Postmodern Church Leadership Source: Bill Easum, Tom Bandy seminar/book, Leadership on the OtherSide

Unchurched America Having grown up in the church: a liability in connecting with the 80+% of people under 20 who did not grow up in church What can we learn about how to lead a new group of people who don’t respond to old models of leadership?

From Obstetrician to Midwife Obstetricians: “we deliver babies” Midwives: “we assist couples in the birth of their child”

From Obstetrician to Midwife Leadership is moving from expert-centered to client-inclusive models Leadership is now measured in terms of what gifts we enable others to exercise, not in terms of what gifts we exercise Viewed in terms of lay- mobilization rather than guru-following

It’s a New Day! Birth of postmodern era parallels the evolution in our game-playing From Monopoly, Yahtzee, and football To Riven, Myst, and Pokemon From games with rules and structure to games with a story and clues

What are the new leadership roles? 1. Information sifters. Today, we get more information in one day than a 17 th century person received in an entire life time Role of leadership is to find jewels in the junk To sift

What are the new leadership roles? 2. Distinguishing fact from fiction. As virtual reality evolves, people will have more and more difficulty determining what is real Symbol: internet porn addictions

What are the new leadership roles? 3. Distinguishing human from machine. As cloning and other bio-technical enterprises expand, people will need help to determine what it is that makes us human Machine implants Ethics of birth-dying engineering

Who is most resistant to new models of leadership? Not seniors! Many postmoderns feel more affinity with grandparents than parents

Who is most resistant to new models of leadership? Most resistant: first-edge baby boomers Have risen to positions of control of the board Have always had their way Grew up when the world was still “modern”

What to do about the resistance? The “clods” in the garden Based on Easum/Bandy survey of 800 churches with fewer than 200 in attendance Every church has 2-5 clods which must be removed or broken up for the soil to support the seed

What to do about the resistance? Typically, who are the “clods?” 1. The choir (or choir-leader). 2. Trustees. 3. Financial secretary, treasurer, finance committee member. 4. The church matriarch or patriarch.

What to do about the resistance? 1. Deal in story, symbol, metaphor. 2. Place in community to expose to changed lives 3. Show them your homework. 4. Give them time to change and grow. 5. Be willing to confront and live without their approval and/or resources. 6. Cast vision for their children & grandchildren.

What works now? The new shape of postmodern leadership: 1. Flexible about most everything 2. Rabid about one thing “What has Jesus Christ done to turn your life around that this community absolutely cannot live without knowing?”

What works now? The innovators: emerging great churches in the postmodern era Not Willow Creek, Saddleback, and FBC But Brooklyn Tabernacle, Southeast Christian, Ginghamsburg, Cincy Vineyard, Warehouse 242

What Emerging Churches Emphasize 1. Multiple sites 2. Emphasis on the city vs. building grander sanctuaries 3. Programs are disappearing 4. Church planting 5. Seminaries No longer stand-alone, but are online and local-church based If you can’t turn out practicioners, you’re dead in the water!

5 New “OtherSide” Leadership Rules 1. Jesus-centered. A). Existential experience of life-altering grace Work of Christ to repair and heal profound brokeness B). Demonstrations of almighty power Triumph of the God of Jesus Christ amid the polyglot of many gods

5 New “OtherSide” Leadership Rules 2. Passionate. Rabid about the difference Jesus makes But not arrogant Never: “I’ve got it, you don’t, haha!” Not bigoted about their Jesus knowledge

5 New “OtherSide” Leadership Rules 3. Innovative. Operates in a permission-giving climate If it doesn’t work, we learn from that mistake and try something else new From long-range plan to high-speed navigation

5 New “OtherSide” Leadership Rules 4. Focused yet flexible. Highly knowledgeable about methodologies Focused on person and work of Jesus Thus willing to punt proven methodologies quickly Willing to unemotionally “sell stocks” that performed well in the past but are currently under-performing

5 New “OtherSide” Leadership Rules 5. Intuitive. As receptive to “perceiving” learning as to “judging” learning “E.Q” before “I.Q.”

The New Premium The primary word of leadership in the modern world: control Ability to engineer turnkey, repeatable experiences The primary word of leadership in the postmodern world: speed Ability to maneuver quickly in rapidly changing circumstances

The New Model From “guru” to “team” The “Senior Pastor” model is disappearing and will be nearly extinct in 50 years Replaced by team-based models of leadership which allow many people to operate on the basis of their gifts and calling

The New Longing Whereas moderns marked effectiveness by accurate theology, great preaching, and impressive facilities … … Postmoderns will mark effectiveness by presence of community (unconditional love) and presence of intensity and passion

The New Hope 7% of the world’s population professed Jesus Christ last year! The highest rate in 2000 years Churches which wish to join God in this movement must be attuned to the new ways that people will be led into this life

Postmodern Leadership Dr. John P. Chandler The Ray and Ann Spence Network for Congregational Leadership Copy right John P. Chandler, 2003