Last night I attended a great meeting. It was the best meeting I have attended at Bethany since I arrived here in December 2015. I have thought about why this meeting was so satisfying. There are a number of things that happened last night that point to a check-list that every gathering could consult when attempting to plan for a successful meeting.
1) There were new people around the table. There was nothing wrong with the existing membership but new blood brings questions and responses that people who have grown accustomed to “the way we have always done it” may miss. You never want a full-scale exchange of new for old, continuity is very, very important to the success of any institution. Without corporate memory all institutions are doomed to repeat past mistakes. But a significant injection of new member makes an institution more nimble and aware of shifts happening within and without the faith community. Last night our first-time member all made contributions and suggestions and asked questions.
2) The meeting was about something. The theme of our gathering last night was to hear a report by a special task force set up to explore more deeply the preferred option selected by the congregation last April with regard to the state of our physical plant, the building. The task force shared a short and well-written report that helped us understand what exactly would be asked of the church should we move forward with the preferred option selected by the congregation. This was a regularly scheduled meeting with a typical business agenda. Wisely the Chair moved the important item to the top of the agenda and had the reports submitted in writing before the meeting. The meeting focused on the big matters that our congregation must address in the near future and we left the house-keeping work for others to read at their leisure.
3) The presentation was accessible, thorough and responsive. The presenters offered a short report that anyone could read but had significant data that made it both specific and in context. Questions were asked, all very good questions, and the responses were not “preachy” but instead offering the information in a way that allowed those in attendance to make better decisions. Members present felt empowered by the additional information.
4) People listened to each other. I would hear a comment or a question and then another person would speak and weave the former question/comment into their remarks. People were making a conscious effort to listen and build on the previous speaker. It was exactly how a healthy organic community works through an issue.
5) Lots of different people spoke. The meeting was NOT dominated by one or a handful of voices. Lots of people, new and familiar, spoke and all asked good questions and made excellent points.
6) People were constructive. The mood in the room was one of finding consensus and finding a solution. There were no “old agendas” or “old grievances” leaking into the conversation, the discussion was about the matter on the table, the building, and we kept that focus throughout.
7) There were specifics without too much detail. Any discussion about a building can easily descend into the tiny details like the kind of nails being used, the shape of the windows, the colour of the carpets. We resisted the temptation to go down those rabbit holes and kept the details to information the Board would need to make a good decision.
8) People were realistic and yet kept to a vision. There was a sense throughout the discussion that we needed to be realistic about what we can afford and how we raise the funds to do this work and yet at the same time there was attention to necessary repairs to keep us safe. Additionally, at the outset our short group-building exercise, asking each member to share where in the building s/he feels most deeply connected to Spirit, made it clear that there is a vision of church that lifts up deep connections between members. That vision was life-giving.
9) Humility. No one spoke like they had all the answers. Everyone confessed we are doing our best to listen, pray and discern the right path forward. Expressing humility so openly was a genuine first step to good decision-making.
10) Affirmation. Throughout the meeting people would authentically thank one another for their efforts. That spirit was maintained from the outset.
The only thing that did not arise last night that will need to be stated at some point in this discussion is how necessary it is to respect those who disagree with us on how to proceed with the building. Because the consensus last night was so strong we had an absence of disagreement. That will not last. We will need to be open to living with disagreement as we make these important decisions.
For now I give thanks for a wonderful meeting.