task at hand they may go about unravelling the intricate strains of DNA. This attitude is doomed to failure. Staying true to the DNA does not mean being stuck with the initial idea. We do have to be flexible to changing conditions and resource levels as they fluctuate. But it is about feeding the original passion and inspiration and passing that along to each person who jumps on board. It’s not about shaping things to a precept learnt in Training College or from some dodgy one day course developed by some mega-church somewhere else.

Church planting cannot be done by a “join the dots” colouring-in scheme because we are dealing with those very unpredictable of creatures - human beings! There are individual spiritual experiences, personal circumstances and agendas, egos, visions and dreams to be balanced as we try and meet the needs of the community by introducing them to Christ through us.