Developing an Organizational Environment to Enhance and Multiply Effective Ministry at Wallenstein Bible Chapel, Ontario: Lessons Learned From a Pond

Abstract

This thesis describes a project that involved creating and sustaining a healthy church organizational environment in a Plymouth Brethren church in Ontario, believing that this would enable the church to be more effective in missional ministry in the local community. We sought to develop three of the areas listed in Natural Church Development as being critical to a healthy growing church: empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry, and functional structures. A survey was developed and conducted, measuring various areas in which we would implement change, and measuring the congregation's beliefs and attitudes regarding missional ministry. Following the survey, the governing leaders made changes to their model of leadership and to the organizational structure, shifting from a "top-down model" to a model that empowered others and shared authority. A team was formed to implement change and to provide support and structure for leaders serving in specific ministries. At the end of the project, a second survey measured congregational responses to the changes in structure and to attitudes towards missional ministry. The results were generally favourable. A model for leadership development and a new leadership rubric were then refined to be used for future development of leadership and leadership teams.