At the Church AGM last week we agreed to scrap deacons meetings - at least for the time being - as we are down to three deacons and it seems totally silly to hold a meeting with just these people, especially at a time when we need to increase the frequency of general Church Meetings.
What this means is that in the last five years we have increased from four to six and now to eight the number Members' Meetings (I'd like to open them up but that's a whole minefield of its own) and decreased the number of Deacons' Meetings from eight to five to zero. On some ways I'll miss the Deacs' meetings - they has become quite open and frank with a balance of humour and careful thought, whilst the Members' meetings, although infinitely different from the first one or two I experienced remain much harder work.
Still, having cut down my number of meetings of this kind from 12 to 11 to 8 I think I've done something constructive!!
Comments
That's good.
I don't oppose the idea of leadership in principle but in practice I am not sure about the hierarchical effects of a diaconate on the pyschology of the church. I worry it leads to some adopting a sheep mentality and not fully embracing the priesthood of all believers for themselves.
Then again it's more necessary to achieve consensus and not leave anyone behind in a church than it is in other bodies where members will just accept they are in a minority on some issues and move on, and occasionally hierarchy can be useful in opinion-forming towards that end.
But maybe what you've done will encourage some ordinary members to become more involved in praying through and making decisions.