Strategies for Confronting

the Tyranny of the Minority

Part 3

Members of congregations learn that they can control processes by bullying behavior and tantrums because many congregations value being nice and keeping everybody happy.  In our transformation process we decided very early that although we wanted to hear the voice of the minority, our faith tradition teaches us that the minority sometimes clearly discerns what God is doing, that we wanted to discourage some of the inappropriate strategies that were used to block change.  We developed a concept we informally called "the tyranny of the mission" which means that in our ministry teams we want everything evaluated through the lens of the mission and core values statement that we spent two years discerning and developing.  In our transition from boards and committees to ministry teams, several traditional activities were not picked up.  When a few angry people complained, we simply encouraged them to show how these activities were important to the mission of our congregation, and we would sound the call.  In one instance where the activity obviously was not something in line with our mission (a fund-raising dinner that raised few dollars and caused many headaches) we stated that we had no major objection if a group wanted to do it, but not to expect support from ministry teams that did not see it as part of their mission.

Members of congregations learn that they can control processes by publicly challenging visions and gifts, keeping people on the defensive.  In the old committee/chain of command structure at First United Church, one needed to pass a new idea through a minimum of three levels before it was approved, and there were usually critical people at each level.  People often felt it wasn't worth the effort.  In our new structure, after a ministry team has been confirmed, it has the authority to exercise its ministry as it sees fit with the gifts and graces of the team's members.  If someone has a concern about the ministry a team is doing, they must first discuss this with the people and team involved.  If they are not satisfied, they can bring their concern to the pastor and lay leader, and only if things are not resolved at that level, may they bring things to the administrative ministry team.  Our goal is to make it easier to develop emerging ministries and more difficult to inhibit them through criticism and challenge.  Now if an individual or small group does not like what's being done, they need to work through three levels to show that a ministry is not effective or in tune with our mission.

Because the tyranny of the minority has been more a problem in the congregation I serve than many, I have used my authority as preacher and teacher to "name the demon."  I regularly remind people that it is not my role to be a professional nice guy, and that it is not their job to be a club for nice people.  I tell them not to tell others that we are a nice church, but to tell them that we are a gifted congregation.  God has given me particular gifts and graces to work on the health and spiritual growth of the congregation, and God has given them particular gifts to promote the realm of God in the congregation and beyond.  We need to live out our own gifts to the glory of God instead of fretting about what others are doing with their gifts.  If the Spirit will take those words and plant them in our hearts, we will become enthused about our own ministries and less interested in criticizing the ministry of others.  Conversion works better than confrontation.

Grace and Peace,

Loren Olson

First United Church

Little Falls, MN