The Resurrection of National Denominations

Part Two: Solutions

By
George Bullard
Ministry Partner with The Columbia Partnership
Voice: 803.622.0923, E-mail: GBullard@[Link]
Web Site: [Link]

In previous articles I talked about the coming death of national denominations, and suggested an
assessment for the resurrection of national denominations. It is insufficient to point out the problem,
provide an assessment and typologies, without also offering solutions to the opportunities and challenges.
The purpose of this article is to initiate a dialogue around solutions for plateaued and declining national
denominations. No one right solution exists. Different pathways for transformation are needed for national
denominations who are at various starting places.

The resurrection of national denominations requires various phases of effort. These are Readiness,
Preparation, Journey, and Sustaining. The following is a brief overview of each of these phases.
Obviously more depth is required to understand the full process for the transformation, even resurrection,
of national denominations.

Transformation Readiness

It is not possible for national denominations to simply decide one day to start a transformation process.
Readiness factors must be present. For a national denomination to be ready for transformation there
must be present factors of urgency, spirituality, leadership, strategy, and resources.

Urgency is a sense the national denomination is not reaching its full kingdom potential. It is not really
dissatisfaction with the journey of the national denomination; although that emotion or perspective is
present. It is more a sense that the mission and ethos of the national denominations calls for it to achieve
greater effectiveness than it is realizing. A passion is present within the leadership and followership of the
denomination that it has great ministry yet to do. It cannot allow that ministry to go undone.

Spirituality is the sense God is up to something in this national denomination. While not fully clear about
a vision or sense of spiritual direction for the next decade or so of the national denomination, there is
discernment that God is calling this national denomination forward. God has a key role for this national
denomination in the constellation of denominations. If this specific national denomination does not
respond then God will have to raise up another.

Leadership means the denomination has elected, appointed, and employed leadership who see the
future. They also have the capacities necessary to lead this national denomination forward. They have
the passion and sense of divine purpose to not just maintain the past gains of the national denomination,
and build three tabernacles to worship God and glory in the past, but have the desire for leading the new
vision God is challenging this national denomination to fulfill.

Strategy has two foci. First, the national denomination has an approach to strategy that must be
balanced between two great efforts. One effort is to engage in those ministries that flow out of the core
values of the denomination that expend more resources than they generate. The other effort is to renew
or restore the core resources of the denomination so the really great things the denomination loves to do
can continue for many decades. Without this balance the national denomination will incrementally die.

Second, the national denomination is aware of strategic efforts it is willing to take that fit its ethos and will
transform the denomination. Many national denominations either do not know what to do, or reject the
most effective strategies because they do not fit the cultural values or ethos of the national denomination.

April 14, 2010 Edition 1 Copyright 2010, Rev. George Bullard, [Link].
It is possible for a denomination to be so limited in what it is willing to do that it is unwilling to do those
things necessary to transform.

Resources must be available or can be acquired that will empower the transformation of the national
denomination. These resources are financial, personnel, and knowledge-based assets. At times
resources that are present must be reallocated or reprioritized. At other times they represent new
capacities that must be acquired. Without resources that can be focused on transformation the national
denomination’s resurrection efforts are likely to fail.

Transformation Preparation

At least three significant actions are necessary to prepare a national denomination for a transformation
journey. There are assessment, people of passion identification, and diminishing the controlling aspects
of management and culture.

Assessment involves addressing the ten assessment factors—and others—identified in the part one
article of this series on the resurrection of national denominations. It also involves working on the five
readiness factors identified above to determine where readiness exists, and where readiness needs to be
developed.

People of passion identification is the discovery and recruitment of people in various dimensions of the
denomination from congregations, local and regional denominational organizations, and national
denominational organizations who have positive spiritual passion about the future of the denomination
towards which God is leading it. A representative group of these people should guide the transformation
process.

Diminishing the controlling aspects of management and culture is absolutely necessary to initiate
before a national denomination can move forward. Various aspects of structure and culture control a
national denomination when captivating vision is not present. National denominations need to be willing to
ask the question, “What are the things that control us and keep us from moving forward?” The controlling
aspects are not necessarily negative things. They are simply controlling.

Transformation Journey

Following preparation national denominations can then embark on a transformation journey. The reality is
that the transformation journey probably starts on its own as readiness and preparation are addressed.
Based on their assessment—often with the assistance of an outside third party—a national denomination
chooses one of the five pathways for transformation: Revision, Revitalization, Renewal, Reinvention, or
Resurrection.

Revision focuses on casting and becoming captivated by a new vision for the national denomination.
Many other factors are present, positive, and strong, but the denomination is unfocused, unclear, and/or
unmotivated regarding vision. Programs, ministries, and missional actions may be providing some
dimension of vitality and vibrancy. If it is truly only a revision transformation that is needed, this journey
can become fully empowering within six to 18 months.

Revitalization involves retooling the programs, ministries, and missional activities of the denomination for
a new generation in a new century. It is a ready, shoot, aim approach as the national denomination
focuses on new or renewed actions that renew the core and extend the ministry, experiments with new
approaches for emerging generations as well as legacy generations, and then aims its efforts in the areas
of new discernment about the future of the national denomination. Out of these efforts new vision begins
to emerge that can be cast and embraced by the national denomination. This journey requires 18 to 36
months to reach its full impact.

Renewal is the most difficult journey because of the desire to take new forward action when the reality is
that renewal of relationships throughout the national denomination is the first major season of this

April 14, 2010 Edition 2 Copyright 2010, Rev. George Bullard, [Link].
transformation journey. It has three seasons of effort. The first is renewal of relationship with God, one
another, and understandings of the core values and ethos of the denomination. Second, is retooling the
programs, ministries, and activities. Third, is casting and becoming captivated by vision. This process is
also the longest. It takes three to five years to complete. It is also the process on which national
denominations are likely to give up because they do not have the delayed gratification to give this process
time to work. Therefore, national denominations may go through this journey multiple times before it is
sufficiently impactful.

Reinvention requires a clean page. National denominations must be willing to redesign themselves from
the center outwards. Nothing strategically or structurally can be considered sacred. Only a core or
centered understanding of the pure mission of the national denomination is sacred. It should be
considered that no national agencies or institutions will automatically exist in the new national
denomination. The strategy and structure must be developed quickly once the journey starts. The journey
should take 18 to 36 months to reach empowerment and become the formal strategy and structure of the
reinvented national denomination.

Resurrection occurs after death. For a national denomination to experience resurrection it must be
willing to die. As it dies it turns to its congregations, and local and regional denominational organizations
to put in place any national structure that might be needed to continue the movement of heritage and
hope of this denomination. Any national denominational assets are held in trust temporarily by a vehicle
established for this purpose. This transformation journey must be done quickly. Six to 18 months is
probably the time frame for this journey.

Sustaining Transformation

For the transformation of national denominations to be sustaining it cannot be viewed as a quick fix, but
rather a long-term solution. Even so, national denominations who are more than 22 to 27 years old must
realize they will need to revision their journey at least every decade.

Therefore, the first step in sustaining transformation is to hardwire into the culture and documents of the
national denomination that a transformation process will be engaged in every decade. Second, is make
the mantra of all decisions and efforts of the national denominations the question, “How will this help us
fulfill our vision?” Use this to evaluate the effectiveness of all efforts, the value of any new proposed
initiative, to restructure boards and staff, and to allocate precious financial resources.

Third, is to build a broad-based leadership development process that identifies, increases the capacity of,
and raises up into leadership roles the next generation of leaders. Fourth, is to develop a broad-base of
funding streams that provide the regular financial resources to fulfill the mission and vision of the national
denomination. Fifth, is to always keep the balance in efforts and resource commitments between activities
that renew the core and activities that extend the mission.

Guarantees?

There are none. I cannot guarantee that any of these transformation pathways will definitely result in the
resurrection of your national denomination. I can only guarantee that without transformation your national
denomination will die. It is just a matter of when.

Services?

I do not just write and talk about the death, transformation, and resurrection of national denominations. It
is part of my personal mission. Therefore, telephone conversations, face-to-face dialogue, and one to
three year processes of transformation that I coach are available to you for the asking. Feel free to
contact me at GBullard@[Link] or at 803.622.0923.

April 14, 2010 Edition 3 Copyright 2010, Rev. George Bullard, [Link].
Important Things to Know
George Bullard is a Ministry Partner with The Columbia Partnership. He is also General Secretary [executive director]
of the North American Baptist Fellowship of the Baptist World Alliance. The Columbia Partnership is a non-profit
Christian ministry organization focused on transforming the capacity of the North American Church to pursue and
sustain Christ-centered ministry. Travel Free Learning is a leadership development emphasis. For more information
about products and services check out the web site at [Link], send an e-mail to
[Link]@[Link], or call 803.622.0923.

April 14, 2010 Edition 4 Copyright 2010, Rev. George Bullard, [Link].