HOW ONE CHURCH
April 1, 1980
Just to announce it provoked mixed reactions. A majority displayed "couldn't-care-less" attitudes and never attended. Others carefully marked it on their calendars as the occasion to exercise Godgiven rights to free speech. The elders and pastoral staff approached it with all the apprehensions of a bomb squad. The rest came for the fireworks. The pattern was predictable: after reporting on "all the wonderful things God did for us last year," a new budget was presented for discussion and adoption. The tension could be sensed, felt, and I almost tasted as the pace of questions quickened about allocations for the church school, missions support, the music budget, manse repairs, and staff salaries. If a massive explosion didn't occur during the meeting, smaller eruptions took place afterward in the corridors, parking lots, and homes across the community. The end result was always the same: the motion to adopt the budget was carried by a simple majority, but the fallout of misunderstandings, anger, and strained relationships lasted for six months. One church, after licking its wounds for several years over congregational confrontations, decided to do something about it. First, the ruling elders asked the trustees and staff to accelerate the budget-planning process by 60 days. Second, with the initial budget recommendations in hand, all three groups rigorously debated each part of the budget, and often sent whole sections back for redrafting. Third, the entire membership was invited to attend one of two identical briefing sessions in which a draft of the proposed budget was presented and feedback was encouraged. All elders, trustees, and staff were prepared to present supporting rationales for any part of the proposed budget. The ...
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