Human Resource Analysis - Incarnational Ministry

...

is the root of a major conflict. The lateral coordination comprises of the planter team of Cory and Linda and Mike and Whitney. Cory, the idealistic native son, serves as the passionate leader of the group of church planters and approaches the board of elders of the Elmira church community that represents the vertical coordination to act as the benefactor, to be the parent church of the new church in depressed Wawasee.

Dysfunction and evidence:

The dysfunction of the case starts progressively when the church at Elmira, Woodland Hills, considers and accepts the proposal to parent the planting of a new church in Wawasee. The teams of Cory and Linda and Mike and Whitney have a shared vision, though their motivations are from different inspirations. The Elder Board of Woodland Hills’ are for the initiative, but their view of the process and outcome are at odds with Cory and his team. The visionary, Cory, has his planning team infiltrated by Bethany, the wife of the chairman of the elders’ board, Randy; Bethany, who is sent to keep an eye on the proceedings while she diminishes the people she is appointed to serve. The outcome of the clash of agenda is the entire process meets the ultimatum by the board of doing it our way, or you are on your own (paraphrase).

Nuanced implications:

Vision, the “set of strong beliefs animating a concrete picture of a future.” The case is of a group of idealistic, young Christians who share a vision of an incarnated Christ-like church but they need and seek the help of a fully resourced organization. Despite the making of an alliance that could accomplish the task there were unspoken rules imposed by the source of authority that cause a clash of opposing motivations the have put the endeavor at risk of not being completed.

Human Resource Analysis

The Frame:

The human resource frame has evolved from a position of no rights for workers, but as a reward for the fulfillment of the duty to work hard, they will earn a paycheck. Over time it was determined that their skills, attitudes, and energy be vital to the successful operation of any function. This shift in the human resources thought paradigm had developed assumptions of the symbiotic relationship shared between the organization and the people engaged in its work.

Human Resource Issues:

Despite and agreement to cooperate toward a common goal, the establishment of the church to meet an obvious need, to help the neighboring community, there was no agreement between to laborers and the authorizing group. A self-managed team of the church planters is not what the board of elders intended or will allow happening. When the leader of the plant team realized this, outrage occurred, conflict and accusations of doctrinal violations ensued.