The Limits Of The Organization

In my denomination of origin, they used to talk extensively about the value of a cooperative. By organizing churches together, we felt we could accomplish more. I witnessed the value of this – several times, resources were pooled and mobilized and instantly we could solve a problem that might have taken years to solve as an individual church. I have also witnessed the reverse conundrum when the organization did nothing but ensure that everything would take longer because “things move slow around here” or “it has to go through the process.”

We all know that occasionally organizations can be beneficial. When there is synergy and enthusiasm (usually in the early days), we can make great progress because there is strength in numbers, and we can more efficiently use resources. In the early days, people are excited because we are shaping our desired corner of the world with our perception of how it should change. It can be exhilarating! But, along with the benefits of organizations, we should also give some time to what they cannot do.

The overwhelming reason that organizations are limited is because most of the resources in the organization go toward preserving the organization. In a church, 70% of the funds are used to maintain the building and pay the staff. Most of the time and money in an organization is spent to attract new people or buy supplies or replace worn out equipment. The bulk of the energy is spent keeping the organization functioning.

All of us are a part of organizations. Whether it is a church or Facebook group or even just the place we are employed. We feel loved because we are a part of the group, but it is important to realize that the organization itself can never loves us. People in the group may show us love, especially in the recruitment process, but ultimately recruiting new members, fundraising, and mediating crisis takes priority over time spent in relationship. We can feel neglected and ignored, and we often use phrases like “just a number,” “part of the machine,” or a “cog in the wheel.”

Sometimes the detachment we feel from an organization is real. As we grow and change, the organization may not be able to grow and change with us and we will feel a disconnect from the group. We can demand that that organization respond, but this is where we are reminded that the machine responds slowly. It’s not because the group doesn’t care—it is simply a matter of economics. Again, most of its energy is devoted to promoting and preserving the organization. It may talk about service to “customers” and “members” but, it realistically has limited resources for that purpose.

I do not think the issue is one of caring or not caring. I seldom meet a pastor that doesn’t care about people or a manager that deep down doesn’t care about their employees. Most of them care deeply about those they shepherd or manage, but again most of their resources are devoted to the organization and keeping it running. The demands to keep the trains running overrides any real time spent in genuine relationship or healing.

Churches unfortunately made some of these issues worse by further organizing the church to be bigger and more corporate like in nature. If gave us bigger, better sanctuaries and coffee shops in the lobby, but it probably just detached us further from each other and enhanced the trauma we often experience. Churches developed mission statements to solve problems but left its biggest problem unsolved: how to connects with people and provide true community.

What I want to suggest is that one of the reasons organizations traumatize us is because we don’t expect them to fail to meet our need for belonging. When they fail us, we have a hard time detaching because we are taught to loyal and faithful. We connect faithfulness with our religion and make it even harder to leave or move on or explore. Realizing we are on a journey helps because then we can detach ourselves when our needs change or we possibly grow beyond the organization.

Likely we will feel some shame when we try to pursue what is best for us because the people that oversee preserving the organization want to maintain members, employees, etc. Like I said, it’s not that they don’t care about you, they just don’t have enough energy to preserve the group and meet your needs for acceptance. It’s kind of impossible.

My approach to this dilemma is that I am learning to detach gracefully. It is helpful for me to realize when organizations are beneficial to me and when I need to leave them to journey to the next destination.

Maybe someday we will develop organizations that have an evolving nature that grows with the individuals in the group. But we are long way from this happening. There barely seems to be enough time or energy to reimagine or evaluate the organization, much less reengineer it so that it evolves with the people. So, we either stifle the people or stunt the organization – neither is a good choice.

For the record I don’t have animosity toward the church or most organizations, I just want them to do better. I think we are at the point that if we don’t reimagine and reengineer some things, they are going to fall apart. This includes our churches, our governments, and many other things.

For now, I try to manage my detachment and realize that it is not always a bad thing.

Be where you are, be who you are, be at peace,

Karl