Dysfunctional Church
What is a "dysfunctional church"?
Dysfunction doesn't mean decline, organizational problems, budget shortfalls, membership losses, or failure in mission. Those are normal, if regrettable, conditions in which any system can find itself.
Dysfunction means impaired, abnormal or unhealthy conditions, usually in interpersonal relations, which result in
- people hurting each other
- making consistently poor decisions
- engaging in self-defeating behaviors, such as
- sexual misconduct
- addictions
- unethical choices
- scapegoating of the vulnerable.
- deceitful rumoring
In a dysfunctional church, as in a dysfunctional family, people seem isolated, afraid of each other, confused, unable to trust, depressive.
What causes a church to become "dysfunctional"?
One cause is a trauma such as sexual misconduct or addiction in key leaders, which was hidden, allowed to continue too long, and not addressed openly.
A healthy system can weather any storm, including such violations as sexual misconduct by a pastor or key lay leader. An unhealthy system goes into shock, denial, depression, and eventually dysfunction, that is, an inability to function effectively.
Another cause is a drastic change in conditions such as a natural disaster or economic dislocation, which wasn't addressed as a problem requiring action by the community, but was used as an occasion to blame a despised minority, to scapegoat the vulnerable, or to gain narrow advantage, and the community allowed this lie to proceed.
Another cause is the emotional, mental or moral collapse of a key leader, which wasn't handled with compassion toward the individual and fresh direction for the system, but was hidden, denied, defended, rejected as worthy of concern, or made to seem a normative part of the system's life.
Like a virus, the dysfunctional church tends to replicate itself and undermine treatment efforts.
Newcomers sense the dysfunction, although they rarely can name it, and they flee. The outsider's perspective that is so critical to seeing dysfunction ceases to occur.
Leaders who have learned to live with the dysfunction and to benefit from it (called "enablers" in addiction), tend to assume positions of power. To defend their hold on power, they tend to resist healing.
What can de done about a dysfunctional church?
Healing a dysfunctional church is difficult work, and often cannot be accomplished.
Most clergy aren't trained adequately for leading such a recovery effort. Few laity have the time, skill or emotional energy to engage in long-term healing.
Outside help will be needed, and a considerable investment of money and time.
Even with professional help, the dysfunctional system might resist all corrective efforts and need to die, so that something new can be born.
Leaders have difficult and self-effacing roles to play. For one thing, current leaders could be part of the problem, that is, directly causing the conditions that sustain dysfunction. Most likely, if they can be led to recognize their enabling, they will need to resign.
Fresh leaders will be needed, who are less tinged by participation in dysfunctional behaviors and decisions, more able to see the system as it is.
Leaders will need to accept the necessity of investing in outside resources. Sick systems don't get well without significant help.
Leaders will need to break free from any culture of denial and hiding. This will be a time for radical transparency, even at the risk of embarrassing certain leaders and members. Legal assistance might be helpful in determining how to handle certain matters, but a lawyer's natural tendency to control information and to say as little as possible should be resisted. For trust and confidence to be restored, people need to know and to talk.
If it seems likely that the system will need to die, in order to be reborn, leaders will have the cheerless task of protecting assets, working with the judicatory on issues of property ownership and continuity of mission.
