(‘Sacred cows and gourmet burgers’)

From: “L J Stevens” <>

While we have been discussing Bill Easum’s book Sacred Cows Make Gourmet Burgers, the list has no connection with Easum. One individual recently questioned the motives behind Bill’s statements to a group Baptist leaders. The following item defends the value and effectiveness of consultants and ends with 7 specific services consultants bring to a church.

>Alan C. wrote:

>> While I have the same jaundiced view of consultants as you, I don’t want to throw out the baby with the bath water.

>

>In response to Rick M’s point:

>

>> Q. Does an independent church consultant have a vested interest in making this statement?

>> Let me put it another way…you have a problem and I have an answer to it.

>> Hire me to teach you how to solve it.

>> A. Big time vested interest. This was not new news but an advertisement for

There are bad people in every walk, including business and church consultants. I’m not sure Rick really means here to call in question the motivations of this particular man or statement. We all know pastors and denominational executives and business people can be motivated by money, and it does make sense to discover where someone is coming from before looking to them for leadership. But consultants, like any leaders, can also make huge contributions to organisations achieving their visions and purposes for being.

Recently, Christian Schwarz, a church consultant in Germany, surveyed 1,000 churches in 32 countries (30 people from each church, so 30,000 people provided data internationally). From this, he came up with 8 qualities for healthy churches. (This is a major study. His book is very interesting, and really worth the read. You can get it in the US through ChurchSmart Resources for $19.95 at 1-800-253-4276.)

The point that addresses the use of consultants, however, was a real eye opener. Among the key variables related to the leadership in churches, the factor with the highest correlation to the overall quality and growth of a church, is leadership’s regular use of an outside consultant (used by 58% of Pastors with growing, high quality churches). On the other side, churches rating themselves as the lowest in quality and declining in membership, had only 12% of their leaders willing to use consultants.

I don’t find that surprising. The type of leaders who will not avail themselves of outside help even when things are going very badly, also don’t listen to other leaders within their fellowships. Biblical leadership is not a one man show. “Leaders” who are threatened by the mere presence of other leaders and other views, have no business leading in any setting, church or business, in my opinion. Church leaders who regularly seek counsel from those inside their churches, are more likely to seek specific expertise outside of them. And those leaders seek it at all seasons, not just when trouble hits.

Many consultants for churches are out there. The rates charged vary, some easily in excess of $150/hour plus expenses (a reasonable business consultants hourly fee, and they possess similar education and experience) to only out of pocket expenses. Cost is not a major factor if churches want outside expertise to be added to their leadership team.

Here are seven things these church consultants bring to the team:

1. Facilitation of Processes: Church consultants do not tell churches what to do. Good consulting is more asking good questions than giving good advice. Instead, they assist churches in discovering and focusing on their own calling, goals, strengths and weaknesses. They are skilled at eliciting needs and wants, defusing fears, and guiding the process. Change is stressful, and conflict resolution is a necessary skill to keep progress positive.

2. Objective Viewpoint: Having no personal, vested interest in what the church is presently doing, or will do in the future, allows the church consultant to be somewhat emotionally removed from the decisions. This objectivity can bring valuable input into the assessment, planning and implementation processes.

3. New Ideas: From experiences in a wide variety of churches, and from the ability to focus their time and energy on church growth issues, church consultants bring a wide array of new ideas. Along with a fresh perspective and objective viewpoint, the pastor and leadership team will come up with new ideas of their own, that might otherwise never be considered.

4. Change Management Skills: Church consultants are skilled at understanding the process, and navigating direction and speed in change. They can help to insure that people and ideas are not lost, and minimise the stress of change. Rather than the change process being disruptive and divisive, they can help you to proceed with change in healthy and productive ways.

5. No Relationship Baggage: Church consultants do not have any history with the various members, or past and present leadership. There are no hidden agendas, no sacred cows, and no people-oriented constraints in their thinking, proposals, and assessments. They often can say and do things that those present cannot.

6. Fresh Perspective: Pastors and their leadership teams gain the benefit of someone with a fresh perspective. Sometimes the possibilities and problems can take on new meanings, offering new potentials, from seeing them from a new perspective. Church consultants bring a broad perspective and insights from many other churches to the table.

7. Strategic Expertise: Having the time to keep abreast of research data and to sort through what is simply fad and gimmick versus what is real and working in church growth, church consultants bring specific expertise to the process.

Art Mealer; Buffalo, NY; US