For
the last year, I have been speaking in the language of journey as I seek to lead the DC Baptist Convention to a new land.
As you read this, the long talked about and anticipated Journey of 180 has
begun. I have been a minister for over 29 years and have used a lot of
words…probably more than I should have. Some of my language has been blunt,
bottomed-lined, filled with grammatical errors but nonetheless just raw
honesty. Then there are those times when I use a language to convey a meaning
larger than me, whose scope is outside of myself and only can be realized by a
people united in heart through the divine power of God. The language of journey
is one of those times.
If
you have been keeping up with my writings, blog, Facebook page, reports to
Convention leadership or public presentations you have come across words like
journey, paradigm, rebirth, geopolitan, community stakeholder, and service
(these are not all, but a few key ones). Permit me a moment to simply flesh-out
the use of these words in my journey language in my next several Blogs.
Journey: defined as ―an
act or instance of traveling from one place to another. Beginning with my very
first conversation with the Search Committee, the Committee wanted to know
about my vision for DCBC and where I thought the next destination for Baptist
Conventions would lead. My answer was very simple; I do not know the future
story or destination of DCBC or any other Convention. If DCBC were to hire an
Executive Director/Minister based on his or her vision/destination then failure
would surely follow. The future of DCBC or any organization rests in the hands,
hearts and minds of the stakeholders. The stakeholders for DCBC are the elected
leadership, clergy, congregational leaders AND community. In order to get from
our present reality to our envisioned future we have to be willing to take a
journey…to travel from one place to another, travelling in caravan (together)
and travelling forward. We also have to be willing to embark knowing that some
will not go on this journey, others will get tired and sit along the way,
others will take an exit and the committed will eventually reach the
destination. It is in journeying together that we learn more about ourselves
and where God is calling us. So as we travel…we continue to expand our capacity
to create the results we truly desire, we find that new and expansive patterns
of thinking are nurtured, we see collective aspiration set free, and witness
individuals begin to see the preferred destination as a whole.
Paradigm: I think Albert
Einstein said it best; No problem can be
solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. Thus,
conventional formulations and solutions based on the current environment are
inadequate to deal with future change. Although most organizational leaders
recognize this to be an issue, few have a paradigm that would assist them with
organizational transformation. The template we have for being and doing as a
Baptist convention is based largely on a paradigm developed in the 1950s and
guess what? It isn‘t working anymore—for us or any other Baptist convention.
Our present structure (staff, bylaws, programs, services) also needs to be
updated. And, DCBC‘s presence as a corporate body in the community at-large is virtually
non-existent. Yet, the responsibilities of Convention staff and elected
leadership have increased! Why? Because
we are stuck in a paradigm that causes us to keep doing what we have been doing
for years with less staff and less financial support. A new movement, a new way
must develop or we will continue to focus on keeping an institution on life
support until someone decides to pull the plug. Through the Journey of 180 we
will spend time discerning and dialoguing about the emerging possible
paradigms.
Rebirth: basic and
bottom-lined…the day is over for re-tweaking, re-organizing, re-arranging,
re-shuffling and resurrecting. The Convention has experienced the re‘s for 135
years and they have served us well. However, the environment, culture, needs
and expectations have reached a point that now calls for something totally and
drastically new. The journey calls for a rebirth.
Our
future is not found in past successes but in future realizations of concepts
and direction conceived during the Journey of 180. We have to ask the
right questions, not the easy ones, and seek solutions, not responses that
sound politically correct. My questions are:
If you had the opportunity to create a cooperative organization of Baptists
uniting in mission and service, what would the organization look like, be doing
and be focused upon? What Baptists would be invited to the partnership table? Would
we partner with non-Baptists? What core values will guide the Mission and
Vision of the rebirth?
I
am blessed to be with the District of Columbia Baptist Convention during this
most important time of their history. My primary objective when I accepted the
call to be the Executive Director/Minister was to facilitate this journey. What
will be the end result, the final destination? I have no idea but I am looking
forward to getting there with DC Baptists and finding that place together! Part II and Part III to follow soon.
