14 Points Toward Ongoing
Church Reform
Often, if we pay
attention, we see and hear bodies and disciplines outside the Church using our
insights and methods to good advantage.
After hearing an interview on National Radio about the 14 points of Management
as enunciated by W Edwards Deming, who helped rebuild the Japanese economy
after World War II, I thought that maybe the science of economics has something
to teach us as we face the challenge of a changing Church. These ideas were designed for industry to
create and maintain maximum efficiency.
Variation was seen as the enemy by Deming. For Christians disunity is the enemy. I would also count as enemies hypocrisy,
fatalism and cynicism.
When we look at the
verbs used in the 14 Points we can see an obligation on the manager to take
initiatives. He cannot be a man who
falls victim to negative influences but rather seeks to act against them. Deming’s imperatives instruct the manager not
to be an overseer or taskmaster but to be a true leader with vision and
courage. This is apparent when the verbs
are listed: create-adopt-cease-move towards-improve-institute-institute-drive
out-break down-eliminate-eliminate-remove-institute. Only the fourteenth point, significantly,
does not place an onus on the manager and qualifies the previous thirteen
points, “The transformation is
everyone’s job”.
Transformation is not
a revolution. Deming was not looking to
recast Japanese society totally but to remodel its industrial and management
processes. A distinction must be made
between reform and revolution. In the
former the old state of affairs is renewed from within and ultimately
transformed although in continuity with that which preceded it. The latter is a radical change which creates
essentially a new reality. In this
change there is effectively a new creation.
In terms of Church history the work of Saints Francis and Dominic can be
seen as reform while the Reformation, in the countries where it prevailed, was
revolutionary. The application of Deming’s
principles would not be to create a new revolutionary church but a transformed
Church involving existing people and structures but realigning power structures
and focusing mission. For the Church the
revolution of the resurrection can be the final goal.
Each commentary is
followed by Scripture quotes. This shows
that the early Church had at its disposal an ideal resource in the Bible for
establishing and maintaining an organization consistent with Deming’s
ideas. Maybe he was even affected by
them!
1. “Create constancy
of purpose towards improvement”
At heart this is a
question of vision. The impetus behind a
purpose of improvement is a higher value.
In the case of Deming it might be the value of quality. Such a value transcends the identity of the
collective and draws it on. This desire
for self-transcendence means that the participation of the managers and workers
becomes not just a question of productivity but of identity. The organization serves something or someone
beyond itself and the desire to improve finds its motivation there. The purpose ultimately feeds on itself as the
improvements are made and the identity is affirmed the greater the desire to
continue the process of improvement.
The manager therefore
should always be looking toward the long term and not be satisfied with
short-term reactions or expediency. Occasional
mistakes or missteps should not derail the strategy and plan of the
Parish. The constant purpose of the
priest in liturgy and administration with an eye to improvement means that the
parish and its staff are not going to stagnate.
Hopefully this desire to improve will catch on with the parishioners who
will also strive to make their parish a more faithful, loving and hospitable community.
Rev 21:1-3 “Then I
saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away, and the sea was no more.
And I was the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out from heaven
from god, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
1 Cor 9:24 “Do you not know that in a race
the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.”
Heb 3:12-14 “Take
care, brothers and sisters, that one of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart
that turns away from the living God. But
exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that no one
of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners in Christ, if only
we hold our first confidence firm to the end.”
Phil 3: 12-14, “Not
that I have already reached this or have already reached the goal; but I press
on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made
it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining
forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the
heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”
2. “Adopt the new
philosophy”
Since Vatican II, the
most recent reform of the Catholic Church, was a conservative reform with the
intention of getting the Church back in touch with its first inspiration and Mission
We can apply this to
the intentions and the spirit of Vatican II.
The main principles being that the paradigm of baptism is adult baptism,
the Church is the People of God, the Church must engage with and empathize with
the world and that all of us are called to holiness. All of these have implications far beyond the
present and the short or medium term.
The management, even though it cannot see what exactly the fruit of the
reform will be, has to trust that the philosophy is a sound structure and that
the reform will yield fruit even when the times get tough. To do otherwise is to lose faith in the
reform and to compromise or go backwards which will end in failure.
Lk 5:37-38 “And no
one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the
skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh
wineskins.”
3. “Cease dependence
on inspection”
Dependence on
inspection, or he gaining of permission radically inhibits the dynamism of an
organization. It also derails the
principle of subsidiarity whereby the person closest to the problem is the one
who should deal with it. Two problems
are apparent: Firstly, people who must wait for inspection or permission lose
ownership of their local situation and leave problem solving to others. They decline to take initiatives and wait to
be asked to accomplish tasks which may be self-evident. Secondly, people who lose confidence in the
management structure are tempted to either leave the organization altogether or
set up structures within the structure to suit themselves. This naturally enough this causes tension as
those who wait for permission resent those who grant themselves license and
those who initiate new structures are frustrated with the larger structure.
This relates to
enabling and encouraging lay participation.
To empower people in the parish to take legitimate initiatives, to pray
and work without the need to be supervised personally by the priest, is a
laudable objective. It means that the
priests will have to end being control freaks and that the people will not always
wait for “Father” to come up with all the ideas. Just because the priest is not there doesn’t
mean that the activity is less Catholic.
The concept of the sensus fidelium
underpins this concept. This means that
the people themselves have an awareness of what it means to be Catholic which
is predictable since they are as much Church as are the hierarchy.
The reputation of the
Church in the past decades has been that it is authoritarian in its
approach. However, a closer look will
reveal that it is demand based. The
priests respond to the desires of the people and seek to meet their needs. Since the people wish to be Catholic they are
open to the priest and his teaching about what it means to be Catholic so they
can undersand it more profoundly. At the
same time the priest is open to learning from them.
LK 9:49-50 “John
answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried
to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him; for
whoever is not against you is for you.”
Mtt 24: 45-47 “Who
then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his
household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper
time? Blessed is that slave whom his
master will find at work when he arrives.
Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his
possessions.”
4. “Move towards a
single supplier for any one item.”
The Church is like a sacrament,
or living sign of Christ who in turn is the living sign of God the Father. Therefore, the church is limited to Christ
but God is not limited to the Church.
Christ is the supplier of grace and our salvation. The Church cannot be tempted to yield to
other forms of spirituality or prayer which are contrary to the Gospel. This will cause conflict and confusion since
the people all need to work towards the same goal.
Lk 16:13 “No slave can serve two
masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted
to the one and despise the other.”
Gal 1:7b-8 “there are
some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should
proclaim to you a gospel contrary to the gospel contrary to what we proclaimed
to you, let that one be accursed”
Mtt 23:8-12 “But you are
not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all
students. And call no one on your father
on earth, for you have one Father-the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you
have one instructor, the Messiah. The
greatest among you will be your servant.
All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves
will be exalted.”
And
Eph 4:4-6 “There is
one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your
calling, one Lord , one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is
above all and through all and in all.”
5. “Improve
constantly and forever.”
This principle looks
very much like the first. The purpose of
improvement must be manifest in action.
To constantly improve saves the trauma of sporadic and occasional
reform. This is different from the
ongoing revolution of Mao as it is not imposed on the people but emerges from
the desire for transformation.
The reform of Vatican
II has only really just begun. It took
forty years to get over the shock of having a Council and now we can start
getting on with the real work. The
Church is always in need of reform and this will certainly be the case for our
life time. If the need to improve is
embraced the results will be apparent in our own lives and in the lives of
others. The Church in New Zealand
Mtt 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your
heavenly Father is perfect.”
Rom 14:17-19 “For the
kingdom of God
And
Eph 4:15-16 “But
speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who I the
head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every
ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes
the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”
6. “Institute
training on the job.”
This can be applied
to preaching and the way in which we relate to and deal with others. To be truly collaborative, even if, on the
face of it, it is inefficient will structure in continuity and a sharing of
burdens. No one is indispensable. Since the training is on the job the danger
of careerism is avoided as people get to employ their talents and skills rather
than being promoted into them and then having to learn. By living what is preached we are training
others also how to be as Church.
It is also important
that the verb is institute. It is not
necessary for the manager to do the training.
If the skills base is wide enough and the workers are not dependant on
inspection they are able to train one another.
1 Pet 5:1b-4 “I
exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge,
exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have
you do it-not for sordid gain but eagerly.
Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the
flock. And when the chief shepherd
appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away.”
Also
Phil 3: 17 “Brothers
and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the
example you have in us.”
7. “Institute
leadership”
There is a difference
between leadership and mere supervision.
The latter is quota and target based.
The good manager cannot simply be satisfied with having solid numbers
and “overseeing” the parish. The priest
is a presence among the people not just inside but also outside of the
Eucharist. As an ontological change the
Sacrament of Holy Orders conforms the priest in persona Christi Capitis.
It is not his function but his presence that is paramount. His preaching but also in his life in the
parish is of the greatest importance. Occasionally the priest should be satisfied
to do little but be present to events in the parish and community’s life. He does not always have to say grace.
The word “institute”
again alerts us to the reality that the priest or manager is not the only one
who leads. He may have a qualitative
difference in terms of presence and role from the people but they are all
capable of leading. To allow for this to
happen the priest needs to be aware of the boundaries of his role and have the
flexibility to let others lead even if on occasions he could do so himself. This is an integral part of training on the
job.
Lk 22: 24-27 “A
dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the
greatest. But he said to them, “The
kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are
called benefactors. But not so with you;
rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader
like one who serves. For who greater,
the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”
Mk 5: 35-37 When it
grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and
the hour I now very late; send them away so that they may go into the
surrounding country and villages and but something for themselves to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them
something to eat.”
8. “Drive out fear.”
Fear must be dealt
with assertively by managers and it is primarily his responsibility. This applies to fear exerted on the people
from above and among them as well as within the manager himself. The virtue of “fear of the Lord” is not a
fear of punishment or judgment from some headmaster God. Rather it is awe at the mystery of God and
the strong desire not to offend one who is so good and loving to me. Fear of change is natural and requires trust
to overcome such obstacles. The manager
has to establish a relationship based on trust before being able to get the
people to move forward. This will not
happen if the priest himself is captive to fear and will not make the first
steps.
The last thing that
our parishioners should do is fear the priest.
Occasionally it is tempting to use fear to get people to act in their
own interest but this must be avoided
Even if the people get things wrong or are having trouble they need not fear
the wrath of the priest but be encouraged to keep improving. Much of the resentment against the Church when
people have had the Church instill fear in them either when they were at school
or from the pulpit.
1 John 4:18 “There is
no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with
punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.”
2 Cor 2:3-4 “And I
wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer pain from those who
should have made me rejoice; for I am confident about all of you, that my joy
would be of joy of all of you. For I wrote to you out of much distress and
anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you
know the abundant love that I have for you.”
Rom 8:15 “For you did not receive a
spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of
adoption”
9. “Break down
barriers between departments.”
Barriers of any
description impede the implementation of reform. Sectors of the organization will strive to
find ways of exempting themselves from the sometimes arduous process of
transformation. Barriers also do not
allow for the flexibility demanded by the other points.
Barriers invite the
danger of binary oppositions: winners and losers, Protestant and Catholic,
conservative and liberal. This
encourages rivalry and unhealthy competitiveness rather than people working
together regardless of where they are in the organization. Any manager will be
labeled as belonging to a particular group which will automatically diminish
his effectiveness. The ensuing conflict
with other managers who have identified with other factions results in
internecine warfare which can be exploited by the more unscrupulous by gaining
advantage purely for political motives.
For the Church we need
to break down barriers within the Church and with other churches. Other religions also need to be acknowledged
in the areas in which we can work together.
To be brave enough to do this the Church needs to be aware of what is
important and what is not. It has a
tendency to work on historical problems rather than those of the church
today. In this sense it has to break
down barriers to living in the present either by remaining in the past or
moving to quickly into a perceived future.
Another factor is the
reality that the local church is the Diocese and not the parish. However, the idea of the “internal customer”
means that we strive to look after all communities and groups of the faithful
with regard to their needs rather than exploiting their good will or
sacrificing smaller communities for the sake of bigger ones. The key term for the priest or manager is
complementarity.
1 Cor 1:10 “Now I
appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that
you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.”
Gal 3:28 “There is no
longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
Jn 1720 “I ask not
only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me
through their word, that they may all be one.
As you, Father, re in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so
that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
10. “Eliminate
slogans”
“...it’s not people
who make the most mistakes-it’s the process they are working within. Harassing the workforce without improving the
processes they use is counter-productive.”
This, applied to the Church, can tell us not to motivate people without
considering the bigger picture of how I actually work with them and the process
of decision making in the parish. A
priest can be in danger of having the people tell him what they think he wants
to hear or of waiting till he evinces an opinion before speaking their minds.
1 Cor 1:3 “For it has
been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my
brothers and sisters. What I mean is
that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,’ or “I
belong to Christ.” Has Christ been
divided?
11. “Eliminate
management by objectives.”
This speaks of
management not by managers but by objectives.
Such an impersonal approach cannot take account of the variations in
conditions faced by workers. Staff are
burnt out by expectations and targets that often are impossible to meet. Rather than admit failure or burn out the
individuals trickle away leaving a greater burden on the staff who remain. Consequently, this leads to a greater chance
of that group leaving also. The ability
of managers to establish healthy ongoing relationships with motivated staff is
always going to bring about the optimal result.
The Church needs to ask itself are there unspoken, implicit or explicit targets in the parish? Does this encourage people to work in such away that the quality of education, catechesis or liturgy is impaired? Often we are oppressed by the mass-count from last year or the planned giving total. Such an approach is concerned with transformation but simply what will produce the best results in the short term. This will always be damaging as the intention of the reform is not primarily about numbers but the conforming of the church to the
Mtt 6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.
Today’ trouble is enough for today.”
Lk 15:7 “Just so I
tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than
over ninety nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
12. “Remove barriers
to pride of workmanship”
Barriers to pride of
workmanship occur when workers are alienated from the product and treated as
machines. If they participate in the
vision of the whole they will see how their respective efforts fit in. Isolating sections of the work force and
compartmentalizing them will serve to reinforce a situation where the workers
and the management regard each other with jealousy and hostility.
This can be effected
by continually praising and thanking those who make efforts to forward the Kingdom of God
1 Cor 3:5-9 “What
then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants
through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the
growth. So neither the one who plants
nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth> The one who plants and the one who waters
have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labour of
each. For we are God’s servants, working
together; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
1 Thess 1:2-5 “We
always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers,
constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour
of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by
God that he has chosen you because our message of the gospel came to you not in
word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction;
just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.”
13. “Institute
education and self-improvement”
What does I mean to
institute something? It means to
initiate and to establish something as a part of the life of the
institution. Ultimately it does not need
to be questioned but is taken as a part of the way of life of those involved in
the project. People throughout the
Church should take it for granted that they will have self-improvement and
ongoing education as a part of their lives both spiritually and professionally.
There is always a
need for the priest to maintain his reading and to refresh his ideas. Priestly renewal prevents burnout and
cynicism. It is a shame if a priest
travels for the whole of his priestly ministry on what he learnt at the
Seminary. If there is going to be
ongoing improvement the priest will have to be open to improving and educating
himself. If the priest does not know
what he is talking about how can the people be expected to know?
2 Tim 3:14-17 “But as
for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from
whom you learnt it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings
that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is
inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and
for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be
proficient, equipped for every good work.”
Phil 4:8-9 “Finally
beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pure, whatever is
pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is
anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing these things that you have
learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be
with you.”
14. “The
transformation is everyone’s job.”
The scope of reform
is open ended since the purpose of improvement is unending. This means that reform, if it is to be
successful, must affect the whole of the organization. For the organization to be transformed the
members of it also must be transformed according to the life and aims of the
organization they constitute. The job of
transformation must necessarily belong to everyone because they ultimately are
the organization and the transformation in themselves. If the individuals change then the whole will
change. The job of the manager is to
inspire, facilitate and coordinate the change that is achieved by everyone
working together.
For the Church this
can be seen as another major principle of Vatican II. The indidivuals are Church together as the People
of God. They cannot exist as church as
individuals. It is a hierarchical communion so there is a reality of the bishops
and priests leading but they do so through service. They are also primarily oriented to the
welfare of the Church itself while the primary orientation of the laity is
towards the world. The priests and laity
complement and support each other rather than compete for power, status or
prestige. The reform of the Church
therefore belongs to everybody.
1 Peter 2:9 “But you
are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in
order that you proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness
into his own marvelous light.”
2 Cor 3:17-18 “And
all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though
reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one
degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
“Deming has been
criticized for putting forward a set of goals without providing any tools for managers
(priests) to use to reach those goals (just the problem he identified in point
10). His inevitable response to the
question was: “You’re the manager (priest), you figure it out””
The letters of Paul
as he strove to organize and manage his churches from a distance are especially
helpful in seeing how modern principles of management and church reform can
learn from each other. The danger for
the manager/priest is that he becomes timorous.
Held captive by the fear of failure, he becomes paralyzed and implements
his tasks by using authority in rigid and unproductive ways. 2 Timothy is an excellent example of Paul
exhorting his deputy not to lose sight of the vision and to keep striving despite
opposition.
“...I remind you to
rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands;
for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and
of love and of self-discipline(1:6b-7)...Hold to the standard of sound teaching
that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ
Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted
to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us(1:13-14)...No one serving
in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please
the enlisting officer(2:4)...Do your best to present yourself to God as one
approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the
word of truth.(2:15)...Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith,
love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless
controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be
quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correction
opponents with gentleness(2:22-25)...as for you, continue in what you have
learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learnt it(3:14)...I solemnly
urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or
unfavorable; convince, rebuke and encourage, with the utmost patience in
teaching(4:1b-2)...As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work
of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.”
Material for this
article was taken from the webpage: http://www.hci.com.au/hcisite2/articles/deming.htm
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